Pixilation - Stack TV/Amazon Prime Video

[Canyda]

I have a new Samsung Q60B 4K TV hooked up to the 2021 ATV 4K via Ethernet, with normal download speed of 750 mbps.

I've noticed in the last few days that while watching live TV on Stack TV (disclaimer: a Canadian cable channel bundle subscription option within Prime Video Canada) that the picture goes from crystal clear to basically underwater pixelation and then snaps back again, fairly regularly over the course of a program. Last night on Food Network Canada, for instance, probably 15% of Tournament of Champions looked like a 2002 YouTube video on dialup.

At the time, the available wifi speed was more than 500 mbps, so I'm thinking it can't be my internet, particularly given its hardwired in to my ATV4K. I don't have this problem on any other app (Netflix, ATV+, Disney are my other main streaming apps) but I'm also not watching "live" TV on any other app, and Stack TV, as noted, provides a streaming version of a variety of Canadian cable channels owned by Corus Entertainment. The HDMI cable is a Monster brand 4K certified cable that's only a few weeks old.

However, I also have the original ATV4K connected to a 2010 Samsung HDTV (with ATV receiving signal via wifi) via some generic HDMI cable that I'm pretty sure my cable company gave me years ago, and it does not appear to have the same pixelation problem with live TV via Stack TV, which seems odd.

Happy to take any thoughts or suggestions. Thanks kindly.

 

[Canyda]

Couple of updates:

Spent the evening watching Stack TV through the TV’s Prime Video app and not the one on the 2021 Apple TV4K and it was flawless.

But also did Stack TV on the original ATV4K on our older TV and it was also flawless.

So there’s something weird with the 2021 ATV4K and that app.

I may try resetting the ATV and setting it up again and see if that fixes the issue.

 

[curdy]

Have you tried watching one of the free live channels on the Prime app on your Apple TV? I think the free ones offered are Global channels at the moment in Canada. Would be interested if those work fine, then maybe it's more a Stack TV problem. I don't have the Stack TV subscription so unfortunately I can't try it, but I do have the same Samsung Q60B I believe.

 

[Canyda]

I ended up doing a couple of things that seem to have helped:

1) Bought the Belkin 8K HDMI cable for our newer ATV on the brand new 4K Samsung.

2) Deleted and installed the Prime Video app on the ATV.

I also noticed I have gotten some of the glitches on the older ATV on the old Samsung, so I'm convinced at this point that it's basically an issue with the Prime Video app that Amazon has made for Apple TV.

 

[Madmic23]

I was using Stack TV for a while and I noticed a similar issue from time to time, usually when I was starting a show. I was watching it on the 2022 Apple TV 4k.

 

[ZiBart]

I have the 2022 ATV4K connected via ethernet and StackTV is terrible picture quality. 80% of the time its very pixelated. I mostly watch the on demand shows too and i have 1.5gb Bell Fibe. ATV+, Disney+, Netfilx is all flawless. Even the regular Prime movies/shows are fine within the same app. Its just the StackTV portion thats terrible. They must use different servers or something. Once my promo pricing is done. im cancelling the service.