HDFX-4K Recorded shows crashing on playback (Android TV / TiVo Stream 4k)

[orev]

I'm using the HD app on a TiVo Stream 4k (Android TV) device, and running into an issue where DVR playback will crash at random places. I'll be watching a recorded show, and then it drops back to the DVR screen with no warning. I can go back into the show and fast forward to that spot, and it won't crash again in that same spot. This has happened multiple times in one show.

Both the HDhomerun and the Tivo Stream are connected via Ethernet to a network switch in my media cabinet. External drive is a Samsung SSD 840 EVO 500GB connected via USB 3.1 external SATA enclosure with its own power supply.

Is this something others have seen as a common issue, or could there possibly be an issue with my homerun?

[jasonl]

Do you have the latest version of the HDHomeRun app installed? Check the gear menu and make sure it says Version 20240229 (App).

[orev]

App version 20240229 (App) / 20240124a (UI)

[jasonl]

We would like to get some diagnostic data to see what is happening:

1. In a web browser go to http://hdhomerun.local
   NOTE: That address will go do the first HDHomeRun device found on your network. If you have more than one HDHomeRun device, use the "device ID" printed on the bottom of the unit instead of "hdhomerun" in the address. For example, if your device ID was 104FFFFF then you would go to http://104fffff.local
2. If it tells you that a firmware update is available, please install it
3. Click "System Menu"
4. Check the "Send diagnostic information" box (if this box is already checked, please un-check then re-check it)
5. Go back one page
6. Click "Channel Lineup"
7. Click on "Detect Channels"
8. After the scan finishes, open the HDHomeRun app
9. Go into the app settings: the gear icon in the top right corner of the "Live/Recorded/Discover/Tasks" page
10. Enable the option to "Send diagnostic information"
11. Reproduce the issue

Reply back and provide us the device ID of your HDHomeRun and the time it happened and we will check the logs. You can find the device ID on a label on the bottom of the HDHomeRun itself.

[orev]

Was able to reproduce the issue at 21:51 EDT. Device ID: 10A7AC87

Also at 22:09, 22:11

Thanks for investigating this.

[jasonl]

The logs aren't showing any obvious problems, just that the app stops receiving data for no apparent reason. Just to rule out something weird with the network interface in the Android device, can you switch it to wifi and see if the same thing still happens?

[orev]

I disconnected the USB Ethernet adapter and been running off WiFi the past few days. So far I haven't seen the playback fail after watching a few things, but I'm planning to keep testing for a few more days both with and without WiFi.

[orev]

Ran on WiFi most of the week with no issues. Re-connected the Ethernet adapter and got a crash today around 21:55, and another at 22:06 (on the same show that previously was OK on WiFi).

I can live with WiFi if need be, but I haven't seen issues on other apps when using Ethernet.

[jasonl]

Internet streaming video generally runs at a much lower data rate than broadcast TV, and is also "bursty" as it will download a chunk of video, wait, then download the next chunk, while broadcast TV is a continuous stream. Also, USB OTG ethernet adapters are really not the most reliable devices in existence. I have several of them here since wifi is spotty and i have a lot of streaming devices. One of them just randomly died after a month, one randomly drops off the network, and a couple just have terrible performance. The good news is they're cheap and there are dozens of them on Amazon, so it's not a big deal to just try a couple and send back the ones that suck.

[orev]

I tried another adapter but it wasn't recognized, so could be a driver issue. One adapter was the TP-Link UE300C, and the other a TP-Link UE300 (using a USBA to C adapter). Maybe something from another vendor would work, but I'm going to let this one go and just stay on WiFi.

Thanks for you're help investigating this.