Plex DVR Recordings Jitter/Stutter on a particular new Samsung TV

Plex Players Smart TVs
1

Server Version#: 18.1.1973
Player Version#: 4.5.1
TV=UN65nu8000
All Ethernet 100Mbit/gigabit
NAS idling during regular direct playback

  • DVR recordings problem only on Samsung Noted here. (FYI tuner is HDHomerun Extend)
  • Turning on subtitles or forcing to lower resolution on TV will make smooth playback.

Other files including much higher resolution play fine on un65nu8000.

Does that mean when “transcoding“ it is smooth? Same DVR files that jitter on un65nu8000 will play fine on other TVs and devices.

What can I do? Any suggestions?

2

Can you post the XML info on one of the recordings that exhibits this behavior?

3

Whoops sorry about that. Yup. The pics were from a different show than logs (discovered this screen later sorry) but with subtitles plays smooth, the other is jittery.

IMG_8051
IMG_8051816×612 130 KB
IMG_8053
IMG_8053816×612 123 KB
Good Place s4e5 xml jittery.txt (3.4 KB) jitters and stutters.mov.zip (14.2 MB) Plex Media Server Logs_2019-10-26_10-51-30.zip (2.7 MB)

4

Ok I did some more testing. The Samsung Plex player noted in this thread is definitely not working properly for DVR recordings.

I played the same Video that is jittery via the built in Plex app on the TV in question but instead from an Xbox One Plex player Plugged into that TV.

Result? The video plays fine via the Xbox Plex player app. So yes the problem is with the Plex player on the TV itself.

Additionally, the Samsung Plex player app does not respond properly on DVR recordings to skipping back and forward (the 30s skip sort of thing) or scanning. Eg I tell it to skip back and it skips forward.

BUT video not from DVR all work and respond fine. Is it a format thing from the Plex server?.

ARGH!! Am I alone in this twilight zone?

5

So Waited for Hopeful Updates but this is still is a problem:

DVR recorded video stutter / jitter remains. (not pixelated)

I can make it look just fine if I turn on subtitles or lower from original resolution (does that force transcoding??)

Bad on:

  • Samsung UN65NU8000TV Player 4.17.1 (Tizen 4.0)
  • Better but not perfect on Mac VLC 3.0.8 Mac OS 10.14.6 (Mojave)

Video Perfect Playback on:

  • Web Browser Player Mac v. 4.18.1 (Mac OS 10.14.6 (Mojave))
  • Xbox One Player v. 2.46.1.70
  • Plex for Mac Client v. 1.4.1.940-574c2fa7 (Mac OS 10.14.6 (Mojave))
  • 2015 UN32J4303 Samsung TV ‘Orca’(?) Player v. 2.012
  • all iOS devices (WiFi of course here)

All via internal Ethernet 100Mbit/gigabit
Synology DS 415+ NAS idling during regular direct playback
HDHomerun Extend 1055B9B5 v. 20190621(2 tuner with hardware encoding) - Currently set to Heavy encoding but tried all of them

ARE YOU READY FOR THIS? Recorded Video is FINE/OK from CBC but the other 5 stations are jittery only when recorded. Are broadcasts different between stations?

LIVE TV is FINE on all stations via all Plex players and via HDHomerun software.

  • All transmitters are on same hill in my city and relatively close.
  • I have direct line of site and big antenna on top of house.
  • TV shows signal strength of all of them >95% so that is great.

I have TS files that play fine and TS files of those that don’t if that helps. Logs are above but I can get more if you like

6

Update: In Samsung TV Plex App - Deselecting/Turning off allow Direct Play and Direct Stream then everything plays OK (jitter gone).

ie. Forcing Transcoding this way (also adding subtitles as noted before) removes jitter.

Unfortunately it pins my little NAS CPU and making jumping forwards or back problematic and tough for more than one to watch at a time.

Grasping at straws - could it be the HDHomerun extend? I am thinking not as live TV everything is fine on the Samsung and all other devices are fine live and recorded. It is only playing recorded on the Samsung TV Plex app that is jittery.

Is this app due for an update or is there anything else I can try? Anyone? Started June (?) 2019. I recall Samsung TV app was updated (maybe?).

