Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

DanRO

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 9, 2021
145
75
Ever since the 12PM 60fps videos in YouTube don’t have a stable framerate and they drop frames every minute or so.
I’ve had the 13PM behave the same and surprise.. the 14PM also.
Watching a lot of YouTube is quite frustrating and there used to be a lot of topics regarding this, but I think people just got used to it.
After some research I found out it is the codec that’s causing this issue but still, can’t the powerful A16 manage to play smooth some 60 fps videos on YouTube? (The stutter happens even on 720p 60fps videos). Apparently it can’t…
Do you have any suggestions of what other platform I can test this issue?
 

Sheepish-Lord

macrumors 68030
Oct 13, 2021
2,532
5,149
I’ve not noticed this on any Apple device I’ve owned literally ever and I watch a good amount of YT. You sure it’s not a connection issue you’ve been having all these years especially since you’re talking about dropped frames…
 

DanRO

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 9, 2021
145
75
I’ve changed providers and have the same issue. Also the stuttering is happening also on WiFi.
I do have to admit that on the 14PM there are videos where the issue is less present, but still there
 

Fat_Guy

macrumors 65816
Feb 10, 2021
1,035
1,099
Video is usually presented at 30 frames per second and 24 frames per second -broadcast standard usually indicate drop-frame which oddly is what you are discribing. 60 frames is usually interlaced for broadcast. HD can be at 60p but usually drop-frame also.


I’d say there is a setting on your phone that needs changing.
 

Andeddu

macrumors 68000
Dec 21, 2016
1,798
2,343
Perhaps it’s an issue with frame pacing on a ProMotion screen? I have never owned a Pro iPhone but have had no problems with YT on my 12 Mini or any older iPhone.
 

Fat_Guy

macrumors 65816
Feb 10, 2021
1,035
1,099
Perhaps it’s an issue with frame pacing on a ProMotion screen? I have never owned a Pro iPhone but have had no problems with YT on my 12 Mini or any older iPhone.
I have Promotion and no problem with YouTube and I believe he had the problem with an iPhone 12. The problem is at his end and not YouTube or the iPhone hardware.
 

DanRO

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 9, 2021
145
75
I had been tempted to say that I had a defective unit, still, as I said, I’ve noticed the lag on all the last 3 generations of the Pro Max. I also recently switched the phone provider and tested it and it’s still the same, so I don’t think the issue is related to data.
The 12PM did not have the ProMotion display and still had the issue.
The frame dropping is present and noticeable ONLY in 60fps videos. The 30fps videos don’t have this issue.
Also, with the 14PM there are some that run smooth, and some that have this issue very visible.
 

DanRO

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 9, 2021
145
75
I had been tempted to say that I had a defective unit, still, as I said, I’ve noticed the lag on all the last 3 generations of the Pro Max. I also recently switched the phone provider and tested it and it’s still the same, so I don’t think the issue is related to data.
The 12PM did not have the ProMotion display and still had the issue.
The frame dropping is present and noticeable ONLY in 60fps videos. The 30fps videos don’t have this issue.
Also, with the 14PM there are some that run smooth, and some that have this issue very visible.
You can check out zollotech videos. He posts 60fps videos and I have visible framedrops from time to time (for about 3-4 seconds)
 

AppleFanatic10

macrumors 68030
Nov 2, 2010
2,833
326
Hawthorne, CA
The only issue I'm having with YouTube at the moment is the occasional black screen when a video is playing. It gets quite annoying when I have to literally close the app, open it back up and start the video again. Honestly, I thought that was just a YouTube app problem.
 

Col4bin

macrumors 68000
Oct 2, 2011
1,954
1,694
El Segundo
I have Promotion and no problem with YouTube and I believe he had the problem with an iPhone 12. The problem is at his end and not YouTube or the iPhone hardware.
You’re half right. It’s iOS. My iPhone 13 Pro Max has worked perfectly fine up until iOS 16.4.1. Then all of a sudden, YouTube and Netflix videos stutter, lag, freeze, and drop frames and quality. Websites are slow to load pages of freeze completely. Wi-Fi and network 5G all the same. Never had this issue before. My family has 12 Apple devices at home and it’s only my iPhone 13 Pro Max this happens on. Network reset, system reset, backed up and reinstalled iOS yet nothing helps. I can’t begin to tell you how angry I am about this.
 

