Casted video freeze then resume after a min but audio is fine

[Soundboy]

This issue might have been posted many times in many places but I could not find a solution. Sorry if duplicated.

I have Google TV 4k. When I casted my Android phone, I observed the video would freeze after some short time. Audio continues to stream well. The video on my phone also continues. After a min or two, casted video would resume and repeat the sequence.

I have tried factory reset, phone restart, make sure on strong 5G wifi. As a matter of fact, my older generation of Chromecast cast (stream) well without any freeze in the exact same set up, wifi, phone app and etc.

It appeared there was some problem at firmware level that internal video buffer is overrun or would reset itself internally. I am debating to give up Google TV 4k and go back to older version. And yes, I have tried multiple Google TV and some are even worse and would crash instead of freeze. Any suggestions? Many thanks!

[Jeran]

Hey there Soundboy,

I apologize for the late response, and thank you for being patient! Were you able to fix that freezing issue? If not, I'd be happy to help out, as this issue would make watching shows pretty difficult. First, does this problem occur when casting a particular app, or any app? Go ahead and clear out the cache on any affected apps. Then, does this problem only occur when casting from your phone, or does it happen with other devices as well? Depending on which, we can try a few different things.

I look forward to your response, and if you have any other questions or concerns for me, please let me know!

Best regards,
Jeran

[Soundboy]

Sorry if you see my intermediate response before I finish reply. 

Mostly happen in zoom meeting but also YouTube. I have both Samsung S22 and OnePlus 8 T having the issue. As mentioned, the old generation of chrome cast in the same setup never has any video freeze. I have done resetting 4K chrome and factory reset and latest update. Wifi signal is strong with router near 4k chrome. App was clear/ reset and reinstalled also. As mentioned, audio portion casting continues. Only video was froze. I have ordered another non 4k Google tv to try. Will find out. But so far all points to Google chrome 4k issue.

[Jeran]

Hey there Soundboy,

That's no good to hear. When the video is freezing, here are the steps that we encourage users to follow, although it sounds like you've already tried a good chunk of them:

1. If you're currently casting content to your Chromecast, disconnect the cast session and then re-cast:
   • Mobile Device:
     • Open the Google Cast-enabled app you’re currently casting from > select Cast icon > Click Disconnect or Stop Casting
     • Try casting your content again by pressing the Cast icon, selecting your Chromecast device, and then starting the video.
   • Chrome Browser:
     • In the top right corner of your Chrome browser, click the Cast icon and select Stop Casting.
     • Close the Chrome tab.
     • Relaunch the Chrome tab and open the same website/content you were previously casting.
     • Cast the tab again by clicking the cast icon in the top right corner of your Chrome browser, select your Chromecast device, and start playing the video.
2. Toggle Wi-Fi off/on the Casting device (make sure to reconnect to the same Wi-Fi network that your Chromecast is connected to)
3. Exit any battery-draining applications that are running
4. Turn off power saving mode
   • If your computer goes to sleep or becomes disconnected, this can cause the video to freeze (and eventually stop).
   • Adjust your power management settings, go to your computer settings and turn off power saving mode. Also consider plugging in your computer.
5. Decrease the distance between the TV, casting device (phone/tablet/computer), and Wi-Fi router

The Chromecast device and Wi-Fi router should be less than 15-20 feet (5-6 meters) apart, ideally within the same room.

1. Confirm that your casting device meets the minimum system requirements to support casting

Review the applicable article:

• Minimum requirements to cast from apps
• Minimum requirements to cast a tab in Chrome

1. Confirm that the Chrome browser, device operating system, and Chromecast Firmware are up to date
   • Chrome browser: To check the browser version number, go to the Chrome menu and click About Google Chrome. If there are any updates available, install them.
   • Device OS: If there are any updates available for your casting device, install them.
   • Chromecast Firmware: Open your Google Cast app > Click “Settings” next to your Chromecast device > Scroll down to locate “Firmware Version XXXX”
2. Reboot the Chromecast and your Wi-Fi router

Go ahead and attempt the steps that you haven't already tried to see if they help at all. Let me know if you run into any issues.

Best regards,

Jeran

[Soundboy]

Hi Jeran,

Thanks for your reply. I looked at your suggestions, some either dont apply and others I have already tried. As I mentioned earlier, video froze but audio not affected from Chromecast. The source of video/audio casting (i.e. my phone that has a zoom call) still continue without any issue. That is, if I ignore the casting freeze, I wont even notice any issue on my phone or zoom calls. Video freeze resumed after a while. And yes, if I stop chromecast and restart the casting while zoom call is in progress, video is back. This still points to google Chromecast issue. 

I also tried non 4K version of Google TV, it will also freeze. I did notice there was a Jan 10 system update and I applied it to both. it seems to make the freeze happen less frequent. Still happens though. A google search on the internet, it seems to be a common issue. I am not clear what is the best way to move forward. I have been used to Chromecast and really hope Google engineering team can find a solution. Will it be helpful to connect to Google support team? If I could not find a solution, I guess I'll have to return all my chromecast devices before return deadline.

Thanks again for your help,

[Jeran]

Hey there Soundboy,

No problem at all! In this case, you should contact Chromecast Support. Usually I would have them reach out to you, but it would be faster for you to reach out to them. Here is how to get a hold of Chromecast Support. You'll just need to get through the initial questions, and then you'll be given the different mediums to reach them.

Let me know if you have any more questions; I'd be happy to help where I can.

Best regards,

Jeran

[Jeran]

Hey there Soundboy,

Do you have any more questions that I can address? 

Thank you,
Jeran

[Jeran]

Hey Soundboy,

Do you have any more questions? If not, I'll go ahead and lock up this thread in 24 hours.

Just checking up,
Jeran

[Soundboy]

Hi Jeran,

Very strange. Somehow I don't see my reply to your previous response posted. For the benefit of the community, I hope this reply will be posted successfully.

1. Tech support team stated that Zoom app is not officially supported by Chromecast. They could not find a way to install zoom directly into Chromecast to see if it can improve.

2. Video freeze and resume still indicates Chromecast casted data buffer mangement issue.

3. Older generation Chromecast seems to work fine in my same setup.

4. Hope Chromecast tech team continues to find solution.

Thank you for your support

[Jeran]

Hey there Soundboy,

Oh, strange! I see this post at least! I wonder if the previous post got marked as spam or something; the auto-mod can be a little finicky sometimes. Thank you for letting me know what you've found out. I'll be happy to pass this along to the Chromecast engineering team as feedback. In the meantime, I'd be happy to answer any more questions. Otherwise, I'll go ahead and lock the thread in 24 hours.

Best regards,

Jeran