Scott A ER
Level 1 (4 points)
Apple TV

Q: Videos I stream from my phone to the Apple TV don't load and I get disconnected

Videos I stream from my phone to the Apple TV don't load and I get disconnected

Apple TV, tvOS 9.2

Posted on May 9, 2016 5:33 PM

by Diana.McCall,Apple recommended
Diana.McCall Diana.McCall
Level 4 (2,900 points)
Apple TV
A:

Do you see the loading progress bar on ATV, but play never begins? Do you try to hit Play on the remote, but play won't start?

If so, try briefly turning AirPlay off and back on on your phone. That has worked for me with these symptoms.

You could also make sure there are no other apps running on ATV by force quitting them.

Note that, when you AirPlay an internet video from your phone to ATV, the ATV actually downloads the stream direct from the server, while the phone becomes just a controller. So, the connection from phone to ATV is not significant in this case.

 

Now, you said that ATV seems to have trouble downloading using its own apps as well. You should check that it's on the same WiFi network as the phone. Also check for interference at the ATV location, see Potential sources of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth interference - Apple Support You could also try a wired connection for ATV, if possible. Actually, you should try to get ATV working well stand-alone first, just to minimize the number of moving parts involved. I use YouTube for this, since it's free and the videos normally load quickly. There are some general suggestions for WiFi here Get help with Wi-Fi networks on your Apple TV - Apple Support . If you're using multiple routers, WiFi extenders, etc., please describe them when you reply.

Posted on May 10, 2016 2:42 PM

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Scott A ER

Q: Videos I stream from my phone to the Apple TV don't load and I get disconnected

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Diana.McCall,

    Diana.McCall Diana.McCall May 10, 2016 4:46 AM in response to Scott A ER
    Level 4 (2,900 points)
    Apple TV
    May 10, 2016 4:46 AM in response to Scott A ER

    Could you provide a little more detail here?

    Are these videos stored on your phone, or videos from the internet?

    What steps do you take, and how do you know you are disconnected? Does the video continue playing on the phone, even though you enabled AirPlay?

    Please check the items here Get help with AirPlay and AirPlay Mirroring on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

  • by Scott A ER,

    Scott A ER Scott A ER May 10, 2016 12:23 PM in response to Diana.McCall
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Apple TV
    May 10, 2016 12:23 PM in response to Diana.McCall

    TThe videos are from the Internet such as YouTube.

    WWhen I turn on my Apple TV I swipe up on my phone and i connect to my Apple TV with little to no problems. I then go into YouTube and a loading screen appears on my tv  On my phone it says that the video is playing on my tv, which it's not. I wait a while for it to load and it either never ends up playing or it goes back to the apple tv home screen. I repeat this process multiple times expecting a different outcome but nothing new ever happens. I also try to connect to the tv as the video plays on my phone perfectly. on the rare occasions that this long process takes, the quality of the video is very poor and there is frequent buffering. I went a step further to see if it was a poor connection between the phone and the tv. to check this, I went on Netflix straight through the Apple TV and the show I tested it on worked, however, it still took a little bit for it to load and the quality is poor. I am relatively close to my router and I receive a good wifi connection on the Apple TV (as it says in settings when I check). I am very confused and feel I have used many of my options to fix this on my own.

  • by Diana.McCall,Apple recommended

    Diana.McCall Diana.McCall May 10, 2016 2:42 PM in response to Scott A ER
    Level 4 (2,900 points)
    Apple TV
    May 10, 2016 2:42 PM in response to Scott A ER

    Do you see the loading progress bar on ATV, but play never begins? Do you try to hit Play on the remote, but play won't start?

    If so, try briefly turning AirPlay off and back on on your phone. That has worked for me with these symptoms.

    You could also make sure there are no other apps running on ATV by force quitting them.

    Note that, when you AirPlay an internet video from your phone to ATV, the ATV actually downloads the stream direct from the server, while the phone becomes just a controller. So, the connection from phone to ATV is not significant in this case.

     

    Now, you said that ATV seems to have trouble downloading using its own apps as well. You should check that it's on the same WiFi network as the phone. Also check for interference at the ATV location, see Potential sources of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth interference - Apple Support You could also try a wired connection for ATV, if possible. Actually, you should try to get ATV working well stand-alone first, just to minimize the number of moving parts involved. I use YouTube for this, since it's free and the videos normally load quickly. There are some general suggestions for WiFi here Get help with Wi-Fi networks on your Apple TV - Apple Support . If you're using multiple routers, WiFi extenders, etc., please describe them when you reply.