I had high hopes for this software when I found out about it. The server is exactly what I was looking for! Unfortunately, I’m running the client from a PS3 and of course I get the 501 error when trying to use the video portion. Music works OK. My frustration is that there is already a thread about this issue, but the problem never seems to be addressed, at least what I’ve been able to find. I’ve already tried deleting the bundle directories and the same error appears. Any help or new advice about getting this error resolved would be greatly appreciated. BTW, I’m at the latest version available. Thanks in advance.
HI,
If you do a google search for DLNA 501 PS3 you'll see that error 501 seems to be Sony's "catch all" error for DLNA so its not caused by 1 thing, but any number of things that Sony are yet to define specific error codes for. This is also why is keeps coming up and never appears to be fixed, as there is no 1 fix for it and what does fix it for some, doesn't for others. It also happens on any DLNA server, not just the Plex one which means there are plenty of fixes for you to try out there on the big wide internet.
I would suggest doing that google search and trying the fixes that have worked for others, which seem to range from;
- updating your PS3 firmware
- rebooting your PS3
- letting your PS3 just sit for a while before trying to connect
- using only a single nic in your PC if you have more than 1 active
- many many more seemingly random unrelated things..
If that all sounds like an annoying pain in the A (which is does to me), have a swing by the Sony forums and try and talk them into improving their error reporting so you don't have to jump through so many hoops just to get something they sold you working as they told you it would. :)
I probably should have written that I am at the latest PS3 firmware version,have rebooted many times trying different things (server and PS3), and have only one active nic on the server and have waited for hours with no change. Also, I’m running the server on a Windows 7 Premium desktop. The Window Media Center worked just fine with the PS3, but I really wanted the video channel option that supposedly Plex has. I have since removed the Windows Media Center feature in hopes that Plex would replace it, but that doesn’t look very promising.
I really don’t think it’s a PS3 issue. It seems much more likely, because of all the complaints about the same error, that there is a bug with the Plex server. I have even turned off the Windows firewall thinking that was an issue, but same error. My son, which is 11, tells me, “just give up dad, it’s not going to work!” I tell him, “I don’t give up that easy”, but I’m running out of ideas to get it to work. 
Not sure if you have read this thread, but the final post shows that an upgrade to 0.9.6.7 fixed a similar problem for millerjn.
Yeah, like I wrote in my first post, I’m at the latest version 0.9.6.7.
Just hoping via this post someone can give me some new advice on how to get this to work with the PS3 or motivate the developers behind the software to come out with a fix build. I really feel this is a software/server issue not a PS3 issue. If this worked, it would really be a great piece of software to use with the PS3.
There are just under 1 million search results on google for this error when Plex is excluded from the search criteria. It may be a Plex bug and if it is, it'll be fixed, but if its not you are going to spend a long long time waiting for this to be fixed choosing to ignore the advice you have already been given because you believe you have narrowed it down to something instead of going out and trying some of what fixed it for those people. New advice from people guessing, won't get you as far as old advice from someone who has already fixed it.
Trudge, I'm confused by your response and tone to my post. I HAVE TRIED, NOT IGNORED the advice from the different posts per my replies and have yet to get it working. You seem very defensive and frankly annoyed about a software bug or the potential of one. I would only like to see a potentially great software application work.
It seems a bug in the application is the only thing left. By eliminating all the possibilities and trying everything that has been suggested in previous posts, not only yours, it points to the one thing I can't change, the code. BTW, do you own a PS3 and does it work for you? If so, that's a whole different story. I have yet to see a posts that says, "running the latest firmware for the PS3 and Plex, working great!!!" BTW, looking at your signature, it doesn't show you as having a PS3. May I suggest, you buy a PS3 or find a friend that has one and let me know how it works for you rather than making a bunch of assumptions. Hopefully, you've read about my setup, but to reiterate, I'm running Windows 7 Premium with the latest Plex server software. The PS3 is accessing the server via the wireless NIC in the PS3. Music works OK, video, not.
There are many people here on the forum with working DLNA PS3's - all im trying to say is don't leave all your eggs in one basket and sit back and wait as given the 501 error is a catch all, finding out the thing that fixes whatever your real issue is may be just as needle in a haystack as it seems to be by reading through all the many many varying fixes google turns up.
True I no longer own a PS3 and dont ever plan to again, but i have helped many many people here in the forums and in the chat room get them working.
Have you tried is cabled as some has suggested as fixing it?
Have you tried playing with the order in which the PS3 and the DLNA server are turned on as others have suggested fixing it?
Have you moved your server to a fix IP if it is not already as others have suggested as fixing it?
I won't be following this post any more, but i do hope you get it sorted out soon.
I am streaming video from a Plex server running on my NAS.
I have a PS3 running custom firmware so a firmware update to fix this is a no go.
I have found that I get the dreaded protocol 501 error when I try and use the PS3 to act as a DNLA client, however using the same firmware/network settings I am able to connect using multiman (an Iso manager).
This is clearly a bug with Sony’s software and nothing to do with Plex. Using Multiman fixes it for me.
So if you have jailbroken your PS3 then you are likely using multiman anyway, if you’ve not then you presumably will be happy to update the firmware!
hope that helps.
I am having the same 501 issue and have tried all of the suggested fixes with no luck. I have a fully updated stock PS3. I used TVmobili before plex and it functioned just fine but ditched it due to it’s streaming caps. Whether this is a Plex issue or PS3 issue makes no difference because either way it makes this software pretty much useless to me. I really hope this can be resolved but until then, I guess I’ll have to go to another media server software that does function correctly.
