Original streams direct from web app but transcodes from Android app -Workaround by downgrading Plex

Plex Players Streaming Devices
1

Server Version#: 1.41.6.9685 (Linux)
Player Version#: 2025.14.0 (Android)

This has just started occurring in the last week or so, possibly since the android app updated.

An episode played from the web interface within the Chrome browser does not transcode on the server, but when the same file is played from the android app it is transcoded on the server.

Expected behaviour: The file should be played as original and not transcoded as per the settings on the server (seemingly respected by the web client but not the android app).

Why is the android app causing a difference in casting, should it not just be passing off the destination to the server?

File information:

Media
Duration 28:03
Bitrate 1393 kbps
Width 1920
Height 1080
Aspect Ratio 1.78
Video Resolution 1080p
Container MKV
Video Frame Rate 24p
Audio Profile he-aac
Video Profile main 10
Has Voice Activity true

Part
Duration 28:03
Episode01.mkv
Size 279.46 MB
Audio Profile he-aac
Container MKV
Video Profile main 10

Codec HEVC
Bitrate 1393 kbps
Bit Depth 10
Chroma Location left
Chroma Subsampling 4:2:0
Coded Height 1080
Coded Width 1920
Color Range tv
Frame Rate 23.976 fps
Height 1080
Level 4.0
Profile main 10
Ref Frames 1
Width 1920
Display Title 1080p (HEVC Main 10)
Extended Display Title 1080p (HEVC Main 10)

Codec AAC
Channels 6
Language English
Language Tag en
Audio Channel Layout 5.1
Profile he-aac
Sampling Rate 48000 Hz
Display Title English (HE-AAC 5.1)
Extended Display Title English (HE-AAC 5.1)
2

The reason why things transcode is that the target device doesn’t support playing the file natively.

It’s hard to tell what you’re looking at on your android without screenshots (of the PMS dashboard or the player). Is it transcoding to a lower resolution?

3

But it obviously does because it plays without transcoding from the web app.

Screenshots comparing Android and Web Client casting to the same Chromecast Ultra attached.

Plex Dashboard Android Client Transcoding 20250429
Plex Dashboard Android Client Transcoding 20250429608×823 58.9 KB

Plex Dashboard Web Client Not Transcoding 20250429
Plex Dashboard Web Client Not Transcoding 20250429596×839 56.3 KB

4

I’ve downgraded Plex Android to 10.26.0 and can confirm the video streams direct as it is supposed to.

The APK for the previous version can be downloaded from this link and with the number of problems this new version has I really think everyone should downgrade until it is all sorted out

Plex Dashboard Previous Android Client 10.26.0 Not Transcoding 20250429
Plex Dashboard Previous Android Client 10.26.0 Not Transcoding 20250429602×831 62.5 KB

5

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