576p content incorrectly being reported as 480p

[Stephen3001]

Server Version#: 1.16.6.1592
Player Version#: Differing Players

There seems to be a bug in the server when it sees 576p or 576i content. It incorrectly shows it as 480p or 480i.

I have seen this on various players so I think this might be a server problem.

[JuiceWSA]

576 has as many flavors as 480 does, but Plex will only report 480 as 480 if you pack it up correctly. How are yours packed up (resolution Plex sees is the ‘stored’ res)?

A “LOT” of 480 material is, in fact 720x400 (404) with no anamorphic settings so as to be aligned with a 16:9 display without having to use the anamorphic settings scheme. Plex knows it’s not 480 ( and it’s not, 'cause it’s only 404), so Plex calls it SD.

For instance, the New Handbrake (1.2.2) has been made idiot-proof (certified idiot speaking) when using ‘Custom’ Anamorphic settings:

Note: The Orange box is what Plex sees to make it’s judgement (720x480). The Red Box is how the video is actually displayed, but Plex doesn’t care about that (1152x480 <— yes, friends, that’s ‘really’ 480p).

If your 576 material is packed up in some weird way where the res Plex sees is not really 576, but rather something less than that - it’s possible Plex will now call it 480 ('cause the next lowest res for you PAL guys is 480, not SD-PAL - so to speak).

…the debate, apparently, will follow us all to our graves:

Why is Plex identifying SD video as 576p?

I realize it’s probably not going to affect the way a video is played to any device, but I’m curious why Plex is identifying videos with a resolution of 720X404 as 576p. Previously, they were recognized with a resolution of either 480p or SD. [image] If you look at the attached XML for the file, it has 2 versions, one is 1280X720 identified as 720p, the second is 720X404 identified (incorrectly) as 576p. My only concern is that since they are now being identified as 576p, will this new reso…

[Stephen3001]

So these files i am looking at have never gone through Handbrake. These are straight non re-encoded files. This is what the info in Plex says: -

I don’t think you can get any more 576p than that. The Plex Info section correctly reports what it is. However the pre-play screen shows this: -

So do think there might be a bit of a disconnect between what the Info section thinks the video is, and what the pre-play screen says it is.

[JuiceWSA]

You may want to post a ‘MediaInfo’ report, or the XML data from the file so the inner workings of the thing can be seen, but right about here is where you need an employee to step in and explain it all away…

'cause I have no earthly clue what is going on with PAL. NTSC is working correctly… for some reason (and we’d hate to break it while fixing PAL - if you know what I mean).

[leelynds]

I don’t know if the problem was ever fixed when the resolution weirdness showed up again in Dec of 2018. It was mentioned in a couple of threads, but drew little attention. Here’s one:

Since latest update Plex now thinks 576p video is 480p

Server Version#: 1.14.1.5488 Player Version#:n/a Just noticed after updating my server to the latest version 1.14.1.5488 that Plex has identified all my 576p DVD rips as 480p I don’t know if this is just a cosmetic bug as the media info still correctly says it is 576p [plex1] [plex2]

When the problem was the reverse in the thread @JuiceWSA mentioned , it affected how the Roku (and only the Roku, as far as I know) and the server determined how a file was played, and the false 576p resolution forced a transcode to one of my users who had a slow connection and had quality set to 1.5Mbps, 480p despite the fact the bitrate was well below the setting. For the Roku, the reported resolution was also one of the factors considered.

I imagine, that even if a Plex employee or Ninja notices this thread, they will tell you it is purely cosmetic, as they did before. Even though that was not the case.

[JuiceWSA]

They just couldn’t leave well enough alone, I guess.

Broke since last year?
Oh, my.

I must be in that sweet spot where if I keep doing what I’m doing I’m OK. Wonder how long that’ll last?

[Stephen3001]

FWIW here is what Mediainfo thinks it is: -

It does affect one of my remote users who uses a Chromecast via an iPad. It shows as being transcoded to 480p when played. This is reported by both Plex and Tautulli. Other than that most of my users see it upconverted to 720p. I play back locally on a shield and it is direct play.

[JuiceWSA]

That looks to me like a perfectly normal PAL 576p item.
All set to display at 4:3.

I don’t understand about the up-coding to 720p.
The MPEG-2 bit will mean it’ll transcode on some things, but why 480? What’s wrong with 576?

I can understand this being particularly annoying for you guys.

[leelynds]

@JuiceWSA

The MPEG-2 bit will mean it’ll transcode on some things, but why 480?

Maybe it’s because Plex reports it as a 480 interlaced video in the pre-play screen. So it converts it to a progressive 480 video to work with the i-pad and/or chromecast. It sounds similar to the problem I had a couple of years ago with the Roku, where transcoding was based on the reported resolution in the pre-play screen, not necessarily the actual resolution or bitrate.

[JuiceWSA]

@leelynds

Maybe it’s because Plex reports it as a 480 interlaced video in the pre-play screen.

Yes, of course that’s the reason… don’t know how that one got by me…
If it was reporting 576 it might transcode same (ideally).