DanRO

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 9, 2021
145
75
Sorry to hear that, given that they actually use the same internals in the lastest iPhones 14. But I must say I’ve had this YouTube stutter issue with 12Pm and 13Pm as well, at this point I gave up and basically I just hade to deal with the fact that most probably even the 15 will have the same issue.
Most likely is software, but it doesn’t really help, actually is more frustrating given that they could actually fix this issue.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Col4bin

zakarhino

Contributor
Sep 13, 2014
2,615
7,006
I don't necessarily get stuttering but I ALWAYS get issues with livestreams. In particular livestreams will often pause themselves in random intervals after locking my phone. Using PIP with a livestream causes my phone to get ultra hot.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Col4bin

Lckphs

Cancelled
Nov 2, 2021
14
2
Same thing for me. I’ve returned my M1 iPad Pro because I thought this was an issue with the actual display panel. Now, same garbage with the M2 Pro. 60fps videos stutter periodically to the point where it’s giving me motion sickness. Contemplating whether or not I’ll return the M2 atm. Even if it’s not Apples fault that YouTube uses that ****** VP9 codec for its 60fps videos, the issue has been ongoing for years without a fix and it’s a shame that those powerful devices that charge you way over $1000 can’t even play YouTube videos properly.
my old 10.5” iPad pro didn’t stutter once, maybe because it’s not compatible with the VP9 codec?!
this gets way too less attention and probably only because most people don’t even notice. For me, I’m really wondering how one can’t notice this garbage stuttering at all.
 

Lckphs

Cancelled
Nov 2, 2021
14
2
I had been tempted to say that I had a defective unit, still, as I said, I’ve noticed the lag on all the last 3 generations of the Pro Max. I also recently switched the phone provider and tested it and it’s still the same, so I don’t think the issue is related to data.
The 12PM did not have the ProMotion display and still had the issue.
The frame dropping is present and noticeable ONLY in 60fps videos. The 30fps videos don’t have this issue.
Also, with the 14PM there are some that run smooth, and some that have this issue very visible.
Your unit isn’t defective at all. From what I’ve been reading it’s got something to do with the VP9 codec used for 60p content in newer devices (anything newer than iPhone 11 I think). So yeah, whether or not it’s up to apple to release a software fix or to YouTube to release an update to their app, it’s a shame that this is still ongoing in 2023 without any acknowledgment at all.
 

Lckphs

Cancelled
Nov 2, 2021
14
2
can you do a screen recording
Tried that yesterday, wasn’t showing the stutters however. I also tried filming my iPads screen with my iPhone and uploaded that to YouTube, but due to the compression it doesn’t show there either. So you can only notice it in person, unfortunately.
 

DanRO

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 9, 2021
145
75
Older phones use av1 codec which runs just fine.
I also think it is frustrating, on an more expenise laptop even more frustrating.
Probably not enough people complained about this issue for Apple to look into it.
I have made topics back when I had the 12PM and the 13PM as well, very few people noticed the issue.
My guess is that the 14PM is no different, not upgrading this year
 

Lckphs

Cancelled
Nov 2, 2021
14
2
I’ve managed to actually find a workaround to mitigate the issue.
You have to put your device into lockdown mode and then watch YouTube via Safari. That will get rid of the stuttering. You know it worked when you can only select quality up to 1080p60 and don’t see HDR options.
Looks like lockdown mode disables the problematic VP9 codec.
let me know if it worked for you.
 

DanRO

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 9, 2021
145
75
Yes, it does work, but it’s a pain in the ass to use Yt on Safari 🤣
 

PegasusTenma

macrumors 6502
Sep 24, 2014
394
352
Dropping frames as in the video stuttering? I have never noticed this and YT is the app I use the most! On an M1 iPad and a 14PM.
 

LEGiTxViP3R

macrumors newbie
Feb 7, 2024
1
0
Has this issue been resolved by anybody in this thread yet? I have the same exact issue OP specified on my iPhone 15 Pro Max, and I’m looking to possibly go back to Samsung because of it among with other things. x,)
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.