Why do 4K videos lock up on my Shield Pro?

Sorry if I ruffled any feathers did not try promoting anything :slight_smile:

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You didnt. All is fine. Just i like to make sure people are aware of the apks they use and the need for a vpn. If they choose not to use one thats fine, but understand the risks of vpns and un verified apps.

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Do you think IPVanish is limiting my Syncler 4K streams? Does IPVanish support Syncler? How about Surfshark?

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A VPN will naturally limit speed, yes, but if you have 140Mbps you can stream 4k. The Surfshark vs IPVanish discussion comes up often here. This is 100% personal preference and experience, both are fantastic.

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How about my Spectrum router? Could it be causing my 4K streaming issues?

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If you are getting 140Mbps down using a VPN, chances are everything is doing what it is supposed to. I think it is more likely the source you are using. If you want 4k, i would use one of the smaller sources/files in the drop down. And honestly, some of the better 1080p sources run better and look just as good.

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I use Spectrum equipment and the 4K movie I mentioned earlier plated fine.

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Yep, could do 1080p and then use Nvidiaā€™s AI enhancer.

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also upgrade your hdmi cables for 4k

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Yep, I got the best 4K cables (at reasonable price on Amazon) i could find.

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I do use the AI enhancer, but not sure if it makes that big a difference. Perhaps I am not using it correctly though.

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Did you try changing your VPN Protocol? That was causing buffering/freezing issues for me on my firestick. I changed protocol fro recommended to UDP and its worked fine for weeks now.

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You should have absolutely no problem streaming a 4K vid with 140 Mbps down on a Shield Pro. Therefore, I would be looking for other reasons you are having difficulty. As someone else mentioned try picking a different stream and source.

Btw, you never did mention what provider package you have installed.

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Good point! I was using Express, but just changed to JakedUp and Bouncy.

I have been fooling around with the IPVanish VPN protocolsā€¦ not much improvement found. However, I havenā€™t figured out how to select an individual IPVanish server (with the lowest ping). Do you know how to do that?

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Jaked up with or without Orion is all that you need. Bouncy isnā€™t good. Express packages are far superior to Kosmos.

Best Syncler Provider Packages for Kosmos & Express 2022

I have the exact same problem,.for the last couple of months. Only locks up toward the end of the movie Iā€™m watching on 4K. Using 4k cables, good connection and switched between MX, VLC and Exo. Using SurfShark and even tried Nord. Never locks up if I use a 1080 file.

If your setup is 4k friendly all the way around, then this issue starts to point at the source. Even with RD, you can get less than perfect source links that the bitrate may not keep up with the stream. Iā€™m not sure what app (or device) you are using to stream these, but a tweak like increasing ā€œbuffer cacheā€ could help the stream keep up, just enough. May be worth experimenting, but I would definitely experiment with the different kinds and types of sources to see which ones work best for you. Trying Orion could help too.

*Another thought - I would recommend using ethernet on devices you are planning on heavily streaming 4k videoā€¦if it is feasible. Hopefully a gigabit port.

If it is Kodi, this may help, I use it and never have buffering on 4k, good luck :+1:

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How does one increase ā€œbuffer cacheā€? Is Orion a Kodi addon? I am using an ethernet to USB adapter on my TV to increase speed there.

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