Choppy Video feed Mavic Pro & Nexus 6P

[schwizer]

I am having persistant issues with the video feed being terrible from my Mavic Pro to my Nexus 6P. I can't seem to find the root cause.

Current setup:
Nexus 6P: Android 8.1.0
DJI Go 4: V4.2.20 (600-googlePlay) (does not find any updates when i click "update")
Mavic Pro: v01.04.0400

Whats the issue: When flying, i get significant video artifacts, stutter and delay to the point where the drone is not usable.
How long has it been happening: More than 6 months, got the drone last November. It was fine in the beginning which is what gets me. No issues the first 2 months.

Troubleshooting steps:
1. Tried wife's Iphone 7 Plus which works great, no issues. So I don't think it's a drone issue.
2. Eventually i did a full reset of the phone and wiped the phones cache. Helped a little but not really.
3. Installed a new battery in the phone (thought maybe CPU was throttling itself due to old battery).
4. Tried wiping the DJI Go 4 Cache and changing Cache size values. Automatic Cache clear enabled.
5. Tried different antenna positioning but didn't really make a big difference (again, it works with the iphone)
6. Tried enabling the "Enable USB Developer (USB Debugging)" option in the DJI Go 4 app. No effect.
7. Uninstall/reinstall DJI Go 4 multiple times.
8. Tried being close/further away from drone but didn't really matter
9. Formatted drone SD.
10. Video transmission mode in the drone is set to "Regular" not "HD"
11. Tried the USB port on the RC remote instead of the side port which seemed to help for a minute or so but since the problem is kind of intermittent, I can't say that this is a solution because it started doing the same thing a few seconds later.
12. When I fly I always turn on airplane mode (Bluetooth and wifi off)

Any ideas what i could do to get this working? It's really frustrating me and i bought the Nexus 6P specifically because it was on the list of compatible phones. The phone is in otherwise good condition. We're not talking about some half trashed phone with cracked screen. There are no dents or cracks on the phone. My gut feeling says that the phone is not fast enought to handle the video transmission but i'm not sure what to do exactly. Also important to note is that sometimes, it works. So i'm thinking if it was a slow phone thing, then why is it so intermittent.

Below a sample video
The world's biggest drone photo and video sharing platform | SkyPixel.com



Bruno

 

[msinger]

Disabling the "Cache Locally When Recording" setting in DJI GO often resolves this issue. You can find some other tips to try here:

Install DJI GO on an Android Tablet or Phone (Step-by-Step Guide)

 

[KesarPista]

I am in the exact same boat.
Mavic Pro Platinum, Nexus 6P, DJI Go 4: V4.2.20, Mavic Pro: v01.04.0400 (for now)

The video streaming to my phone is so choppy, it's useless. I have noticed that overall, the app on my phone is slow and sluggish. It takes a while for any tap to register. Outside of the app, my phone behaves normally. My 6P isn't brand new, but these phones certainly aren't slouches.

I tried disabling the "Cache Locally When Recording" setting as mentioned by msinger, but it didn't help. I stopped by the local DJI store and the nice folks there didn't have any answers other than trying to roll back to an earlier firmware (I'm currently rolling back to .0300). They said they recommend Android users wait for a couple weeks to apply new firmware udpates as DJI tailors them for Apple devices first. We'll test this theory.

More updates to come...

 

[msinger]

I stopped by the local DJI store and the nice folks there didn't have any answers other than trying to roll back to an earlier firmware (I'm currently rolling back to .0300).

Or roll back to an earlier version of DJI GO. That would be easier than experimenting with different firmware versions.

 

[beachztt]

Watching as I am experiencing the same issue with my Galaxy S7 Edge after updating firmware on a new Mavic Pro (all of the 1.04 iterations). Did not experience this with the 1.03 (two that I tried).

 

[Mossiback]

Rollback Go 4 to a version that works, then turn off auto-update on your phone so it will not change.

Sometimes switching the camera modes back and forth (video/photo/video) helps minor pixillation.

 

[beachztt]

Thanks for the heads up. Disabled updates and removed latest DJI Go. Downloaded APKpure and downloading a previous version of DJI Go now. I will update with my results.


Unfortunately, mine is not minor. 1/2 to 3/4 of the screen from the bottom up is un-viewable.




*********Update************

Reverted DJI Go from 4.2.20 to 4.2.16 and the first test flight shows ZERO pixilation in the video feed now. Thanks for the help!

*********Update************

 

[KesarPista]

Thanks for the heads up. Disabled updates and removed latest DJI Go. Downloaded APK and downloading a previous version of DJI Go now. I will update with my results.

Unfortunately, mine is not minor. 1/2 to 3/4 of the screen from the bottom up is un-viewable.




*********Update************

Reverted DJI Go from 4.2.20 to 4.2.16 and the first test flight shows ZERO pixilation in the video feed now. Thanks for the help!

