Tidal keeps pausing

yes DNS settings etc have no bearing on this, the issues are to do with throughput at a park ulnar instance. The underlying network transfer does not use DNS, but uses direct IP addressing to connect to one of a series of internet provider aggregated addresses. In the UK these addresses, that I have analyzed have all been on the British Telecommunications UK AS. These addresses effectively connect the Tidal back haul to the hosting servers, which for the most part appear to be using Amazon Web Services/ Akamai content delivery servers.

Now each track played by a user has a unique URI, and typically will have a different IP address. One of the reasons why gapless is not always sivvesful. However it also means one reach can have stuttering performance, and if you re-cue it or select a new track its fine.

This is because at points in time the different Tidal address/server combinations are differently loaded.

Now if your web access becomes slowe or loaded this by the nature of TCP can interact with the Tidal server loading and cause data timeout, loss, or throughput less than needed to sustain the Naim streamer audio buffer.

The specific AWS/Tidal addresses do at certain times do become very congested, and if really bad the track will abandon, to the next where often the next AWS/Tidal address combination is less busy or more stable and so play out is fine.

if you have a low latency high throughput internet connection, many of these issues can be masked by the Naim streamer.

All this is completely visible and transparent if you analyze the underlying Tidal network traffic using a tool like WireShark. There are two effective modes the Naim streamer adopts, aggressive data collection, when Tidal performance is on the edge, and steady state burst data transfer when Tidal can stream the data over the users web connection fast enough to keep the Naim streamer buffers full. This latter mode of operation is identical to local UPnP media streaming.

Simon

Although I am really appreciative of the effort input to the postings so far, I am sorry to say I am out of my depth with most of it. So could I simply ask does anyone  know if there anything I can do to stop Tidal constantly pausing given the following.

Tidal plays for no longer than about 3-4 seconds before it pauses. 

I have checked with my ISP and there does not seem to be a problem with my download speed (5MB) and other downloads such as video seem fine.

THANKS

Dave

Dave, in short, it's most likely not specifically your download, unless your uplink traffic is becoming congested on your home Internet access such as it being shared by other applications on your home network. The issue is most likely Tidal congestion interacting with your ISP access.

With streaming and many other form of low latency data communications its not always about raw bandwidth or 'speed' but more relevantly delay of the two way data going between you and Tidal...and this is the Achilles heal of public internet access..

Simon

Thanks Simon.  Does this simply mean that tidal is a 'no go' for  people such as myself, or is there likely to be a fix some time in the future. Thanks Dave

Dave, all this should be mostly avoidable, and so I suspect Tidal will resolve ... How long it will take I don't know..

Simon

As Tidal is currently my main source; the continued pausing or buffering this evening is making me wonder if Tidal will be able to keep me as a customer after the free trial.

Shame really, as I really want Tidal to succeed and to be able to give musicians the royalties they deserve, but if the service continues to prove unreliable as it is now, I think they will lose customers very quickly.

My NDX was streaming an album from TIDAL and abruptly stopped and I have 30 down. When I tried to restart via the iPad Air 2 the login window popped up and would not allow me to log in. After several unsuccessful attempts I let it sit for a while and was able to log back in.

So far I've been enjoying TIDAL as it is sonically superior than TIDAL and Deezer fed from the SONOS Connect (not modified) via NDX. I'm hoping Naim will quickly incorporate Deezer and Qobuz for choice. Lindeman Musicbook will be supporting TIDAL and Deezer. So far it seems two of the major players in the PC software arena will support services. Amarra TIDAL and Audirvana Qobuz.

M

Tidal is pausing for me too, no NAIM streaming products used, so I'll point it back ti Tidal, unless I find something in the MacMini to 2Qute system then Tidals days are numbered. l have never experienced this much disruption from Spotify.