Apple TV 4K gen2 CANNOT play HEVC/x265 videos, but gen3 can

Plex Players Streaming Devices
1

Server Version#: 1.32.1.6999
Player Version#: 8.18.1 (5813)

This has been happening for a LONG time. Perhaps a year. I have a gen2 but my mother doesn’t have the problem with x265 files, and she has a gen3. So, yesterday I finally got sick of this situation and forked over the cash for a gen3. Yep, I can play all those videos that wouldn’t play before. Every single one.

I’m 100% sure this was an update to the tvOS Plex that caused the problem because I had downloaded x265 files which I had watched with no issues. But, when I went back to watch them, they wouldn’t play.

What does “won’t play” mean? The video is jerky and messed up. It’s impossible to watch anything that is impacted.

Example video:

General
Complete name                            : ....mp4
Format                                   : MPEG-4
Format profile                           : Base Media
Codec ID                                 : isom (isom/iso2/mp41)
File size                                : 1.88 GiB
Duration                                 : 2 h 0 min
Overall bit rate                         : 2 230 kb/s
Frame rate                               : 23.976 FPS
Movie name                               : ...
Encoded date                             : 2020-04-04 05:09:49 UTC
Tagged date                              : 2020-04-04 05:09:49 UTC
Writing application                      : Lavf58.20.100
Comment                                  : ...

Video
ID                                       : 1
Format                                   : HEVC
Format/Info                              : High Efficiency Video Coding
Format profile                           : Main 10@L4@Main
Codec ID                                 : hev1
Codec ID/Info                            : High Efficiency Video Coding
Duration                                 : 2 h 0 min
Bit rate                                 : 2 001 kb/s
Width                                    : 1 920 pixels
Height                                   : 792 pixels
Display aspect ratio                     : 2.40:1
Frame rate mode                          : Constant
Frame rate                               : 23.976 (24000/1001) FPS
Color space                              : YUV
Chroma subsampling                       : 4:2:0
Bit depth                                : 10 bits
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)                       : 0.055
Stream size                              : 1.69 GiB (90%)
Writing library                          : x265 3.3+4-rarbg-30eb4de83092:[Linux][GCC 8.3.1][64 bit] 10bit
Encoding settings                        : cpuid=1111039 / frame-threads=4 / wpp / no-pmode / no-pme / no-psnr / no-ssim / log-level=2 / input-csp=1 / input-res=1920x792 / interlace=0 / total-frames=0 / level-idc=0 / high-tier=1 / uhd-bd=0 / ref=4 / no-allow-non-conformance / no-repeat-headers / annexb / no-aud / no-hrd / info / hash=0 / no-temporal-layers / open-gop / min-keyint=23 / keyint=250 / gop-lookahead=0 / bframes=4 / b-adapt=2 / b-pyramid / bframe-bias=0 / rc-lookahead=25 / lookahead-slices=4 / scenecut=40 / hist-scenecut=0 / radl=0 / no-splice / no-intra-refresh / ctu=64 / min-cu-size=8 / rect / no-amp / max-tu-size=32 / tu-inter-depth=1 / tu-intra-depth=1 / limit-tu=0 / rdoq-level=2 / dynamic-rd=0.00 / no-ssim-rd / signhide / no-tskip / nr-intra=0 / nr-inter=0 / no-constrained-intra / strong-intra-smoothing / max-merge=3 / limit-refs=3 / limit-modes / me=3 / subme=3 / merange=57 / temporal-mvp / no-frame-dup / no-hme / weightp / no-weightb / no-analyze-src-pics / deblock=0:0 / no-sao / no-sao-non-deblock / rd=4 / selective-sao=0 / no-early-skip / rskip / no-fast-intra / no-tskip-fast / no-cu-lossless / no-b-intra / no-splitrd-skip / rdpenalty=0 / psy-rd=2.00 / psy-rdoq=1.00 / no-rd-refine / no-lossless / cbqpoffs=0 / crqpoffs=0 / rc=abr / bitrate=2000 / qcomp=0.60 / qpstep=4 / stats-write=0 / stats-read=2 / cplxblur=20.0 / qblur=0.5 / ipratio=1.40 / pbratio=1.30 / aq-mode=3 / aq-strength=1.00 / cutree / zone-count=0 / no-strict-cbr / qg-size=32 / no-rc-grain / qpmax=69 / qpmin=0 / no-const-vbv / sar=1 / overscan=0 / videoformat=5 / range=0 / colorprim=2 / transfer=2 / colormatrix=2 / chromaloc=0 / display-window=0 / cll=0,0 / min-luma=0 / max-luma=1023 / log2-max-poc-lsb=8 / vui-timing-info / vui-hrd-info / slices=1 / no-opt-qp-pps / no-opt-ref-list-length-pps / no-multi-pass-opt-rps / scenecut-bias=0.05 / hist-threshold=0.01 / no-opt-cu-delta-qp / no-aq-motion / no-hdr10 / no-hdr10-opt / no-dhdr10-opt / no-idr-recovery-sei / analysis-reuse-level=0 / analysis-save-reuse-level=0 / analysis-load-reuse-level=0 / scale-factor=0 / refine-intra=0 / refine-inter=0 / refine-mv=1 / refine-ctu-distortion=0 / no-limit-sao / ctu-info=0 / no-lowpass-dct / refine-analysis-type=0 / copy-pic=1 / max-ausize-factor=1.0 / no-dynamic-refine / no-single-sei / no-hevc-aq / no-svt / no-field / qp-adaptation-range=1.00 / no-scenecut-aware-qpconformance-window-offsets / right=0 / bottom=0
Encoded date                             : 2020-04-04 05:09:49 UTC
Tagged date                              : 2020-04-04 05:09:49 UTC
Codec configuration box                  : hvcC

