Only sound when playing video in a photo library

Plex Players Mobile Devices
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1

Server Version#: 1.25.3.5409
Player Version#: 8.28.0.30077

Since a few days/weeks when trying to watch a video (MP4, H264) in a photo library, only sound is being played while the prefetch circle keeps spinning over the whole lenght of the video. This is happening on both, Plex app for Android mobile devices as well as the Android-TV app version on my 2019 Shield Pro, in local network as well as remote streaming and direct playing as well as transcoding.

After copying the same MP4 file to a movie library, the playback works without issues on all devices. Also, the same files can be streamed using the web client flawless as well (also when watching it inside of a photo library).

Anybody experiencing the same issue? Any idea how to solve it?

Thanks in advance,
Dan

5 Likes
2

Exactly the same issue hereā€¦ Since a few weeks this started to become a problem.
My Plex server is on a Synology DS220+ Nas. Playing videos from the photo library doesnā€™t work, while it did work a few weeks back. Only video sound is playing, while the video thumbnail with a loading circle is displayed.
Playing from both the Android app on a Shield Pro 2019 and on my Android phone.
I tried every combination in playback settings, from lowest to original quality, but nothing worked.
I really hope this problem can be fixed soon, because it is starting to get annoyingā€¦

If other people experience the same problem, please report you issue as well!

Dion

3

Yep, exactly the same issue here.

Home videos (in the Photos section/library) play fine in Plex Web.

On Android (mobile app or Nvidia Shield app) only the sound plays. Video does not play - Plex simply displays the video thumbnail and a spinning/buffering circle.

Plex logs do not seem to indicate any obvious errors or issues with playback.

Has anyone else seen this? Only started to happen recently.

1 Like
4

I tried some previous versions of the app, and the 8.28.0.29906 version is where it stops working. See the attached Screenshot of the versions that I tried.
Gonna stick to that older version for now, hoping the problem will get fixed soon.

SmartSelect_20220118-011317_Chrome
SmartSelect_20220118-011317_Chrome687Ɨ728 91.7 KB

1 Like
5

Wow, thanks for testing out all those versions, much appreciated!

Is there any way to have the Plex devs informed about the issue or is this forum the only route to Plex?

6

Asustor Nimbustor 4 NAS
Server Version: 1.25.3.5409
Player Version: Sony Android

I also have been having the same problems playing back both .mp4 and .mov filmed by an iphone 8. Audio will play, video wont, prefetch circle just keeps rollingā€¦

7

I have had the same issue for a couple of weeks

photos library will play audio, but not video on cell phone videos all other libraries work fine

My main setup is a Plex DVR running on a QNAP NAS
Nvidia Shield Plex Client

I have reinstalled both the plex DVR and Client and have updated them - no effect

I have tested other clients here are my results

Channel Master CM7600 Android 7 Does Not Work
2017 Nvidia Shield Pro Android 8 and 9 Does Not Work

Roku 4 Ultra Works

Fire TV Gen 4 Stick Fire OS 7.240 Does Not Work ā€œunable to play mediaā€ error
Fire TV Gen 4 Stick Fire OS 7.242 Does Not Work no error message

The Nvidia Shield was running on Version 8 when I first encountered this - Yesterday it updated to version 9 but the problem was still there

Likewise Fire TV Gen 4 Stick had the issue before and after an update

Interestingly enough, my 8year old Roku Ultra had no issues playing videos in the photo library

likewise , If I copy videos from my photos library into a separate video library - the videos play just fine

My suspicion is the Plex Media Server is the culprit - its not handling this in Android TV devices well

The fact that various Android TV devices from version 7 to 9, from 1 year old to 6 years old tell me that its not the client that is suspect

8

where do you get older versions of the plex client you where testing ?

Also, was the server version the same for these tests ?

I tested several clients against the last and the next to last version of the Plex DVR Software - posted results

My initial thought was that the server was to blame

9

I did a little Google search ā€˜Plex app previous versionsā€™ and the first hit was a website with the list I posted before.
Also the server version did not change during testing.
You are talking about a Plex DVR version, which I do not really understand. With that, do you mean the plex server version?

10

Yes I meant the plex server version

I am narrowing the issue down to the android based clients

Tested the. Plex client on both an android tablet and android phone.

Both platforms exhibited the same issues with video playback from the photos library

However, the clients on an IPad and A windows 10 pc work just fine

I will try to submit a ticket to plex support to address this

11

Did you submit a support ticket ? Is it possible to submit a support ticket ? I canā€™t find the option. Obviously itā€™s a bug. At this point user talks are useless, we need support directly from plex. How can we achieve that ?

2 Likes
12

Same issue for me on the Nvidia Shield pro. No home movies play any more, I can only hear the sound.

13

Same issue. Downgraded to 8.27.2.29938 (downloadable from apkmirror), solved issue at the moment on my Android.

14

Having the same issue. Are Plex devs considering the issue right now?
Is there a way to downgrade version of Plex app on Xiaomi mi box S?

15

Same question for Nvidia Shield, how to downgrade ?

16

I tried to send a mail to support@plex.tv and got this immediate nice answer: This mailbox is not monitored.

Can someone from the staff at least confirm this issue is being considered and fixed soon?

17

Nice try. I canā€™t believe there is no way to submit bugs ?!

Iā€™m annoyed with that since nearly a month (see No video in android devices on my photos library)

2 Likes
18

I have the same issueā€¦ still no news how to fix on Nvidia Shield Pro? thank you kindly!!!

1 Like
19

This issue has been on going this while nowā€¦.

1 Like
20

Photos on iOS and Android do not work. I have an iPad Air 4 and Nvidia Shield Pro, neither slouches when it comes to hardware. And Plex bugs currently mean I can not use either device to view my personal videos and photos. Please Plex, can we get some acknowledgement to this issue?