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hinesmj

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 19, 2015
344
248
New York
Is anyone else having trouble watching the Olympics on the NBC sports app on ATV4? It's incredibly laggy, skips constantly (both forward and backward) and plays the same thing over and over again. Many times, the sports listed are not the ones actually being shown. I'm wondering if it's just me...
 

JBaby

macrumors 6502a
Jun 14, 2015
848
652
It's been working great for me too. I've watched live and replays. It's all I've watched all day today.
 

BuffaloTF

macrumors 68000
Jun 10, 2008
1,767
2,226
So I haven't had any skips in playback... but I have had periods where it lags -- as though I paused it. It stops, then resumes at normal speed through whatever was about to happen. My largest complaint though is it's still got a low FPS... so it's a slide-show. Whereas ESPN and Fox Sports upped their frames and they look gorgeous now, they seem to be refusing to up their game...
 

mic j

macrumors 68030
Mar 15, 2012
2,663
156
Been working flawlessly for me. Have been watching for 3 days now using the app exclusively for watching the Olympics. No problems.
 

ohio.emt

macrumors 6502a
Jul 18, 2008
815
181
Ohio
I've had a few problems with the app with buffering. I had it show the wrong feed once. I've been having better luck with the fire tv app though. Sometimes I have to switch back to the Apple TV version though. Both apps seem to need work. Noticed force quoting the apps has helped with guide trouble, and sometimes with the stuttering.
 

boston04and07

macrumors 68000
May 13, 2008
1,788
866
I've had a few issues with the quality randomly dropping drastically and the picture getting super pixelated and grainy. I have never once had that happen on any other Apple TV app so I'm sure it's not my network or the Apple TV itself. Also, I sometimes have the image freeze completely and nothing but force quitting the app and restarting fixes it. Super annoying because that means I have to sit through the into commercials again for no reason. Finally, at the beginning of the Olympics, like during the opening ceremonies, the app just completely crashed to the springboard a few times, which is something I've never once had with any other Apple TV app.

However, overall I've only had issues probably no more than like 5% of the time I've used it. It just sounds like a lot because I've had this app on like all day every day since the Olympics started. I'm addicted. :) NBC def needs bring this app more in line with competitors like ESPN, but it is nice having the option to watch all this stuff on my Apple TV.
 
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Hookemfins

macrumors 6502
Jan 13, 2013
325
27
Florida
The NBCSN app is probably the worst app I have and not just for the Olympics. I was watching the NASCAR race and at one point I was something like 15 minutes behind live action. Their interface is kind of weak and hard to maneuver around.
 

JBaby

macrumors 6502a
Jun 14, 2015
848
652
So I have had one issue with the app. Not all of the replays are in the app. I had to use the app on my iPhone and AirPlay the beach volleyball Jennings/Ross vs Artacho Del Solar/Laird. I also think the the way the app works is dumb. Accidentally touch the touch surface and you've either skipped back or jumped forward. But I still haven't had any issues with it not playing and no degradation of quality.
 

mallbritton

macrumors 65816
Nov 26, 2006
1,063
362
My experience with the NBC Sports app has been terrible. NBC must have monkeys in charge of their Olympic streaming division. When watching live streams it usually craps out at least twice. And sometimes it even crashes so hard the Apple TV reboots. Trying to watch highlights or replays is just an exercise in futility as it is a certainty the Apple TV will crash and reboot. And don't get me started on the poor commercial placement in some events.

I've been out of the country for a few years so this is my first experience watching the olympics on the NBC Sports app and I am not impressed. NBC has been doing this for several years now and the experience ought to be almost perfect and flawless. Hopefully another broadcast entity will get the rights to the 2018 winter olympics and we won't have to suffer through NBC's incompetent anymore.

Oh, and when I tried to post on their NBC Sports Facebook page, of course they deleted it.
 

TallManNY

macrumors 601
Nov 5, 2007
4,735
1,587
Generally working for me. But it does stall into long term buffers. I have to stop and restart the video. At least though there are a lot of choices. And the featured replays usually have something interesting and is a good way to pick something to watch.
 

mic j

macrumors 68030
Mar 15, 2012
2,663
156
Folks, it's Comcast.
That's all you need to know.
They don't like streaming anything as it undercuts their cable tv biz.
Consequently all their web poducts are garbage.
Maybe that's why it works so well for me. I have U-Verse (50Mbps) which has rock solid download speed (never varies more than 2-4Mbps) no matter what time of day or system demand. I would much rather a slower but very reliable download that DSL provides. Still using the NBC app and it works fine. Could the UI be improved, a big yes. But the streaming videos have been rock solid for me, no buffering, infrequent quality decrease that lasts maybe a second or 2 seconds but that's it. Very watchable.
 