Audio
ID                                       : 2
Format                                   : AAC LC
Format/Info                              : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID                                 : mp4a-40-2
Duration                                 : 2 h 0 min
Bit rate mode                            : Constant
Bit rate                                 : 224 kb/s
Channel(s)                               : 6 channels
Channel layout                           : C L R Ls Rs LFE
Sampling rate                            : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate                               : 46.875 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode                         : Lossy
Stream size                              : 194 MiB (10%)
Language                                 : English
Default                                  : Yes
Alternate group                          : 1
Encoded date                             : 2020-04-04 05:09:49 UTC
Tagged date                              : 2020-04-04 05:09:49 UTC
2

I believe this might do the trick: Remux the file into mkv (using the latest version of mkvtoolnix for eg), the remux it back to mp4 (preferablyto the apple preferred “hvc1” flavor rather than the original “hev1”. Plex on iOS devices seem to crash more easily when playing hev1 files)

This should solve your stuttering problem. The problem seems to be a problem with the “ctts atom”. Similar type of files encoded before 19th April 2020 seems to have exactly the same problems. the ones after seem to be fine.

1 Like
3

I don’t have the problem anymore. I spent $129 not to have the problem. Reencoding all my videos, even if I hadn’t, would be a non-started.

What’s curious to me is that of all the apps on my tvOS, Plex is the only one that had this problem. YoutubTV, Hulu, HBO Max (when I had it), Apple TV+, etc, etc. None at the problem, except for Plex.

My guess is that Plex is using some library that is incorrectly detecting the hardware and then doing something that doesn’t work on this hardware.

Thanks for the reply, though.

4

My hope is the developers can fix the hardware detection for the gen2.

I know I’m making an assumption, but 1) it used to work, and 2) no other app on my gen2 failed to perfectly render video and audio.

5

Wow, just fired up an x265 video that won’t play either.

I have played this video on my gen2, probably like a year or so ago. Now, jitter city, on my gen3.

This is insane. I’ve gotta look at alternatives to Plex now. I just can’t stand this. I paid for a lifetime license, too. :sad-face:

General
Complete name                            : foo.mp4
Format                                   : MPEG-4
Format profile                           : Base Media
Codec ID                                 : isom (isom/iso2/mp41)
File size                                : 3.91 GiB
Duration                                 : 4 h 11 min
Overall bit rate                         : 2 231 kb/s
Frame rate                               : 23.976 FPS
Movie name                               : foo
Encoded date                             : 2020-04-12 08:11:52 UTC
Tagged date                              : 2020-04-12 08:11:52 UTC
Writing application                      : Lavf58.20.100
Comment                                  : foo

