Well you know. We want something to change and more control as server admins. Specifically what this thread is about. To adjust clients settings for remote quality. And after waiting for years for this we want something to happen right now. That pretty much it
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OP here:
- Server admins are upset that the current default for streaming from clients is 720p
- This causes a lot of unnecessary transcoding for users that can handle maximum quality
- We’ve been asking for years for either control over what the default is for our users, or to raise the default
- Plex team has been working on a solution that they say will be more flexible and address server admin issues without compromising on the user’s experience
- Server admins have been waiting for this solution for quite some time and still don’t know what it is
- Server admins feel like a temporary solution some time over the past 4-5 years would’ve been better than waiting for this supposed catch all solution
- Plex team maintains that work is progressing on the catch all solution and there’s no reason to implement a temporary solution
- They also won’t reveal what the catch all solution is, which is leaving admins questioning whether it will actually accomplish what they want it to
(I’m a server admin, so maybe a little biased in my tone 
)
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I strongly feel for all this. Sums it up perfectly.
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Fair request IMHO.
Let’s walk through it.
Server admins upset at 720p default.
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720p vs 1080p is immaterial – the bit rate is what matters here
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Presuming the server has full, normal, remote access – 2 Mbps clamping is insulting
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What about all the users who are in ISP-forced CGNAT that can’t get direct connections to the server and must stream through Plex.tv ? What setting do they get by default ?
( rebuttal question ONLY – i think it’s fair – let me know )
Is it Plex’s responsibility to teach the user how best to stream from your server is it your responsibility to say:
“Hey, Go into the app, Quality Settings - Remote - 20 Mbps”
[[ I’m not ducking the question but am curious about how far Plex should be reaching into what sounds like an admin decision ]]
Discussion of new (and default) app pref:
Am I correct?
- Admins want to set a “Preferred streaming quality” and “Preferred bit rate” ?
- Admins want the players to use this value unless manually set otherwise ?
If correct, What should the server defaults be (fresh out of the box) ?
Keep the app default like it is as long as us who knows what we doing. Us that ain’t behind a cgnat. Can go into the shared users control panel and change their remote streaming quality remotely on their client.
One thing I left out of the summary, is that there are a lot of buggy clients out there (Roku is a pretty bad offender) that reset the defaults that the user sets occasionally. Which means we have to reach out to our users (every few months) and guide them back to setting it to maximum. That’s after all the debugging we do when issues crop up to realize that this is what the problem is.
I don’t think its Plex’s responsibility to teach the user how to best stream from my server. I think it’s my responsibility , and I’d like the tools to do that (which was my original reasoning for making this post).
As a server admin, I’d like to be able to say that any client streaming from my server should by default use X bit rate. If the user needs to change that, they should be able to, and the server/client should remember that choice.
If we have the ability to do that, I’m OK with the default being 2Mbps out of the box.
EDIT:
There have been several requests in the thread over the years to set a minimum allowed bit rate. I think that’s a separate request that’s tangentially related. I don’t personally need that, but I think it would be helpful to those who do.
Yes, I think Plex is already deep into making a controlling Admin level decision by reducing the quality of plex content in the first place.
If my user can take a higher quality - who is Plex to down regulate it? Rather than Admins needing to support their arguments about raising limits - how about we think about why Plex still has this in the first place?
When was the last time, on any streaming device or service, you actually had to manually INCREASE your quality to get what your system was capable of?
As a user - I think that’s unheard of. A user’s system should be default play at the max or original quality. And THEN if problems exist, you turn down the quality.
Most users never think to “turn up” the quality - because that’s fairly unheard of in this space. The reverse should be happening.
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As the guy who catches all the 
around here, you’d be surprised how many DO NOT know what they’re doing in spite of their vibrato.
" I work in I.T. , I know what I’m doing "
Then they argue with me that 168.192.x.x is an RFC-1918 private LAN address. 
