10-12-2020 12:38 AM - last edited 14-03-2023 12:26 AM
This might be a problem that is not located on my 75" Q900RA TV (or One Connect Box), but for a couple of weeks now I have experienced a lot of buffering when watching 4K (even when down to 1440p) videos on YouTube - on the internal app on the TV. I have a 500/500 internet connection which I plan to do through an ethernet cable (with a TP-Link Switch), but this has worked fine for the first couple of weeks when I just got the new internet provider and got this new speed. What is strange is that the screen sometimes goes black for half a second when it buffers when this problem occurs. One of the service people (who not visited me at home, nor do they know what kind of a TV I have, though I have mentioned I have a newer model of the 8K Samsung TVs), claims that the TV set (mine) most likely have a weak network card, which I find ridiculous and an ambush to look for a problem other than the internet provider themselves. Bear also in mind that it was they who set up everything with a central, modem, installed cables and everything at my home - so this set up should work without having to go the cable connection route... I have however just ordered the TP-Link Switch, so I will do the internet through cable directly connected to my TV.
Here are some specs a friend of mine asked me to show on a few random 2140p 4K YouTube videos:
Can someone give me feedback on the network card my Q900RA TV has, and if it is a "weak" card that might affect 4K streaming on YouTube ?
11-12-2020 01:26 AM
Primevideo 4k works fine, Netflix works fine, Youtube 4k on TV browser works fine.
Youtube App does not work fine.
It's obvious where the problem is.
I guess that a lot of people have this issue, but they don't notice it. I don't think there are a lot of people that watch Youtube on tv, and even less have 4K tv's.
I don't expect Samsung to fix this. Good luck explaining the problem to them...
The Youtube app was a complete piece of ***** anyway, 4K videos often had artifacts(errors) - I noticed the difference when using my android box.
11-12-2020 02:17 PM
I just tested 4K videos on YouTube through the TV's webbroaser, and it works like a charm ! No problems at all, no buffering or taking time to start playing - it run so smoothly - it even automatically changed from 1440 to 4K ! I can really see and experience a difference ! I am beginning to see that the YouTube app on Samsung is not really doing what it is supposed to do - at least on our TVs.
By the way, what kind of an android box are you using ? I wonder if an android box had the AV1 codex, if YouTube videos would play in 8K (probably only through the HDMI 2.1 port...).
11-12-2020 02:34 PM - last edited 11-12-2020 02:57 PM
I use the new Telia Box, it only supports 4K.
I'm curious if anybody from Samsung actually checks this forum.
I'm thinking of calling them to complain about this issue, but my head starts to hurt when I think about what they are going to reply:"reset Youtube app, reset TV, use lan cable, it's not the Tv, it's your internet"
I'm going to give it a try, wish me luck :))
EDIT: after 20 minutes of listening to music, I gave up and hung up the phone.
Like I said, I don't expect Samsung to acknowledge this issue.
11-12-2020 02:55 PM
Do it for the team @AndreN ! BEST of luck !
I might even make an attempt too. I will write in the Q900RA thread in the UK forum about the One Connect Box and HDMI 2.1 - or maybe do just a new post thread about this. You are however better at explaining than I am, so would you mind ?
11-12-2020 07:21 PM
I have submitted feedback about this problem to YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/tv/feedback
11-12-2020 07:46 PM - last edited 11-12-2020 07:48 PM
@AndreN I tried to reset (in Norwegian: "Tilbakestill") the YouTube app on your TV, and it works much better (though there might still some hick-ups) ! You have to re-log in again, but it is worth testing out. I have tried it on a few 4K YouTube videos and seems to have fixed the issue !
EDIT: Strangely the "stats for nerds" does not work... But YouTube seems to be working fine now.
(picture of screenshot borrowed by @naskew who solved some issues with his TV's YouTube app)
11-12-2020 08:18 PM
I've tried resetting, reinstalling YouTube - same problems.
The problem is not from YouTube, but from the Samsung app.
I will try again to contact Samsung support when I will have time.
11-12-2020 08:41 PM
Which TV-models are your 2014 and 2018 TVs ?
It is strange that there are no updates on the apps - at least I have not noticed any updates. Is there a way to see which version we have ?
12-12-2020 05:22 PM
Seems like the resetting of the YouTube app did not help solve this problem... It did improve a little, as I get to watch 4K longer during a video, but it still gets buffering and then goes down to 360p automatically... Argh... 😞
13-12-2020 06:00 PM
I have been testing watching YouTube through the internet browser on my TV, and it is like day and night. Not just for the lack of constantly having buffer when trying to watch 4K or 1440p. but the feel and experience of the picture are even better when watching just in 1080p. for some strange reason. It feels is like a totally different TV ! The 4K videos come up automatically... No issues at all !
So, no problem with my internet connection from my (Altibox) internet provider, no problem with the cables or wiring, the main central router (in the next room) or the TV-and-internet router. This also means that I would really not have to change my setup - through a TP Link media switch and ethernet cable connection to my TV !
This makes me also come to the exact same conclusion as @AndreN that the problem is in the internal YouTube app on my TV !