Video stream suddenly stops to buffer after short play

[ghost]

Checklist

• I am using the latest version - x.xx.x
• I checked, but didn't find any duplicates (open OR closed) of this issue in the repo.
• I have read the contribution guidelines given at https://github.com/TeamNewPipe/NewPipe/blob/HEAD/.github/CONTRIBUTING.md.
• This issue contains only one bug. I will open one issue for every bug report I want to file.

Steps to reproduce the bug

1. Start video
2. Video start playing immediately for 1 second
3. Stops to "prebuffer" [?] for 5-10 seconds
4. Starts playing with huge buffer visible on the playbar

Actual behavior

There seems to be enough data to start playing the video immediately but it does not happen, rather it starts loading after one seconds of play. It's really annoying. I use MPEG 1080p. The connection is stable and fast.

Expected behavior

The video just plays immediately does not wait for buffer. And progressively loads a buffer as it plays ahead.

OR

Does not start playing, builds a small buffer, then plays.

Currently it just seems it COULD play the stream as it is an instant but doesn't. If there weren't buffer it would not play immediately.

Screenshots/Screen recordings

Logs

Device info

• Android version/Custom ROM version: 11, UneUI 3.1.
• Device model: SM-A528B/DS

[MD77MD]

this is happening to me as well

[ChiefMikeK]

this is happening to me as well

I would suggest that you press the pause button and allow the buffer to continue to fill.
my Internet is @ times spotty/congested

[ghost]

this is happening to me as well

I would suggest that you press the pause button and allow the buffer to continue to fill.
my Internet is @ times spotty/congested

That should not be related. Letting the video play would be the best solution, I would not like to press the pause button every time I play a video.

So anyways I would like to add that 1 second play then 10 second buffer is usually the worst case scenario. It varies a bit, there are 4 second plays than 2 second loads as well sometimes. It's weird. Probably buffer management? I don't know anything about things like this though.

[opusforlife2]

Please try the APK linked in #7406.

[ghost]

@opusforlife2 Currently testing the app and it still has stops. But now instead of starting to load 1-5 seconds in the video it additionally loads at the very beginning sometimes. So it basically plays 1 single frame, so the thumbnail of the video is not visible only the very first frame perhaps. So it loads then it sometimes even loads at like 5 secs too. I'll record it now. Do you know a place where I could upload videos to?

[ghost]

I noticed that in both apps if I did not had my settings and data imported there were basically no stops at all. Only notable difference being that I usually disable auto play. But then I noticed that the default resolution is 720p and I set it to 1080p and after making that the default it stutters again. So at 720p after short one second loads at the very beginning usually there were buffer already in the video or the stream was able to be maintained without stutters. So I believe there are not enough bandwidth at 1080p. Both apps have this problem still. But then again idk why it can be played immediately and only start to have problems with the higher bandwidth after like 5 seconds into the video. Anyways it's still progress I believe. @opusforlife2

[Dangelman]

Can confirm it happens to me too. When you start Newpipe and click on a video, it plays 2s and then it starts to buffer for 2s. Happens every time, and I have a great connection. Def not existence-shaking, but still annoying.

I noticed that it only happens to the first video you play.

[ghost]

It happens to me on most videos.

[ghost]

The problem would probably be fine if the player would not wait until an unnecessary amount of buffer is preloaded. I have noticed that after loading a bunch the buffer bar is unnecessarily long compared to the required to even play. Perhaps it's the problem. @opusforlife2

[opusforlife2]

@IHateTheProgrammingClass Try the RC. Not that there is a specific fix in it, but just to cover all bases.

[ghost]

Sorry for my lack of knowledge in this field but what is RC?

[opusforlife2]

@IHateTheProgrammingClass Release candidate. See the pinned issue.

[ghost]

@opusforlife2 I have been testing the app and the issue seems to be solved. Thank you. If anything changes I will definitely notify this thread.

[opusforlife2]

@IHateTheProgrammingClass Thanks for confirming. Please close the issue until needed again. If I close it you will not be able to reopen it.

[ghost]

@opusforlife2 Uh... So I need to do some further testing. It seems that the issue is still present although seemed to disappear. I was on an unstable 5G connection (?, the one where the 5G icon is not filled in at the notification bar), and the stream acted the same. Starts, loads for like 10 seconds then plays when an unnecessary amount of buffer is loaded. I will try to find out if it was the more stable WiFi connection that I think I was using that were making the issue disappear or if not that, then what.

For the record I would like to state that I did the testing of the app by exporting the old one's database, then importing it into the RC so everything would match and I particularily made sure I was using the correct one from then on.

[ghost]

Another thing: It seems to be that sometimes, usually at the last quarter of a video the stream just stops. It loads and loads and that's it. If I shuffle back and fourth or just simply shuffle somewhere the stream continues. It's also really weird.

[opusforlife2]

@IHateTheProgrammingClass This ^ looks like a separate issue. Please check for duplicates and open a new issue.

[Flam3z]

This issue happens to me at random, i'll watch the stream for a few seconds then it stops and tells me "could not view stream" despite the streamer not going offline this has been happening for a while now.

[ShareASmile]

Closing this Intermittent buffering issue since Introduction of Support delivery methods other than progressive HTTP on 22June 2022 it has been mitigated according to the feedbacks we received and AudricV's intensive testing since more than a month of the change back in June 2022 from progressive playback to DASH playback for YouTube contents.

Also it cannot be rechecked with its author as its author is a ghost now.

If anyone experiences this issue please open a new one.