Cloud Streaming - Playback is Freezing, Buffering, or Stuttering

Swank Cloud Streaming titles are encoded to support Adaptive Bitrate Streaming in order to be as network friendly as possible. Adaptive Bitrate Streaming technologies have several key features.

• They create multiple files from one source to cater to viewers on various devices and connection speeds.
• They also adaptively distribute these files, adjusting the stream based on changes in throughput and CPU availability.

If your playback environment is exhibiting Freezing, Buffering, or Choppiness for all titles, there could be something within the playback environment causing this. See below for details.

Note: If this is only presented on a single title, please contact Swank Digital Support to have the content reviewed for issues with the encode.

1. Hardware Issues
   • When encountering hardware-related problems, it is important to conduct tests using multiple devices to determine whether the issue is isolated to a specific piece of equipment. If you find that the problem consistently occurs on a particular device, there are several steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the issue.
     1. First, try restarting the playback device. Sometimes, simply rebooting the device can clear temporary glitches or errors that may be causing the problem.
     2. If your setup involves connecting to an external display, additional troubleshooting steps are recommended:
        1. Begin by rebooting the display itself. Power cycling the monitor or TV can often resolve minor connectivity or display issues.
        2. Next, test the connection using a display that is known to be functioning properly. This helps to isolate whether the issue lies with the original display or the playback device.
        3. Additionally, try using a display cable that is confirmed to be in good working condition. Faulty cables can often cause intermittent or persistent display problems, so swapping in a reliable cable can help identify if the cable is the source of the issue.
2. Network Bandwidth
   • Each Swank title is encoded on our storage location at 5 different bit rates. The bitrate streamed to the client device depends upon both device and network characteristics. These characteristics include screen resolution, CPU availability, graphics processor, network bandwidth and speed available. As the network becomes more congested, the client device player will automatically request lower resolution playback (down to 800) to avoid buffering. If the bandwidth is insufficient to support the lowest bitrate, then the title will buffer. Confirm the bandwidth from the device experiencing the issue is capable of handling the amount of traffic necessary for streaming. Absolute minimum requirements would be the minimum bitrate * number of simultaneous streams occurring.
3. Incognito/Private Window
   • Try playing the video in an incognito or private window. If playback works in Incognito Mode but not in regular browsing, an extension or setting is likely causing the issue.
4. Graphics Acceleration
   • You can attempt to enable or disable the graphics acceleration support within the settings of Chromium-based browsers. Depending on your device and the driver being used, you may need to experiment with this setting to see what works best for your environment.
     • Enable: Enabling hardware acceleration may enhance the performance of the playback device.
     • Disable: Enabling hardware acceleration can sometimes cause compatibility issues with certain graphics drivers, leading to black screens, stuttering, or crashing. The browser may utilize HDCP as part of the hardware-accelerated video pipeline, particularly on systems that support HDCP natively via GPUs or display drivers.
     • In the latest version of Chrome, that setting can be found here:
     • chrome://settings/?search=acceleration
     • 
5. Alternative Browser
   • Try using an alternative browser. Sometimes this can help you narrow down the scope of the issue. If it's isolated to one particular browser, then you can eliminate some of these other factors.
6. Check for Conflicting Programs
   • Some third-party software (e.g., screen recorders, remote desktop apps, antivirus software) can interfere with video playback. Try disabling antivirus software temporarily to see if the issue resolves.
7. Operating System - Performance/Power Mode
   • Within the computer's operating system there may be a setting for "performance" or "power mode" or something similar.  If the computer's performance is set to preserve power or battery life, that may limit the computer's ability to decode streaming video efficiently.  Try adjusting that setting to the highest performance level and see if it makes a difference.
8. Bios - CPU Power
   • BIOS - Within the computer's BIOS there may be a setting for "C-states" or "C1E" which is intended to preserve CPU power when it's not being highly utilized.  With some of our products (particularly those using AMD CPUs), we find that we need to disable these features in order to ensure smooth video playback.