Can't play downloaded video (transcoding issue?)

Plex Players Mobile Devices
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Server Version#: 1.31.1.6733
Player Version#: 9.19.1.525

I have a TV show - HEVC 10-bit with AAC audio. While connected to my Plex server and without the video downloaded, the video plays fine (video transcoded and audio direct stream).

However, I tried downloading that episode to my device (because I won’t have a connection to my server) and it can no longer play.

When I try to play from Downloads, I get “An error occurred while attempting to play this video. Please check your connection and try again.”

When I try to play from my TV Shows library, it just buffers/spins. When I check Playback Info, it says Source: Transcode (On this device) and Transcode Reason: Direct Play was attempted but failed, fallen back to transcoding. (Screenshot of Playback Info)

However, it never actually plays in Plex. If I change the settings to use an external player (e.g. VLC), the video plays just fine. I’ve tried lowering the quality in Settings > Downloads for both video and audio but that didn’t resolve the issue.

Anyone run into this issue before and have a solution?

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Maybe this is “by design.”

I was under the impression that if a file had to be transcoded to stream it, then it would be transcoded before being downloaded. However, this seems to indicate that the file is downloaded as-is (unless the download settings force the quality low enough to require transcoding).

If Plex has to transcode the file to stream it, then the Plex app on the tablet cannot play the file in its native format. Downloading the file to the tablet does not change that.

Source: HVEC Main 10 Downloads Not Working

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