Video
ID                                       : 1
Format                                   : HEVC
Format/Info                              : High Efficiency Video Coding
Format profile                           : Main 10@L4@Main
Codec ID                                 : hev1
Codec ID/Info                            : High Efficiency Video Coding
Duration                                 : 4 h 11 min
Bit rate                                 : 2 001 kb/s
Width                                    : 1 920 pixels
Height                                   : 1 072 pixels
Display aspect ratio                     : 16:9
Frame rate mode                          : Constant
Frame rate                               : 23.976 (24000/1001) FPS
Color space                              : YUV
Chroma subsampling                       : 4:2:0
Bit depth                                : 10 bits
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)                       : 0.041
Stream size                              : 3.51 GiB (90%)
Writing library                          : x265 3.3+4-rarbg-30eb4de83092:[Linux][GCC 8.3.1][64 bit] 10bit
Encoding settings                        : cpuid=1111039 / frame-threads=4 / wpp / no-pmode / no-pme / no-psnr / no-ssim / log-level=2 / input-csp=1 / input-res=1920x1072 / interlace=0 / total-frames=0 / level-idc=0 / high-tier=1 / uhd-bd=0 / ref=4 / no-allow-non-conformance / no-repeat-headers / annexb / no-aud / no-hrd / info / hash=0 / no-temporal-layers / open-gop / min-keyint=23 / keyint=250 / gop-lookahead=0 / bframes=4 / b-adapt=2 / b-pyramid / bframe-bias=0 / rc-lookahead=25 / lookahead-slices=4 / scenecut=40 / hist-scenecut=0 / radl=0 / no-splice / no-intra-refresh / ctu=64 / min-cu-size=8 / rect / no-amp / max-tu-size=32 / tu-inter-depth=1 / tu-intra-depth=1 / limit-tu=0 / rdoq-level=2 / dynamic-rd=0.00 / no-ssim-rd / signhide / no-tskip / nr-intra=0 / nr-inter=0 / no-constrained-intra / strong-intra-smoothing / max-merge=3 / limit-refs=3 / limit-modes / me=3 / subme=3 / merange=57 / temporal-mvp / no-frame-dup / no-hme / weightp / no-weightb / no-analyze-src-pics / deblock=0:0 / no-sao / no-sao-non-deblock / rd=4 / selective-sao=0 / no-early-skip / rskip / no-fast-intra / no-tskip-fast / no-cu-lossless / no-b-intra / no-splitrd-skip / rdpenalty=0 / psy-rd=2.00 / psy-rdoq=1.00 / no-rd-refine / no-lossless / cbqpoffs=0 / crqpoffs=0 / rc=abr / bitrate=2000 / qcomp=0.60 / qpstep=4 / stats-write=0 / stats-read=2 / cplxblur=20.0 / qblur=0.5 / ipratio=1.40 / pbratio=1.30 / aq-mode=3 / aq-strength=1.00 / cutree / zone-count=0 / no-strict-cbr / qg-size=32 / no-rc-grain / qpmax=69 / qpmin=0 / no-const-vbv / sar=1 / overscan=0 / videoformat=5 / range=0 / colorprim=2 / transfer=2 / colormatrix=2 / chromaloc=0 / display-window=0 / cll=0,0 / min-luma=0 / max-luma=1023 / log2-max-poc-lsb=8 / vui-timing-info / vui-hrd-info / slices=1 / no-opt-qp-pps / no-opt-ref-list-length-pps / no-multi-pass-opt-rps / scenecut-bias=0.05 / hist-threshold=0.01 / no-opt-cu-delta-qp / no-aq-motion / no-hdr10 / no-hdr10-opt / no-dhdr10-opt / no-idr-recovery-sei / analysis-reuse-level=0 / analysis-save-reuse-level=0 / analysis-load-reuse-level=0 / scale-factor=0 / refine-intra=0 / refine-inter=0 / refine-mv=1 / refine-ctu-distortion=0 / no-limit-sao / ctu-info=0 / no-lowpass-dct / refine-analysis-type=0 / copy-pic=1 / max-ausize-factor=1.0 / no-dynamic-refine / no-single-sei / no-hevc-aq / no-svt / no-field / qp-adaptation-range=1.00 / no-scenecut-aware-qpconformance-window-offsets / right=0 / bottom=0
Encoded date                             : 2020-04-12 08:11:52 UTC
Tagged date                              : 2020-04-12 08:11:52 UTC
Codec configuration box                  : hvcC

Audio
ID                                       : 2
Format                                   : AAC LC
Format/Info                              : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID                                 : mp4a-40-2
Duration                                 : 4 h 11 min
Bit rate mode                            : Constant
Bit rate                                 : 224 kb/s
Channel(s)                               : 6 channels
Channel layout                           : C L R Ls Rs LFE
Sampling rate                            : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate                               : 46.875 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode                         : Lossy
Stream size                              : 402 MiB (10%)
Language                                 : English
Default                                  : Yes
Alternate group                          : 1
Encoded date                             : 2020-04-12 08:11:52 UTC
Tagged date                              : 2020-04-12 08:11:52 UTC
6

I moved over to this thread:
https://forums.plex.tv/t/video-stuttering-since-version-8-18-of-the-apple-tv-app

7

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