Server Version#: 1.28.0.5973
Player Version#: Version 8.5 on iPhone, Plex HTPC 1.21.2.3158-331d3308 on MacBook Pro 14 M1 Pro and same issue on Apple TV 4K (don’t have app version available now but pretty sure it’s the last one)
Hello!
My problem is very weird. On some 4K HDR HEVC files that I download lately, I get a lot of dropped frames when in direct play, but the sound is working fine. It’s as if it was a gif with 10fps instead of the normal framerate. I tried multiple clients and it’s the same. What’s weird is that if I force the transcode to any other resolution/quality, the file transcodes fine with normal fps, without buffering (my server doesn’t have any issues transcoding 2/3 4K HDR streams at the same time).
I can also confirm that the problem appears with or without activated subtitles, in case it can help isolate the issue. And it appears only in the plex app, not if I play it through Plex in Infuse on the Apple TV 4K. This makes me thing that it’s not fully an issue with the file or the server, but since the issue appears on all my clients I wasn’t sure where to post it in the forums.
I do not have this issue on all 4K HDR files, as an example
Welcome to the “dropped frames during direct play” club lol. I too am noticing this happening across multiple devices with the native Plex app.
Since you are on Apple TV I would suggest sticking with Infuse as it direct plays everything (audio/video) without any issues. It’s by far a better player for Apple TV 4K than the native Plex app. Although the Plex interface may be better looking.
And if you have other devices that have the ability to run Kodi, you should download Plex for Kodi into that and run it.
So yeah Infuse and Kodi are the only 2 plex players I can suggest for playing problematic 4K hdr files. Stuff that wouldn’t even play on my Apple TV 4K via the native plex app play just fine with either of the above players. Hope that helps as a temporary solution until Plex developers fix whatever is causing the direct play bugs in the native player.
Thanks a lot for your answer, I feel a bit less alone
I understand the possible workarounds and this is what I have been doing, but the issue presents mostly for my remote users. I’m sharing my library with my family and most of them are not geeky at all, so installing plex was already an adventure haha. Having them to pay for an additional application just to have access to a feature (proper direct play) that is very basic feels very disappointing for a paid service like plex.
Do we know if this is a bug they are really working on on plex side? Is there an ETA? I’m asking you cause you seem to have experienced the issue so maybe you have more info, but anybody’s input is welcome
I’ve had this issue as well for years and would love to see a fix.
Not to offer yet another work around (and you might already be familiar with this one, or it might not be an option for you) but I have had this issue with both the Apple TV app as well as the Samsung app and turning off direct play and having the client direct stream instead has worked better for me on two AppleTVs with HEVC files that stutter.
The support article says it just uses very little processing from the server and I have not really noticed any increase in demands on my system as a result. Navigating to those settings might be an easier option instead of using another app, even though Infuse is great.
No problem and yeah I understand that! Infuse wouldn’t be great for family members in your case because it doesn’t allow you to select users. So unless you don’t mind them messing up your watched/unwatched indicators that wouldn’t be a great solution.
Unfortunately I have no information and the developers have been really silent on the issues with direct play across devices. So outside of Infuse or Kodi, that’s the only workaround for consistent direct play that I know of.
And maybe what @ShaGe said above will help by turning off direct play and allowing direct stream. I too will give that a try on my parents Roku ultra that has been giving them issues.
Hopefully the devs can respond and let us know what’s going on with Direct Play across all these devices
Thanks a lot to the both of you for answering so nicely and sharing your experiences. Let’s see if we hear more from devs, but in the meantime I’ll have to get used to the workarounds
