Cannot play VC-1 formatted files

Plex Players Mobile Devices
1

Server Version#: Latest version
Player Version#: Latest version

I have both server and player updated to the latest current version as of this post. I noticed that my phone (S20 Ultra) will play H.264 files no problem, but with VC-1 files, there is no video. However, when I go home, the audio starts to play. I’ve reinstalled the app, reinstalled the client on my server, messed around with the app settings. I’m lost here.

1 Like
2

Playing VC-1 on a mobile phone requires that your server can transcode the video in real-time from VC-1 to H.264.

Is your server able to do that? (and fast enough?)
What kind of device is housing your server?
What type of CPU is in it?

3

I’m not sure how to check if my server is able to do that. Upload speeds are 40-50 Mbps.
It’s my main PC that’s housing my server
CPU is a Ryzen R9 3900X

4

one would think that would be adequate for the task:
Score - 32871 <—3 times what mine is
Single Thread Rating - 2729 <—twice what mine is

I can do a VC-1 transcode without too much difficulty - or at least I thought I could (even tho I recode 'em all to 264/265 upon arrival)

Is the transcoder enabled?
Server/Settings/Transcoder

5
  1. activate debug logging (not ‘verbose’!)
  2. quit Plex Server
  3. wait 1 minute
  4. start Plex Server
  5. wait 2 minutes
  6. Try to play the VC-1 encoded movie
  7. wait 3 minutes
  8. fetch log files and attach them here
6

Plex Media Server Logs_2020-07-18_12-03-04.zip (7.9 MB)

7

It looks like it is trying to Direct Play the video

Jul 18, 2020 11:56:47.706 [3156] DEBUG - Streaming Resource: Added session 0x93fa538:d8d44a0bf95d221f-com-plexapp-android
Jul 18, 2020 11:56:47.706 [3156] DEBUG - Streaming Resource: Reached Decision id=83954 codes=(MDE=1000,Direct play OK.) media=(id=79041 part=(id=79041 decision=direct play protocol=* streams=(Video=(id=17681 decision= width=1920 height=1080) Audio=(id=17682 decision= channels=0 rate=0) Subtitle=(id=17683 decision=ignore languageCode=eng location=embedded))))
Jul 18, 2020 11:56:47.707 [19860] DEBUG - Completed: [10.0.0.185:42072] 200 GET /video/:/transcode/universal/decision?advancedSubtitles=text&audioBoost=100&autoAdjustQuality=1&directPlay=1&directStream=1&directStreamAudio=1&fastSeek=1&hasMDE=1&location=lan&maxVideoBitrate=200000&mediaBufferSize=209664&mediaIndex=0&partIndex=0&path=%2Flibrary%2Fmetadata%2F83954&protocol=*&session=d8d44a0bf95d221f-com-plexapp-android&skipSubtitles=1&subtitleSize=100&videoBitrate=200000&videoQuality=100&videoResolution=3840x2160 (7 live) TLS GZIP 6ms 4762 bytes (pipelined: 1)
Jul 18, 2020 11:56:48.130 [3156] DEBUG - Request: [10.0.0.185:42074 (Subnet)] GET /library/parts/79041/1524202464/file.mkv?autoAdjustQuality=1&hasMDE=1&location=lan&mediaBufferSize=209664 (8 live) TLS Signed-in Token (range: bytes=0-) 
Jul 18, 2020 11:56:48.131 [3156] DEBUG - Content-Length of H:\Moviez\Back To The Future 1985 1080p BluRay Remux VC-1 DTS-HD MA 5.1 - KRaLiMaRKo\Back To The Future 1985 1080p BluRay Remux VC-1 DTS-HD MA 5.1 - KRaLiMaRKo.mkv is 27219958985 (of total: 27219958985).

But Direct Playing VC-1 would be only possible on the nVidia Shield.

8

Got it working. Had to play around with the transcoder settings. Thanks for the help everyone!

9

Could you please share what transcoder settings you have exactly to make it work?
Thanks!

10

Was video transcoding disabled?

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