Also, If I were sharing from your server, Do you really think I would want you changing MY app settings ?
Umm, there’s “no”, and then there’s “Go Away”.
Sorry, but I disagree with allowing any server admin to change my app settings because that server admin does not know everyone I stream from nor do they know my Internet service details.
Example: Until recently, I had 40 Mbps (2x 20 Mbps bonded DSL).
The request to changing my streaming settings to stream from the server at 50 Mbps is unrealistic and destroys my streaming experience.
It’s my account and app that I paid for. It doesn’t belong to the server admin.
NOW IF —
If a managed user , that’s a different case . to discuss after the main details worked out.
You make a very valid point. I never thought of the user having access to other peoples servers at the same time. You are right this would cause a problem.
That’s precisely why my suggestion is to allow the user to change it to whatever they want. Let the admin set the initial default though. That’s pretty much all we ask.
I do somewhat disagree about the user having a say here, but that’s more indicative of my setup (and I have no clue what the average relationship is between server admins and their users). I manage a server for my extended family as a favor, and to a certain degree I do want to dictate certain things to them. For example, if they don’t have enough bandwidth to stream at a certain quality, I reserve the right to tell them that they can’t use the server.
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Well I would never start talking to you in 192.168.x.xx
And well I get what you saying maybe it’s alittle harsh to be able to just do that with all your users. But then atleast your home users. All my home users is people I know 100% and they the same. And I know their connection in and out and how many servers they are on. So that could work. But yeah I see if you was on my server with 40mbps with a bonded DSL connection it wouldn’t be fair I could do that to you. But the thing is if you even was remotely close to get on my server I would know exactly what your internet connection was. I would know you. Because I know all my users that’s the thing. The majority of us actually knows our users. Because we have to. Because we have to be able to drive to their homes have give them tech support because we can’t do it remotely
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The app could check a server side setting stating the minimum allowable bitrate and respect it and if that setting so happens to be original then there is no choice but to stream it at that. We already have a maximum allowable bitrate setting… it seems practical no?
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Per the user having a say in the streaming quality:
As Admin:
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We already have control over the maximums. It doesn’t matter what the user requests if it’s above our set maximum.
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If we set the Preferred, then I wouldn’t have to drive to my sister’s house and set it up.
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If one of our family/friends (which is what they are… they aren’t “Users”) can’t handle the task, then get on the phone. it works for me. I’ve sat in front of my TV and walked through the same app settings as my sister was doing remotely.
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Parents get the “House Call” because they deserve it (and there’s usually food involved )
(making another post. don’t jump yet)
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Possible App logic:
- App knows:
- Installation default = “Use Server Preferred”
- Normal list of Quality settings - Remote servers.
An actual playback exchange.
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I select a movie
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Click Play
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App sends play request and my current setting
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Server gets request:
a. Is it within the maximum ?
b. Can the request be honored otherwise (max streaming session count, etc)
c. Negotiate “Max Upload” vs “User requested”.
d. If Negotiation result is “Use Admin Default” – use Server Preferred Quality. -
Server starts playback specifying At Negotiated Rate
That could work but it could also make it worse if it ain’t devoloped correctly. Equally the manual method is more secure of succeeding right
In this logic, there is possibility for bad playback –
“Negotiated” is too fast for the player’s download speed.
Now the app’s setting must be manually set
( I don’t know if ABR would work here and resolve this. That’s a point to investigate )
ABR might actually give some positive resolving. But hard to say when we can’t test it
What @Gjedde said. I think the manual method is preferable.
In fact, I think the way it currently works is 99% great. The only problem is that right now the server admin has to reach out to the user to correct their settings when they get a new device, or their player settings get reset for whatever reason, etc…
I’d like to flip that relationship, and if the user can’t play at the default settings, let them change it if they know how, or reach out to me if they don’t.
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Can’t test ABR ? you can’t get yourself in an environment where the streaming speed is that low ?
