Playback Error. Content unavailable

Plex Media Server
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Server Version#: Version 1.24.4.5081
Player Version#: Plex for Mac Version 1.37.0.2706-5b2cfe50 (but also Web on Chrome, and iOS)

I’m honestly not sure which is the best place to post this. I was watching a show on Plex on my Apple TV 4K (first version), and I stopped viewing on this device and then went to view on Plex on my Chrome Browser (Windows), and the same show I had just been watching gave this simple error of Playback Error. Content unavailable.

I then went to my Macbook and tried Plex for Mac, and the same error. Also got the error on 2 or 3 other shows, but most of my content seems to play alright.

I tried moving and moving back the show file and updating library a couple times, but same issue.

Oddly enough, on iOS on my iPhone, I can play all these shows that I couldn’t on Web/Chrome and Plex for Mac. I have not tried again on the Apple TV.

Screenshot from Plex for Mac:

Screen Shot 2021-11-12 at 1.33.20 PM
Screen Shot 2021-11-12 at 1.33.20 PM909×550 8.62 KB

Thanks for any help that can be offered! Should I upload any logs? (player or server)

Edit: I need to add one more symptom: I can see all my music playlists, I can click the play button from the middle of the square image of different album covers, but if I tryto click in and view the playlist itself, I get an error.

2

I’m having the same issue… only random files which are not in the same location. Other files stored within same folders playback just fine, but certain files will not play. They do play in VLC, so I know they aren’t corrupt.
I can also not delete the file/movie from my library. the actual file gets moved to the trash, but it remains in the library… and if i move it back to either the same folder, or another, it matches it to the previous movie in database and will not play.
I’ve tried getting a different file of the same movie, but when it’s matched in the library as a duplicate with the version that won’t play, it also won’t play. Then, if I try to “split apart” neither of the movies will play! So frustrating… any ideas?Plex Media Server Logs_2021-11-12_15-41-00.zip (3.9 MB)

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I solved the problem, though I don’t know what the problem is/was.

I just restored the PMS configuration folder in Application Support, pulling up a backup from 2 weeks ago.

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Not sure how to do that… would you mind explaining what you did? Much appreciated…

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Do you create and keep regular backups of your Plex computer?

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It’s set to backup every 3 days in scheduled tasks, but ive never tried to restore a previous backup. I also have time machine backups.

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I would pull a time machine backup of the plex directory from several weeks ago, thats what schmoppa probably did.

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That is correct, I just pulled a backup of my PMS config directory from Time Machine. Lost a bit of playback history but I don’t care too much about that. I suppose I could have grabbed something more recent but I didn’t feel like mucking around. My config directory was about 20GB so it took a while to restore.

I found my directory using this guide: Where is the Plex Media Server data directory located? | Plex Support

I wish I knew what happened, to try and avoid that, but it’s good to be back to normal.

I need to add one more symptom that is also corrected: I could see all my music playlists, I could click the play button from the middle of the square image of different album covers, but if I tried to click in and view the playlist itself, I got an error. I never tried adding more music to a playlist I don’t think.

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