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YouTube downloading "stalls": FIXED

gkarris

gkarris

macrumors G3
Original poster
Dec 31, 2004
8,301
1,061
"No escape from Reality...”
Sorry if this has been discussed before - I did a search and couldn't find anything. I couldn't find anything at Apple.com as well. If you have a link - great.

My YouTube from :apple:TV stalls. If a video is longer than 3-4 minutes, around 2.5 minutes, the video stops and stops getting downloaded from the internet. My router lights stop flashing to show any response from the internet.

I can call up another video and it will work fine, but does it again if the video is longer than 3-4 minutes in length.

Interestingly enough, if the video is much longer, say over 6 minutes, it stalls at the 4 minute mark.

Any ideas? Thanks.

EDIT:

I found the problem!

AT&T here in Chicago now offers DSL Only ("Dry Line") where you no longer need to have voice as part of your plan. Yes, it's $5/month more, but you NO LONGER NEED TO HAVE VOICE. This saves some money! It's a newer technology (past DSL "only plans" still needed some sort of phone number associated with it).

I opted for this. Before, I was getting about 820K on my downloads. After they made the switch, I'm now getting 1200K downloads!

Guess what, my YouTube stalling has dissappeared!

This is strange, as it's always worked with a computer.

Looks like the AppleTV needs maybe at least a 1Meg download for YouTube to work properly on it.

Hope this helps and will inform Apple.

EDIT: Apple has fixed the problem in 2.0.2
 
gkarris, I have this EXACT same problem (it stalls on the same minute marks for me as well). I have talked with Apple on the phone and have taken the thing to the apple store. Apple was no help on the phone. However, when the guy at the apple store plugged my Apple TV into the display tv, everything worked perfectly (in fact the youtube video we tested it on, about 7 minutes long, downloaded almost instantaneously. I'm assuming it was running from N).

In short, I have no answers for you. I have done everything I can think of to this thing to make it work. Do you or anyone else think this might be network or machine related?
 
Jonescobbs said:
However, when the guy at the apple store plugged my Apple TV into the display tv, everything worked perfectly (in fact the youtube video we tested it on, about 7 minutes long, downloaded almost instantaneously. I'm assuming it was running from N).
Click to expand...

Well, on top of it, they have some really fast Internet connection. I have a lowly basic DSL (768K) line.

I have absolutely no problems downloading large files, or iTunes TV shows, for that matter. It does take a long time.

The whole "stalling" bit is confusing, as it seems that the YouTube connection just stops in the middle of downloading the longer videos...
 
out of curiosity, does the you-tube video begin to buffer on the computer or does it directly buffer to the aTV? Maybe your computer might have something to do with it?
 
peeaanuut said:
out of curiosity, does the you-tube video begin to buffer on the computer or does it directly buffer to the aTV? Maybe your computer might have something to do with it?
Click to expand...

The :apple:TV and iPhone puts it in memory. Interestingly enough, you can scan backwards and play what's already downloaded. Nothing past after it stalls, though...
 
Same here!

I have the exact same problem, and I also have 768K DSL service! Even though the same videos play all the way through on my computer, if I try longer videos on my AppleTV, they stall at the same points you mention. :(

This may be a relatively new phenomenon, becuase I remember viewing complete music videos, etc., soon after the service was offered on the ATV, but it's been doing this annoying thing for over a month now.

I hope someone comes up with a solution!
 
Now, here's the interesting thing...

It worked fine like it is supposed to last night.

This morning, I tried it and it's back to doing it again.

I'm wondering if it has something to do with the YouTube traffic and the apps on iPhone and :apple:TV. It does the same thing on my iPhone - not at all using a computer browser.
 
gkarris said:
Now, here's the interesting thing...

It worked fine like it is supposed to last night.

This morning, I tried it and it's back to doing it again.

I'm wondering if it has something to do with the YouTube traffic and the apps on iPhone and :apple:TV. It does the same thing on my iPhone - not at all using a computer browser.
Click to expand...

Just an idea, but it sounds as if maybe your wireless router is either getting a lot of interference at particular times of day, or maybe a neighbor is piggy-backing on your internet. I didn't see whether you said your router was secure. That would make sense especially if your mac is hard-wired to the router, since you only have problems on the wireless devices.

Just a thought.
 
wmealer said:
Just an idea, but it sounds as if maybe your wireless router is either getting a lot of interference at particular times of day, or maybe a neighbor is piggy-backing on your internet. I didn't see whether you said your router was secure. That would make sense especially if your mac is hard-wired to the router, since you only have problems on the wireless devices.

Just a thought.
Click to expand...

Thanks for helping.

It is secure, and I have DSL so the line is not shared...

It does this even if the :apple:TV is in the same room as the wireless router.
 
Update.

With 1.1, at least I got it to work depending on what time of day or night I was trying to view the video.

Now, with 2.0 - it won't work at all. It always stalls no matter what time of day.

I guess I have to report this bug (again) to Apple...

If you still get it, voice your problem:

http://www.apple.com/feedback
 
Same issue here - even with VDSL the issue remains and youtube works perfect on my mac (also through wireless). So must be an issue of youtube/ATV.

Hope they find a solution for this soon. :rolleyes:
 
@chris, tried to find what you meant. However, I think they refer a drop in WIFI after version 2.01.

Actually this a YouTube specific issue is already existing on my ATV on version 2.0 - I will try the bandwith setting but guess it is not the same issue.
 
DerJapaner said:
Same issue here - even with VDSL the issue remains and youtube works perfect on my mac (also through wireless). So must be an issue of youtube/ATV.

Hope they find a solution for this soon. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Note that Youtube had to go through and convert all their videos to H.264 to work on the Apple TV, from whatever they were streaming through flash before. So it's not quite exactly the same setup as on your computer.
 
gkarris said:
Download speeds below 1Meg seem to cause YouTube to stall (stop downloading and playing videos) on AppleTV's...
Click to expand...

I somehow doubt that a faster connection is responsible for solving your problem.
Apple rents HD at around 3 to 4 mbps and the apple tv can handle about 5 mbps as far as I know.
Why would youtube even at h264 require upwards of an 8mbps connection.
Something else in your new setup solved your problem.

I have a reliable 8mbps connection with over 900Kb downloads. Back in august I could load any youtube clip almost instantly. Now it either stalls half way through or crawls to a very slow finish. Lately it takes forever to even start downloading while in some cases never does.

I'd love to find out what it is in your new connection that solved your issues and if the solution is permanent.
 
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