I have an LG 75SJ8570 television, which, via DLNA from my Plex server (Version 3.31.1) can stream HEVC encoded 4K content (45.0 Mbps bit rate) without issue, but when the same file is played on the same TV, off the the same server via the Plex app, it cannot be played for more than 5 seconds without stuttering/pausing/stopping. I assume there is a Direct Stream vs Transcode issue at the heart of this, but is there a way to force Plex to know my TV’s capabilities, so I can use the far friendlier Plex interface, rather than shuffling through the LG’s interface, which is just traversing my Plex folder structures?
which differentiates my TV when played via its native app via the Plex app, but I do not know how to decipher or copy its settings to the app side for proper playback.
If you want to know it it truly is a transkoding issue, you could login to your server using WebApp, while the TV uses the PlaxApp to stream media. Using the WebApp at Status->Current Playback (See Screenshot), when hovering th cursor above the relevant playback, you can see if transkoding happens and how.
Then, what app are you using with your TV? The LG PlexApp (is there a LG App?) or do you use something different?
Well although your TV when using the LG Plex App (2, Screenshot) also uses Direct Stream, therefore no actual Transkoding should be in effect, your Conversion is throttled.
I’m not realy sure if this refers to either your Server bottlenecking the transkoding (e.g. CPU) or if this refers to a limitation in bandwidth. If the later one applies, it obviously shoouldn’t be due to your network, since it works in the DLNA onfiguration. Please check, if when you use the LG Plex App, your client is recogniced as in the same network as the server and therefore is treaded as a local device. If not, it might be possible, the server applies a upstream bandwidht limitation and therefore has to transkode the video to a lowe bitstream, so it fits your limitation.
Another possible reason might be (and this is just a wild guess) there do apply different rules to DLNA streams … As I said wild guess.
thanks for you continued help RaEyE - i have verified that plex is providing the file over dlna and plex app via the local network, so i have no idea why it feels the need to transcode/throttle in the latter scenario.
i’m actually considering spending upwards of a thousand dollars on a NAS so i can keep all my media in one interface, not have to pop out into a dlna client just for 4K, which, i have to admit, is sorta crazy.
Using which container (mkv / mp4 / …) and video-format (h.264 / VC-1 / …) / audio-format (MP3 / AAC / …) did you store the move on your server? Please provide a screenshot of the information isted at plex.
By chance, you don’t have a RPi / Roku or similar (or Laptop) at hand that runs a plex app?
Last thing I could think of is, your TV is capable of of playing mkv/h264/AC3.
DLNA directly represents the file to the TV, therefore its perfectly fine played.
The PlexApp on your TV on the other hand does, due to what reason ever, not recognice the capabilities of your TV corectly and therefore the server does some transcoding (whatever it does transcode).
I’d like to know if this also happens with other players using a PlexApp, be it a RPi, Roku or Laptop. Basically any device not being the TV itself, and running an official Plex Player Application. Obviously it should then be connected to the TV, so the display will be recognized as 3840x2160px.
If the same behaviour occures, last resort, ask the devs.
