ATV3 framedrops after 6.1 update

After further investigation it seems that the cause of my problems may be due to videos that have a VBR sound track rather than CBR. In my files this corresponds to the use of the Lavf52 encoder rather than Lavf54 version. I’ve seen it said that iTunes doesn’t properly support VBR, whilst Quicktime does, and that the Apple TV doesn’t...

AMAZING NEWS: this problem is FIXED in iOS 8 for the Apple TV 3!

This problem has been driving me crazy for ages. I can confirm with pretty solid certainty that this is fixed on the upcoming iOS 8 GM for the Apple TV 3 (or equivalent, but that's what I'm calling it). I tested with the test file found on the page six of this thread (search for 'paisley' or scroll a bit) on the *current* public release of the Apple TV 3's software, although I had plenty of my own with the issue. Sure enough, I had the stutter. I hooked up the USB cable and restored to the GM of iOS 8 for it, set everything up and tried again. I've nearly finished the test file as I write this (24m out of 29m played so far without pausing or touching the remote except to check the time just now… it's an interesting show!).

This is for the 3,1 variant of the Apple TV 3. For those unaware, there's a silent hardware update with identical capabilities but a processor die shrink, which is the 3,2 version. I don't have one of these so can't test but as we all know this is a software issue since downgrading on capable units makes it go away, I imagine it'll be fixed on that too.

I'll report back if anything changes. Anyhow, for now: woooooooh! 😀

P.S. I spoke to the developer of a remuxing tool and the problem appears to be with remuxing with certain tools. FFmpeg has it, but mp4box doesn't — mp4tools has to use FFmpeg to encode audio, but the edit tab of that software uses mp4box, which fixes the issue on files with it. Still. If you're in the developer program, update away, and for the rest of you, hang on until Wednesday 17th (I think?) and it'll be released publicly.

Well, I certainly hope this works. I don't think I could face re-coding all the video files of mine that don't work. I agree that FFmpeg appears to be the culprit, but only when encoded to Lavf52.x.x or lower. A difficult one this, Apple having to accommodate what are really non-standard files, but since such files have been widely distributed via various sources it only seems right that they should...

Just wanted to re-iterate what Jefferson stated above: The latest iOS for ATV - FIXES THE PROBLEM.

Hallelujah!

Thankfully, Apple have fixed the problem, hopefully for good!

I noticed some choppy frames on a rip of a show I was watching last night, but the ATV kept up, kept playing, and I got all the way through a 50-minute episode without once having to stop, go to the menu, and restart. Good enough for me!

I'm not sure if the choppy frames were the fault of the original encoding or what - but I don't care much. It plays, and it's just TV.

I also watched 20 minutes of a movie that I've used as a test-case. In the past, I could get about 6 minutes at a time before the ATV would just give up and freeze video. Smooth as silk this time around. I am relieved (and a little surprised) that it's finally fixed!

I've just watched one of the movies that I'd encoded using the main profile I was before and hadn't gotten around to re-encoding. I've just watched it all the way through without any hiccups or stutters at all. As I already said I was going through the process of redoing all of my movies and TV series using a high profile, But it seems the problem has been resolved thankfully and I no longer have to.