Plex not automatically selecting 4k version

Plex Players Streaming Devices
1

Sort of an edge-case situation here. I have 4K HDR and 1080p versions for all of the movies in my library. While my 2017 Nvidia Shield Pro was connected to my 4K LG C9, the 4K version would automatically be selected as expected. No problems at all.

Recently however, I’ve moved my Nvidia Shield to my basement home theater, which is connected to an Epson 4010 projector. This projector supports 4K HDR, but only at 24FPS.

Because of this, despite the fact I have resolution switching enabled in the Plex settings, it seems the Plex app will not choose the 4K version if the movie has HDR.

I’ve confirmed the problem completely goes away if I change the display settings on my Shield to 4K HDR 24Hz, however I use my Shield for multiple purposes including Netflix, Youtube, and gaming (Gamestream), so leaving the display setting to 24Hz isn’t really an option.

Is there another option to force the highest quality version no matter what it perceives my display’s capabilities to be? Are there any other possible workarounds to this?

Any ideas would be appreciated!

2

Looking at the specs for your projector its Native resolution is only 1080P. While it accepts 4K as an input it’s never going to actually show you 4K. This would be why your shield is detecting it as 1080 and Plex choosing the 1080 version of a file until you manually change the resolution of the shield to the specific 4K that the projector accepts.

3

Looking at the specs for your projector its Native resolution is only 1080P. While it accepts 4K as an input it’s never going to actually show you 4K. This would be why your shield is detecting it as 1080 and Plex choosing the 1080 version of a file until you manually change the resolution of the shield to the specific 4K that the projector accepts.

Unfortunately that’s not correct. While the Epson Home Cinema 4010 4K PRO-UHD uses dual 1080P pixel shifting to achieve a 4K projection, it is certainly a 4K projector. The Shield is not detecting it as 1080P. It’s detecting it as 4K 59.940 Hz.

Again, there is no problem and Plex does select the 4K version automatically when the movie does not have HDR (since the projector only supports HDR at 24Hz). There is also no problem if I select 4K 24Hz HDR in the Shield’s display settings, but I explained that wasn’t an option, since I use the Shield for other purposes than simply watching movies.

4

If you share the Plex app logs, I can take a look however its likely that the SHIELD is detecting your projector as 1080p and then Plex thinks your better off playing the 1080p version, or because your movie uses HDR Plex is deciding you can’t play HDR and as such will prefer the non-HDR copy to avoid any issues. You can manually select a version to play via the … menu on the preplay of the video your trying to play.

Steps for fetching the logs: https://support.plex.tv/articles/201573117-android-android-tv-fire-tv-logs/

Be sure to replicate the problem before grabbing the logs.

5

I think you’ve miss understood what I’ve said. This projector has 2 1920x1080 for each color (RGB). It is a 3D display so that is most likely the reason for 2 per color instead of 1. It is 4K Compatible, meaning it supports 4K as an input not as an output.

That said, this projector only supports HDR for 4K with chroma subsampling of 4:2:2 at 4k/24p for 10 and 12 bit. everything else is SDR. except 4:2:0 at 4k/24p, that doesn’t exist. None of my 4K content would be able to display in HDR with this, it’s all 4:2:0.
image

Fun tidbit, I haven’t seen the term Compatible used since FHD was first introduced for TV’s where you’d have an HD TV that is 720 but would say it is FHD or 1080 Compatible.

6

You’ve gone from claiming in your first comment that this is a 1080P projector, and that it will never actually show me 4k, which it is factually false. There is an indisputable difference between the outputted projection when viewing 1080P vs 4K content.

Other than for the reason of just simply ragging on my projector, I have no idea why you now think chroma subsampling is of any importance here. That said, for what it’s worth, I have no idea what your content is your watching, but every single 4K movie in my Plex library I’ve tried to play so far outputs perfectly well in my projector’s HDR color mode. The projector’s signal info confirms it is a 4K HDR 10 signal, and the output resolution on the projector indicates 3840 x 2160.

Sounds like this very well reviewed projector is not for you. Thanks for all your input VTron21.

7

If you share the Plex app logs, I can take a look however its likely that the SHIELD is detecting your projector as 1080p and then Plex thinks your better off playing the 1080p version, or because your movie uses HDR Plex is deciding you can’t play HDR and as such will prefer the non-HDR copy to avoid any issues. You can manually select a version to play via the … menu on the preplay of the video your trying to play.

