Playback error limited to FireTV on certain mkv videos

[plex77596]

Server Version#: 1.21.3.4046 on Freenas
Player Version#: 8.13.1.23036

Hello,

I am receiving this error “An error occurred while attempting to play this video. Please check your connection and try again.” on certain movies. This is while other mkv videos are working just fine on the same server through the FireTV. In the past, I would work around this issue by disabling the “Enhanced Video Player” . However this is no logger an option under the Settings → Advanced menu

This issue is limit to the FireTV. I am able to play the mvk videos on my Samsung phone running the same version of plex. Android phone Version#: 8.13.1.23036

I could just revert back to a previous version of Plex however I prefer to have a proper fix.

[plex77596]

reup… Looking for a solution on this.

[plex_user_144]

i’m having the same error and also included some logs here

[plex77596]

@PlexInfo Can you assist with this thread?

[plex77596]

I reverted back to Plex for Android 8.11.0 (post link) so that I have the ability to turn off the “Enable New Video Player” not the “Enhanced Video Player” that I presumed earlier.

I accomplished this by

• Turning off automatic updates
• Uninstalling Plex
• Installing Downloader by AFTV and Sideloading the Amazon Fire OS Devices (armv7a) apk in from the post linked above.
• Use the Amazon Fire TV app to cut and past links into the FireTV gui.
• Once installed go to Settings → Advanced → Set the Enable new video player to OFF

I look forward to @Plexinfo fixing this issue and allowing us to update our installed application for the full experience as well as security of our devices.

Here are screenshots of the menu and setting.

[plex_user_144]

thanks for sharing your findings! i followed all steps and reverted to 8.12 as well, however, i don’t have the option to change the video player in the advanced field of the settings menu

[plex77596]

While in the Plex client on the FireTV, go to settings, scroll to advanced, and look to disable the “Advanced Video Player” or “Enhanced Video Player”. The option is not under video.

I’ll double check the version and pull a screenshot of the settings menu when I get home later today.

[plex_user_144]

would be cool if you can create a screenshot. in my advanced section i have passthrough, refresh rate, resolution switch, insecure connections, h264 level, logging, crash reports and a couple of policies but no player settings.

[plex77596]

I was wrong about the plex version. I installed 8.11.0. The post above has been updated with full instructions and screenshots.

[plex_user_144]

nice! the downgrade works for me as well, it’s not even necessary to disable the new player, the films i tried just work. thank you for researching and sharing a workaround!

[Aboutbeer]

It’s beyond frustrating that this continues to be an issue but thanks so much for researching and posting this! It’s working great again, for now!

[aw_giantsfan]

Are the files with the errors in stereo, with Fire TV set to Dolby Digital Plus passthrough and HDMI passthrough in Plex?

Amazon Fire TV Cube 2nd Gen - Pass through causes failed playback

I am experiencing a related issue. In order to get surround sound, on the Fire TV Stick Lite I have to enable Dolby Digital Plus passthrough. Anything else just gives me stereo. In HBO Max and Disney Plus, I get Dolby surround. On the Apple TV app, I get no sound at all! In Plex, I have to enable passthrough to get surround sound. However, for files with AC3 mono or AC3 stereo, I get this playback error and the file won’t play at all. However, for AAC mono and AAC stereo, passthrough works and …

Also, stereo E-AC3 files won’t play.

[plex_user_144]

in the meantime plex has been updated to 8.15 in the appstore. i updated it (from 8.11 to 8.15) to see f anything has changed.

it hasn’t. also 8.15 is broken, i cannot play most movie files. turning on or off “passthrough” doesn’t have any affect.

i’ll, yet again, revert to 8.11 so i can actually watch movies with plex …

[Menel]

You guys are a life saver. Just fixed a user with this issue on 8.15, nothing would play.

Manually reverted back to 8.11

[whitffers]

Set pass through to optical then option encoding must be disabled. Make sure you uncheck the options. My problem is finally fixed

[aw_giantsfan]

Are you getting 5.1 surround audio if you uncheck the optical encoding options? If so, what are your audio settings for the Fire TV itself? Thanks.

[whitffers]

Not sure about the audio spec but my shuffle play now functions properly and all mkv files are now working on my firetv.

[ekatowitz]

I just setup a Fire Stick for the first time and was quite upset that NOTHING would play via Plex from it.

I followed the steps to downgrade the version and disabled the “New” player and it works fine now.

@Plexinfo - Why would you remove the option to use the working player when there are reports of Plex not playing content back properly with the new player?? Either fix the new player or continue giving the option for the old player. Thanks.

[LukePOLO]

There are multiple threads on this, it’s too bad they won’t fix this .

[SkyHawk_Delta]

I refuse to have to “sideload” plex in order to revert back to an older version of Plex. But now my entire library no longer plays on ANY of my Fire TV devices. Been using Plex for years, as a replacement to Kodi. Now I’m afraid I’ll be searching for a new replacement to Plex soon.