I have Plex Media server running on a PC and I’ve shared my library with a friend. But he’s saying that everything he plays is very low quality. Is there something I need to change?
There are usually two places t look.
Firstly on the server settings make sure “Limit Remote Stream Bitrate” isn’t too restrictive.
You can set it as high as you upload allows.
Secondly, though you will need him to adjust a setting on whatever client he is using to watch your stuff.
(this is the usual culprit). You don’t say what client he is using but it the settings for it there will be a “Remote Streaming” setting. In my opinion, the default setting is far too low.
Again he needs to adjust that to find a sweet spot for your (server) upload speed and his (client) download speed.
THanks. I’ll check these out. But I don’t see this section (internet Upload Speed) on my Remote Access page.
FYI, according to the Remote Access docs, Internet upload speed and Limit remote stream bitrate require a Plex Pass.
What is your Internet upload speed? If unknown, check via speedtest.net.
Monitor playback via Plex Dashboard -> Now Playing. If the connection is displayed as Indirect instead of Remote, then your clients are connecting via Plex Relay. That means your remote access is not working correctly, so the streams pass though a server at Plex and are limited to 1 Mbps (2 Mbps w/ Plex Pass).
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Yep totally missed that.
OK thanks. I might look into getting a Plex Pass.
I have an upload speed of 95mbps
Unless you’re sharing high bit-rate media such as 4K, your connection is plenty fast, especially if you’re sharing with just one person.
As @Xhaka mentions, check the remote streaming bandwidth setting on your friend’s system. The default for most Plex clients is 4 Mbps. Unless your friend has a slow download speed, set it to Maximum. Also set Adjust Automatically = Off. Enabling it can lead to transcoding.
After checking/changing the settings, have your friend stream a video and monitor it in Plex Dashboard. It will show you if the video or audio is direct playing or transcoding.
Have them stream the video with subtitles disabled (for testing purposes). Depending on the client, subtitles can sometimes lead to transcoding.
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Thanks again for the info. Much appreciated.
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