"An error occurred loading items to play" in photos

Plex Players
1

Player version: Plex Web v. 4.56.4
Plex Server version: 1.23.1.4528 on Linux Mint 20.1

Beginning today, I’m getting a lot of errors viewing photos in Plex Web. Some images are only 1024 resolution, so it isn’t a size issue. In many cases, the first time I view the image, it works. Subsequent attempts to open the same image fails with the error below.
image

Just yesterday, I viewed many of the same images with no errors.

This occurs in Firefox and Brave browsers on Linux, as well as Firefox, Edge, and Vivaldi on Windows 10.

Plex for Android-TV (nVidia Shield) has no difficulty displaying the same images.

I have tried the following with no success:

  • rebooting server computer
  • restarting Plex Server
  • Analyze, Scan Library Files, and Refresh Metadata
  • optimize dabatase, clean bundles, empty trash
  • created a new library pointing to same folder
  • reducing the TranscoderPhotoFileSizeLimitMiB value in preferences.xml (though none of these images come close to the set limit)

Plex Media Server Logs_2021-05-18_09-55-37.zip (2.3 MB)

4 Likes
2

Disclaimer — I don’t use Plex Photos. That said, all this stuff relies on local caches. I have had cache issues on IOS with Tidal.

As such have you tried clearing the browser cache after it fails?

Have you tried the Windows browser?

Let’s see if others have comments.

3

As noted:

4

Some new information:

This may have something to do with the path to the files. I stumbled upon the fact that images in a second-level folder always display correctly. So I copied an image from a 2nd-level folder to a first-level folder. After scanning files in Plex, I found that the 2nd-level image displays correctly, while the 1st-level file gets the error.

Here’s an example:
The image in FilmScans/Miscellany displays without error in Plex, while the identical file in FilmScans generates the error.
image

I have tried this several times now with images in various folders, and in other photo libraries. The result is consistent with all of them.

1 Like
5

I’ve also been experienceing this issue since upgrading to Plex Media Server 1.23.

Intererstingly it doesn’t appear to affect all folders or even all photos in a single folder. Although I’ve not been able to test this exhaustively, it appears when it does occur, only the first ~60-80% of photos in a folder are affected. After that they all load fine. You can even open the first ‘good’ photo and use the ‘Prev’ button to go backwards through the ‘bad’ photos and they all load fine.

In the meantime, downgrading to 1.22 has fixed the issue.

6

I am also experiencing the same issue, also since version 1.23.2. Any chance PLEX support guys could fix this?

7

I think you are hitting the same problem as me. Check your PlexWeb Settings > Console in a new tab - when opening an image.

8

I get an internal server error:
image

9

I’m having the same issues with my most recent install of 1.23.1.4571. Playback of photos on iPhone was fine, but images and thumbnails on Macbook Pro experienced the same problems described by other users (error loading some photos, no thumbnails displayed for some photos, etc.). Also, the “recently added” photos section did not appear on the home screen, even though those did in previous versions.

I tried the following without success:

  • Rebooting server computer (NAS)
  • Restarting Plex Server
  • Deleting and reinstalling the same 1.23 Plex Server
  • Analyzing and scanning all library files and individual photos that had problems
  • Refreshing metadata
  • Optimizing the dabatase and cleaning bundles
  • Created a new library pointing to same data folder
  • Emptying the trash

I finally tried the suggestion and found/installed older 1.22 version. The photo problems went away. Photos on my Macbook Pro now playback fine. Thumbnails generate as they should, and the “recently added” photos section now appears on the home screen as those one did.

There appears to be a significant issues with 1.23 updates. Hopefully Plex sees and addresses this significant photo issue.

10

Since my last post, I’ve noticed that a new build of 1.23.1 has dropped. I’ve tested this and the issue still persists in the latest build (1.23.1.4602).

11

Still occurring with Plex Server version 1.23.2.4625 and Plex Web 4.58.1.

