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4K Streaming Looks Horrible
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HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
OP, as Strelok said in posts #10 & #12, try hooking up with an ethernet cable just to see if you will get 4K comparable to the native Samsung TV app that way. You posted that your router is only 8 feet away from your 
TV, so this should be easy to try. And as he shared in #10, this is NOT about making it a permanent connection- just testing to narrow in on the possibilities. Run speedtest this way too and see if you get something more comparable to what you are seeing on other devices (a whole lot better than 2.59 down)
Having swapped outTV and still getting the exact same results, odds in 2 devices having the exact same poor wifi performance are very long. So that shifts some potential culprit to other hardware.
Since speedtest is coming in relatively poorly onTV, the usual suspect of perhaps a poor TV HDMI cable is less likely, but that's easy enough to swap out and test anyway.
So my guess (seconding waw74's in post #5)- as unlikely as it may sound- is going to be that theTV's location relative to the router is having some kind of wifi signal block/disruption. So another test is to temporarily move the TV to a few other spots and run speedtest at each spot. I know that seems very unlikely given that PS4 is close to TV and it is receiving well, but maybe there's something in that closet/wall/door that just happens to be disrupting the signal to TV but not so much to PS4? Yes, that is unlikely but the idea is easy enough to test by moving your TV around and seeing if it ALWAYS has poor wifi speeds no matter where you place it.
If it's always showing about the same wifi speed at any location, I shift suspicions to the router. In this case, something in the router may not work well withTV even though it works well with Samsung TV (app) & PS4, etc. Again, I suspect this is pretty unlikely, but all of these steps are process of elimination. Since you probably can't return the router, unhook your TV and take it to a friend's house (where the friend is using a different router). Speedtest there and see what you get. If the speed ends up the same there, I shift my suspicions back to TV and start thinking you've got 2 dud units in a row (unlikely, but it could happen). If so, swap it out again.
One more thing: are you sure yourTV is connecting to your own router? For example, if you live in a type of home with close neighbors (condo, townhouse, apartments), are you sure your TV is not connecting to their router? If you've named your router something unique, this is easy enough to check or you can do it by IP addresses. But the concept- as unlikely as it may seem- is that the Samsung TV, etc ARE indeed using your own wifi but your TV is connecting to a neighbor's slower/weak wifi.
Lastly, a lot of these kinds of threads get resolved only by trying the suggestions of the people helping you. If you just reject suggestions (as you seemed to do for Strelok), nobody can do much more than just take wild guesses at possibilities. On the other hand, if you try suggestions and report back, process of elimination will lead to the specific link in your chain that is not functioning properly. If you want help, try what the help suggests and we can figure it out based on test results (narrowing in on the (probably) one thing that is the source of your problem).
TV, so this should be easy to try. And as he shared in #10, this is NOT about making it a permanent connection- just testing to narrow in on the possibilities. Run speedtest this way too and see if you get something more comparable to what you are seeing on other devices (a whole lot better than 2.59 down)Having swapped out
TV and still getting the exact same results, odds in 2 devices having the exact same poor wifi performance are very long. So that shifts some potential culprit to other hardware.Since speedtest is coming in relatively poorly on
TV, the usual suspect of perhaps a poor TV HDMI cable is less likely, but that's easy enough to swap out and test anyway.So my guess (seconding waw74's in post #5)- as unlikely as it may sound- is going to be that the
TV's location relative to the router is having some kind of wifi signal block/disruption. So another test is to temporarily move the TV to a few other spots and run speedtest at each spot. I know that seems very unlikely given that PS4 is close to TV and it is receiving well, but maybe there's something in that closet/wall/door that just happens to be disrupting the signal to TV but not so much to PS4? Yes, that is unlikely but the idea is easy enough to test by moving your TV around and seeing if it ALWAYS has poor wifi speeds no matter where you place it.If it's always showing about the same wifi speed at any location, I shift suspicions to the router. In this case, something in the router may not work well with
