Choppy frame-rate, lockup, riding with Robo Pacer in France [ATV] [1.44] [July 2023]

Riding with Robo Pacer Bernie in France, after some time, the frame-rate gets choppy, riderless bikes were evident, followed by a total lockup. I stopped riding, used the Companion App to “stop/save” and let it sit. System took about 10 minutes to eventually save the ride.

Bugs started after the 1.43.x to 1.44.0 update.

Setup:

  • ATV4K, 128GB (2022)
  • tvOS 16.5 (20L563)
  • Zwift app version 1.44.0
  • Tacx NEO2T, Polar H10 HRM, both with up-to-date firmware, both connected directly to Zwift via BLE.
  • HRM and trainer broadcasting via ANT+ in parallel to an Edge 840 bike computer. (this has never caused issues in past - trainer not paired as “controllable” to the bike computer so it’s not stepping on Zwift)
  • Android phone (Google Pixel 5) running Companion for control, not bridging (latest OS & app)
  • no other devices logged into Zwift

Log entry: The at Home Cycling & Running Virtual Training App

Today’s troubleshooting steps:

  • full "Reset and Update of AppleTV
  • REINSTALLED Zwift app from scratch.
  • DISABLED Video Screenshots.
  • DISABLED Route & Segment Holo Replay.
  • Rode approx. 61km with RoboPacer, no evidence of choppiness.
  • Sprinted to “Pavé Sprint” achieving a PR. Immediately on crossing arch, getting confetti, game exhibited choppiness, quickly locking up, same symptoms as previously experienced.
  • New symptom: sensors dropped out momentarily (5, 10 seconds?) after the PR - no power, HR, speed/cad visible above

Activity log: The at Home Cycling & Running Virtual Training App

Zwift staff (or anyone really) have permission to examine my logs and download the .fit file to investigate.

You can see evidence on the save screen (which, again, was grindingly slow to process) in the form of riderless bikes.

This sounds suspiciously similar to the report from @Kristen_Schultz who’s using an iPad 10th Gen

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Interesting!

I hadn’t put the two together but, yeah, iPadOS and tvOS probably share more in common than not.

Perhaps it’s worth merging these two threads.

@shooj ? What do you think?

I have the same bug racing with a robo pacer bot in France with newest Apple TV. It’s simply unrideable. Would be nice if Zwift support gives us a first technical evaluation please.

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No ATV issues with the latest update here, but I did belatedly realise that the reason why my saves were so slow was because it was uploading video highlights every time…

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I just had my first lockup ever on ATV. Just a few minutes previously, another rider on my team suffered the same thing.

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For what it’s worth, I rode with Robo Pacer D.Bernie in Watopia today, 51km of Tick Tock, no issues whatsoever.

Perhaps the issue is isolated to Robo Pacers in France.

Of note: Apple TV updated recently to tvOS 16.6 (20M73)

EDIT - did an event in France today (July 30th), stayed after it ended and Teleported to Bernie, bit with Miguel. No issues with that ride.

This same thing has been happening to me on my ATV4K over the last couple of months while riding with Robo Pacers in France (and previously in Makuri Isl). Oddly, never had issues in Watopia.

Recently reinstalled the Zwift app “from scratch”. I’ve only done one ride in France since and didn’t have any issues, but will need more testing to know for sure. Hope the issue is resolved as Zwift becomes totally unrideable when this happens.

Yep, this is happening to a bunch of folks in my club using different ATV models and not even with Robopacers, just casual rides or races. Plus, companion dropping sensors connections, turbo control is choppy, etc…Something is going wrong since the ZwiftPlay came in…

Hey all - we’re investigating this.

If you’re joining this thread - please weigh in with specific circumstances of your ride where this occurred. Thanks!

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@shooj - flagging this as someone on iPad identified an issue with Pave Sprint sounding very similar: Crash on iPad on Pavé Sprint Reverse after PR

This happened to me a number of times.
During TDF, i was using the PP in France quite a bit and every time id experience mad glitching, exactly as orignal poster puts it.
Id quit the ride as completely unplayable and start again in Watopia and absolutely fine there

Running ATV4k

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