MacOS - Stutter on new Player / None on PMP

Plex Players Desktop Players
1

Server Version#: 1.19.1.2630
Player Version#: 1.6.5.1097 / PMP: 2.54.0
MacOS Version : 10.15.4

Every version of the new Desktop player I have tried has had stuttering during playback. It seems to happen on nearly every file I play. I have tried with both hardware acceleration on and off. It has improved bit by bit since the initial version, but it is still occurring for me. At least every couple of minutes, a quick stutter then smooth playback. The dashboard is showing either Direct Play or Direct Stream for the files.

If I use the desktop layout on PMP, I get smooth playback with no issues. I don’t use the TV mode on PMP, but I assume it’s fine also.

3 Likes
2

What are the hardware specs of your Mac?

3

It is a 27 inch Late 2013 model (iMac14,2).

Core i5 3.4GHz with 16Gb RAM.

It is odd, as everything is perfect in Desktop mode in PMP.

1 Like
4

Still happening to me on the latest version, Most noticeable on x265/HEVC content.

5

Same here. Server is Macbook Pro 17 inch 2.2 i7, playback on 2019 16 inch Macbook Pro. Stuttering once every couple of minutes. Very annoying.

6

tried to disable hardware decoding in settings?

1 Like
7

For me, it has improved significantly after a fresh install of MacOS. It was possible something running on my Mac that was causing it, It has been good for about 2 weeks now.

8

We also recently made a change that would prevent skipping during playback, especially on devices with spinning disks.

1 Like
9

Same problem here, playback on mac mini 2018, 6 core i5 and 16GB RAM.
VLC just plays fine

10

Seeing the same problem on a MacBook Retina 2017 running Mojave 10.14.6 and Plex for Mac 1.14.0.1340-0acc754c. Happens both with and without hardware decoding enabled. Seems to be exacerbated when scrolling in other apps.

Web player in Safari plays the same content smoothly.

11

Seeing the same issue on my 2019 MBP. Server and desktop apps are on the latest release, macOS 10.15.6. Plex for Mac is very laggy, but Plex Media Player is perfectly fine.

My keyboard has media controls on it, and it’s worth noting that Plex responds instantly to those keys. It’s the mouse interaction that’s slowest.

12

I’m on version 1.20.0.1406-f47a81b7 of Player for Mac and although I haven’t noticed stutter in the video itself, the UI is very laggy. Moving the window, pressing any button (pause, fullscreen, context menu) everything takes a second or two to react.

I am on a 2018 MBP with decent specs and the actual Plex Media Server is not running on this machine. My CPU %s look fine. Highest process is the player at around 24%.

Viewing Plex through the browser or using Plex Media Player in desktop mode is completely fine, though.

13

I have the same problem.
My configuration is:
Plex server on Qnap TS-451
Plex desktop on iMac late 2013 i7 with problem when starting playback.
Plex Media Player in same iMac no show this problem.

14

iMac13,2 (late 2012)
macOS 10.15.7
16GB RAM
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M 512 MB
SSD

PMS 1.20.5.3600 on Synology

Seeing stuttering/lags with video when using fullscreen in both Plex Web + Plex app or PMP. Using windowed mode is ok but with the window in maximized state or in fullscreen the video becomes laggy / stuttering. The lags are minimal but constantly and it is no joy to watch a movie in this state. So the image is not hanging for a few seconds but instead it appears as some component is struggling to keep. Which component causes this problem I don’t know.

The same video file playes fluently in IINA or QuickTime.

On a second newer mac these problems do not exist which makes me wonder if there is anything with the combination of current PMS and the graphics card of that mac or macOS Catalina that triggers this problem. This setup used to work fine in the past. It is hard to tell when this started and I am really not sure as this has been a problem for quite some time now.

15

PMS 1.24.0.1483-714cba36
Macbook Pro late 2013
Mac OS 11.0.1
16gb RAM
NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M
SSD
Server: Synology DS920+

Same problem, occurs most with HEVC but I see it with virtually any video file. Happening currently with a 480p H.264 MKV. this file is only 600mb, and this does not occur if played directly with IINA. I can not recall when this began but I don’t remember it happening prior to a few months ago- possibly around the time I upgraded to Catalina, which I have since upgraded to Big Sur. Problem seems to be alleviated by a restart but it will return after a short time (read: less than 24 hours)

Edit:
I have just downloaded the most recent version of PMP from May 26, 2020 (4.29.2) from Plex Media Player and this issue is not present. Appears to only affect the new player. I have hardware acceleration enabled on both

1 Like
16

Similar issue. Smooth playback on anything but stutter on “Plex for Mac”.
Running Server and Client on the same system.

Mac Pro (Xeon CPU 6-cores W3670 @ 3.20GHz and 16GB RAM, GT710)
Big Sur 11.1

17

Same problem here. Plex client on macOS does a terrible job playing 4K movies. With or without hardware decoding. MacBook Pro 2015 plays smoother with hardware decoding on but get’s hot. MacBook Pro 2013 doesn’t play smooth with or without hardware decoding. Infuse plays 4K smooth and the MacBooks stay cool.

Plex has work with their MacOS clients. They are terrible.

18

We identified a problem in our mpv integration that affects the efficiency of hardware decoding. I’m unsure if this is the smoking gun but it’s certainly part of that gang.

1 Like
19

Any update on this? The mouse click response time is making me sad.

(running Plex for Mac 1.31.0.2254-43df1e6e on macOS Big Sur 11.3, though this issue has been around for awhile)

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Still an issue with 4K content in Plex for Mac 1.31.1.2262-74fdc6b7. (Not sure if the issue is with 4K, HEVC, HDR, or just high bitrate content in general.) Disabling hardware decoding fixes the stuttering but uses 300% CPU or more while playing, not ideal. Guess I’ll stick to IINA for 4K for now.