All of a sudden I'm experiencing severe video lag.  It is from 1 to 5 seconds.  I have the latest updates on the Phantom 3A,  Running Android on an Nvidia Shield K-1 tablet, and a Samsung Note 4 cell phone...Same problem on both Android devices.  On another forum they suggested I downgrade the GO app using the long tap on the Academy icon.  Tried that and nothing is listed to downgrade and not even the present version is listed.  Same result both Android devices.  Flying from the same place I always fly from either my front yard or on the deck at the back of my house.  No WiFi changes in the house, same router and devices I always had and it's never bothered the Phantom's signal before.

I have tried many different things but unfortunately I don't have access to an IOS device to try.  I live in a rural area with 65 homes on over 750 acres with no interference found within flying distance.  I have never seen lag this bad before and have been flying RC for 35+ years and Phantoms since the P2.  It is almost impossible and dangerous to attempt flying FPV with this much lag.  It first started when I did a manual take off and hover using the Litchi app, loaded an orbit mission then took manual control to fly it home when I lost visual orientation and almost flew out of range trying to determine orientation and bring it home.  Finally realized what was happening and initiated RTH

Any suggestions I should try before contacting DJI and returning it?

.

The lag can be viewed on .

There is not much point in returning the aircraft, as the lag is almost entirely in the display device. All systems that use MPEG encoding have lag, try watching a sport live and on your phone at the same time. There is a time penalty in the encoding process in the aircraft, then the next lag is in the decoding process in your phone/tablet. The two delays add up to cause a lengthier delay. The only way to reduce the lag is to use a phone/tablet that decodes the video material faster, and that means ones that have hardware assisted decoding. Look in you devices settings to see if is has hardware acceleration, and if it has, turn it on.

Hi,

Have you tried uninstalling the Litchi app, just incase your machine is trying to run both the DJI Go app and Litchi at the same time.

Regards

George

GeorgeDonovan Posted at 2016-5-16 02:51
Hi,

Have you tried uninstalling the Litchi app, just incase your machine is trying to run both the ...

On the Note 4, Litchi app is not installed.  Prior to this I had almost no lag at all on either devices and I mean milliseconds of lag.  Now it varies between 1 to 5 seconds.  Today when I tried it it was like 4-5 seconds.  I'm doing nothing that I haven't been doing for months and months.  The Shield tablet has always worked flawlessly like it was made for the P3 with no lag to speak of, no dropped frames up to 1.5 miles with just a windsurfer antenna, no pixelization and it just always worked great.  In fact with FDLR unboosted antennaa it was great video at well over 2 miles.  This just happened some time after the latest updates but I"m not 100% sure the updates caused this lag.  I have two controllers, one stock and one with FDLR antennae and it doesn't matter which  one I use.

Hello JerEl,I'd suggest you to clear the cache or use IOS device to try again. It would be better to test in open area and post some screenshot of the channel condition here.

Hi all,
I am having the exact same issue with my Phantom 3 Advanced. I tried turning off the hardware decode, switching channels but no help. Between 1-5 seconds of lag on both the DJI GO and Litchi apps. Hopefully we can find a fix!

FlyFocal

I have the same setup as you guys. P3A with Nivdia Shield. I fly quite a bit and my video has always been spot-on and no lag at all. I do have the video cache turned off in the app. I also have the channel hack but I didn't have any issues before that. My Shield is pretty clean though, by that I mean I bought it just for the Phantom. You might try to remove the app and re-install & reboot the device. I have disabled all the apps I could, but do have internet access. Just disabled all the games & such. Hope mine stays this way. Good luck to you.

It would be helpful if you folks list some VERY important info......

1). The Firmware version currently in use

2). Wheter or not this occured after an update or not

DJI-Paladin Posted at 2016-5-16 06:20
Hello JerEl,I'd suggest you to clear the cache or use IOS device to try again. It would be better to ...

I don't have access to an IOS device.  No one around here uses one and I don't live near a city of note or near another Phantom user.

I also don't quite understand what you want me to do as far as a test "in [an] open area".  Do you want me to put the bird in the air outside and fly around a bit?  What data and/or video should I upload here if I do that.  I do understand you want video with the video channel strength showing on a screen capture.  I did delete the Go app and reinstalled it again but will try to find all references using a file manager and delete that also, then do a clean install again.

I don't understand why DJI doesn't let one downgrade firmware on the craft itself or someway to do a clean re-install of the latest firmware.  Here is the version's I'm using now:
2.8.0
1.8.80
1.6.0

FlyFocal Aerial Posted at 2016-5-16 08:39
Hi all,
I am having the exact same issue with my Phantom 3 Advanced. I tried turning off the hardwar ...

Did you try to downgrade the firmware by clicking on and holding the Academy icon on the home screen?  You don't have to actually downgrade if you don't want to but just see if any versions are listed in the pop-up.  Mine has none listed, not even the current version which is strange.  That was suggest to me on another forum.  They said to downgrade then upgrade again normally.

Jerry in NW Florida

JerEl Posted at 2016-5-17 02:18
I don't have access to an IOS device.  No one around here uses one and I don't live near a city of ...

The firmware has nothing to do with the lagging. In your case, the mobile device or the environment may cause the lag. So it is necessary to test it in an area free of interference with other android or IOS device.You can just place the drone outside and test the live feed. Feel free to post a result of the channel condition here.

DJI-Paladin Posted at 2016-5-16 22:41
The firmware has nothing to do with the lagging. In your case, the mobile device or the environmen ...

