VLC on Apple TV: SMB session keeps disconnecting

[ian_g]

I have VLC 3.0.3 on a new Apple TV (not 4k) running tvOS 12.1.2. I am connecting, using Local Network file access, to a SMB-exported folder containing MKV video files, located on a Mac Mini (late 2012) running OS X 10.14.3

VLC can login & connect to the SMB exported folder and let me view and play video files, but after some time (but not, apparently, while playing a video) VLC 'disconnects' from the Mac Mini. I can say thiscase because, If I try exploring the SMB-exported folder using VLC and go to subfolders I have not previously viewed, I see "empty folder" even when I know there is stuff there. Also, when I check the Mac I see that the number of connected clients has gone to zero.

I am also subsequently unable to relogin to the SMB server using VLC. If I try I do not see an error message, but I just see "empty folder"

The only way I can reconnect is to (a) physically go to the Mac Mini; (b) stop File sharing; (c) re-start file sharing, and (d) go back to the apple TV and re-login from the Local Network screen.

This happens roughly once an hour - not so convenient when viewing videos and when the two boxes are 3 floors apart......

Any thoughts on what might be the problem, or how to fix it?

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

You should update the VLC app, I believe.

[ian_g]

Unfortunately I have the most recent version of VLC for apple TV....

[mh19]

You should update the VLC app, I believe.

The update appears to be the issue.

[ian_g]

Thanks - I will add my commentary to the defect tracking system (hopefully that help whoever ends up working on this defect).

[bubu?]

Hello,

Thank you for the reports, we are aware of the issue.

We will let you know if there is any progress.

[chris_per]

I had a similar issue last year. Fixed it by changing the Energy Saving prefs in MacOS to stop drives going to sleep

[ian_g]

I had a similar issue last year. Fixed it by changing the Energy Saving prefs in MacOS to stop drives going to sleep

That's a good idea - but I checked and I had already turned off all the sleep options on the Mac Mini's power settings Preferences. It's also weird that I can login to the drive from VLC, play a 1.5 hour video with no problems, but then find, when looking for a second video, that I can no longer navigate the drive or access files..... It shouldn't be asleep then

[ahawkes]

Hey Ian. Did you ever figure out your problem with playing files from your mini to your AppleTV?

I've had the same problem for years, and so has my friend Steve at his house. We can play a few episodes of a TV show or a movie or two, but our next attempt to play something will give an error. If we remote to the Mac and turn off file sharing then turn it back on, it starts working again. It doesn't matter whether we activate AFP or not. Steve says he thinks it's worse if you pause a video for a few minutes. But we are always able to finish a video we've started.

I have an external Firewire800 RAID connected to a 2011 Mac Mini that is running 10.13. He's got internal drives in his 2012 MacPro running 10.12. So it's not the OS, disk or computer model.

This issue has persisted through several versions of MacOS and/or MacOS Server. I have done clean installs with no change. I've used different tvOS streaming apps (VLC, Elmedia, etc.) and they all do the same thing.

Honestly, I'm beginning to believe that it's something to do with the core tvOS. I have never had a single issue of Mac to Mac file sharing dropping.

[ian_g]

Alas no - the problem persists. I *think* I found that this, in the videolan bug tracking system, was actually a known problem. It's just that no one has had the time to go in and fix it. The solution I found (not great) was to use the vlc as a 'server' on the machine hosting the files, and then use a vlc 'client' to access them from the server. Not quite what I wanted (and i had to reorganize the video files to make it work) but it does work fine if you do that.

[rahallivex1]

Okay i have the same problem but with Android tv vlc app. Sometimes when i play a movie or a video via smb server from my laptop to tv it works even if the movie is like 2 hours, you can rewind and forward but you can't go back and play another unless you reset the connection and try again. After some time it doesn't play another video and if you try it just says empty folder or can't load files message. For me turning wifi OFF then ON temporarily worked if i want to connect and play another video. But after much messing with adapter settings, media streaming options finally i have found a solution. For me the problem was with the Power options in control panel. I have the 'Turn off hard disk after' option set to 10 minutes which means my hard disk went to sleep after 10 minutes and my connection with smb server reset. You will find this setting in Control Panel> Power Settings> Change Plan Settings> Change Advanced Power Settings> Hard disk> Turn off hard disk after. You should change it to 0 minutes which means Never. So the hard disk will not go to sleep. I hope this will work for you.

[rahallivex1]

I had a similar issue last year. Fixed it by changing the Energy Saving prefs in MacOS to stop drives going to sleep

Exactly. This worked for me in Windows 10 power settings. Changed the Turn off Hard disk after to 0 minutes (NEVER). It was previously set to 10 minutes.