I included here media info scan and ffmpg scan results. I also have original .ts files if you like.

plays fine media info:
General
ID : 1 (0x1)
Complete name : /Elementary (2012) - S07E03 - The Price of Admission.ts
Format : MPEG-TS
File size : 1.07 GiB
Duration : 41mn 47s
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 3 675 Kbps
Video
ID : 256 (0x100)
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L4
Format settings : Frame doubling / CABAC / 2 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 2 frames
Frame mode : Frame doubling
Codec ID : 27
Duration : 41mn 47s
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 3 106 Kbps
Maximum bit rate : 12.0 Mbps
Width : 1 280 pixels
Height : 540 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate : 14.985 (15000/1001) fps
Standard : Component
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.300
Stream size : 928 MiB (84%)
Color range : Limited
Audio
ID : 257 (0x101)
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : AC-3
Format/Info : Audio Coding 3
Commercial name : Dolby Digital
Codec ID : 129
Duration : 41mn 47s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 384 Kbps
Channel(s) : 6 channels
Channel layout : L R C LFE Ls Rs
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Frame rate : 31.250 fps (1536 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Delay relative to video : 28ms
Stream size : 115 MiB (10%)
Language : English
Service kind : Complete Main
Text #1
ID : 256 (0x100)-CC1
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : EIA-608
Muxing mode : SCTE 128 / DTVCC Transport
Muxing mode, more info : Muxed in Video #1
Duration : 41mn 47s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Stream size : 0.00 Byte (0%)
CaptionServiceName : CC1
Text #2
ID : 256 (0x100)-CC3
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : EIA-608
Muxing mode : SCTE 128 / DTVCC Transport
Muxing mode, more info : Muxed in Video #1
Duration : 41mn 47s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Stream size : 0.00 Byte (0%)
CaptionServiceName : CC3
Text #3
ID : 256 (0x100)-1
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : EIA-708
Muxing mode : SCTE 128 / DTVCC Transport
Muxing mode, more info : Muxed in Video #1
Duration : 41mn 47s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Stream size : 0.00 Byte (0%)
Text #4
ID : 256 (0x100)-2
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : EIA-708
Muxing mode : SCTE 128 / DTVCC Transport
Muxing mode, more info : Muxed in Video #1
Duration : 41mn 47s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Stream size : 0.00 Byte (0%)
Text #5
ID : 256 (0x100)-3
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : EIA-708
Muxing mode : SCTE 128 / DTVCC Transport
Muxing mode, more info : Muxed in Video #1
Duration : 41mn 47s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Stream size : 0.00 Byte (0%)
Text #6
ID : 256 (0x100)-4
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : EIA-708
Muxing mode : SCTE 128 / DTVCC Transport
Muxing mode, more info : Muxed in Video #1
Duration : 41mn 47s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Stream size : 0.00 Byte (0%)
Text #7
ID : 256 (0x100)-5
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : EIA-708
Muxing mode : SCTE 128 / DTVCC Transport
Muxing mode, more info : Muxed in Video #1
Duration : 41mn 47s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Stream size : 0.00 Byte (0%)
Text #8
ID : 256 (0x100)-6
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : EIA-708
Muxing mode : SCTE 128 / DTVCC Transport
Muxing mode, more info : Muxed in Video #1
Duration : 41mn 47s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Stream size : 0.00 Byte (0%)
Menu
ID : 4096 (0x1000)
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Duration : 41mn 47s
List : 256 (0x100) (AVC) / 257 (0x101) (AC-3, English)
Language : / English
Service name : Service01
Service provider : FFmpeg
Service type : digital television

plays OK scan results: ffmpeg -xerror -v error -i “$media_file” -f null -
Other parts of script but essentially the command scans video media for errors (local references removed)
produces the following:
Validating ‘Elementary (2012) - S07E03 - The Price of Admission.ts’
[null @ 0x7fc7a480f600] Application provided invalid, non monotonically increasing dts to muxer in stream 0: 8707 >= 8706
[null @ 0x7fc7a480f600] Application provided invalid, non monotonically increasing dts to muxer in stream 0: 8707 >= 8707
many more of the same then:
h264 @ 0x7fc7a4803200] co located POCs unavailable
[h264 @ 0x7fc7a4803800] co located POCs unavailable

