Admob plugin causes frame rate drop when the ad cycles

Solar2D Monetization (in-app purchases, ads, etc.)
#21

I have submitted a bug with a code sample to reproduce it, Case 31172

Hope you fix this soon, I had to temporarily remove the ads from my app until it is solved or I can replace admob with another solution.

#22

When I ran my application along side with xCode debug console. It states “You’re using an older version of google ad mob SDK please update to the newest version” on the console. This is at the time of execution of the ad call line. Hope this helps.

#23

Google is moving to a Google Play based AdMob system, and we are planning on addressing this when we get the engineering bandwidth.

Rob

#24

Well dang, if you knew the problems to the lag this whole time, why not just say so? =), I do enjoy debugging.

#25

Does that mean until Google completes things at their end and then Corona addresses their changes we’ll have no way to use Admob without this issue?

#26

I doubt this frame rate issue has anything to do with Google changing SDK’s.  But the bug report with something we can test just got sent in this morning.   Engineering will have to take the sample app, look at what’s going on and then decide the correct course of action to fix it.  I don’t want to speculate on what that fix may be or how fast it can be remedied.    We understand the importance of this issue.

Rob

#27

Really hoping we’ll get word on a fix for this soon.  It’s pretty much rendering admob banners unusable and there aren’t any other banner ads out that are worth implementing revenue wise… so pretty much a deal breaker for any game planning on making money from ads…

#28

Hey Rob,

Do you know if integrating admob natively through Corona Enterprise would be a possible workaround for this in the mean time??  I’d hate to have to upgrade to enterprise just for this, but like I said, it’s a deal breaker…

Thanks!

#29

Since we don’t know why there is a frame drop, I can’t really answer it.  If you did, you would be implementing it on your own and if the issue is in the plugin, then maybe.  But if the cause of the slowdown is in the AdMob SDK then you’re likely to hit the same problem.

I know Engineering is looking into it.  Let’s give them a few more days (don’t count the weekend) to see if they have an answer.

Rob

#30

Hey Rob,

Thanks for the response.  Any word from Engineering?  I found that it was definitely more laggy when the banner was displaying textual ads that cycle the text vertically.  

I went ahead with the enterprise trial and found that the setup was a nightmare, so that’s been somewhat abandoned.  

Also went and tried integrated pinsight media ads with an even worse result than admob’s banner.  not only did the frame rate drop, but the audio stuttered like crazy as well.

Hoping those engineers find something…

#31

I just wanted to post that I’m having the same issues. Hopefully engineering can find the solution quickly.

#32

No new information.

#33

I just picked up a Nexus 7 to create an Android version of my app, and similarly noticed a significant framerate drop when my AdMob ads are showing. I have it on a 35-second cycle (30 on, 5 off) and during the 5-second grace period, it’s back to being completely smooth like my iPad mini Retina (which shows no drop in performance regardless if the ads are on or off).

#34

I can confirm this problem. It happens on both of my HTC One and Samsung Galaxy Duo

#35

Corona guys, can we get a reply on this one?

Thanks

#36

Hi all,

Can one of you pinpoint when this may have started occurring? For example, do you recall that it was not happening a month ago? Two months ago? We’re trying to get a better idea of when this popped up, as we don’t recall this being an issue in the past.

Thanks,

Brent

#37

Thanks for the response Brent. For myself, I noticed the issue the first time a couple weeks ago; however, it was my first experience with the ads library (I’m pretty new to Corona) so I don’t know a time when it wasn’t doing this. Perhaps some of the others who have been developing with Corona longer could comment?

#38

Hi Rob,

Just wanted to add that I also have this problem.  Samsung GalaxyS4 Galaxy Mini.

cheers

#39

I’ve been getting the same problem with admob banner ads, game lags bad when they cycle (but sadly can’t say if this has or hasn’t been happening earlier in time) as I just now came back to Corona after seeing adMob is now available, so I hope you guys find a way to fix it :slight_smile:

#40

Hi Rob,

Not sure if this info helps any further, but my experience is that this is an intermittent problem, and not just with AdMob.

I only use the Vungle plugin and AdMob.

When the fps drops with Vungle, it certainly does seem to recover a lot quicker than with AdMob (probably 90% of the time, sometimes it hangs around longer).  Vungle ads only cause a fps drop about 10% of the time.

I have occasionally seen an AdMob ad, with no drop in fps.  This is quite rare though, maybe 5-10% of the time?

Sometimes the fps drop will go away pretty quickly.  Sometimes it just hangs around like a rotten smell and I end up quitting the app and re-opening it - though this probably only happens 10% of the time.

My phone is only a couple of months old Galaxy 24 mini - doubt very much it has performance problems as there’s hardly anything running on it.

I have also seen an fps drop with no ad in sight, but this probably only happens 1% of the time, there’s no doubt in my mind that showing an ad is the major contributing factor of an fps drop. 

I have not noticed it on any iOS device but I haven’t tested as much there.

This issue is now the only thing stopping me from moving to a permanent freemium model.  As with others we’d really appreciate Rob if you could keep us up-to-date, (with an ETA if possible) at least every few days - even if it’s only to say “nothing new yet”.  This bug is a show-stopper.

thanks