Home Troubleshooting & Fixes Audio Stuttering or "Skipping" during Playback

Audio Stuttering or "Skipping" during Playback

Last updated on Feb 08, 2026

If the audio cuts out for a second or "stutters," the Headphone Dust MKV file isn't being read fast enough.

  • The Drive Speed: If playing from a USB stick, ensure it is a USB 3.0 drive or higher. Older USB 2.0 sticks are too slow for 4K video + TrueHD audio.

  • The Network: If streaming over a home network (Plex/NAS), ensure you are using a wired Ethernet connection. 5Ghz Wi-Fi can work, but it is prone to interference that causes audio drops.

  • Apple TV Specific Fix: In Apple TV Settings, go to Video and Audio > Audio Format. Ensure **"Change Format"**is set to OFF. Setting this to "On" forces a re-encode that often causes skipping.