Feature request: Detect unsupported codec on Xbox One X and fall back to transcoding

[virtualw0lf]

I’ve come across the occasional video where when I try to play it via Plex on the Xbox One X, I get the audio playing but no video, but it works quite happily on my iPad. If I turn off Direct Play in Plex’s settings on the Xbox app to have the server transcode it, it works fine.

From what I’ve read it seems like this means it’s a codec that’s not supported by the Xbox, though in VLC comparing one that works and one that doesn’t, they’re extremely similar, with only “Decoded format” (in that it’s missing from one) and a couple of the colour details differing.

This one gives me audio but a black screen:

This plays perfectly:

But regardless of that, it’d be really nice if the Plex app on the Xbox One could detect that it can’t play back the format and would automatically fall back to transcoding, instead of me wondering why I’m getting a black screen, then having to go back to Settings and temporarily disable Direct Play.

Server Version#: 1.20.4.3517
Player Version#: 10.0.19041.5082

[Moussa]

Hi there, thanks for the report!

Issues like this are always interesting. The reason we can’t fall back to transcoding in situations like this is because as far as we’re aware the video is playing just fine! The player framework on the Xbox might be freaking out internally but it doesn’t throw any errors to us and reports playback progress as normal. This is one of those cases where we have to know what to look for in the offending file to avoid attempting to direct play it. Thanks for the media info, looking into it.

[virtualw0lf]

Ah, that’s a bummer! I can upload the file somewhere and send you a link to it via PM or email or whatever if it’d help?

[Moussa]

Yep, that would be helpful.

[virtualw0lf]

You have a DM.

We received our shiny new Xbox Series X yesterday so I gave the file in question another try just on the off chance something changed, but it made no difference, sadly.