Bizarre iplayer problem

karvala · Jan 22, 2013, 16:19:31

Dear All.

I wonder if anyone could shed some light on this for me? I'm having a very strange problem with BBC iplayer on my Samsung E6100 blu-ray player. In a nutshell, on normal quality (i.e. SD) it has bad stuttering of both picture and sound right from the start, regardless of the programme. However, if I view the same programme in HD, it's absolutely fine.

Here is additional info based on what I've tried so far:-

(1) It's doesn't seem to be a network problem, because (i) it's obviously the same iplayer app on the blu-ray player for both SD and HD, and HD is fine in spite of requiring greater bandwidth. It is also a fast connection with plenty of spare capacity at the time of the SD streaming, and I've run connection tests immediately before and after that show no problems at all. Finally, it also works fine in both SD and HD if I access it with any of the computers on my network. I have also been through all of the various QoS options in my router and tested different things, none of which made any difference.

(2) It doesn't appear to be a problem with the specific app. I say that because first I powered down and up again from the socket, then I reinstalled the app, and when that didn't make any difference, I did a complete factory reset of the whole blu-ray player. Still didn't make any difference. In addition, there are, from my googling, no reports of this problem from other people, which presumably there would be if they broke the app (there were certainly enough comments from users before the app was first released asking for it).

(3) It doesn't appear to be a problem at the BBC's end. Initially I had assumed it must be, but there have been no reports of this that I can find, which I'm sure there would be if had been a BBC server problem, and it works fine from the website.

(4) It doesn't appear to be a problem on the TV (Samsung 32" LED FullHD). I checked all the settings, looking in particular for evidence of a choice of refresh rate or something along those lines, as well as picture resolution and upscaling options etc., but again nothing made any difference.

(5) It definitely used to work. Unfortunately I don't use it often enough to say when it stopped working, but some time in the last couple of months would be my guess. First noticed the problem a couple of weeks ago, dismissed at the time as a problem at the BBC's end, but that clearly doesn't seem to be the case, so now I'm left wondering what the cause could be.

So, it's not the network, not the blu-ray player app, not the TV and not the BBC. What else is there?! And how is it that it can work perfectly in HD, but not in SD?

I could understand it the other way around, but that just makes no sense to me. All info/suggestions gratefully received. Cheers!

Steve · Jan 22, 2013, 17:22:43

No idea really I wonder by default whether there's less buffering on the SD version.

Simon · Jan 22, 2013, 17:41:29

I'm only suggesting this because you don't seem to have mentioned it, but could the bluray player itself require a software update, not just the iPlayer app?

Glenn · Jan 22, 2013, 17:42:32

What happens if you use iplayer on another device, does that stream OK?

Technical Ben · Jan 22, 2013, 18:20:50

Quoteon my Samsung E6100 blu-ray player

Personally I blame the BBC iPlayer app or Samsung's app/OS for the fault. Sorry. :/

After seeing the limitations some companies put arbitrarily (Sony barring PS3 from HD content even though it can play it easily when you "trick" it via a different html link) limits on apps and poor support, I've been put off most players. I'd give them a try, but not trust them.

Does the software have a web browser that supports HTML5 or Flash? As you might be able to play the video via the sites pages instead of through the app? Or as others have said, check the iplayer on a pc and see if the problem persists to help with trouble shooting. Good to see you already checked Google, strange no one else has had a similar problem.

Steve · Jan 22, 2013, 18:29:33

The OP implies other devices seem to be ok on the network, which device is doing the SD upscaling?

karvala · Jan 22, 2013, 18:54:37

Quote from: Steve on Jan 22, 2013, 17:22:43
No idea really I wonder by default whether there's less buffering on the SD version.