TV even though it works well with Samsung TV (app) & PS4, etc. Again, I suspect this is pretty unlikely, but all of these steps are process of elimination. Since you probably can't return the router, unhook your TV and take it to a friend's house (where the friend is using a different router). Speedtest there and see what you get. If the speed ends up the same there, I shift my suspicions back to TV and start thinking you've got 2 dud units in a row (unlikely, but it could happen). If so, swap it out again.One more thing: are you sure your
TV is connecting to your own router? For example, if you live in a type of home with close neighbors (condo, townhouse, apartments), are you sure your TV is not connecting to their router? If you've named your router something unique, this is easy enough to check or you can do it by IP addresses. But the concept- as unlikely as it may seem- is that the Samsung TV, etc ARE indeed using your own wifi but your TV is connecting to a neighbor's slower/weak wifi.Lastly, a lot of these kinds of threads get resolved only by trying the suggestions of the people helping you. If you just reject suggestions (as you seemed to do for Strelok), nobody can do much more than just take wild guesses at possibilities. On the other hand, if you try suggestions and report back, process of elimination will lead to the specific link in your chain that is not functioning properly. If you want help, try what the help suggests and we can figure it out based on test results (narrowing in on the (probably) one thing that is the source of your problem).
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Like I said before, wifi is flakey. Too many devices can cause problems. As well as too many neighbors. Too much interference. Your internet speed means nothing in terms of diagnosing network issues. Only the speed of your internal network and how each device is connecting. There's a great app on android called wifi analyzer for diagnosing these things. Unfortunately the app doesn't exist on ios due to apple imposed restrictions.
Your router is close enough, just suck it up and run a cable. Hell I ran a 25' cable from my receiver to my TV. Just ran it along the baseboard. No biggie.
Your router is close enough, just suck it up and run a cable. Hell I ran a 25' cable from my receiver to my TV. Just ran it along the baseboard. No biggie.
I've had way too many issues with wireless connections. If it can be "hard-wired," do it...
Ive and Cook hate you. Don't you realize that Wires are the enemy ?? All people on earth have perfect signal 1.4 Gb wireless 24 hours a day wherever they go. Clearly Apple assumes this, based on the way they design their products and services. ( people who work at Apple probably do have perfect wireless 24 hours a day, that's not the real world )
Kudos to the original poster. Season 1 Episode 1 Grand Tour is "literally" the best way to test your 4K.
Just because you pay for 50+ doesn't mean you are actually getting that speed over wifi. In fact, if you are using the equipment provided by your ISP you probably are getting closer to 10 mbps over wifi at best.
I have a 300mbps connection paired with my own modem/router and have no issues maintaining that speed and streaming 4K with the ATV.
My Apple TV has no issues 220Mb on Speedtest which is the max my connection supports.
Putting a WiFi router in a closet is about the worse thing you can do to mess up your signal.
Putting a WiFi router in a closet is about the worse thing you can do to mess up your signal.
Is your ATV connected to 2.4 or 5 GHz? I personally found that my ATV kept wanting to connect to 2.4 even though the 5 consistently gave me better speeds. So I forced my ATV to connect to 5g (via separate SSID) and all my speed problems after that were fixed.
OP...I can let you know that you are not alone. I had the EXACT same issue occurring with my Gen 4 AT.
Setup - I run my signal to my AT via Ethernet from my modem/router (Netgear Nighthawk AC1900). The signal from my AT runs through a BOSE Soundtouch unit and then on to TV via HDMI. TV is a Samsung 65"4K UHD that has a 'Connect One' box on the back where only one cable comes into box from Bose and all devices run through Bose. I can also stream on Samsung via wireless connection. I also run HD OTA through TV for local HD channels.
When I first started having this problem I experienced the same issues as the OP whereas my signal would drop in and out and quality was terribly inconsistent. If I switched to same streaming channel via wireless connection through TV the picture quality was flawless.