*********Update************

Excellent news!
I reverted my firmware back to .0300 and had much better luck today. The pixelation has been reduced drastically. I'll follow suit with the revert of the DJI Go app to that 4.2.16 and hopefully, that'll solve the rest. Will update after attempting.

Thanks so much everybody for your ideas and feedback!

 

[beachztt]

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[Mossiback]

...Reverted DJI Go from 4.2.20 to 4.2.16 and the first test flight shows ZERO pixilation in the video feed now. Thanks for the help!...

Yea!

 

[aWingnut]

I am having persistant issues with the video feed being terrible from my Mavic Pro to my Nexus 6P. I can't seem to find the root cause.

Current setup:
Nexus 6P: Android 8.1.0
DJI Go 4: V4.2.20 (600-googlePlay) (does not find any updates when i click "update")
Mavic Pro: v01.04.0400

Whats the issue: When flying, i get significant video artifacts, stutter and delay to the point where the drone is not usable.
How long has it been happening: More than 6 months, got the drone last November. It was fine in the beginning which is what gets me. No issues the first 2 months.

Troubleshooting steps:
1. Tried wife's Iphone 7 Plus which works great, no issues. So I don't think it's a drone issue.
2. Eventually i did a full reset of the phone and wiped the phones cache. Helped a little but not really.
3. Installed a new battery in the phone (thought maybe CPU was throttling itself due to old battery).
4. Tried wiping the DJI Go 4 Cache and changing Cache size values. Automatic Cache clear enabled.
5. Tried different antenna positioning but didn't really make a big difference (again, it works with the iphone)
6. Tried enabling the "Enable USB Developer (USB Debugging)" option in the DJI Go 4 app. No effect.
7. Uninstall/reinstall DJI Go 4 multiple times.
8. Tried being close/further away from drone but didn't really matter
9. Formatted drone SD.
10. Video transmission mode in the drone is set to "Regular" not "HD"
11. Tried the USB port on the RC remote instead of the side port which seemed to help for a minute or so but since the problem is kind of intermittent, I can't say that this is a solution because it started doing the same thing a few seconds later.
12. When I fly I always turn on airplane mode (Bluetooth and wifi off)

Any ideas what i could do to get this working? It's really frustrating me and i bought the Nexus 6P specifically because it was on the list of compatible phones. The phone is in otherwise good condition. We're not talking about some half trashed phone with cracked screen. There are no dents or cracks on the phone. My gut feeling says that the phone is not fast enought to handle the video transmission but i'm not sure what to do exactly. Also important to note is that sometimes, it works. So i'm thinking if it was a slow phone thing, then why is it so intermittent.

Below a sample video
The world's biggest drone photo and video sharing platform | SkyPixel.com



Bruno

I'm having the same issues with my Pro and Galaxy S7, worked fine the first few months, tried all that you have except the USB debugging in the App. Where did you find that Usb debug option? I've looked all over the menu.
Thanks
Doug

 

[conchman]

Excellent news!
I reverted my firmware back to .0300 and had much better luck today. The pixelation has been reduced drastically. I'll follow suit with the revert of the DJI Go app to that 4.2.16 and hopefully, that'll solve the rest. Will update after attempting.

Thanks so much everybody for your ideas and feedback!

When I updated to .400 it came up with a warning or notice that you cannot roll back the firmware. You were able to do this pretty easily?

 

[KesarPista]

When I updated to .400 it came up with a warning or notice that you cannot roll back the firmware. You were able to do this pretty easily?

I saw that "no rollback available" message when installing .0400. But after looking around some forums, I saw some folks had success reverting anyway. So, I tried reverting back to .0300 through the Assistant 2 app on my laptop. It stalled at ~64%, however. After 30 minutes or so, I just shut everything down and powered back up. It loaded up with .0300 installed.

 

[dstay35]

I had the same issue.
Mavic Pro, Nexus 6P 8.1 Oreo, DJI Go 4: V4.2.21, fw, v01.04.0400

Reverting to older DJI GO APP 4.2.16 helped.

I also noticed difference between versions of the app in transmission mode; latest version has additional "smooth mode".

I guess DJI needs to fix this quickly.
BTW, not all the phones have problem, I tested with Huawei P9 lite, P10 lite and P20 lite, all worked fine with latest version of DJI Go 4 app V4.2.21. NO disconnect issues.

 

[mattball]

I had the same issue.
Mavic Pro, Nexus 6P 8.1 Oreo, DJI Go 4: V4.2.21, fw, v01.04.0400

Reverting to older DJI GO APP 4.2.16 helped.

I also noticed difference between versions of the app in transmission mode; latest version has additional "smooth mode".

I guess DJI needs to fix this quickly.
BTW, not all the phones have problem, I tested with Huawei P9 lite, P10 lite and P20 lite, all worked fine with latest version of DJI Go 4 app V4.2.21. NO disconnect issues.

Don't count on a fix anytime soon. It's been months already. They are only making corrections for iOS primarily.

