I’ve noticed that each time I upgrade my PMS server, all my channels quit working. Today, I updated to Version 1.7.2.3878. I will get an error “channel playback unavailable”. I remove the channel, add it back, and then it is usually happy. Today, I’ve done that, but each time I try to play anything, I get “The transcoder crashed or failed to start up”. I have rebooted, removed and added the channel again, same symptom. I’m in the US, and the channel is CBS. It was working fine before I upgraded. I’m not sure what my next steps are, please advise. Thank you.
Wow. I’m glad i bought a lifetime plex pass to never get a response. This issue is STILL occurring. I upgraded plex today to 1.7.3.3937 and yet again, none of my channels work. What is the deal here. I’m getting really annoyed that 1) I paid for a lifetime plex pass (and nobody answers my question) and 2) that this has been posted since JUNE 1st and still nothing. Wow.
We do not make channels. Channels are free and created by users. If you are having issue with channels that you use suggest posting in the channel forum and look for the threads made by the user who made those channels if they decided to make a forum thread for them. the channel section of forums is here https://forums.plex.tv/categories/plex-channels
Thanks for the information, but it still seems a bit suspect that every single time I have to upgrade plex, every channel breaks. Then I have to remove and re-add them and they work fine. I don’ think it’s a channel issue, it seems to me something that plex does during the upgrade process creates the condition. I still think plex should take responsbility and determine why that occurs, or just remove support if “you don’t make the channels” because from an end-user perspective, its a poor experience.
I have two channels I use all the time, and I’ve never had them break during an upgrade - probably because those authors have done their homework and used hooks that are stable and not likely to change. Other authors might not be so careful. It’s the responsibility of the channel author to keep up with changes in the Plex Server, not the other way around.
Or, there is something unique with your configuration that has problems with the upgrade process. Only way to tell that is to check logs before and after the upgrade and see what’s going on.
Glad you’re having a better experience, I am not. The channels I’m using are just the standard abc/cbs/fox type channels. Like I said, they only break when I upgrade plex. If I remove and re-add them after upgrade, they work again without issue or update. Somethings definitely odd. I did a google search, I found a ton of others having the same issue. It’s not isolated.
If you are on a Plex Pass release, and the channel authors haven’t updated their channels for it, that might be part of the problem as well.
Unsure, but if they hadn’t updated thier channel, I would wonder why it works again once i delete it and add it back. It’s been occuring for quite a while, I just finally got tired of dealing with it. Its fine if you only have one or two, but I typically have about 10-15 channels and having to remove/re-add them every time I update gets a bit cumbersome.
There might be something specific with the channel that can’t handle the upgrade process for the newer releases. The best place to ask is on the individual channel threads, because the author is really the only one that will be able to determine the exact problem.
Why doesnt someone list a channel they know works after upgrading and the let the op try that channel and see. If it works then you know its the other ones that are bad if it breaks then something particular with that op setup.