I reset all devices and unplugged/replugged all connections between wall and units and unit to unit. This gave no improvements. I called Apple Support and went through reset process with them. This appeared to provide correction to the problem only to have it happen again. Their suggestion was that I make an apt to Genius Bar and take AT back to Apple.
Before I could do that my TV went out and through warranty Samsung replaced the LCD panel. The repair technician also replaced the video feed belts/cables inside TV. Once the TV was reassembled I hung it back on wall and reconnected all devices. The AT video feed has worked flawlessly since then.
I believe my problem was fixed through wild coincidence rather than anything that had to do with TV repair since the feed through the TV was flawless compared to the erratic signal quality through the AT itself. I have since noticed that the internet speed has been much more consistent and strong. Since both the AT and the TV were using the same internet signal (AT wired and TV wireless) I have to believe the problem was really with the video signal between the AT and the BOSE which is the only thing that was different. I continue to watch for any picture degradation though because at that point it will be off to Apple Store I go.
Setup - I run my signal to my AT via Ethernet from my modem/router (Netgear Nighthawk AC1900). The signal from my AT runs through a BOSE Soundtouch unit and then on to TV via HDMI. TV is a Samsung 65"4K UHD that has a 'Connect One' box on the back where only one cable comes into box from Bose and all devices run through Bose. I can also stream on Samsung via wireless connection. I also run HD OTA through TV for local HD channels.
When I first started having this problem I experienced the same issues as the OP whereas my signal would drop in and out and quality was terribly inconsistent. If I switched to same streaming channel via wireless connection through TV the picture quality was flawless.
I reset all devices and unplugged/replugged all connections between wall and units and unit to unit. This gave no improvements. I called Apple Support and went through reset process with them. This appeared to provide correction to the problem only to have it happen again. Their suggestion was that I make an apt to Genius Bar and take AT back to Apple.
Before I could do that my TV went out and through warranty Samsung replaced the LCD panel. The repair technician also replaced the video feed belts/cables inside TV. Once the TV was reassembled I hung it back on wall and reconnected all devices. The AT video feed has worked flawlessly since then.
I believe my problem was fixed through wild coincidence rather than anything that had to do with TV repair since the feed through the TV was flawless compared to the erratic signal quality through the AT itself. I have since noticed that the internet speed has been much more consistent and strong. Since both the AT and the TV were using the same internet signal (AT wired and TV wireless) I have to believe the problem was really with the video signal between the AT and the BOSE which is the only thing that was different. I continue to watch for any picture degradation though because at that point it will be off to Apple Store I go.
As others have mentioned first thing I would do is make sure ATV is connecting to a 5ghz network. If your router names 2.4 and 5Ghz the same by default change the name of the 5ghz network to force connection. Often devices will connect at 2.4 as it thinks the signal is stronger but due to interference throughput can be terrible. Can be very device and location sensitive.
I actually have a Bose SoundTouch300 that's connected to my TV via HDMI/ARC. I connected my Apple TV directly to my TV's hdmi connection. How was your ATV setup before and after?
My Bose is connected to tv via ARC and my ATV is connected to Bose. Does your sound flow through the BOSE when using the ATV if it is connected directly to TV and not flowing through the Bose itself?
I would guess its to do with your 5ghz vs 2.4ghz signal. 5ghz is kind of crap for old houses and often drops connection even if its faster. 2.4ghz is more stable. Some routers nowadays have dual band signals and switch between the two. But I found that to be pretty unstable. I’d go to your router and set the signal to 2.4ghz and make your Apple TV connect to that one. I think somehow your Apple TV is picking up the 5ghz signal and your other devices are picking up the 2.4ghz, hence the difference in speed.
I also think the fact that its in a closet may interfere with the 5ghz signal. It’s very unlikely that wifi isn’t working properly on the Apple TV because its pretty much the bread and butter of that device. It’s your router.
I also think the fact that its in a closet may interfere with the 5ghz signal. It’s very unlikely that wifi isn’t working properly on the Apple TV because its pretty much the bread and butter of that device. It’s your router.
