Btw to add some context, “crash” here actually crashes the whole streaming device and forces a reboot.

Hm. I've tested on the Google Streamer TV 4K without issue before. I'll go grab it to test again, but I know that "Google Streamer" encompasses *multiple* different devices. Can you be more precise with the model?

I grabbed the Google TV Streamer we have here, and updated it to the latest system software and the current shipped version of the Steam Link app, so:

* Model: GRS6B ("Google TV Streamer 4K")
* System Software: UTTK.260317.003
* Steam Link: 1.3.32.315

I connected to both Windows and Linux, and tested H264, HEVC, and AV1. In all cases, hardware decoding worked right -- no crashes, stream performed correctly. :(

Is it possible you have either a different model of Google TV Streamer, or a different version of the system software installed?

Ok interesting… The Google TV Streamer was at a pal’s house so can’t test that one at the moment, but I have a Chromecast w/ Google TV at home and it is definitely rebooting every time with hardware acceleration on.

Model: “Chromecast”
System Software: UTTC.250917.004.14193937
Steam Link: 1.3.32.315

Do you happen to have a link to the Chromecast model? (On Amazon or wherever else.)

Originally posted by Packetdancer:

Do you happen to have a link to the Chromecast model? (On Amazon or wherever else.)

I believe the streamer replaced this. But here’s a link on eBay. It’s a little dongle that served as the halfway point between Chromecast and Google TV after the Chromecast was discontinued.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/336744239341?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=336744239341&targetid=2450249296795&device=m&mktype=pla&googleloc=9031951&poi=&campaignid=21214315381&mkgroupid=188184246123&rlsatarget=pla-2450249296795&abcId=9407526&merchantid=6296724&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21214315381&gbraid=0AAAAAD_QDh8RTav1AVvzj1WJI8tbQPtP8&gclid=Cj0KCQjw--7UBhCpARIsAGJBptjqN5jOnxvsXFejpnrukgbLIwQm6BxSXClw9aCk3vXHcrMoRQs9wcwaAswvEALw_wcB

either streamer box model(2025) or dongle model (2020) or dongle model (2024), all crash the entire device itself.
and this issue was almost over 2 years that still not tested from either valve and google side.

hope they recorgnize this issue and fixed from they're sides.

and one funny thing is, it's not system side issue that moonlight streaming is just fine with handle those AV1/VP9 video decode unit or system codec.
there's no 'crash entire device reboot' issue like steam link app does.

Originally posted by 1337bignose:

either streamer box model(2025) or dongle model (2020) or dongle model (2024), all crash the entire device itself.

By the 2025 model, do you mean this? https://store.google.com/us/product/google_tv_streamer?hl=en-US&pli=1 -- model GRS6B, specifically.

That is the Google TV device we have in the test units here, and I cannot reproduce a crash on it when streaming HEVC or AV1, from either Linux or Windows. Is there anything else you can provide in the way of details on how to reproduce the crash? Any specific settings? Anything about the host PC that might differ?

The streaming_log.txt from the host PC would help, since it will record the streaming settings that were used.

Originally posted by 1337bignose:

either streamer box model(2025) or dongle model (2020) or dongle model (2024), all crash the entire device itself.
and this issue was almost over 2 years that still not tested from either valve and google side.

hope they recorgnize this issue and fixed from they're sides.

and one funny thing is, it's not system side issue that moonlight streaming is just fine with handle those AV1/VP9 video decode unit or system codec.
there's no 'crash entire device reboot' issue like steam link app does.

GZRNL is the model number of my Chromecast with Google TV if that would be helpful.

And to confirm, hardware decode on = crash. AV1 or HEVC on with hardware decode off = video freeze.

Originally posted by oTSONo:

And to confirm, hardware decode on = crash. AV1 or HEVC on with hardware decode off = video freeze.

Does it work (either with or without hardware decoding) when both HEVC and AV1 are off? If it *still* crashes with hardware decoding when HEVC and AV1 are off, I'd be curious if turning off hardware *encoding* on the host side affects anything.

We've seen some graphics card drivers that encode things slightly off-standard, which can cause problems for certain decoders. The software encoding is *rigidly* standards-adherent, but it also only supports H264 (no HEVC or AV1). And if it's something on the *encoding* side that's causing problems, it would explain why you see a crash with a Google TV device where I don't.

In the meantime, I'll see if we can't track down a GZRNL model Chromecast.

Originally posted by oTSONo:

GZRNL is the model number of my Chromecast with Google TV if that would be helpful.

And to confirm, hardware decode on = crash. AV1 or HEVC on with hardware decode off = video freeze.

Okay, I got ahold of a GZRNL!

Factory Reset and the initial forced system update it made me go through took me to STTE.240615.007.12033466. I then installed Steam Link and tested streaming, and was able to stream hardware-accelerated HEVC without issue.

But that's not quite the same version of the system software you're on, so I then I then went and did a System Update, which pulled down UTTC.250917.004.14193937, so puts this hardware in sync with yours.

After that downloaded, installed, and rebooted the Chromecast, I ran Steam Link again... and I could still stream with hardware encoding enabled, though anecdotally everything (including the system menus) felt a LOT slower than the previous system image had.

So I cannot reproduce the crash. :(

So I guess my previous question whether hardware decoding for H264 works still stands (and if it doesn't work, whether turning off hardware encoding on the *host* side changes anything).

I'm throwing the GZRNL Chromecast into the test device bin here for later, either way.

Okay bizarre; hardware decoding off on the host computer fixed it. That being said, this is a very powerful machine — it has an RTX 4080 SUPER (running on NVIDIA 595.95.0 if that’s helpful). Why would this be performing so bad for the host?

Originally posted by oTSONo:

Okay bizarre; hardware decoding off on the host computer fixed it. That being said, this is a very powerful machine — it has an RTX 4080 SUPER (running on NVIDIA 595.95.0 if that’s helpful). Why would this be performing so bad for the host?

What's going to be key here is whether having hardware encoding on the host *on* but HEVC and AV1 *off* for the client worked or not, which will use hardware-accelerated H264.

Without hardware encoding, you WILL fall back to H264, because that's the only thing that has a software implementation in Steam. So if hardware-encoded H264 -> hardware-decoded H264 works, you know the issue is something specific to how Nvidia's hardware encoder is encoding HEVC/AV1 that causes a problem with the GZRNL -- it's worth noting I was testing from a Radeon card when it worked.

If the H264 does *not* work with the hardware encoding but *does* work with hardware encoding off, then the answer is "something is deeply wrong with your Nvidia driver install, run the Display Driver Cleaner to uninstall and reinstall it fresh, see if that fixes things."