Android App Not Playing in Original Flac Format (Transcoding)

[akbaree]

With latest server version - 1.18.2.2029-36236cc4c and Android Beta app version 7.25.0.13736, it is back to square 1. Direct Play works as expected on home network. On Cellular, 1st song plays Direct Play and rest transcoded.

I am eagerly waiting for this issue to be fixed.

[EricD1973]

Same here. Transcoded to quality -1 which is the strange part. Almost like the app is clearing a variable or something?

[jebrossard]

@akbaree

Direct Play works as expected on home network. On Cellular, 1st song plays Direct Play and rest transcoded.

We’ve been talking about THAT bug for a few months… The issue with transcoding when local is what was being discussed here. Two different but similar issues.

Player does not transcode first song played when on cellular data

I don’t think this is a new bug, but I haven’t found it mentioned anywhere… Android 9 and 10, Pixel 3, Android Player Beta 7.21.0.12194 PMS version: 1.16.6.1559 Use low quality on cellular enabled. After starting Plex when on celluar, the first song of an album plays as direct play, at a high rate (HD FLAC speeds…). The second and following songs on the album play transcoded properly. Close Plex, launch plex, and this will happen with the next album. Regards, Jim

Feel free to chime in there…

[EricD1973]

Client: Beta version of Android client 7.25.0.13736.
Server: 1.18.2.2029

Played a FLAC album remotely via cellular data starting from track 1 starting 11/15 at 11:07 am.

First song direct plays and the following 3 display Transcoding / quality -1.

Logs attached for result of playing tracks 1-4 with sweet fades and volume leveling on. Playback started at 11:07. First song transition at 11:11. From looking at these logs it seems that the problem may strictly be cosmetic, meaning the player is displaying -1/transcoding but the file is actually direct playing?

plex-log-EricD1973.zip (290.4 KB)

[akbaree]

After a few server and app updates, the issue still persists. First song on cellular plays direct and remaining trans-code to -1

[EricD1973]

If a Dev could just review this and verify that this issue is just cosmetic (wrong bitrate display) we may be able to close this issue. My logs posted above. Dashboard says direct play while I’m playing remotely. So not sure?

[the_writing_critic]

I wonder if the phone hardware is the limiting factor here. I have some MP3s on my server at 256 kbps bit rate. It also is transcoded to 128 kbps with the message the bit maximum was exceeded, same as the uncompressed files I have. This make me think it is a limitation of the phone hardware I am using.

[akbaree]

I am convinced this has nothing to do with limitation on the phone.

On external wifi and home network, the phone plays in expected original resolution (flac in my case). Even on cellular the phone plays first song in expected original resolution (flac in my case).

[akbaree]

Can some one please update on the status of this issue.