The new Enhanced Video Player is no longer Direct Playing video on the Apple TV for me. It’s now transcoding videos with the MKV container to MPEGTS. Audio and video are still direct streaming though. I looked through my playback history and it seems to have broken around two weeks ago. I’ve used the enhanced player since it was added to the Apple TV player beta and direct play worked up until two weeks ago. I tried replaying a video that previously direct played and it’s now direct streaming. Direct Play with the enhanced player is still working on the iOS beta.
It’s not that big of a deal but I just don’t understand what caused it to suddenly stop working on the Apple TV.
Edit: I think I just figured it out. It seems to be caused by using Apple HomePods as the audio output on the Apple TV. I got HomePods a two weeks ago and started using them as my audio output. If I switch the output back to HDMI Direct Play starts working again.
That leads me to another bug I’ve noticed. If the Apple TV goes to sleep, when I wake it up audio won’t output to the HomePods from Plex unless I switch the audio output in the Apple TV system settings to HDMI and then back to the HomePods. This isn’t an issue for any other video players on the Apple TV in my experience. I can wake the Apple TV and play Netflix/HBO/Hulu/Prime Video and the audio outputs to the HomePods fine without having to switch the inputs.
Same problem here, I can no longer set the playback to anything other than 8mbs 1080p, any attempt to do so anywhere it is possible to do so (in settings, before playback on a specific movie or during movie playback) just reverts to 8mbs. Latest AppleTV OS 4k and Latest Plex Pass Beta Player with advanced player turned on.
Was working until a few days ago.
Sorry @mrow about those issues. I think the first one (Direct Play disabled with the enhanced player) should be fixed in the last beta. Accidentally, probably Let me know if it works.
Regarding the second issue, it’s probably another issue we have fixed but won’t be out until the next release.
@Twylyte I don’t understand the problem you’re describing, sorry. Could you rephrase it?
I just looked through my playback history it does appear to be fixed. Everything since the most recent Apple TV beta was released has played back via Direct Play. Thanks!
Fingers crossed you’ve fixed the sound issue after resuming from sleep. It’s incredibly annoying!
When using Apple TV 4k version 12.1.2 with Plex App (Plex pass) v1.37 (11125) I cannot set playback to anything higher than 8Mbs 1080p - any attempt to do so, anywhere, will revert to 8Mbs 1080p, So, I cannot playback 4k or 4k HDR and even my high quality HD properly. It all looks quite horrid. Server and all devices are up to date in so far as they will let me Plex Server is 1.14.1.5488
Tried everything imaginable (other than summoning a demon). Even removed TV OS App and reinstalled from scratch.
In fact the weirdest symptom is that setting the user settings to maximum then moving to a different tab and back again sees the Maximum revert to 8Mb/s immediately.
My Samsung TV App will play 4k but not HDR! Which will then degrade to 8mbs to. Makes me feel more and more this is server end.
@Twylyte could you reproduce the issue (setting maximum quality, then play 4K video) and immediately after share both the app logs and server logs with us?
I can’t set maximum quality, it reverts immediately, there is no way to get Apple TV 4k Plex App to play more than 8Mbs it reverts instantly (or ignores my change) no matter which method I use (before film, in film or in settings). Not sure how else I can explain this, I might get some photos or a video for you?
Has this new version you were referencing been released yet? Because the latest beta I downloaded a few days ago introduced a new issue with audio output to HomePods. After installing the newest beta the audio had a slight echo. Not a huge one but enough to make it unwatchable. I was able to eliminate the echo by going into the Apple TV system settings and manually setting the sound output to stereo (it’s auto by default). However that did not fix another problem where the audio sync is off between the HomePods and a second speaker I AirPlay the audio from my Apple TV to. There is a half a second to one second delay between the audio to the HomePods and to the second speaker.
I know that these sound like issues with AirPlay and the Apple TV but Plex is literally the only app I have these issues with. All other apps that output audio and/or video do not have any problems whatsoever.
EDIT: also, just tested playback with Infuse connected to my Plex library and it plays perfectly. This issue exists only in the first party Plex app. This is incredibly frustrating. Plex needs to just throw out their existing Apple TV codebase and buy Infuse and make it their Apple TV app.
@sergiou87 I experienced what may be the same thing last night. I could navigate to the original quality menu choice but I could not actually select it. It stayed stuck on 1080p quality.
~On the plus side I solved it, on the down side DOH, on the other side why on earth couldn’t anyone here have suggested I check it? No idea when it was set but Setting > Remote Access > Limit remote stream bitrate was the issue
Sadly after magaing to get all the server settings (and now client) to stay on maximum i still get an automatic transcode occuring… I will continue to endeavour!
Let me know if it works.