12

Just want to jump in and say that I’m also running 1.23.2.4625 and have been encountering the same problem with photos. I can view and download them to my iPhone and I was able to view them in the Plex HTPC app. But if I try to view them in Plex Web on Safari I get the playback error.

13

I’m running 1.23.2.4625-a83d2d0f9 and experiencing this error, too. My logs show this for every photo I try to view:

Jun 02, 2021 12:49:09.297 [0x7ff735ea7b38] DEBUG - Request: [10.0.0.51:47132 (Subnet)] POST /playQueues?type=photo&uri=server%3A%2F%2F4c1fa2e49fdb9562b8a95bd19ff362ba944937fe%2Fcom.plexapp.plugins.library%2Flibrary%2Fsections%2F2%2Fall%3FclusterZoomLevel%3D1%26clustering%3C%3D226036&key=%2Flibrary%2Fmetadata%2F61206&repeat=0&own=1&includeChapters=1&includeMarkers=1&includeGeolocation=1&includeExternalMedia=1 (4 live) TLS GZIP Signed-in Token (abscondment)
Jun 02, 2021 12:49:09.298 [0x7ff735ea7b38] DEBUG - PlayQueue: Converted 'server://4c1fa2e49fdb9562b8a95bd19ff362ba944937fe/com.plexapp.plugins.library/library/sections/2/all?clusterZoomLevel=1&clustering<=226036' to 'library://x/directory/%2Flibrary%2Fsections%2F2%2Fall%3FclusterZoomLevel%3D1%26clustering%3C%3D226036'
Jun 02, 2021 12:49:09.300 [0x7ff735ea7b38] DEBUG - PlayQueue: 0 generated IDs compressed down to a 20 byte blob.
Jun 02, 2021 12:49:09.691 [0x7ff735ea7b38] DEBUG - PlayQueue: Start index: 0 End index: 121 Count: 57020
Jun 02, 2021 12:49:09.712 [0x7ff735ea7b38] DEBUG - PlayQueue: 57020 generated IDs compressed down to a 95977 byte blob.
Jun 02, 2021 12:49:09.713 [0x7ff735ea7b38] DEBUG - PlayQueue: Added 122 items in 0.0 sec.
Jun 02, 2021 12:49:09.726 [0x7ff735ea7b38] ERROR - Exception handled: std::bad_cast
Jun 02, 2021 12:49:09.726 [0x7ff737217b38] DEBUG - Completed: [10.0.0.51:47132] 500 POST /playQueues?type=photo&uri=server%3A%2F%2F4c1fa2e49fdb9562b8a95bd19ff362ba944937fe%2Fcom.plexapp.plugins.library%2Flibrary%2Fsections%2F2%2Fall%3FclusterZoomLevel%3D1%26clustering%3C%3D226036&key=%2Flibrary%2Fmetadata%2F61206&repeat=0&own=1&includeChapters=1&includeMarkers=1&includeGeolocation=1&includeExternalMedia=1 (4 live) TLS GZIP 429ms 532 bytes (pipelined: 1)

std::bad_cast pretty strongly indicates a bug in the server.

14

Same problem with latest versions:

Plex Web Version 4.58.1
PlexMediaServer-1.23.2.4656-85f0adf5b (On Ubuntu 20.04 BTW)

15

Same issue. Sheesh, should have checked the forums instead of wasting hours scanning photos and rebuilding the DB.

Does anyone know the latest working version for Synology? Having trouble finding official download links for older versions in order to downgrade.

16

Same issue this morning, but I haven’t been able to get any photos to display.

17

Count me in on having the same issue. Bad timing methinks since Google Photos just started charging for space and this would be a viable alternative for us Plexians if not for this problem. Any updates??

18

Just come in here to say the same thing. Although it’s strange as some photo’s do work, I can 't figure out the pattern though.

Plex Web Version 4.58.1
Linux Plex Server Version 1.23.2.4656

19

Same issue here.

Any acknowledgement of the issue from Plex? Or will they ignore it for so long until people give up using it, resulting in in convenient justification for feature removal as no one uses it any more.

20

I’ve the same issue as well.