Thanks Steve. I guess there could be, but then I'd expect to see reports of other people having the same problem and I'd expect the problem to be replicated when I access it through a web browser on my computer (on the same internet connection), and neither seem to be the case.

karvala · Jan 22, 2013, 18:56:54

Quote from: Simon on Jan 22, 2013, 17:41:29
I'm only suggesting this because you don't seem to have mentioned it, but could the bluray player itself require a software update, not just the iPlayer app?

Sorry, you're right, I should have mentioned that more explicitly. Yes, in the aftermath of the factory reset which made no difference, I then sent it to update to the latest software again for the whole blu-ray player (which had been on it before as well), but that also made no difference unfortunately.

karvala · Jan 22, 2013, 18:59:57

Quote from: Glenn on Jan 22, 2013, 17:42:32
What happens if you use iplayer on another device, does that stream OK?

Hi Glenn, yes, as I mentioned briefly in my first point, I've tested iplayer in the web browser on two computers on my home network (the same internet connection that the blu-ray player uses), and it's completely on both of them (in both SD and HD). I don't have any other types of devices (blu-ray players or smart TVs) around to test at the moment, but I might see if I can borrow one from a friend just for test purposes.

karvala · Jan 22, 2013, 19:01:59

Quote from: Technical Ben on Jan 22, 2013, 18:20:50
Personally I blame the BBC iPlayer app or Samsung's app/OS for the fault. Sorry. :/

After seeing the limitations some companies put arbitrarily (Sony barring PS3 from HD content even though it can play it easily when you "trick" it via a different html link) limits on apps and poor support, I've been put off most players. I'd give them a try, but not trust them.

Does the software have a web browser that supports HTML5 or Flash? As you might be able to play the video via the sites pages instead of through the app? Or as others have said, check the iplayer on a pc and see if the problem persists to help with trouble shooting. Good to see you already checked Google, strange no one else has had a similar problem.

Thanks Ben. I have tried it on two computers on my home network (i.e. same internet connction as the blu-ray player) via a web browser, and it works fine on both of them. I'm also inclined to blame some combination of Samsung and the BBC, but it seems strange that it used to work okay, and that nobody else is reporting the problem (that I can find, at least).

karvala · Jan 22, 2013, 19:05:15

Quote from: Steve on Jan 22, 2013, 18:29:33
The OP implies other devices seem to be ok on the network, which device is doing the SD upscaling?

Hi again Steve; that's a very good question, and honestly I don't know. For DVDs I assumed the blu-ray player was doing it though I can't remember if I even saw an option to not upscale, but I'll certainly check that. For the BBC app I have no idea; there certainly isn't an explicit setting for it, but I guess it's possible that the setting on the blu-ray player (if there is one) applies to that too. I'll check the settings and if it's possible, I'll switch it from the blu-ray player to the TV to see if that makes a difference. Thanks for the idea.

Technical Ben · Jan 22, 2013, 21:15:26

Thanks for the karma, I feel my post was not much help really.

The fix for the PS3 being slow on youtube was to go to Youtube via the browser and not the App (until they blocked it via a dns entry or somthing

). Can you do similar with the bluray player? Can it do SD and HD ifor Yutube and BBC website?

Steve · Jan 22, 2013, 21:27:31

And thanks from me too, obviously I'm wondering wether the BluRay player can managed to download and upscale simultaneously although we know it could at some point.

pctech · Jan 22, 2013, 22:28:56

Is it a wired or Wi-Fi link

If you have the option it might be an idea to fix it to a speed such as 100 Mbps rather than negotiation/auto-configure.

karvala · Jan 23, 2013, 12:27:58

Quote from: Technical Ben on Jan 22, 2013, 21:15:26
Thanks for the karma, I feel my post was not much help really.
The fix for the PS3 being slow on youtube was to go to Youtube via the browser and not the App (until they blocked it via a dns entry or somthing ). Can you do similar with the bluray player? Can it do SD and HD ifor Yutube and BBC website?

Oh, I find all the replies helpful, even if it's suggesting something that I've also already thought of. Shows that I'm not going completely crazy (or more crazy I should say).