Plays jittery media info:
General
ID : 1 (0x1)
Complete name : /Elementary (2012) - S07E04 - Red Light Green Light.ts
Format : MPEG-TS
File size : 1.09 GiB
Duration : 42mn 21s
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 3 697 Kbps
Law rating : None
Video
ID : 256 (0x100)
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L4
Format settings : Frame doubling / CABAC / 2 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 2 frames
Frame mode : Frame doubling
Codec ID : 27
Duration : 42mn 23s
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 3 126 Kbps
Maximum bit rate : 12.0 Mbps
Width : 1 280 pixels
Height : 540 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate : 14.985 (15000/1001) fps
Standard : Component
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.302
Stream size : 948 MiB (85%)
Color range : Limited
Audio
ID : 257 (0x101)
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : AC-3
Format/Info : Audio Coding 3
Commercial name : Dolby Digital
Codec ID : 129
Duration : 42mn 22s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 384 Kbps
Channel(s) : 6 channels
Channel layout : L R C LFE Ls Rs
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Frame rate : 31.250 fps (1536 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Delay relative to video : 8ms
Stream size : 116 MiB (10%)
Language : English
Service kind : Complete Main
Text #1
ID : 256 (0x100)-CC1
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : EIA-608
Muxing mode : SCTE 128 / DTVCC Transport
Muxing mode, more info : Muxed in Video #1
Duration : 42mn 23s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Stream size : 0.00 Byte (0%)
CaptionServiceName : CC1
Text #2
ID : 256 (0x100)-CC3
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : EIA-608
Muxing mode : SCTE 128 / DTVCC Transport
Muxing mode, more info : Muxed in Video #1
Duration : 42mn 23s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Stream size : 0.00 Byte (0%)
CaptionServiceName : CC3
Text #3
ID : 256 (0x100)-1
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : EIA-708
Muxing mode : SCTE 128 / DTVCC Transport
Muxing mode, more info : Muxed in Video #1
Duration : 42mn 23s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Stream size : 0.00 Byte (0%)
Text #4
ID : 256 (0x100)-2
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : EIA-708
Muxing mode : SCTE 128 / DTVCC Transport
Muxing mode, more info : Muxed in Video #1
Duration : 42mn 23s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Stream size : 0.00 Byte (0%)
Text #5
ID : 256 (0x100)-3
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : EIA-708
Muxing mode : SCTE 128 / DTVCC Transport
Muxing mode, more info : Muxed in Video #1
Duration : 42mn 23s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Stream size : 0.00 Byte (0%)
Text #6
ID : 256 (0x100)-4
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : EIA-708
Muxing mode : SCTE 128 / DTVCC Transport
Muxing mode, more info : Muxed in Video #1
Duration : 42mn 23s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Stream size : 0.00 Byte (0%)
Text #7
ID : 256 (0x100)-5
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : EIA-708
Muxing mode : SCTE 128 / DTVCC Transport
Muxing mode, more info : Muxed in Video #1
Duration : 42mn 23s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Stream size : 0.00 Byte (0%)
Text #8
ID : 256 (0x100)-6
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : EIA-708
Muxing mode : SCTE 128 / DTVCC Transport
Muxing mode, more info : Muxed in Video #1
Duration : 42mn 23s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Stream size : 0.00 Byte (0%
Menu
ID : 4096 (0x1000)
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Duration : 42mn 21s
List : 256 (0x100) (AVC) / 257 (0x101) (AC-3, English)
Language : / English
Service name : Service01
Service provider : FFmpeg
Service type : digital television
Law rating : None

plays Jittery scan results: ffmpeg -xerror -v error -i “$media_file” -f null -
Other parts of script but essentially the command scans video media for errors (local references removed)
produces the following:
Validating ‘Elementary (2012) - S07E04 - Red Light Green Light.ts’
[null @ 0x7f8e80009200] Application provided invalid, non monotonically increasing dts to muxer in stream 0: 10820 >= 10820
[null @ 0x7f8e80009200] Application provided invalid, non monotonically increasing dts to muxer in stream 0: 10878 >= 10878
many more of the same then:
h264 @ 0x7f8e8000d200] left block unavailable for requested intra4x4 mode -1
[h264 @ 0x7f8e8000d200] error while decoding MB 12 13, bytestream 20125

TX
Ed

7

Please provide a sample file that reproduces the issue for you.

The other thing you can try is testing the file directly on the TV via a USB drive and the built in video player on the TV.

8

File jittters with USB stick plugged right into TV also. Same file jitters when playing via plex app. So it is the TV ‘playback engine’ somehow?

Here is iphone video clip of the jitter. Scrub slowly forward it looks like some frames go backwards/are out of order or something.
jitter_scrub to see frame going forwards and back in time.MOV.zip (29.7 MB)

I will try and get small segment as described above.
EDIT:
Here is the jitter sample:
jittter-sample.ts.zip (27.1 MB)

9

Soooo, anyone able to play the clip on a similar Samsung (or something else) and see the jitter?
Or play the phone video of the TV playing the video and see the jitter that way?

Is it just me?

