High Buffering of Large MKV files

Plex Media Server Desktops & Laptops
1

Server Version#: 3.69.1
Player Version#: 3.80.1

Hi,
I’m using my DELL i7-4510U @2.00 GHZ x64 laptop as a streamer.
It is connected by LAN/ethernet cable to the internet. Small size video files play fine without any issues/buffering.
While watching Lord of the Rings Extended (1080p) for example, the file size is between 25-30GB, and buffering happens every minute of so…
I have the Plex server on my laptop and my 4K LG Smart TV (webos 3.5) is using Plex to play the movies.
Again, smaller size files work perfectly, larger ones (25+) have massive buffering. My internet speed is very decent, so I don’t know what is the issue…
Is my laptop not “strong” enough? Should I try lowering the image quality of the movie?
I’m posting this after searching for a solution and not finding one that works…
Thanks.

2

The rule of thumb is to have files that can direct play on the device being used. With that said no one can give an answer to your problem because there isn’t much here to go on. I don’t know much about LG’s and the codecs they support and don’t know what the movie file video and audio codecs are either.

I have a Samsung tv and have buffering issues when I play files with DTS or TrueHD audio. The TV doesn’t support that format. So I optimize the file with Plex so I can direct Play the video so I have no buffering issues anymore.

Relying on the PMS to transcode or direct stream will probably always be an issue. Those will always be at the mercy of things outside of Plex’s control (i.e. your network). Wireless could have traffic or signal issues and wired connections would be perfect but TV manufacturers are dumb enough to still equip there TV’s with 100 mb lans instead of going to the Gig.

3

Need some additional information to help you diagnose the problem.

  1. What version of Plex Media Server are you using?
    It will be something like 1.13.xxx or 1.14.yyy, not 3.69.1. You can find the version via Plex Web: https://app.plex.tv/desktop#!/settings/devices/pms

  2. Are you using subtitles? If so, turn them off. Any difference?
    The Plex app on LG TVs does not play nice with image based subtitles found on Blu-rays (PGS format) and DVDs (VOBSUB format). It does play nice with SRT subtitles which are text based. Using PGS/VOBSUB subtitles will cause PMS to transcode the video. This will spike your CPU and can cause buffering.

Edit:
2a. What audio track are you using? If using TrueHD or dts-HD MA then try AC3 or AAC if available. The TV may not support TrueHD or dts-HD MA codecs.

  1. Is the video transcoding during playback?
    While playing the video on the LG TV, look at Status -> Now Playing via Plex Web, https://app.plex.tv/desktop.

  2. Please attach the Plex XML info for the movie.
    See Investigate Media Information and Formats for instructions, including screenshots, on how to gather the information.

  3. How is the LG TV connected to your network - wired/wireless?
    Is it connected to the same router as your laptop running PMS?

4

This topic was automatically closed 90 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.