BUG: Download sizes are larger than original by ~20x

[ArthurZey]

Android Plex version: 2025.15.0 (on Pixel 7 Pro running Android 15)
Plex server version: 1.41.7.9749 (on Intel NUC running Ubuntu 20.04.6)

This has been happening across numerous TV shows, across numerous versions of the new Plex client for Android and several PMS versions.

Here are a few recent examples:

Aside from the absurdity that the remaining space (34.9 GB) is more than the required space claimed for the queued items that aren’t downloading (4.1 GB, 3.5 GB, 4.4 GB), and Plex is configured to be able to use much more space than that, the main point of this report is that the downloaded, transcoded versions of these episodes are ~20x larger than the original sizes.

Let’s focus on s02e10 as an example. Notice that the “Requires 4.1 GB Free Space” implies that the file to be downloaded is 4.1 GB. Here’s the same file’s metadata through the web interface:

Notice that it’s only 260.56 MB.

I don’t even know why it needs to be transcoded. Shouldn’t the Plex client for Android be able to play H264 content?

Looks like there are three bugs total:

1. Main issue: The transcoded sizes are absurdly large.
2. Files aren’t downloading when there’s more available space than is required.
3. H264 content is being transcoded.

[MovieFan]

Restart the download process and provide the logs from the app and the server. I’m not able to reproduce. I tried a file with similar codecs and it downloaded without transcoding on 2025.15.0.

[ArthurZey]

I restarted the download from the list of failed downloads in the “In Progress” tab. It transcoded for a while, then downloaded to the phone. (I had made some extra space by deleting some of the other previously downloaded TV episodes.)

Then I grabbed the server logs from Manage → Troubleshooting → Download Logs:
Plex Media Server Logs_2025-05-12_07-30-02.zip (4.4 MB)

And the logs from my Pixel 7 Pro from Settings → About → Download Logs:
235572043209710.zip (537.0 KB)

Also, @OttoKerner: I noticed that you removed the android-mobile-preview tag, but to be clear, I did not have this problem before the new experience. On the previous (“legacy”?) version of the Android app, all my TV episodes would download directly without transcoding (and, though this is a separate regression, I was able to download the contents of Smart Playlists, whereas now, I have to manually download episodes, and that’s a huge pain).

[ArthurZey]

I know this is a separate issue, but in case y’all care, there is some UI jank on the “In Progress” tab:

This happened after I restarted a handful of failed downloads.

[MovieFan]

Your server logs show it transcoding to 9 Mbps. Definitely not right. I haven’t found where that value is coming from, need to dig some more.

[ArthurZey]

According to PMS release notes, we have this in 1.41.7.9795:

Some transcodes could result in larger than required bitrates (PM-2772)

But that note has been in every version since 1.41.7.9717 on 2025-04-23.

I’m not sure if there’s new code in each version since then to attempt to address the same issue or whether whatever was fixed in 2025-04-23 is just being carried forward in subsequent release note.

But what’s weird is that this didn’t affect the previous version of the Android client, before that major overhaul, so while it’s of course possible that it’s a server issue, it doesn’t seem likely.

[ozsmac]

are you downloading a single episode or a season?

If season, this might be the issue you are seeing?

BUG - Transcoding forced when downloading "season" of shows in iOS 2025.15.0 (and .14)

Sure. Some more info - it seems to get stuck on deciding after downloading an episode, deleting it, then trying to download it again - as one does while testing. At some point something times out, and it works again. (Edit - looks like it takes ~5-20 minutes for the decider to unstuck itself. Leaving on “deciding” eventually responds.) When I went back into the app to get the screenshot and started the download, it fired right up. Let it finish, deleted it, and started it again and viola. This …

[ArthurZey]

Nope. That’s not it. It doesn’t matter whether I’ve set individual episodes to download or a whole season at a time. Indeed, this predated bringing back the “download whole season” functionality. The problem is the sizes of individual episodes, however they got into the download queue.

[ozsmac]

Might be this issue, where everything for this Android user is transcoding back to max quality, hence larger files.

Take a look here - [BUG] Pixel 9 download transcode everything even when download set to orignal - #6 by timur_yild55

(sorry if this doesn’t help, just trying to help connect some dots, hope someone from Plex can chime in with some expert knowlege)

[ArthurZey]

Yeah, I’m not sure exactly what’s going on or if it’s related, but here are my settings on my Pixel 7 Pro:

Today, however, I noticed that this was transcoding video to my 2024 Roku Ultra (4850X, 14.5.4) that I thought was able to play h.265 / HEVC without transcoding, but that could have something to do with the subtitles being burned in. I’m not super familiar with how subtitles work, since it’s long been an inconsistent mess that I haven’t bothered to try to wrap my head around:

[MovieFan]

The release notes carry over until the next dot release, so 1.41.8

There is some sort of bug. I haven’t been able to identify it but there is something causing the transcode to use a much larger bitrate than the source.

If i remember correctly, the Roku app doesn’t support direct play of ass subtitles so they have to be burned in. Or they only support basic ass, so if there is any formatting needed, it has to be burned in.

[ArthurZey]

Acknowledged on all points; thank you.

