Multiple Versions: Plex selects highest quality rather than lower i.e. 4k instead of 1080 on a 1080 or 720 device

Plex Media Server Desktops & Laptops
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Server Version#: 1.24.3.5033
Player Version#: HTPC, Plex Media Player, and Web - all most recent versions
Server: Intel NUC NUC 10 NUC10i7FNH, 16GB RAM
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Internet: Gig (800-850 real-world speed)
LAN: Gig connection Server → router

I’m unsure if I placed this into the correct category so if not, please move the post as needed (apologies!). Also, I’ve searched quite a bit and can’t seem to find what I’m looking for.

I have quite a few 4k items and plenty of 1080 (high and lower bandwidth versions) and typically will create 1080 and 720 versions for the 4k items. My naming convention for multiple versions of the same movie is (all located adjacent within the same folder):

Awesome Movie (2021) -2160.mkv/mp4/etc
Awesome Movie (2021) -1080.mkv/mp4/etc
Awesome Movie (2021) -720.mkv/mp4/etc

I know the “automatically adjust quality” feature works and does a great job when I am remote however, I thought if you had a 4k version and a 1080 version of the same title the server would offer either depending on the reported capabilities and available connectivity. I can always select “Play Version” however, I thought the system would automatically play the version closest to your capabilities.

Ex: At home on my 4k system I hit play and it serves up the 4k version as evidenced through the system status and Tautulli. On my 1080p FireTV if I hit play it begins transcoding the 4k version down to 1080 and if I’m at my other place with Roku with crappy internet it’ll transcode the 4k to 720 which is not a fun experience. I thought it would offer the 1080 or 720 versions based on the player’s capabilities. Is this correct or am I misunderstanding?

If I wish to play the 1080 version of a title on my Windows-based bedroom player (Plex HTPC) I must use the “Play Version” option otherwise it begins transcoding down from 4k.

I’m not sure if there is a specific log I should cite but if so, let me know and I’ll run a test.

I also read somewhere the audio codec may cause certain things to happen therefore, all the 1080 and 720 versions of a 4k title have AAC as the first option with a second sometimes available as Auto-Passthrough but only for those with TrueHD/Atmos tracks.

I have also noticed that for those titles that I used the Plex Media Optimizer the lowered quality version was not selected automatically. I usually use the Optimizer for converting 1080 down to 720 and Handbrake for 4k to 1080.

I’ve searched and have not been able to locate another thread on this topic but if there is one please kindly point me that way - not quite sure which search terms to use or if I am simply misunderstanding how the process works.

Thanks in advance!

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I would like this as well. There are several “similar but not exactly the same” feature requests about this out there, and that’s part of the problem.

Many people don’t just have different resolutions, they have the same resolutions but different bitrates or different codecs. Choosing the default file in those situations isn’t as easy as checking max display resolution, or having a setting in the app to default to ‘1080p or lower’.

I think they should have an experimental build with this feature (outside of the beta) if the fear is ‘proper implementation’. Otherwise just implement a basic solution for the most common case (like yours) and then improve as time and testing goes on.

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I do not have this issue, the server will play the 1080p optimized version when playing a movie on a 1080p TV. I will have to check to see if this works on a Fire TV. Maybe it is a Fire TV issue.

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It used to be an Android TV issue, but I just checked my Shield on the 1080p TV in my guest room and it did automatically choose the 1080p version over the 4k one.

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I just tried my FTV 2nd gen and cube and both the server selected the optimized 1080p version. So not sure what the issue may be. On my server all the optimized files are in the same folder as the 4k movie and under the same title.

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It happens on FireTV, Roku, Web, Plex Media Player, and Plex HTPC. Oddly, Plex Media Player will play the 4k version (same LAN - shows as direct play) as evidenced through statuses from Plex and Tautulli but it displays correctly and without issue on a 1080 TV. Weird.

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A friend with Plex popped over the other day with their Shield to test it out as it was doing it to them as well when accessing my content. It too attempted to play the 4k version rather than the 1080p.

With many of you indicating this works on your system it appears it must be something with mine (and others). I’m not sure what to look for in the logs to find the spot that indicates where Plex is making the determination. Any thoughts on what to look for?

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I keep all versions in the same folder and with the same title, too. I have a bit of free time today so I’m going to do a bit more testing. I have a 47.5 Mbps, 4K HEVC Main 10 HDR version of a title with both Plex generated optimized and Handbrake generated versions that will be my guinea pig.

On the first test, using Plex-Web within Chrome the Plex-created 1080p version automatically played instead of the 4k option. FireTV just sat there with the circly bits for about three minutes then crashed returning me to the FireTV main menu, and Roku failed as it too attempted the 4k version. Plex HTPC failed however, Plex Media Player played and indicated a direct stream for 4k although it is connected to a 1080p TV,

Weird.

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I’m not sure if the client or server logs would have it (I would think the client reports capabilities and the server decides, so maybe both are needed).

Out of curiosity, have you tried a video with only a 4k and 1080p version (ie. no 720p version)? I thought I saw somewhere that more than two versions can mess up the auto selection.

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That is how I understand it: the client reports the capabilities. I have all versions of the same title within the same folder as is recommended here → Multi-Version Movies. Too, it says on the same page, “When a Plex app goes to play the collapsed item, it will automatically request and play the most suitable item by default.”. That is not happening for me for some reason.

Interestingly, after playing a 4k title in Chrome which did select the 1080p version it placed into the log named “com.plexapp.system”:

2021-09-23 13:52:48,915 (283c) : DEBUG (runtime:814) - Found route matching /system/:/prefs

This did not show in the logs for those that did not auto-select. Unsure if it’s related or not.

As I’ve ordered a NAS for storage I think what I’ll do is create separate 4k Movie and TV libraries as this seems easiest at this point. After, I think I’ll keep a couple merged on the system to investigate.

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I definitely prefer managing one library over dealing with two libraries. I’d use the filters and Smart Collections features to manage it instead - that’s my personal preference but has limited any need for multiple libraries for me.

If you have user sharing you’d want to limit though, being able to more easily limit that sharing by library would be a benefit for sure.

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I too prefer a single library however, as Plex is having issues selecting an appropriate format I don’t see any other option. I do use the Smart Collections feature extensively and have a handy 4K resolution choice available. I attempted a non-4K Smart Collection but it will still attempt to play the 4K version if available. The feature is simply not working correctly on my machine.

Limiting users’ access to a 4K library seems like the option for me.

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Yes, I have quite a few that only contain a 4K and a 1080 version but, the 4K is still selected rather than the 1080 resulting in spits and sputters for the viewer as the transcoding progresses along.

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