Steps for fetching the logs: https://support.plex.tv/articles/201573117-android-android-tv-fire-tv-logs/

Be sure to replicate the problem before grabbing the logs.

Highlighted in bold is exactly what I think the issue for sure. Attached are the logs. The first portion of the log is me simply clicking play on the movie (desired behaviour would be for the 4K HDR version to be selected, but only 1080P version is chosen).

The last portion of the logs, is me manually selecting the 4K HDR version, which my projector will automatically resolution switch to 4K 24Hz to support in HDR (picture of this also attached). It would be really nice if there was an alternative option to having to not manually select a higher quality version every time.

logs.txt (146.4 KB)

20221129_054114
20221129_054114612×816 127 KB

8

Not trying to rag on your projector… stating a fact. Its own documentation clearly states the lcd displays are 1080. But no I’d never by a projector. This is from my experience repairing them and their rear projection cousins

9

Yes, like I mentioned in my second reply to you, and will here again — two 1080p LCD displays with pixel-shifting technology to achieve 4K. A technology which outperforms many native 4K projectors.

But anyway, you’ve made your case, although unfortunately not by stating facts. You can pack up your crayons and leave this thread now.

10

Lol 2 x 1080 with fancy video processing != 4k. But hey if you don’t believe what Epson literally put on their own website as the spec of the projector :man_shrugging:

11

No idea what the hell you’re on about. I’ve never denied anything Epson “put on their own website” as the specs at all.

If you were to do some actual research you would find that a good pixel-shifting projector can have a better overall image for the price than a native 4K projector, when factoring contrast and brightness, amongst other things. The Epson 4010 is one of those projectors. Which is also why I’ll trust Projector Central’s review, and its Editor’s Choice rating far more than what you’re spouting off.

That said, it’s become clearer and clearer with each reply you’re just a troll, so this is the last reply I’ll be entertaining. Feel free to waste more of your time sh**ting on my projector, and projectors as a whole, but I won’t be be wasting any more of mine.

12

You’re trying to get something to do a thing it’s not designed to do.

From your own link…but whatever man, good luck
image

13

Ha. No I’m not at all actually, but I figured you’d want to get the last say in one way or another, so sure. Whatever you want to believe man.

In reality, all your screenshot does is actually confirm what I’ve mentioned to you now in every single reply to date. The projector supports 4K with pixel shifting, period. Whether or not you want to believe that’s true 4K or not is completely irrelevant, and I do not care.

The actual issue at hand (which was noted very early on by sixones), is that “because your movie uses HDR, Plex is deciding you can’t play HDR and as such will prefer the non-HDR copy to avoid any issues”. This is because the current display settings on my Shield are set to 4K 60Hz for gaming, Youtube, etc, but the projector only supports HDR at 30Hz or less so Plex thinks it can’t support HDR at all.

The issue completely goes away if I set the display settings of the Shield to 4K 30Hz, or 24Hz before entering Plex. There are also no issues if I manually select the higher quality 4K version in Plex. The auto resolution switch occurs, pops my projector into 4K 24Hz HDR, and the movie plays at 4K, in HDR without any issue. Period, end of story.

The point of this thread from the start was asking if there was a way to force Plex to pick the highest resolution possible, regardless of what resolution settings are present at a device level beforehand, and fully relying on the resolution switch to do what it needs to do. Not about what true 4K is, chroma subsampling, your opinions on projectors, or anything else you’ve so far brought to the table.

The only reason I’m bothering to reply to you at all now, is simply because I don’t want sixones to get sidetracked checking the logs now that you’ve successfully hijacked my thread. But good job, it seems you were successful. Way to be man, way to be.

14

Have you tried to manually play the 4k version? What happens? Can you post the xml info for your video?

Can you play the video with the Shield set to 24K and then provide the android logs?

15

Absolutely. If I manually play the 4K version, resolution switching kicks in, and things work as they should. The XML and logs are attached in this post. The logs in this post here are me having set the Shield to 24Hz before entering Plex, and simply clicking Play on a movie. The correct 4K version is selected.

Some other logs were also posted in this reply here, with what you’re looking for as well:

The first portion of the log is me simply clicking play on the movie (desired behaviour would be for the 4K HDR version to be selected, but only 1080P version is chosen).

The last portion of the logs, is me manually selecting the 4K HDR version, which my projector will automatically resolution switch to 4K 24Hz to support in HDR ← this one

2146.txt (48.1 KB)
logs2.txt (89.4 KB)

I appreciate you looking into this!

16

Got the info. Looking.

17

Any updates on this?

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