The VideoLAN Forums

Ubuntu SMB server, updated to latest version (it wasn't) makes no difference.

Tested on Apple TV 4k first gen, and apple TV 4th gen (both v3.3.4)

Smaller files (m4v/mkv) all play ok.

Not sure what the threshold is, but 3.5 gig MKV files don't play. Prolonged black screen followed by a fraction of a second of audio and being returned to the folder view.

Workaround for now using NFS, but SMB is nicer as its found by autodiscovery (although NFS noticeably snappier navigating around folder structure too).

With Apple TV gen 4, version 3.3.4 I'm no longer able to open any files stored on the smb shared drive of my Apple Time Capsule.
Logging in through smb also fails from time to time, and it happened on a few occasions that VLC completely hanged.
I'm a very active user of this setup, and I've never had this or a similar problem before.

Uploading the same files through the Remote Playback works fine.

I see the same thing on my appleTV and on my iPhone. Connected to an SMB share, playing .mkv files starts and stops right away. And indeed it seems to be related to the size of the file: 1 GB plays without problem but 3 GB files do not.

i have log file if you want.

VLC Media Payer 3.0.17.3 Vetinari. revision 3.0.17.3-207-ga7254c78ea

note : The same large file works ok on the desktop VLC player (Version 3.0.16 Vetinari (Intel 64bit))

I'd love to have a log. DM me.

Hello. I was using VLC on my Apple TV 4k first gen (and older Apple TVs) for like few years. It must have been Apple TV update because I have the same problem. I noticed it yesterday, cannot play bigger MKV files. VLC just quit to folder view when I try to play it. Small files are OK.
I'm on Synology NAS and only created this account to let you know, so you can fix it. VLC and Apple TV was my perfect duo to play movies in my living room since long time.
I'm using latest VLC from App Store

Workaround for now using NFS, but SMB is nicer as its found by autodiscovery (although NFS noticeably snappier navigating around folder structure too).

I cannot configure Synology NFS to work on VLC. Ive tried many tutorials and all seems to be setup propely but VLC cannot connect to NFS

I have the same issue with large mkv files stored on Synology Nas.

Same issue here with large MKV files on Apple TV 4th gen. My files also stored on Synology NAS and attempting to access via SMB. Same behavior - a video file will start, played for a second or two, then crashes back to menu.

Had no problems with version 3.3.3, but 3.3.4 appears to have broken something. More than happy to provide logs and/or test out a beta version via TestFlight.

Please DM me if you'd like to TestFlight the current beta. that would be very helpful.

I have 2 Apple TVs. The 4K 1st gen. model seems to work OK. I have only tested it with a 28 gig mp4 file and it works as it should. All my files are stored on a QNAP NAS so that I can play them on the Apple TVs in 2 rooms and on Macs in another 2 rooms.

The older HD Apple TV (4th gen.) used to play that same 28 gig file prior to upgrading VLC recently, but after one of the upgrades (I don't know which because the Apple TV is set to update apps automatically so this may have started with an earlier version than 3.3.4) it seemed to cut off the first 1.5+ hours of the 2.75 hour file which I could not understand at first as I was not aware that VLC had upgraded. This shortened file started to play at exactly the same point in time as a smaller backup MKV file in the same folder. The video is David Gilmour Live At Pompeii which I ripped from my Bluray and then used DaVInci Resolve to tack every individual MKV file into the full length concert video MP4 file at high quality settings hence the large file size. The individual MKV files remain in that folder.

The 28 gig MP4 file remains intact and I have played it on VLC on my MacBook without problem. It is not possible for VLC on the Apple TV HD to have shortened the file, I suspect that it refused to play the full length MP4 file and skipped to the next file in that folder which is 5 gigs in size.

However, the issues have become more serious since that first problem appeared. Now, VLC on the Apple TV HD, and this must be the latest version, cannot play any file over about 3 gigs in size, I can see that it tries to load the file for a fraction of a second before stopping and going back to the folder view, it no longer skips to another file in the selected folder when it can't play my first choice. This is now true of any file of more than 3 gigs size in any folder.

And still the 4K model works properly as do both my Macs.

As far as I tested it on various versions on Test Flight, the bug seems to have been introduced by build 3.3.4 - 425
3.3.0 - 416, 3.3.3 - 423 and 3.3.4 - 424 are OK
3.3.4 - 425, 3.3.4 - 426 and 3.3.5 - 427 are KO

This should be fixed in build 428 that will be released tonight.

Just regged to comment that ran into the same issue on 2nd gen 4K apple TV on smb shares, for me it seems to be around 2GB mark where videos stop playing.

Same for me -- AppleTV accessing Synology NAS over SMB. Large files start to play and then drop.

The update is now available.