I had in fact also tried the using the browser on the blu-ray player, but unfortunately it just gives a "not supported on this browser" type message, so it's not possible to test.

karvala · Jan 23, 2013, 12:31:11

Quote from: Steve on Jan 22, 2013, 21:27:31
And thanks from me too, obviously I'm wondering wether the BluRay player can managed to download and upscale simultaneously although we know it could at some point.

Yes, it definitely could at some point, and on things other than BBC iplayer, still can. I have LoveFilm instant on there, for example, which is not in HD, and that works fine, so I think it's capable of it. I did go through all the settings yesterday, and there was nothing on either the blu-ray player or the TV that explicitly controlled upscaling, curiously. A few options about picture mode (4:3 vs 16:9 type of things), and one for a "film mode" which claims to set things to 24fps which looked a good candidate but unfortunately also made no difference no matter which way it is set.

karvala · Jan 23, 2013, 12:33:08

Quote from: pctech on Jan 22, 2013, 22:28:56
Is it a wired or Wi-Fi link

If you have the option it might be an idea to fix it to a speed such as 100 Mbps rather than negotiation/auto-configure.

It's a Wi-Fi link, though I can wire it for test purposes if necessary. Interesting idea to fix the speed rather than auto-configure; not sure if the blu-ray will give me that option in its network settings but I'll see if I can limit it through the router.

si_landy · Jan 23, 2013, 20:52:23

I've just joined this site in order to reply to this thread

Never fear - you are not going mad - I'm experiencing exactly the same problem!

I'm on a wired connection with an E6100 blu-ray player and a LG TV.

What is your ISP? I'm talktalk - its seems to be the only thing that's not been covered!

Cheers
SImon

Steve · Jan 23, 2013, 21:22:06

Simon

Thanks, same player, same app, same problem. I'm blaming the App.

si_landy · Jan 23, 2013, 21:35:01

thankfully I have a temporary solution
get_iplayer - use that to download the mp4 file and send it to the blu-ray. However its a faff and I'm guessing only works on windows!

Steve · Jan 23, 2013, 21:48:33

http://iplayerhelp.external.bbc.co.uk/help/playing_tv_progs/lg_smarttv_iplayerbuffer

Simon · Jan 23, 2013, 21:59:06

Simon.

karvala · Jan 24, 2013, 03:24:04

Quote from: si_landy on Jan 23, 2013, 20:52:23
I've just joined this site in order to reply to this thread

Never fear - you are not going mad - I'm experiencing exactly the same problem!

I'm on a wired connection with an E6100 blu-ray player and a LG TV.

What is your ISP? I'm talktalk - its seems to be the only thing that's not been covered!

Cheers
SImon

Thanks Simon, I really appreciate that you took the time to let me know. So you're also seeing it fail in normal quality (SD), but fine in HD? that's certainly very reassuring, and in that case, it looks like the app. I did send an e-mail to Samsung support about it yesterday, as it's possible their latest update has broken something, but given their reputation I'm not expecting a sensible reply any time soon.

My ISP is IDNet, so I guess we can rule that out as well!

karvala · Jan 24, 2013, 03:34:18

Quote from: Steve on Jan 23, 2013, 21:22:06
Simon

Thanks, same player, same app, same problem. I'm blaming the App.

Yeah, the app is at the top of my list of likely candidates as well, given that the website version works fine (which to my mind pretty much rules out all problems outside of the blu-ray box or TV). Curious that there hasn't been more visible outrage amongst other users, though.

karvala · Jan 24, 2013, 03:34:55

Quote from: si_landy on Jan 23, 2013, 21:35:01
thankfully I have a temporary solution
get_iplayer - use that to download the mp4 file and send it to the blu-ray. However its a faff and I'm guessing only works on windows!

Yeah, I've been doing something similar, but it is a right hassle. When did the problem start for you, incidentally?