JBaby

macrumors 6502a
Jun 14, 2015
848
652
Maybe that's why it works so well for me. I have U-Verse (50Mbps) which has rock solid download speed (never varies more than 2-4Mbps) no matter what time of day or system demand. I would much rather a slower but very reliable download that DSL provides. Still using the NBC app and it works fine. Could the UI be improved, a big yes. But the streaming videos have been rock solid for me, no buffering, infrequent quality decrease that lasts maybe a second or 2 seconds but that's it. Very watchable.
Maybe. but I don't have U-Verse and I'm still not having any streaming issues. I'm watching beach volleyball right now via the app. Forgot to say my connection is 10Mbps.
 

mic j

macrumors 68030
Mar 15, 2012
2,663
156
Maybe. but I don't have U-Verse and I'm still not having any streaming issues. I'm watching beach volleyball right now via the app. Forgot to say my connection is 10Mbps.
That's interesting. So if we all have the same Apple TV, the same NBC app which works fine with different service feeds, then why such a variety of experiences? Wifi quality?
 

JBaby

macrumors 6502a
Jun 14, 2015
848
652
That's interesting. So if we all have the same Apple TV, the same NBC app which works fine with different service feeds, then why such a variety of experiences? Wifi quality?
Wifi quality seems like a great guess to me. I used to have streaming issues but once my ISP came to check it out in February of this year I haven't had a single issue. I got a new router and they fixed an issue on their end.
 

mallbritton

macrumors 65816
Nov 26, 2006
1,063
362
All I can say is I don't experience the same behavior in any other app on my 3rd gen. Apple TV as I do with the NBC Sports app. My internet pipe is 150 Mbps and apps like Netflix, CBS All Access, History Channel, USA, ESPN, NFL Network, etc all work flawlessly. Watching olympics on the NBC Sports app is crash, crash, crash.
 

caligurl

macrumors 68040
Jun 8, 2009
3,647
1,532
socal
I haven't been watching the Olympics, but I know the nbc sports gold for cycling app was HORRID on appleTV. Most of the time we couldn't get it to work so we just ended up airplaying from the ipad....
 

Hookemfins

macrumors 6502
Jan 13, 2013
325
27
Florida
That's interesting. So if we all have the same Apple TV, the same NBC app which works fine with different service feeds, then why such a variety of experiences? Wifi quality?

I think it is more hit or miss with the app. NBCSN is my only problem app on ATV 4. I also have had NBCSN issues on ATV 3 and iPad.
 

mic j

macrumors 68030
Mar 15, 2012
2,663
156
I think it is more hit or miss with the app. NBCSN is my only problem app on ATV 4. I also have had NBCSN issues on ATV 3 and iPad.
Everybody has the same version of the app (assumed) and there seems to be a lot of variation in the experience. Why (assuming OS is latest version, ISP download is adequate)? Is it conflicts with other installed apps, local wifi issues or...? Not sure I really see why some experience buffering and others don't (if minimal criteria are met). Interaction, e.g. commercials, etc, is a whole different thing. I'm really trying to understand why there is so much variation in smooth play. Mine is total acceptable. I should mention that I am using AEBS located in same room with a Tx Rate of 300mbs,
 

hinesmj

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 19, 2015
344
248
New York
I actually deleted and reloaded the app and it helped a bit. There was also an update pushed out yesterday. I'm still getting some instances where the picture gets really grainy and other times where an event SHOULD be on, but it just says "Coverage will resume shortly" and nothing ever happens. It's not my wifi either. I've got 100mbps and all other apps work flawlessly. But, I don't have any other choice for Olympics coverage so I guess I'll just have to suck it up. Maybe they'll figure it out in four years...
 

gauspad216

macrumors newbie
Nov 2, 2008
15
3
For me, the live network broadcasts (Bravo, NBCSports, CNBC, etc.) skip all over the place, but if you just find the live event you want to watch (swimming semis/finals, AUS vs RUS Handball), they stream fine. Just one persons experience obv.
 

nburwell

macrumors 603
May 6, 2008
5,447
2,359
DE
It appears as if the NBCSN app is still experiencing the same issues it was having late last year. It just amazes me how WatchESPN, MLB.TV and NHL.TV apps work flawlessly on the ATV, but yet NBCSN just can't seem to get it right.

I have not watched any Olympic event via the app, but during the NHL season, the streaming was terrible on both our ATV4 and ATV3.
 
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