Some streaming apps don't work via TV, but work via Chromecast

[grifta67]

Hi everyone,

I'm pretty stumped by this puzzle, maybe one of you have an idea?

I have an ASUS RT-AX3000 router, Xfinity internet, and a 2022 Samsung Smart TV (QN55QN90AAFXZA). For the past month, certain streaming apps via the TV won't play any video. They'll load menus and clearly are connected to the internet, but when it goes to play the actual show it doesn't work. Hulu for example gives error P-DEV320. It's not all apps, some work fine (I'll list down below). Usually the app will load any bumpers (like on Hulu where it shows the network logo video for 5 seconds, then another 5 seconds of the show title with when it airs) or preshow ads (Peacock), but then won't load the actual show video.

I also have a Chromecast hooked up to the TV, and all of these apps work just fine through that which pointed to the issue being isolated to the TV. I factory reset the TV, same issue. Yesterday I set my phone as a hotspot, connected the TV to that and tried. Lo and behold, Hulu worked fine on the TV that way. This suggests the TV itself is fine and the issue is somehow in the router. But in a way that it's only affecting the TV and not the Chromecast.

This morning I did a factory reset of the router hoping that would work, but no luck. Same issue persists.

Any ideas what needs to be changed in the router settings to fix this? I'm so perplexed.

Thanks!

What changed
The only event I can think of around the point this issue started happening was the router kept cutting out one day every 30-60 minutes. I eventually did a factory reset which fixed that issue; I believe i also updated the firmware. I can't think of any other system or situation changes that might have contributed.

What I've tried so far

• Both wireless and wired connection for the TV
• Factory reset the TV
• Checked that TV is on latest firmware
• Checked that TV apps are updated
• Confirmed the TV apps work fine if connecting through phone hotspot
• Confirmed the streaming services work fine via Chromecast (which is using the same router as the TV)
• Factory reset the router
• Checked that router is on latest firmware
• Changed the Wi-Fi network name
• Put the TV in DMZ
• Changed the router's DNS settings to Google, to Cloudflare, back to ISP

TV app status

• TV app does not work
  • Hulu (error P-DEV320)
  • Disney+
  • Peacock
  • Freevee (error 4001)
• TV app works fine
  • Netflix
  • Samsung TV Plus
  • Youtube
  • Max (HBO Max)
  • Paramount+
  • ESPN+
  • Appletv

 

[Crimliar]

It's not a router issue but a TV app issue! The short answer is that it everything works on the connected box, but not on the TV then use the connected box.
It usually boils down to hardware decoding capabilities, copy protection, and apps not being updated making them incompatible with streams.
So as I'm in the UK all our SmartTV stuff runs on a GoogleTV, apart from Channel 4 who don't have a GTV app! And not to forget BBC iPlayer which will think you are trying to breach its T&Cs if you so much as look at it in a funny way!

 

[sfx2000]

You're not running any of the AIProtection stuff?

Could be that it's getting in the way...

Chromecasts - in past experience, they hardcode DNS to Google's public DNS...

There's a few different versions of Chromecast - is it the one that has GoogleTV support - which is basically an Android TV unit (and quite good, I might add).

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KRV7S22/?tag=snbforums-20

 

[grifta67]

It's not a router issue but a TV app issue! The short answer is that it everything works on the connected box, but not on the TV then use the connected box.
It usually boils down to hardware decoding capabilities, copy protection, and apps not being updated making them incompatible with streams.
So as I'm in the UK all our SmartTV stuff runs on a GoogleTV, apart from Channel 4 who don't have a GTV app! And not to forget BBC iPlayer which will think you are trying to breach its T&Cs if you so much as look at it in a funny way!

I don't think it is though. If it were a problem with the TV apps, shouldn't they also not work when I connect the TV to the internet via my phone's hotspot which bypasses the router? I tried that, and the TV apps worked perfectly fine that way.

You're not running any of the AIProtection stuff?

Could be that it's getting in the way...

Chromecasts - in past experience, they hardcode DNS to Google's public DNS...

There's a few different versions of Chromecast - is it the one that has GoogleTV support - which is basically an Android TV unit (and quite good, I might add).

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KRV7S22/?tag=snbforums-20

Pretty sure not. Enabled AIProtection is set to Off. Web/App Filters under Parental Control is Off. QoS is Off.

Correct, that's the Chromecast version I have. I'll try setting the router's DNS to that and be more patient, let it sit a few days and see if it clears up. I figured it would take effect immediately but maybe it needs some time to properly take hold everywhere.

Thanks!

 

[Crimliar]

One thing that hasn't been mentioned here is that on some (not all) TVs you can clear the cache and downloaded data from individual apps. It's something I had to do when we changed ISP from Vodafone UK to BT UK. Without clearing the data the apps seemed to think we were trying to mask our location!

 

[sfx2000]

Correct, that's the Chromecast version I have. I'll try setting the router's DNS to that and be more patient, let it sit a few days and see if it clears up. I figured it would take effect immediately but maybe it needs some time to properly take hold everywhere.

Try resetting the network connection on the chromecast itself if things so sort themselves out by now...

They do a fair amount of caching internally, so resetting the network on the Andriod/Google TV/Chromecast dongle should do the trick.

 

[Diablo99]

Do you use a VPN on the TV?

 

[sfx2000]

Pretty sure not. Enabled AIProtection is set to Off. Web/App Filters under Parental Control is Off. QoS is Off.

Correct, that's the Chromecast version I have. I'll try setting the router's DNS to that and be more patient, let it sit a few days and see if it clears up. I figured it would take effect immediately but maybe it needs some time to properly take hold everywhere.

Thanks!

Just following up - were you able to get things sorted there?

 

[BeckettRollins]

Given that your TV works flawlessly via a hotspot and Chromecast, the snag might indeed be router-related. The issue could be tied to how certain streaming apps communicate with your router. Have you checked if any firewall settings on the router might be restricting specific app traffic? It’s a long shot, but sometimes certain ports or protocols need to be open for apps to stream smoothly. Also, since the router firmware update coincided with these troubles, maybe there's a compatibility hiccup with the TV apps. You could explore rolling back the firmware or contacting ASUS support for insight. Meanwhile, the guide on https://onlinetvcast.com/guides/how-to-watch-hulu-in-saudi-arabia-in-2023-complete-guide could offer workarounds if this is a regional issue.