4k Buffering and Crashing on LG WebOS

Plex Players
1

Server Version#:1.42.2.10156
Player Version#:5.93.2 Plex for LG
Server OS: Windows 11 24H2
Media Quality: 15 Mbps average, direct play 4K content
Network Information and topology: 1Gbps wired local network direct to router (100 Mbps measured wired, 600 Mbps wireless)

When playing 4K HDR content via the Plex app on an LG C4, playback pauses/buffers every few minutes. The same media streams flawlessly on other clients (e.g., Plex Web on laptop) from the same server. The issue occurs on both Wi-Fi (600 Mbps) and wired Ethernet (100 Mbps) connections. Network throughput and server performance (HDD speed) are not the bottleneck, which were tested via Wireshark recordings of buffering events and stress tests of the HDD which was consistent.

This seems to be a clear issue within the WebOS Plex app itself. I am able to stream other 4K content from other sources (AppleTV, Amazon, Netflix) without incident, but Plex specifically is unable. The same content is stable on all other platforms within the same room via wifi and other wired sources.

Logs are uploaded. I can provide Wireshark (filtered to relevant event) supporting that network connection quality and speed are NOT the issue if needed.

In the log, buffering events are at 13:37:43, 13:41:02, 13:45:41, and 13:46:12

Steps to Reproduce

  1. Play any 4K HDR (10–20 Mbps) file via the Plex app on the LG C4.

  2. Playback proceeds normally for several minutes, typically 10-20, sometimes less.

  3. The stream pauses or buffers for 3–15 seconds, then resumes. Occasionally the app will freeze, resume, and audio/video will be desynchronized and require an app restart

Plex Media Server.log (2.5 MB)

log is for wired connection

2

Not sure if related but we can’t use the TV for Plex on webOS 25 - Plex just randomly crashes, I haven’t been able to find a pattern or exact mode that causes it as yet.

Have been reading posts here, I don’t think it’s related to the issue @ChuckPa had mention with subtitles but hoping he could advise if this is known issue and if Plex are looking into it?

I don’t think it’s a lack of RAM as this TV supposedly has 2.5GB so idk It’s a LG G5 83” OLED Model OLED83G5PSA + WebOS 25/10.2.0-4105.

3

@triks_melb

I went looking for the amount of storage it has. Where did you find it?
2.5 GB of app storage sounds about right (about 64 apps)
I’ve never seen a RAM spec on a TV.

From the media info for the file (as PMS has it), How many subtitle tracks does PMS report ?

4

Great question: for the file and times I referenced, it has 37 subtitle tracks in PMS. However, across the whole season of the show, there are files ranging from 1 subtitle track up to the 37 and they all resulted in the same issue.

Couldn’t find RAM anywhere either, but my model shows 6.00 GB of internal storage under Settings → Support → TV Information under “Available Internal Storage” (my exact TV has 4.15/6.00 available)

5

37 subtitles is FAR too many for a TV to suck in on its own.

Samsung TVs have a functional limit of 28. The 29th will make the stream crash

The task for you is simple.

  1. Get MKVToolnix and install it.
  2. In its setting, pick a directory to write the temporary output to.
  3. Drag & Drop the file into the left pane of the window
  4. Uncheck the subtitle streams you won’t need
  5. When you’ve decided which streams to keep, hit ‘Start Multiplexing’ (bottom center)

This release of Dr No has 51 subtitle tracks.

Screenshot from 2025-10-25 13-03-17
Screenshot from 2025-10-25 13-03-171068×365 58.1 KB

I uncheck the boxes for the:

  1. Unwanted commentary
  2. Unwanted PGS subtitles
  3. Unwanted tags.

In the end, This is what I’ve selected.
I also opted to keep the chapter markers.

Screenshot from 2025-10-25 13-06-33
Screenshot from 2025-10-25 13-06-331170×881 101 KB

It took 4 1/2 minutes to process this file (62 GB) over the LAN

When I was done, it was reduced to:

Screenshot from 2025-10-25 13-19-13
Screenshot from 2025-10-25 13-19-131191×936 64.5 KB

I can DirectPlay this on my LG without any issues. (The audio passthrough to the Onkyo – which does the TrueHD.)

6

I definitely think you’re onto something. I would NOT have put this together whatsoever without your help. I processed the file listed in the log through MKVToolnix and removed all but 2-3 subtitles. The processed file played flawlessly for 40 minutes straight until I paused it. Out of curiosity, I played a 70GB movie file immediately after, which also only has 2-3 subtitles and it’s playing flawlessly as well for 5-10 minutes.

