# Plex being strange again?! **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussions\ **Created:** [July 4, 2023, 5:25pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-being-strange-again/846376 "2023-07-04T17:25:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Plexihexi1231](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5fc32e/32.png) [@Plexihexi1231](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Plexihexi1231)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 5:25pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-being-strange-again/846376/1 "2023-07-04T17:25:03Z")
Hi guys, I cannot play direct @ 2 mbit/s, but I can play transcode at 4 mbit/s? Why is that? Bandwidth is not the problem apparently. Both sides have fibre. I cannot explain and figure it out for the life of me. can you give me a hint, please? ---
**Author:** ![OttoKerner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ottokerner/32/10079_2.png) [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 5:32pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-being-strange-again/846376/2 "2023-07-04T17:32:50Z")
There are other reasons for transcoding. It doesn’t always have to be lack of bandwidth. Depends a lot on the media played and the type of client and its settings. [https://support.plex.tv/articles/categories/plex-media-server/direct-play-direct-stream-transcoding/](https://support.plex.tv/articles/categories/plex-media-server/direct-play-direct-stream-transcoding/) ---
**Author:** ![Plexihexi1231](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5fc32e/32.png) [@Plexihexi1231](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Plexihexi1231)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 6:29pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-being-strange-again/846376/3 "2023-07-04T18:29:30Z")
my PC (plex for windows) can play everything. it played the same file yesterday just fine. today it struggles to play it directly, but plays the transcode at twice the bandwidth usage. I am going nuts here. bandwidth and playback compatibility is not the problem, I guess. but what could it be? ---
**Author:** ![Divideby0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/74df32/32.png) [@Divideby0](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Divideby0)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 8:20pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-being-strange-again/846376/4 "2023-07-04T20:20:45Z")
the logs of the server say why it chose to transcode instead of directplay. Consider browsing the logs, or check the console. There is a certain keyword to look for to find out why it transcoded, but I don’t know it. Hopefully someone here reads this and posts what to look for. ---
**Author:** ![FordGuy61](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/22d042/32.png) [@FordGuy61](https://forums.plex.tv/u/FordGuy61)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2023, 4:22am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-being-strange-again/846376/5 "2023-07-05T04:22:09Z")
[Reporting issues with Plex Media Server](https://support.plex.tv/articles/201643703-reporting-issues-with-plex-media-server/) 1. Make sure your server is configured with [debug logging](https://support.plex.tv/articles/201643703-reporting-issues-with-plex-media-server/#toc-1) enabled and verbose logging disabled. [Settings](https://app.plex.tv/desktop/#!/settings/web/general) → _Server\_Name_ → General + Show Advanced 2. If you change the logging level, restart Plex Media Server. 3. Re-create the problem, let it run for 20 - 30 seconds, then stop playback. 4. Wait 2 minutes for the server to log everything. 5. Pull the log files (Settings → Troubleshooting) and upload the entire ZIP file to the thread. Include the name of the file you played in your reply. ---
**Author:** ![FordGuy61](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/22d042/32.png) [@FordGuy61](https://forums.plex.tv/u/FordGuy61)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2023, 4:30am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-being-strange-again/846376/6 "2023-07-05T04:30:41Z")
> [@Divideby0](#): > > There is a certain keyword to look for to find out why it transcoded, `MDE:` Information on what is transcoded and why. `TPU:` Shows if hardware accelerated transcoding is uses and which decoder/encoder. `Reached decision` shows if the media is direct played, direct streamed, or transcoded. It also has details on the container, video & audio bitrates, formats, etc. The caveat is that the log files can be pretty cryptic. They’re written by the developers for the developers, not for end-users. They are easy to misinterpret. ---
**Author:** ![Plexihexi1231](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5fc32e/32.png) [@Plexihexi1231](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Plexihexi1231)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2023, 8:32am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-being-strange-again/846376/7 "2023-07-05T08:32:47Z")
**I** chose to transcode intentionall, because direct play would only stutter and buffer constantly. At double the bandwidth it DID transcode just fine. That will not be in the [server logs.](https://support.plex.tv/articles/200250417-plex-media-server-log-files/) I just cannot explain why it won`t direct play, but play a transcode at much higher bandwidth usage. today the same file that gave me problems yesterday, plays fine even in direct play. WHY? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2023, 8:33am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-being-strange-again/846376/8 "2023-10-03T08:33:29Z")
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