Apple TV buffering issues with iPhone 4s and iPad 2

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Apple TV buffering issues with iPhone 4s and iPad 2

Hi all,

I just got me an Apple TV 2nd gen (yeah, I know, ordered 2 days before the presentation of the new one). So far so good, the device is up and running, connects just fine to my Airport Express router and all.

However, if I try to stream a video from my iPad (2) or my iPhone (4S), the results are quite horriffic. The iPad videos would buffer for a very long time before they start and then quite fast after that the buffering problems restart. It's pretty impossible to play a video fluently of more than 20 seconds. If I'd try from my iPhone it's even worse with videos being 1080p, the thing just never plays, eventually the preloading process stops on the mirroring mode is cut.

I have to point out, all my devices are in the same room (WiFi) so the signal is the best it can be.

This is honestly quite surprising AND disappointing to be honest, given I bought the device mostly for that, so I can stream videos from my phone and pad.

Tell me, am I doing something wrong, or the video streaming over those devices is just a marketing gimmick with nothing real behind it?

Would it matter if I change my router from Airport express to Airport extreme?

Thanks!

AppleTV 2, iOS 4.3.3

Posted on Mar 9, 2012 10:05 AM

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Answer 1

tutin12 Author

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Mar 10, 2012 9:50 AM in response to tutin12

So am I the only one unable to stream videos from iPad and iPhone to the Apple TV 2?

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Answer 2

Mar 10, 2012 10:03 AM in response to tutin12

Tutin,

Depending on where you live you could return the ATV2 and get the new one Next week. In the US it 14days and the best part would be the updated hardware for the same price.

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Answer 3

Mar 10, 2012 10:05 AM in response to Damian Smith1

It could a an issue with interference

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Answer 4

tutin12 Author

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Mar 11, 2012 12:35 AM in response to Damian Smith1

Hi Damian,

So you yourself have no problem streaming via airplay a 720p or 1080p video to TV2?

I'm considering getting the Airport Extreme, I suppose it'll have stronger signal (though I believe this is irrelevant as it's all in the same room) and possibly faster throughput.

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Answer 5

Mar 23, 2012 4:55 PM in response to tutin12

I have an Airport Extreme (2nd Gen) and I, too, am having the same buffering issues.

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Answer 6

Mar 25, 2012 9:08 AM in response to tutin12

I have the same issue and I am using the latest Apple TV, with airport extreme and iPhone 4s. A video just 30 seconds shot on my iPhone could take up to 3 minutes to buffer enough to start playing. A definite show stopper. I've tried different settings on the airport extreme to no avail. It plays all other videos with no problem. The 1080p videos from iPhone are a no go.

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Answer 7

JPBLACK

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Mar 25, 2012 3:02 PM in response to Scott Rasche

I have the same issue with ATV3 and iPhone 4S. Everything works properly, no buffering issues when watching netflix, vimeo, youtube BUT when I try mirroring even a small 15sec iPhone movie it stutters and buffers and results to a choppy playback..same with larger mp4 files such as 1-1.5GB, buffers forever and never plays, I just re-encoded the same movie to 700MB and plays perfectly..

Why Apple, why?..so close..I can accept the bigger movie files issue, but not being able to playback properly an iPhone movie is funny..I recorded a movie with lower bitrate through Filmic Pro (Economy mode, up to 16Mbps)

and plays properly.

Is there an upcoming software update going to solve the problem or is it hardware related and therefore not fixable.

Please don't reply with a network related answer, by 2012 we know how to set up our networks and everything else runs flawlessly.

I'll apreciate a fast answer, we love Apple, but if it can't play an iphone movie (or a high quality movie from iTunes) it's just not up to my standards.

Thanks again.

JP

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Answer 8

JPBLACK

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Mar 25, 2012 3:28 PM in response to JPBLACK

Just to clarify, the issues when mirroring the larger movie files(>1GB) are from my MBP and iTunes (it loads as it should but doesn't start playing back or plays choppy video), the iPhone can't even mirror it's own videos as I said earlier, I didn't even bother trying a larger file..

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Answer 9

tutin12 Author

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Mar 26, 2012 1:22 AM in response to tutin12

I really think this is an engineering flaw. I discovered different tasks with the same videos give different results.

For example:

* Nothing plays from my 4S, with videos being 1080p, it just does NOT work AT ALL. Not slowly - NEVER.

* From my iPad 2, if I use the YOU TUBE application to AirPlay my videos, it buffers a lot, but works. If I'd just open youtube in my pad's browser, then play the video from within the browser and then stream AirPlay to Apple TV - it works perfect with no buffering issue.

and so on..

Basically I think there are engineering flaws in those products's compatibility. Whether's it's because they didn't plan 1080p when TV2 was designed, or because of something else - I don't know, but it's a fact.

Something else that comes to mind now, a month ago my iPad was pretty useless for video streaming too, but last night I had little issues playing videos. Could it be due to iOS 5.1 improvements?

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Answer 10

LAVARA56

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May 7, 2012 3:08 PM in response to JPBLACK

I'm having the same issues streaming video from my Iphone 4S to my Apple TV. Have you heard anything from Apple regarding this issue ?

Thanks

LA

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Answer 11

May 8, 2012 11:31 AM in response to tutin12

Same problem with my iphone 4s. Takes 10 minutes to buffer a 1 minute long video to my Apple TV. Please fix this Apple!

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Answer 12

May 11, 2012 1:23 PM in response to tutin12

I have the same problem. Multiple Apple TV's, two Iphone 4S, two 3rd gen Ipads... they all have the same problem streaming to the Apple TV. I've even moved the video to a media server and attempted to stream it from there using air video, same problem.

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Answer 13

May 11, 2012 1:26 PM in response to tutin12

I forgot to mention - I'm using the latest Apple TV's.

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Answer 14

May 12, 2012 2:08 PM in response to tutin12

I found a way around my problem. By using the "Play with Live Conversion" button, insteadof the "Play" button in Air Video, I don't have the delay/extended buffering. However, I noticed the problem still exists if I try to play the movie from the Apple TV menu/remote. It only seems to happen on Quicktime movies.

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Answer 15

Aug 2, 2012 12:57 PM in response to tutin12

Same here with 4s / Time Capsule / Apple TV.

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