So I see the latest version of the beta enables 4K support for the client but when I try to play 4K context I see the server is still transcoding from HEVC to H264. Do we need a server update before this will work?
What do the release notes mean?
Hey there, we added support for Direct Playing h264 at 4K resolutions for mp4 like containers. We’re still working on catching up with HEVC, I’m going to steal a nice write up from someone else on our team:
TL;DR: We’re working on catching up here. We know that we’re late to the game. Expect updates before the end of the year, but hopefully much sooner.
For HEVC (H.265) on iOS/tvOS, there are 3 separate issues here:
- Direct Play of HEVC .mp4 files
- On iOS/tvOS, this is limited to .mp4/.mov files with AC3, EAC3, or stereo AAC.
- You can achieve this now by editing the profile XML, but this will break older versions of iOS, tvOS, older iOS devices, and older Apple TV devices. It will also cause some older devices (e.g. pre-iPhone 6S) to choose to play HEVC even though they only support software-based decoding, which will burn through your battery quickly.
- We are working on adding this from the client side by detecting hardware HEVC support and dynamically adding Direct Play support for HEVC when available. This should come soon.
-
Direct Stream of HEVC in any other format (.mkv, other audio)
- Apple made a major change to HTTP Live Streaming for HEVC in iOS 11, requiring us to change formats (from MPEG-TS to fMP4) in order to Direct Stream anything with HEVC to an Apple device. We are working on adding this to Plex Media Server. It’s a big and risky change.
-
Transcode of HEVC to other formats
- To make this work better and use less CPU, we just released Hardware-Accelerated Streaming yesterday. On Linux and Windows, this lets you decode HEVC using hardware acceleration. (On Mac, this is coming soon.) Decoding HEVC is particularly CPU intensive, so this is an important part of the story.
Ah! This makes perfect sense. Thank you for the clear answer.
Thank you very much for the answer, I hope the update come soon!!!
What about HDR content?
@chfredrickson said:
SNIP
Would this be any different 1080p HEVC/x265 content?
Hello,
Beta 1.19 (7925) say “HEVC Support”, but it is still KO for me.
My mkv HEVC 4K video are still transcoded by the server (Synology 1.9.4.4325)…
I am seeing the same thing.
It doesn’t work for me neither. Synology NAS server Version 1.9.6.4385. Latest Plex Beta on Apple TV 4K, the movies doesn’t even start to play.
Oops, wrong thread.
I suspect its still only mp4 HEVC that will direct play?
If only mp4 HEVC files will direct play, shouldn’t mkv HEVC file direct stream? Currently the server transcodes everything.
I didn’t make the testing using .mp4 using HEVC, but .mkv using HEVC. It should try to transcode knowing it’s HEVC .
Update. I use SUBLER to remux MKV files in MP4 files (still using the HEVC codec), and now, the directplay works on plex. I can play an HEVC 4K file on Plex and Apple TV 4K. I tested 2 files so far, and it works very well.
I did the exact same test. Took an MKV HEVC 4K and remuxed with Subler only to include the HVEC video and an AC3 Soundtrack. Latest versions of PMS and tvOS on Apple TV 4K, with updated tvOS.xml profile.
For me it plays in 4K but it’s still transcoding to H264. No direct play.
@Eric_Hoffmann said:
Update. I use SUBLER to remux MKV files in MP4 files (still using the HEVC codec), and now, the directplay works on plex. I can play an HEVC 4K file on Plex and Apple TV 4K. I tested 2 files so far, and it works very well.
Hi Hashiko, did you setup Plex Client on ATV for maximal local streaming quality . If you try to play a 4K video and setup the streaming quality to 1080p max, your PMS will have to transcode to 1080p instead playing in direct play. Also, I tested DTS audio, and seems it works too
Yes in Plex Client settings Home Streaming is set to Maximum. I should note PMS is transcoding to 4K H264, not 1080p. So I see a 4K picture thru the Apple TV but it’s the result of PMS transcoding the file to H264 rather than direct playing the file.
Additionally, PMS direct plays the same movie without issue to my Bravia 4K TV.
Okay… more digging and I think I’ve solved this. Seems that I was streaming HDR content to my Apple TV 4K that was connected to an SDR TV. When streaming SDR 4K HEVC in a .m4v container with subtitles off and a compatible audio stream (ac3/aac), I can direct play. However, doing the same thing with HDR content without having an HDR TV connected, it always transcodes to h264.
Spoke too soon. Only one video will direct play even in SDR. What’s truly odd is that every 4k HEVC m4v SDR or HDR direct plays over wifi to my iPhone X. Yet only 1 will direct play to AppleTV.
Just download Infuse by firecore. Maybe if everyone cancels their plex pass they will get the hint that we want mkv-hevc…
