Apple TV video freezes but audio continues

Yes - you are correct - any movies that I put into iTunes on my computer work with no issues or problems. I also just tested my older Apple TV2 in my other room - same problem as the Apple TV3 one - its got to be an Apple issue - I thought performing the Apple TV update would fix the issue, but no luck. I hope Apple will acknowledge this issue and correct ASAP. Thanks

I, too, am having the same issue with an ATV2 with purchased TV shows from iTunes (Fringe season 1) to be exact. The video streams for anywhere from 10-20' then freezes with continued audio. Only corrected by exiting to the menu.

I am also having funny behavior with the "enter" button with the remote both my universal and the Apple on where pressing enter on the video page to start playing the show will to work until I get rid of the "review" section above the preview and play "buttons."

Same issues with new ATV3. Started two days ago and so I took the software update yesterday thinking it would stop freezing the new iTunes Tinkerbell movie for my daughters (did not occur to me to look for support posts first). I didn't time the frequency of the freezes before, but it seemed that after the update, it was even more regular (on the dot, every 20 minutes, 'Daddy it's happening again!'). Was able to watch two episodes of Revenge from Netflix without issue. Surprised no response from Apple other than to unplug?!

Update: unplugged for an hour and then made it all the way through Tinkerbell with no freezing!

File a report here: https://bugreport.apple.com

I'm also having this issue- I'm not sure what to do. I'm trying to play homemade videos thru ITunes on the appletv and the scene is freezing after 4 minutes, meanwhile I still have 15minutes to get thru. I've since made the video into 6 separate video's to see if this would help- and it does continuously play on the AppleTV- but it pops up with the new "Video Name" after it starts the next video, which I don't want it to do- I want it to look like 1 video...

Originally playing this video in August, it worked just fine, but in Sept sometime it started freezing and I've been playing around with it ever since.

It's very frustrating as I feel it's a user issue, but seeing everyone else' issues, I now believe it's an Apple issue...

Any suggestions for home videos would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks for the idea but when I tried to login I got the message "You must be a Registered Apple Developer to file bugs via Bug Reporter" Oh Well :-( Thanks anyway.

Hi Everyone,

Problem lies with IOS 6.0. You need to revert back to IOS 5.1.1 then streaming is Ok.

http://www.redmondpie.com/ios-5.0.2-build-9b830-software-update-for-apple-tv-now -available-for-download/

Use Micros USB cable for this purpose. Buy one if you don't have one.

Start up Itunes then Shift and Restore simultaneously, search for the download file 5.1.1. restore it. Reboot and you will be OK.

Cheers

I too am having this issue. Have hundreds of movies.

When I play a movie stored on my ext'l HDD via VLC, Quicktime, WD HDTV's or other video programs on computers, no issues with the files at all. When using files in my iTunes library on my computer, play without an issue.

When I try to watch movies on AppleTV, 3rd Gen, some movies have audio sync issues, off by several seconds; these delays do not exist during any other useage scenarios mentioned above, only with apple TV. Some MP4 files will not even open, just sit their loading and loading for minutes. Sometimes they start, other times, not. 😕Main issue is when a movie starts, then after only a couple minutes, the screen blacks out, and audio continues.

I back out to the menu, then attempt to resume, and in many cases, the file will begin at either where it left off. The screen is always blacked out. Have not been able to back out, resume, and watch for another few minutes like others.

Have fast forwarded then pushed play, to test the bug and to see what would happen. Sometimes I hear audio at a later stage in the movie (with blacked out screen); most times it will begin playing at the exact same place at some random spot in the movie. With one file, when I back out again, push start from beginning, the film will start half way through a movie at the exact same place each time. (This has happened only with one film thus far). Very odd.

Have deleted a file, thinking it was corrupted, then used a back up file of the original to attempt to reformat, and correct any errors in metadata. Nothing working.

In that I have new 2012 MBP Retina, mid-2010 Imac 2.8 i5, Ipad 3, Ipad touches, and now two iPhone 5's, would like everything to just work.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance

Thanks for this suggestion. I have tried it tonight and I got an error message saying my Apple TV3 is not elligible for the requested build. As far as I understand, this is jailbreak prevention on Apple's behalf so as not to allow us to downgrade to older firmware.

This is a major pain in the nect as I have a brand new AppleTV3 with tons of stuff want to watch but I can have them look at more than roughly 7 minutes then it freezes.

It's kind of odd since I was able to watch a whole Dexter yesterday night.

Any help from Apple? Anyone listening in on this?

I cant believe that NOBODY from Apple can address this or issue a software update to fix the issue. I cant watch any video via apple TV stream from my ipad, both have most up to date software / op systems. *** APPLE? I only get audio and it is so massively frustrating!

I'm having extreme difficulty with this as well. The video freezes every 9 minutes and 59 seconds exactly, but the audio continues. I reset it by holding the down button and the menu button at the same time. I even went the suggested route of unplugging the device for about 10 minutes. That seemed to work and everything was fine and streamed perfectly...for about a week and a half. Now its freezing all the time. Extremely disappointed in Apple over this. I bought this because I was tired of having to add/delete movies from my ipod and plug it in directly to my tv. If Apple doesn't fix this soon, I may get rid of the device all together and urge others not to bother with it.

I have both the 2nd and 3rd gen models. Both boxes freeze up to buffer for several seconds or more at irregular intervals between a few seconds to a minute, sometimes more. I've tried the restarts, power downs, and software updates. Sometimes the systems work fine, other times not so much.

I have enjoyed apple products for several years now and am extremely dissappointed with this awkward feature. The products I purchased worked great when I first got them and have for many months. It is only over the past few months that this buffering thing has seriously kicked in. Pretty much the only change in my configuration has been the periodic software updates to either my mac mini or the ATV(s).

Doesn't seem like apple is doing much if anything to fix this apparently common issue. Short of it is, I'm not too far from taking my business elsewhere. I can understand and put up with adjustments that come with software updates, not quite right new features, and the like. However, it is incredibly annoying that a piece of gear that I have used without issue for a good long while (including the iTunes package that goes with it) is now choking on movies that I also purchased many months ago.

Common Apple?! There's obviously a problem somewhere. Take a few resources and make this stuff work well again. I was a big fan of apple products, still am, when they work. But I'm also not one to continue throwing good money at questionable or unsustainable quality.

For perspective, this is my first ever post of this sort in such a forum. This offering follows maybe the second or third direct communication I've engaged with support staff in my life; including a note to apple about this issue. I do not care to refit my household again, this time with non-apple gear. Simply, I'll do what I need to do to have a quality and sustained product.

Thank you

I wonder..., I bought a product that worked fine for a long time. It wasn't until a software "upgrade" that I am now plagued with a little black POS. Is there something about this in the license or use agreement?

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