Delay When Playing Video

Question

Level 1

20 points

Delay When Playing Video

I posted this in the iPad forum, but this is probably the more appropriate location. Anyway, I have an ATV2 with an iPad 2 / iPhone 4 that experience similar issues when attempting to send video via AirPlay.

Sometimes, when I send video taken from my iPhone for example, it plays to the ATV within seconds. Other times, there is a delay before it begins playing that lasts several seconds. For example, if I play a 20 second clip, it takes 10 seconds to load as if the ATV is buffering.

I would normally look into network problems first. This is my network setup. ATV is connected via Ethernet to a switch. iPad is connected to a wireless router that is running 802.11n in the 5ghz band. So the iPad and the wireless router is isolated. No other device is connected to it. iPhone is connected to a different 802.11n router running in the 2.4ghz band.

ATV runs Netflix and home sharing w/ no issues.

iPad 2, iOS 4

Posted on Mar 28, 2011 7:53 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Mar 28, 2011 1:36 PM in response to floridonet

floridonet wrote:
I posted this in the iPad forum, but this is probably the more appropriate location. Anyway, I have an ATV2 with an iPad 2 / iPhone 4 that experience similar issues when attempting to send video via AirPlay.

Sometimes, when I send video taken from my iPhone for example, it plays to the ATV within seconds. Other times, there is a delay before it begins playing that lasts several seconds. For example, if I play a 20 second clip, it takes 10 seconds to load as if the ATV is buffering.

I would normally look into network problems first. This is my network setup. ATV is connected via Ethernet to a switch. iPad is connected to a wireless router that is running 802.11n in the 5ghz band. So the iPad and the wireless router is isolated. No other device is connected to it. iPhone is connected to a different 802.11n router running in the 2.4ghz band.

ATV runs Netflix and home sharing w/ no issues.

All three of your devices are running iOS, have A4 or A5 processors, limited RAM, etc. Depending on what you have previously or are currently running on them, all three may need to swap out what is in memory so your videos can play over AirPlay. There is also time required for the devices to negotiate the network session they use between each other. I'd test after rebooting them all, and if your iPad/iPhone doesn't start playing the video without the "buffering", you might have a network issue.....

Reply

Answer 2

floridonet Author

Level 1

20 points

Mar 28, 2011 1:46 PM in response to Michaelworks

I should also ask if this is normal behavior for other people sending video to ATV2 via AirPlay. Does everyone experience this, or am I in the minority?

There is no delay in the session since it occurs w/ the currently active one. I can thumb through images and the first frame of the videos will appear without issues.

The next step in my troubleshooting is to bypass the switch and have ATV connected directly to the WiFi router.

Reply