How's the streaming experience for Oculus Quest US users

manthoney

Is streaming using the SLR app a viable option for Oculus Quest users in the United States?

I ask because I have a PSVR and I'm not getting speeds that allow streaming. Plays a couple seconds, buffers/loads for longer, repeat forever. I have 100Mb and I'm getting 65Mb from the SLR speed test. Is that fast enough for 6K video on the Quest? (I looked briefly, didn't see speed recs here) I might also be upgrading to 200Mb with a different ISP.
---> Speed test ID 8565

What I suspect is that more CDN resources may be allocated for streaming to the Quest, than PSVR, which makes complete sense.

The Quest has 2.2 times the resolution of the PSVR and is wireless and probably tracks better, might not get the "drift" I get with the PSVR, so I'm sold as un upgrade. PLUS using the app would be waay better than downloading. That is, IF the video quality of streaming is close enough to local files.

One final question for anyone that has input - are you able to fast forward easily while streaming in the SLR app with a Quest? I'm sure this depends on bandwidth, and also the bandwidth I'm getting from SLR. But with a local file if you jump ahead you're there instantly. If you have to struggle to do this while streaming, that would be a big factor for me.

Thanks for any advice. I know a new Quest is rumored, but if it doesn't up the resolution I'd probably just get a Quest 1, for perhaps less if there's a new one.

Rakly3

manthoney Where are you located? N-NE USA?
You happen to be with spectrum?

manthoney

Thanks for the reply. I know that was a rambling post. 😉

I'm 3.5 hours directly west of Chicago. Not a big place, but a "college town", metro area pop 170K.

I'm with Mediacom, apparently the fifth largest US cable provider (according to wikipedia). Thinking of switching to fiber. Would only be twice as fast, but no data caps.

Rakly3

manthoney Your results are at least good enough in theory.

Go to https://www.speedtest.net/ , pick a random Miami server and a random LA server.
Should be getting around 70-80Mbps

manthoney

I got 72 to Miami, 71 to LA.

When I've used the Speedtest app on my desktop and it chooses an optimal (local) server, I get 75 average.

I think I found what was happening, though. Going wired instead of wireless connection with the PS4 made a big difference. My place is tiny and that shouldn't make a difference, but I have network cables in the mail to me now.

The PS4 is almost useable now so I think the Oculus Quest, which is what I really want to have work, will probably work with my connection. SLR just has a selection of current popular videos on tap for the PS4, but I want the actual SLR app experience, which seems like it would be GREAT, so I can easily browse and access studios and performers I've favorited. (ps4 thinks it's getting 65Mbs, and it still buffers way too much, but a lower bitrate vid from an indie studio was almost ok if I didn't fast forward)

I nearly bought a Quest just like a minute ago, but I'm going to hold out to see if the rumor of a Quest 2 pans out for Sept 15. It won't, but wish me luck.

Thank for the reply!

Rakly3

manthoney When I've used the Speedtest app on my desktop and it chooses an optimal (local) server, I get 75 average.

Sadly we don't have a more local server to you at this time.
What's your downloadspeed from SLR (free videos) Is that with or without download manager? Usage of download managers is perfectly fine with us.

Since your speedtest with non-SLR servers is about what I expected I don't think you're being 'porn-throttled'.

manthoney

Rakly3 I've had premium for a few weeks now and I've downloaded a lot of videos already (I'd rather be streaming though, I don't need to keep the majority of these files) -- you don't need to know specifically how the free ones download, right?

I've run the SLR speedtest a few times, and it averages out to 63Mbps.
8520, 8565, 8579, 8589

Not been using a download manager so I don't have anything to give me precise stats, but the speeds are good, though they go up and down. They also don't hit my max download speed like other downloads do. When I've watched, seems like about 7 or 8 megabytes per second - so that's 56-64 Mbps, right in line with the SLR speed tests I've run.

. . . . . .

Netflix says 25 Mbps for 4K. But they optimize, so SLR would need more. 2D 4K is 8.3 million pixels, Oculus Quest looks like 9.2 million pixels both eyes combined, so, it's comparable. It seems like 63 Mbps would let me stream ok, but it's certainly not useable on the PS4. Tried again today and it was buffer city.

I'm just going to upgrade to a Quest, and switch ISPs to my other choice here that will give me 200Mbps rather than 100. Additionally they don't have data caps, and everyone hates Mediacom.

If I have to return the Quest because streaming is not feasible at this location (do you have Chicago customers that stream ok?) then so be it. But I'm thinking 200Mbps might let me take better advantage of the peaks in the feed from SLR - when I get a burst of speed (happens when I watch) it'll be capped at 200 rather than 100 so maybe that'll help the stream keep up.

(apologies for the brain dump btw)

Rakly3

manthoney you don't need to know specifically how the free ones download, right?

No, I just wanted to ask if your download does these bursts.
I didn't realize you already were subscribed. You can test your streaming, you seem to understand what you're doing.

Go to any video, press ctrl+shift+i , ctrl+f
type in p.mp4
You're gonne find a bunch of results, you can go through them and check the resolution and codec (h264/h265).
Copy the whole url after data-url=" with the keyid , Signature and all, paste url in a video player that can play streams (ie VLC).

You're now streaming the vid as you would in the VR app.
Before any one at SLR freaks out, I've cut parts off to the right, and you can't get full video url's from preview pages this way 🙂

Oh, I almost forgot. If you're playing video with your PC via cable to your Quest and your PC can handle it, go with 5K-6K. That will saturate your pixels. (The actual 5K, not the 2700p h.264).
In standalone/mobile you're gonna have to go with 4K. (Or 5K viewport if the option is available.)

manthoney

Rakly3 Woah, thanks! I will definitely give that a try once I have a Quest. (will be some weeks, after I wait for a possible Quest 2 reveal sept 15 which won't happen. wait, I mean it's totally going to happen)

I bet, actually, that the poor experience I'm having streaming with the PS4 is mostly due to the clunky player I have to use on it - Littlstar. They have their own SFW videos (poor quality for VR purposes though) and I noticed that if the bandwidth isn't keeping up, then the bitrate drops for a moment until it does, just like any youtube video, etc.

BUT, if you play a video from an RSS feed like you have to to get SLR, it doesn't do that, rather, it just stops playing, and buffers, until it can play again. WAY worse experience. I'm sure the SLR app uses variable bitrate streaming just like any modern player does. So I'm a lot more hopeful that my connection will be good enough to use the app with a Quest here. So the hard part will be waiting until Sept 15th. It would drive me nuts if I got a Quest right now and a new one with higher resolution came out two weeks later. 😬

. . . .

Ah, I see you're telling me I can test right now how the app will play with my connection, I don't have to wait for a Quest. Cool! Let's find out.

Rakly3

manthoney Ah, I see you're telling me I can test right now how the app will play with my connection, I don't have to wait for a Quest. Cool! Let's find out.

haha yes!

manthoney

Yup. Plays just fine with VLC.

An eye-blink of pixellation at the very start when the stream starts but otherwise totally steady. I think it's gonna work no problem with the Quest. 👍

(not exactly sure which ones I was playing, but I tried a 1920p and a 2880p, and it was holding steady at a little over 11Mbps and 19Mbps. Streaming must prioritize a steady flow compared to download)

Yeah the Littlstar player is really to blame for the unusable (for me) experience streaming via their RSS feeds. Might work for some without stopping and buffering constantly, but it'd have to be ideal network conditions.

Big thanks for the tech tips!

Rakly3

manthoney Then I guess you're totally fine!
the 2880p is only gonna work if tethered to PC though.