Maybe and maybe not it's firmware caused but it seems there is more video problems since the last updates than ever before.  In my case I just can't recall if the problem started immediately after the last updates which included the controller or not.  I'm an old coot and advancing senility may be the cause of that.

I have been flying at the same place and using Litchi going from 1 to 2.5 miles out only losing video with a digital windsurfer after about 1.5 miles in this rural area.  Since I got the FPVLR antennae I've been able to keep perfect video at up to 2.5 miles.  This lag problem showed up in all of a sudden, one day after I had no noticeable lag.   That's why I first though it up an upgrade problem but I like I said I'm not 100% positive about that.  I live a long ways from any cell towers or radio antennae and this is a sparsely settled rural area.
P.S.  I did try it on 2 different Android devices, both of which worked fine one day and didn't the next.  A Note 4 cell phone that I used exclusively for months until the new Nvidia Shield came out and nothing was changed on either of them.  This is just something that appeared about 24 hours after successful flights with no lag.  I also have two controllers, one with the antenna upgrade and one stock and it did it on both of them and both Android devices.  Next, I'll try to go to a different area and try it and see if that makes a difference but it may be a while before I can do that.  I also cleaned out all caches on all apps including DJI.

Jerry in NW Florida

Hi!
I bought P3A last week and I have camera out of focus and video lag problem. First 2 flight after buying, photos are completely sharp and after that both videos and photos are out of focus. I tried in 4 different places and 3 different devices (ipad mini 3, iphone 6s plus and samsung tab s8.4) i followed all the safety procedures, callibrated before every single flights. Updated firmware for aircraft, controller and batteries. And when I fly away about 110M and 100M height, video signal not stable and sometimes aircraft disconnected. It happened same thing even I change my location and devices. Changed different camera setting but the result isnthe same, with or without filter also same result. Any suggestions?
Thanks!

JerEl Posted at 2016-5-17 15:55
Maybe and maybe not it's firmware caused but it seems there is more video problems since the last u ...

Hah, I am also an old coot, and suffer from memory lag something shocking, but just to re-iterate, the lag is the time taken for the combined encoding process at the aircraft end, added to the time taken for the display device to decode it. There is a finite time required to encode the video in the aircraft, but typically this is only a maximum of about a 1/8 of a second. The transmission is instantaneous, but the display device can take a while to decode it again, and this is typically where the main delay occurs.

Things like nearby sources of interference have little bearing on the issue at all, and would typically only affect the signal if that interference was very close to the RC unit. A firmware update may affect it, but only if it changed the MPEG structure and made it harder for the display device to decode it. And I doubt that has happened.

JerEl Posted at 2016-5-17 13:55
Maybe and maybe not it's firmware caused but it seems there is more video problems since the last u ...

Thanks for your feedback.In the video, the transmitting condition is good.If the lag exists in all of your available devices,I'd suggest you to get in touch with our service center in North America and send the drone for diagnosis.

DJI-Paladin Posted at 2016-5-17 02:16
Thanks for your feedback.In the video, the transmitting condition is good.If the lag exists in all ...

Okay, thank you for your help.  I guess I'll have to send it back and maybe it will give me an excuse to buy a P4 so I don't go into airoin withdrawal...Or maybe dronairoin withdrawal.  Whatever...I do have a P2 that flies but the gimbal is broke after a rapidly growing tree suddenly sent out a branch to say hello.

Jerry in NW Florida

Geebax Posted at 2016-5-17 02:13
Hah, I am also an old coot, and suffer from memory lag something shocking, but just to re-iterate,  ...

Thanks for the reply.  DJI-Paladin who I assume is employed by DJI has suggested I get authorization to send the P3A in to get fixed.  The odds of both my Android devices being the problem would be "odd".  In fact the lag with the Shield tablet prior to this problem was barely noticeable, almost instantaneous, which made me feel like the Shield was made for DJI but I understand it is the fast video processor really made for games that make it ideal.  It could be the encoder in the bird itself has got problems because I have two controllers and it did it with both of them and along with two different Android devices that only leaves the bird itself (or a bad firmware download).  What's weird is the lag is variable going from 1 second up to 5 seconds at times while the craft is hovering in place or even while it's stationary on the ground.  All I do know is that FPV flight is too dangerous with that amount of lag and I can't fly like that.

Take care,
Jerry in NW Florida

kothet.flyer@gm Posted at 2016-5-17 02:12
Hi!
I bought P3A last week and I have camera out of focus and video lag problem. First 2 flight afte ...

HI! You really need to start a new thread to get someone from DJI or others to help you.  You do need to post more info though like maybe screen shots of your camera settings.  The Phantoms have a fixed focus lens so I have no idea why it would be out of focus.

I noticed your gimbal shock absorbers were incorrectly placed.  There shoudl be only 2 and place at diagonal corners.  I know this won;t help your problem, but it will lessen and video vibration

JerEl, did you solve your problem?  I'm on your exact problem: P3A and K1 suddenly show severe lag (many seconds, two Android device tested same result).

luigi.tarascio Posted at 2016-7-31 20:34
JerEl, did you solve your problem?  I'm on your exact problem: P3A and K1 suddenly show severe lag ( ...

Try disconnecting and then reconnecting the cables on the gimbal, it's solved mine and a few others video lag problem

If you can get your hands on an IOS device, do a search here on the forum for the "Charles method".. It's a way of loading an older version of the DJI GO app.  If you're on 1.8 on the aircraft, you should be able to load 1.7 if you still have the files.  If not I do, so PM me with an email address..