I am having the exact same issues! I just posted another thread about this., I will delete and follow yours. i am seriously considering taking mine back.
I have gig internet so my download speeds on my crappy acer laptop are 60.54 Mbps
iPad mini 52.0 download 31.5 upload
iPhone 6splus 76.9 40.2
I can not even get the app store to load on my ATV will try again later. Using a brand new HDMI cable but will trade that out also. If all these fail sorry Apple but I am going to return this.
Also i am using a ASUS RT-AC87U Wireless-AC2400 Dual Band Gigabit Router
I will also change to the other band on my router and see if that helps
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I used to have an issue with my aTV 4 WiFi that I eventually tracked down to interference from my other AV equipment. I believe it was the TV itself being directly between the aTV and the router. I moved it 6 inches and went from 3mb/s to the full 90mb/s of my plan.
Use speed test to get a baseline speed. Then try moving the aTV a few feet (still plugged into the TV) and test again.
Use speed test to get a baseline speed. Then try moving the aTV a few feet (still plugged into the TV) and test again.
This is crazy and it's not normal for ATV.
Is your Samsung hogging the WiFi. Can you switch OFF the WiFi on your Samsung and then try it?
Also are you using 5GHZ for the ATV? Have you tried 2.4 and vice versa?
The only time that i've had constant WiFi problems is when my router is dying and need replacing. I've had 3 routers since 2012. The last one died on the 2.4 setting but kept working on 5GHZ hence my flaky Home Sharing at the time.
To sum it up...
1. Turn OFF Wifi on your Samsung TV and then see how the ATV behaves.
2. Swap between 2.4 and 5ghz settings!
Figured I'd reply to this thread vs. starting another one. I have the exact same issues with my ATV 4K. I have a 300mb connection. Every other device on my network will pull between 200-300mbps down. The new ATV 4K - between 2-25mbps. It's absolutely terrible. It's constantly buffering.
So, I reset the ATV 4K. Set it up again. I then tested my download speeds - 18mbps peak. Checked my Apple TV 4's - all 4 of those pulled between 200 and 275mbps. They stream all content flawlessly. I guess I'll have to hardwire the 4K since the wireless is junk.
Return the box to the Apple Store and ask for a new one. It's very clear that this is seriously faulty. Other parts of it could be poorly implemented too. Vote with your wallet - simply exchange it.
Just to chime in here on my experience. My router (Asus Ac5300) is on the main floor about 4 feet from my apple tv4. I get about 170Mbps. My apple tv 4k is in the basement media room, a floor down and about 15 feet away. It gets around 190mbps.
I would say that the 4k has far from crappy wireless and would suggest that there is another issue. I don't understand why trying it wired to rule out the apple tv hasn't been tried yet. If the speeds are just as crappy on the wired connection it is your router/signal. Those that are running Tomato or MerlinAsus please be aware that the QoS does not properly recognize the Apple tv4k you have to be on stock firmware to use QoS with the 4k. If you are using your wireless providers router then i would suggest upgrading to a stand alone unit as the devices providers give out are hot garbage.
I would say that the 4k has far from crappy wireless and would suggest that there is another issue. I don't understand why trying it wired to rule out the apple tv hasn't been tried yet. If the speeds are just as crappy on the wired connection it is your router/signal. Those that are running Tomato or MerlinAsus please be aware that the QoS does not properly recognize the Apple tv4k you have to be on stock firmware to use QoS with the 4k. If you are using your wireless providers router then i would suggest upgrading to a stand alone unit as the devices providers give out are hot garbage.
Seems to be a 2.4ghz issue. I swapped this to the 5ghz radio on my AP and I’m getting 200ish on it. I’m fine with that so I’m keeping it for now.
I am now using 5ghz which works fine. 2.4 does not work hardly at all, although it does work fine on all my other ATV’s (v4, not 4K).
Most likely the 2.4GHz band is saturated, which is where you get your speed drops.