10

Update - tried to work through Samsung but they want a service call to come out. Interesting approach as I am at a loss with that one. Same file played fine summer 2019 and not now. Physical problem unlikely

I should have asked about this earlier when in warranty, 4 mo. ago but I figured, no, it will be caught and fixed by someone. Silly me. Hmm. Disappointing

Other Suggestions?

11

Update 2 - I copied the sample video file to a USB stick and it plays fine on another older Samsung TV (and a couple non-samsung TV’s) and it plays fine there. IT seems to be either this model or this models ‘playback engine’ whatever that is or means.

I have reset to factory three times to try and make it work. It will always play jittery. Should I get a service call out from Samsung do you think? I am willing to try anything? Is the HDHomerun involved somehow? (Although then why would it play fine on so many other machines.)

Can anyone go to earlier post and download the video to a USB and try it on their Samsung? Just to give some credence that it maybe is this model/engine?

TX
Ed

12

Update 3 - I took memory stick with the sample jittery clip (see earlier post for file) to Costco and tried it on other TVs there (Guy was a Plex pass holder fan and was happy to help me out - Shout-out to other Plex Pass holders :slight_smile:

  • UN55RU8000F (newer year model of my exact TV) Still Jittery

  • Two LGs (I didn’t get their models) they play fine

What on earth is up that it plays fine on old Samsungs and every other brand of TV as well as other Plex clients on things like Xbox but it will not play on current generation of Samsung. ARGH!

13

Grasping at straws. Could it be HDHomeRun Extend?

I am currently on 20200521. I keep upgrading hoping against all hope that something will fix the jittering. Back with 20190621 it notes HDTC-2US/HDHR5-2US/HDHR5-4US: Demodulator firmware update. Related?

Buy why only on new Samsungs? Argh.

16

You could try the built-in browser for TIZEN and connect to Plex.tv. I had problem with Plex app earlier this year, same model as you. But all videos played perfectly with Plex web app in Tizen browser.

17

Did you see that?

18

Thanks. I took the idea and tried it. It still jitters.

Here is a question:
Is the DVR file being recorded and it format and details around it due to HDHomerun or Plex? or both?

19

I guess you tried with hardware encoding set to off? Maybe the HDHomerun Extend do something to your recording that your TV don’t like. Its my guess. TV player are very sensitive to h264 level and and profile. I know MpegTS are big and take a lot of space but you should try recording without transcoding on the fly just to see. Is there any Plex employee that taking care of your case by mail or anything?

20

There might be a sensitivity but all the TVs (Sony, LGs and older Samsung(Orca ver. of Plex player) and other players (iOS, Mac, PC, XBox) I have tried work OK with these Plex DVR recordings being played back on Plex Clients. It is only the newest Samsungs that jitter. I don’t know what that says about which ‘corner’ this issue belongs although i suspect it might overlap with a few.

No Plex person has reached out really for this one, unfortunately. I don’t know if sending a communication directly is OK behaviour or if that is frowned upon. I don’t want to step on any toes.

Turn off Hardware encoding? I have never touched that and since Plex and all recordings were fine at one point I didn’t think it would be involved. I will try that now.

21

Ok let me know. Its interesting cause I have exactly the same tv model as you, mine is UN55RU8000FXZC, I have the latest Plex Pass beta PMS running on macOS, and I also use PLEX DVR with HDHomerun device but I don’t have EXTEND version. It means my recording are not transcode at all, these are huge MPEG-TS who weighs maybe 5-6 GB for 1 hour and they all played correctly on PLEX for Samsung Tizen. In the EXTEND settings, I think you have different options? I read somewhere you can choose from : Heavy 1920x1080 30fps ~7Mb/s, Mobile 1280x540 30fps ~3Mb/s, Internet720 1280x540 30fps ~3Mb/s, Internet480 848x480 30fps ~2Mb/s, Internet360 640x360 30fps ~1.5Mb/s, Internet240 432x240 30fps ~1Mb/s, or Native (no transcode). I would test with Native mode and see what you get. If it works, then its your EXTEND device doing something that Samsung TV can’t manage correctly.

22

Hey there are few transcoding/encoding options in PMS. I have not played with those at all. I guess I have been lucky and things just worked for me from the get-go. (kudos to Plex developers for making it easy for me)
For testing I will try and keep to one change at a time:

  1. I have just unchecked "Use hardware-accelerated video encoding and will try that.
    PMS transcoding
    PMS transcoding984×336 348 KB
  2. I have always made the HDHomerun extend do all the work and it has not been a problem. Although I did test all the other settings some time ago It is worth another round of tests perhaps. I will next test with it set to none.
    Screen Shot 2020-06-08 at 4.25.13 PM
    Or other series of tests suggested?