 

[Iclickjohn]

Does the phone need to be connected to the drone/ in the controller while installing the DJI GO app. I uninstalled .4 and downloaded .3 but it said that it couldn't open because it didn't have a resource file. Also, for some reason, I have been doing this for about a decade, using developer mode and allowing third party apps to be installed...... for some reason, I now can't find that setting to allow third party install. (which I thought I already had checked OK) It did ask me and I OK'd it, but it said I didn't have permission. I've looked everywhere in my settings (6P) and can't find it now.

 

[mattball]

Does the phone need to be connected to the drone/ in the controller while installing the DJI GO app. I uninstalled .4 and downloaded .3 but it said that it couldn't open because it didn't have a resource file. Also, for some reason, I have been doing this for about a decade, using developer mode and allowing third party apps to be installed...... for some reason, I now can't find that setting to allow third party install. (which I thought I already had checked OK) It did ask me and I OK'd it, but it said I didn't have permission. I've looked everywhere in my settings (6P) and can't find it now.

This is being posted on FB MP group.

Rolling back the app and firmware:
First, save any cached files on your device.
2.Sync flight records from the DJI app on your acct.
3.Uninstall DJI Go4, and then shut off Auto Updates from the Google Play Store for your acct.
4.For the Firmware, use DJI Assistant 2 Software.
Charge your MP batteries. Connect drone to computer vis USB.
Run DJI Assistant as Admin. Right click the icon on your comp.
Select the version downgrade. I went to .0200, some like 0300
Update your remote controller the same.
5. Download the 4.2.16 (or earlier) App from Apkpure.com
6. Install the app.
7. reboot your device.
8. If your device has power settings options you want those disabled. Give the app all the cpu and memory it needs. It is a very resource heavy app. Limiting its ability to eat will make it unhappy. Device should have options to disable any power saving features for Go4 or specific apps.
9. Disable and backrunning apps you do not use.

 

[Iclickjohn]

Yes lol of course. I've got all day lol. Anyway, I'll do that but when I get time. In the mean time, I have a job to shoot today that I'm heading off to. Just checked the files from the drone/usb/computer files and they are all perfect. Of course, I know we're all concerned about accurate flight and being able to see what we're doing. But just wanted to say that the files stored on the memory card are fine. As well as video. So if I can get some visualization I can tap the center focus button C1 and shoot with right finger trigger. Keep my fingers crossed and then fly LOS with the controller, I should be able to get this job done and then concentrate on the fix. BTW, Androit 9.0 just released and I am installing that as well. I hope that something helps with that too.

 

[jaysrmc]

This is being posted on FB MP group.

Rolling back the app and firmware:
First, save any cached files on your device.
2.Sync flight records from the DJI app on your acct.
3.Uninstall DJI Go4, and then shut off Auto Updates from the Google Play Store for your acct.
4.For the Firmware, use DJI Assistant 2 Software.
Charge your MP batteries. Connect drone to computer vis USB.
Run DJI Assistant as Admin. Right click the icon on your comp.
Select the version downgrade. I went to .0200, some like 0300
Update your remote controller the same.
5. Download the 4.2.16 (or earlier) App from Apkpure.com
6. Install the app.
7. reboot your device.
8. If your device has power settings options you want those disabled. Give the app all the cpu and memory it needs. It is a very resource heavy app. Limiting its ability to eat will make it unhappy. Device should have options to disable any power saving features for Go4 or specific apps.
9. Disable and backrunning apps you do not use.

I can't roll back. DJI assistant 2 does not show another other than my current firmware .0400 and restore defaults.

 

[Iclickjohn]

After Android P update: But all else from DJI their latest releases (since I didn't have time to make anything else work) A remarkably improved visual performance. All images are tack sharp and what you would expect. Within the 20 minutes of flying I DID encounter the same issue however for a slight amount of time. It is not solved by the Android P update totally but for now, "fairly" fixed is better than nothing.
I have all of the files to roll back. It just was not clear on whether...... a. It could be done via older "DJI GO 4" app only or phone settings b. all three devices rolled back or c. How to get the mavic pro to be recognized for rolling back
Also wondering if anyone here is NOT using the 6P just to confirm it's only that phone.
Phone settings: Are we all using Developer Mode for altering animation? Data Saver? I've turned those off again, and like I say, I don't know if that is what contributed to the better results. If I ever get a chance for some time, I will try to do a crazy amount of combinations to see if I can get to the bottom of it. But I would suggest likewise, if we could divide up the responsibilities maybe we could get to the solution quicker. I will take on the actual Phone settings leaving all DJI to latest versions of software and report results here.
@mattball Your suggestion may well be THE working solution. I will try that as well. Just curious, did you just repost that or did you actually perform those guidelines yourself and find they solved the problem?
Here is the cached photo from last night. The actual file from the card was really really clear and sharp.
Also, not related, I set the camera to bracket 3 shots. In Lightroom selected all and Edit in HDR Photoshop, check remove ghosting. Just to let you know, unbelievably stable drone. the layers aligned so perfectly. Wish I had that to show you but I did all that work at his editing station.