[dustbin]

I’m seeing this issue as well on a Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel Tablet. I have original quality selected for downloads.

I did not experience this download issue on the old Plex app. None of my downloads needed to be transcoded. On the new app, I have had some files download without transcoding, but I’m not sure if it’s a codec issue, HDR, or file size. The only files that download without transcoding are an HEVC file with DTS-HD MA and an H264 file with DTS 5.1.

Anything with DV/HDR and/or EAC3 audio seems to transcode before downloading. Also, the resulting download is a few gigabytes larger than the original file.

Log for DV/HDR HEVC file with EAC3:

Jun 06, 2025 13:28:23.097 [128926128675640] DEBUG - [Req#55325] TranscodeUniversalRequest: adapting profile with augmentation data: add-transcode-target(type=videoProfile&context=all&protocol=http&container=mkv&videoCodec=h264,hevc,vp8,vp9,mpeg1video,mpeg2video,mpeg4,msmpeg4v1,msmpeg4v2,msmpeg4v3,vc1,wmv1,wmv2,wmv3,av1&audioCodec=aac,pcm,mp3,ac3,dca,opus,vorbis,eac3,aac_latm,alac,mp1,mp2,wmav1,wmav2,wmalossless,wmapro,wmavoice,truehd&subtitleCodec=ass,ssa,pgs,srt,smi,dvd_subtitle,mov_text,eia_608,eia_708,vobsub,vtt,webvtt,text,ttxt,tx3g)+add-limitation(scope=videoTranscodeTarget&scopeName=hevc&scopeType=videoCodec&context=all&protocol=http&type=upperBound&name=video.width&value=3840)+add-limitation(scope=videoTranscodeTarget&scopeName=hevc&scopeType=videoCodec&context=all&protocol=http&type=upperBound&name=video.height&value=3840)+add-limitation(scope=videoTranscodeTarget&scopeName=h264&scopeType=videoCodec&context=all&protocol=http&type=upperBound&name=video.width&value=3840)+add-limitation(scope=videoTranscodeTarget&scopeName=h264&scopeType=videoCodec&context=all&protocol=http&type=upperBound&name=video.height&value=3840)+add-limitation(scope=videoTranscodeTarget&scopeName=hevc&scopeType=videoCodec&context=all&protocol=http&type=upperBound&name=video.bitDepth&value=10)+add-transcode-target-settings(type=videoProfile&context=all&protocol=http&CopyMatroskaAttachments=true)+add-settings(DirectPlayStreamSelection=true)
Jun 06, 2025 13:28:23.099 [128926128675640] DEBUG - [Req#55325] TranscodeUniversalRequest: using augmented profile Generic
Jun 06, 2025 13:28:23.099 [128926128675640] DEBUG - [Req#55325] Downloading document http://127.0.0.1:xxxxx/library/metadata/14845?includeBandwidths=1&offset=-1&X-Plex-Incomplete-Segments=1&X-Plex-Session-Identifier=cec2013a02942998-com-plexapp-android
Jun 06, 2025 13:28:23.139 [128926128675640] DEBUG - [Req#55325] MDE: Sinners (2025): Direct Play is disabled
Jun 06, 2025 13:28:23.139 [128926128675640] DEBUG - [Req#55325] MDE: Sinners (2025): no direct play video profile exists for http/mkv/hevc
Jun 06, 2025 13:28:23.139 [128926128675640] DEBUG - [Req#55325] MDE: Sinners (2025): no direct play video profile exists for http/mkv/hevc/eac3
Jun 06, 2025 13:28:23.139 [128926128675640] DEBUG - [Req#55325] MDE: Sinners (2025): Audio Direct Streaming is disabled, so video's audio stream will be transcoded
Jun 06, 2025 13:28:23.140 [128926128675640] DEBUG - [Req#55325] MDE: Cannot direct stream audio stream due to profile or setting limitations

[ArthurZey]

I gave it three months. I tried valiantly to endure bug after bug and limitation after limitation, but I’ve lost track of all the problems. I found myself aggravated and enraged every single time I used the app. I was able to play content less than half the time. I’m so disappointed. I finally gave in and downgraded to the last version before this new experience.

As a product manager–and a huge fan of Plex in general–this whole thing has deeply hurt my soul.

[MovieFan]

Sorry to hear. I never figured out why your downloads were go large. For the playback issue, I think I know what was causing that. In your logs, it showed the playback decision for your downloaded content to burn in the subtitles. Obviously that isn’t going to work with the mobile app. This was an old bug in the original app, I wonder if they forgot to carry the fix over to the new app.

[dustbin]

v2025.21.0 seems to work kind of? Pixel 9 Pro, Android 16.

Most files download without transcoding.

However, EAC3 JOC and TrueHD (Atmos) files transcode before downloading. The logs state no direct play video profile exists for mkv/hevc/eac3 or mkv/hevc/truehd

[michellejs87]

Has anybody had any luck figuring out the issue here. I too am seeing the same - episodes with file sizes of 470MB taking 6.5GB of space when downloaded. I have tried reverting to the old version of the app and it is no different?

[maronism]

What’s going on with this? The “new” Android client is garbage. Still don’t understand why the urge to constantly break the player experience.