XBOX One times out / issues a "Can’t Find Plex Server’ message
Install/uninstall of APP doesn’t work.
Leads users to believe there is an internal/external network issue
This occurred to me when upgrading from 9.14 to 9.15. It’s possible that the library structure was updated in the versions? Others had issues on initial install
PMS shows that the XBox One is connecting and it must have been ‘found’.
So to summarize what we’ve discovered:
An ‘unoptimized’ library causes XBOX One to issue a ‘Can’t Find Server Error’ when in fact the app is just timing out trying to display the library. Bad error message on the part of the developer. It leads one to believe that it’s a Network issue and causes users to follow it down a troubleshooting rathole.
The fix, optimize the library via the setting within the Library section of PMS. Restart the PLEX app on Xbox One.
Xbox does not require External Network Access nor does it require DLNA server configuration
Xbox prefers establishing a secure connection but setting it to unsecured while on the same network is probably kosher.
A couple of points to the Plex curators:
Fix the error message in the APP. It finds the server, it just can’t load the libraries within the timeout conditions. A more accurate error message could promote the solution to the problem or direct the user to the appropriate WIKI page.
Add this problem/solution to the Xbox app installation notes on the main WIKI or on the XBox One APP page
Identify whether users should issue an optimize library directive to users when upgrading between PMS versions. My optimization took seconds to run - it can’t hurt.
An ‘unoptimized’ library causes XBOX One to issue a ‘Can’t Find Server Error’ when in fact the app is just timing out trying to display the library. Bad error message on the part of the developer. It leads one to believe that it’s a Network issue and causes users to follow it down a troubleshooting rathole.
The fix, optimize the library via the setting within the Library section of PMS. Restart the PLEX app on Xbox One.
For correctness sake and to help remove some confusion:
Optimizing the library is not the fix. Optimizing the Database is **the fix. **
Home on Server Interface → Setting Cog by server name → Optimize Database
Optimizing a library creates pre-transcoded versions of the media files.
Optimizing the database cleans up the junk that accumulates.
@chuckrussell said:
3. Xbox does not require External Network Access nor does it require DLNA server configuration
None of the Plex App’s use DLNA so no they never require that. The Xbox does require External Network Access to initially pull the information for your server from Plex.TV and to validate Xbox Life. Without External Network Access for the Xbox and Remote Server being enabled for the Server it simply won’t work.
A couple of points to the Plex curators:
Fix the error message in the APP. It finds the server, it just can’t load the libraries within the timeout conditions. A more accurate error message could promote the solution to the problem or direct the user to the appropriate WIKI page.
Add this problem/solution to the Xbox app installation notes on the main WIKI or on the XBox One APP page
Identify whether users should issue an optimize library directive to users when upgrading between PMS versions. My optimization took seconds to run - it can’t hurt.
Simply, if they knew what was causing that exact error message to show up in that situation, they wouldn’t just change the error message they would fix the actual problem. Based on what is being found it is looking like a timeout caused by the server taking too long to respond after reading an un-optimized database. Previously it only occurred when trying to enter specific libraries, now it is happening during server startup which expands the number of places it can be at.
This problem and solution have actually been a part of the known issues thread since version 1.3.1 (But honestly, it’s been so long since I have seen it creep up I completely forgot about it myself until I went to edit the post last night and saw it in there already.)
Most users should automatically have their database optimized every week (It’s one of the scheduled tasks that the server butler performs). But trying to track down what causes this type of error is troublesome in that there isn’t a way for the app to see when your database was last optimized. If it is causing a timeout then the app only see’s the server not responding and can’t tell why it’s not responding (Because it’s not getting any data)
I have the same issue here.
Strangely the XBOX app does show pictures and plays music.
It simply doesn’t play video, even after optimizing the database on my ds216play.
@jjcmulder said:
I have the same issue here.
Strangely the XBOX app does show pictures and plays music.
It simply doesn’t play video, even after optimizing the database on my ds216play.
Are you getting this error when entering a library or when trying to play a video file?
It sounds like there might be an issue transcoding which currently will only be seen inside of your Plex Media Server.log that is stored on the server (your ds216play) when trying to play these files.
@skywalkr2 said:
This issue is NOT in my case due to library issues. It only impacts movies. TV shows are fine.
Those are two different libraries so one working doesn’t actually rule out a library issue with the other library. The big difference is if it happens when you enter a library or when you are trying to playback a file.
If it’s when trying to play back a file we would need to see your Plex Media Server log in order to see what is happening.
