I have a collection of AVI’s which have been recognised by Plex Media Server and which can be played through the Plex Windows player but when trying to play then on my Plex TV player they will not play. The TV player can see the files and loads the metadata but just won’t play them.
I have other AVI files which play on the Plex TV player without issue.
I believe the decoding is done on the computer running the media server and not by the TV as I know Samsung TV’s don’t like AVI’s?
I am very new to Plex so may just be something obvious I’m missing but I have named the files as recommended and the Plex TV player can see them, just won’t play them.
Wow, I haven’t seen an AVI file since the limewire days. But you are sort of on the right track, just in reverse. The TV doesn’t transcode the video file, that is done on whatever is running the Plex Media Server. However, your problem relates more to the fact that Plex does not like AVI files. Plex has a hard time decoding them for a variety of reasons, like high bitrates and possibly a codec issue in the file itself, but it’s nothing you’re doing that is wrong and causing the problem. Plex can handle most things, and it’s not the AVI wrapper itself caudong the issue, but what actually makes up that file that’s causing problems.
Now there’s not much you can do about it in the sense of altering Plex settings, but you can use a program like Handbrake to convert (transcode) the file into something more suitable for Plex and streaming. This is easy with a few files, but how many AVI files do you have? This can become a very time consuming process depending on what settings you use in Handbrake, and how many files you have. What are the specs of the server or computer you’re using, or if you have a better computer that’s different from Plex, what are the specs if that? Just need to know CPU, GPU, RAM, Storage (how much you have and have remaining), OS, and if the device you are running Plex Media Server from is being used for anything else, by anyone else?
Thanks for your reply It’s not that many files but what I find strange is the Plex player on the computer will play them without an issue, it’s just the TV Plex player that won’t.
My PC is running Windows 11, Intel(R) Core™ i5-10400 CPU @ 2.90GHz 2.90 GHz, 16.0 GB (15.8 GB usable), 1.5Tb free space, computer is the main house computer so used for emails, photos, surfing etc…
Nothing strange about it. These are very different playback engines with different capabilities. So called “smart” TVs are usually not so smart when it comes to different media file formats.
I just read with Plex the decoding was done at the computer/server not at the TV so assumed the TV player would be able to handle it but as I say very new to this and don’t understand the details.
It’s not that simplistic.
Of course the goal is to play the files unchanged if possible. But there are several situations where this is not an option.
The Plex server can convert media files to adapt them to the abilities of the playback device. In order to do this, it needs itself enough power. Your server’s CPU is not too shabby, so it should be able to do this with old AVI’s.
However, with AVI being an ancient format, it is possible that newer versions of ffmpeg (which is the basis for Plex’s transcoder) has lost some support for unusual AVI variations.
One of the drawbacks of AVI is its bad specification, which leaves too many details undefined, so that the success of decoding videos becomes a kind of gamble.
It’s not that many files but what I find strange is the Plex player on the computer will play them without an issue, it’s just the TV Plex player that won’t.