Thank you so so much for your help. I do think it would make sense for this to be addressed by the app so that the TV isn’t loading all the subtitle files, but that’s outside of my control.

7

2.5 GB it is. You can find it in the hidden menu:

Go to All Settings > General > Channels (or Programme Tuning & Settings, depending on your region).

  1. Quickly press the number 1 five times (1-1-1-1-1) on the remote (use LG ThinQ app if remote doesn’t have numbers) - this will open the secret menu.
  2. Select “Host Diagnostics” (or a similar option if prompted for a password, try 0413 or 0000).
  3. Look under the Memory section for the DRAM value

Not sure if it’s just coincidence but the file crashing plex on my LG G5 has 43 subtitles within. I suppose the issue must be Plex related as the same files don’t crash the Apple TV app.

8

Not sure what you all are talking about with the amount of files etc, but i want to a reply here that ever since a new WebOS update, my plex app keeps restarting after sometime. During a 45 minutes 4K serie episode 2 times. Got a LG G4 83. Never had any issues on this tv and my C3 all is good. Test the playback with and without a srt file, but plex keeps restarting. This is a serieus big issues that needs to get fixed, just dont know if this is a Plex thing or a LG OS fix.

9

Yep same here, G4 77, started crashing a few weeks/months ago, app is completely unusable now

10

Same here with OLED83G54 running latest WebOS and Plex app, connected on WiFi 5 (600Mbps) to Plex Server 1.42.2 running on QNAP TVS-H874.
I believe i’ve pinpointed the exact situation the app crashes, when it’s playing 1080p or 4k media with EAC5.1 track.

The same media but transcoded causes no issue. The same media with a DTS track causes no issue.
Subtitles enabled or not do not make any difference in my situation.

On top the described setup, i use a Philips soundbar, Fidelio B97 connected with HDMI on the e-ARC port of the LG TV.

11

Hi Plex team! Are you reading this? Can you please see this is a plex issue or else reach out to LG si they can look at the bug they adder in their latest WebOS release?

12

LG OLED65G1PUA - Running latest WebOS and Plex app. Server on 1.42.2

Have same issues as above. Plex Team, could we please get this resolved?

13

Also having some crashing since 2-3 weeks on my LG C4.
My workaround is to switch to “Force Direct Play”. I think I have the crashes more often with x265 content.

14

Try play your media content with tv own media player. If it’s crashing, means is not from the Plex app.
For me the issue seems to be the high number of internal subtitles (content from AppleTv, Netflix, Prime).
Removing most of the subtiles as it is described @ChuckPa is solving the issue.

15

@edrtjiud FALSE, I have both c2 and c5 on my home, same movie plays with zero issues on c2, on c5 i get memory error and the tv restarts after 30-40 mins of a 4k hdr movie.

My c2 NEVER rebooted out of memory playing the same usual content while c5 has done it 3 times in 1 week so this is from plex or newer webos or a combination of both.

16

this is a workaround not a fix, read my reply above this please.

The problem happens after 30-40 mins of playing the video, can’t plex maybe remove from memory the movie that buffered before that time instead of trying to keep the entire movie in the ram or whatever is doing?

everyone should complain about this on lg Formular cerere email LG | Asistenta LG Romania

it seems that this problem is wide spread and happens to other services as well

https://emby.media/community/index.php?/topic/141425-lg-b77-odd-issue-emby-closes-tv-says-to-allow-for-more-memory-then-emby-restarts/

17

Same here with LG OLED77G48LW
Often it stutters too after skipping forward, until I pause for a few seconds and it’s fine
The App-Restart feels like running out disk space or memory, like mentioned

If I remember correctly, 95% sure, it all started after the last major update of the TV itself! The webOS-App hasn’t really been updated for a while, according to the announcements (did not pay attention otherwise)

18

Cant believe this major issue is not adressed! Its litarrely game over for plex on LG at the moment. I cant believe it worked fine for years on my other LG tv and on my new one in the living room, but this big WebOS release ruĂŻnes everything. Force play is even worse. How can a 5k tv have so little memory in the first place

19

The media player doesnt find any files, so cant test that. Wierd and very weak local media player delivered by LG

20

Same here for me. On G5 77V with 1GB wired connection

4K content plays for a few minutes then buffers. The player becomes extremely laggy and then content stops plays.