If you are trying to play media stored on your Plex server (i.e. not streaming from somewhere), can you try navigating to it by going to ‘remote video’ near the bottom of the list of folders in the Plex server on the PS3? This seems to be a workaround for a problem I am having with my PS3 client, as well as my WDTV clients.
If there are no obvious errors in the Plex DLNA Server.log, and there’s no other information to go on, I don’t honestly see how we can help.
I have the same issue, and I can clearly see the problem in my logs. My PS3 is attempting to reach my plex server via my external IP address instead of the internal IP. External IP is 71.x.x.x, internal IP is 192.x.x.x. I am able to use a plex app from android or roku to stream content from the plex server, but I don’t have any other DLNA device to test from, so I don’t know if this is a plex or PS3 issue. I assume plex is giving out the external IP to the PS3, which seems like the incorrect behavior for a device on the LAN.
Oct 02, 2012 18:07:50 [0x7f2892ffd700] DEBUG - OnBrowseMetadata for ‘bb0389f40374586b9856’ with filter ‘@id,upnp:class,res,res@protocolInfo,res@av:authenticationUri,res@size,dc:title,upnp:albumArtURI,res@dlna:ifoFileURI,res@protection,res@bitrate,res@duration,res@sampleFrequency,res@bitsPerSample,res@nrAudioChannels,res@resolution,res@colorDepth,dc:date,av:dateTime,upnp:artist,upnp:album,upnp:genre,dc:contributer,upnp:storageFree,upnp:storageUsed,upnp:originalTrackNumber,dc:publisher,dc:language,dc:region,dc:description,upnp:toc,@childCount,upnp:albumArtURI@dlna:profileID,res@dlna:cleartextSize’ and sort ‘’, paged as 0 + 1
Oct 02, 2012 18:07:50 [0x7f2892ffd700] DEBUG - Mapped client to profile PlayStation 3 using header av=5.0; cn=“Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.”; mn=“PLAYSTATION 3”; mv=“1.0”;
Oct 02, 2012 18:07:50 [0x7f2892ffd700] DEBUG - Downloading document http://71.x.x.x:32400/library/sections/1
Oct 02, 2012 18:07:50 [0x7f2892ffd700] DEBUG - HTTP requesting to: http://71.x.x.x:32400/library/sections/1?X-Plex-Token=yJkrHGnTgN5j3LT5Z6X9
Oct 02, 2012 18:07:50 [0x7f2892ffd700] ERROR - Error issuing curl_easy_perform(handle): 7
Oct 02, 2012 18:07:50 [0x7f2892ffd700] WARN - Error issuing request to: http://71.x.x.x:32400/library/sections/1?X-Plex-Token=yJkrHGnTgN5j3LT5Z6X9 (7, Couldn’t connect to server) (couldn’t connect to host)
Oct 02, 2012 18:07:50 [0x7f2892ffd700] ERROR - HTTP -7 downloading url http://71.x.x.x:32400/library/sections/1
That usually means your DNS settings on the box/router are screwy, and your ISP is returning a search/sponsored advertising page rather than timing out like DNS should. For some reason, certain DLNA/UPNP enabled routers seem to take the external IP and cause havoc with it.
http://forums.plexapp.com/index.php/topic/44898-installed-966-and-still-no-love-for-my-xbox-360/page__p__284958__hl__dns__fromsearch__1#entry284958
No, that isn't happening here. The IP in my logs is *MY* external IP not an ISP advertising page. I run my own DNS and I don't even use theirs (I am well aware of the problem you are mentioning though, I despise that misuse of DNS). I do have my plex server registered at myPlex, which is my assumption as to where it gets the IP. I don't even know why a DLNA client would use DNS, but I am no expert in the protocol.
EDIT: Also, my firewall does not have upnp. I wouldn't be surprised if a upnp firewall would automatically create rules that works around this issue, but in that case all traffic from a plex server to a DLNA client would be routed through the firewall instead of being a direct connection. I can manually work around this issue by creating those firewall rules on my equipment, but that's not a good solution. The client should talk directly to the plex server. If there's a misconfiguration somewhere I'd be glad to help find it though!
So, DLNA used broadcasts to advertise itself, then client initiated point to point chatter for data transmission - how it is managing to grab your WAN IP as the IP it is broadcasting I have no idea. I am not sure how it could be grabbing it from myPlex but as a test, what happens if you un-publish your server, log out of myPlex and restart PMS? Is this box just running PMS, or is it also your firewall/router/DNS/whatever server?
I'll try your test out in a bit. This box is just running PMS (Ubuntu 64-bit). My firewall/router/dns is a separate server. I can do some packet captures as well from the plex server and firewall/router. I am guessing the ps3 does make the initial point to point chatter correctly and either is redirected by the plex server to a new IP, or maybe the plex server itself is making the connection attempt to the external IP. The logs weren't clear to me, but a packet capture will be.
Un-publishing the server fixed the issue, I was successfully able to browse and play movies. I re-published it and it is still working. I'm not sure what was wrong but it appears mine is fine now, thanks!
For all with this external IP Problem. I Had the same problem with my server installation. But after i installed a test PMS on my Macbook i could connect with my DLNA devices to the server. So i checked the differences between my Server Install and this. And the only important was, i published my Server PMS with a different port to connect from extern. After uncheck the "change Port manuel"to the default, it runs perfect. I use the PMS 0.9.7.12, so i f you have the Problem with the external ip, try this.
Hope it helps you
I had Plex, Roku, PS3 working just fine until recently. I then decided to update to the new "Plex-Media-Server-0.9.717.469-1f0b170-en-US" update. My PS3 hence has started giving me DLNA error 501. I have another media server "MythTV" that essentially is the same media drive - that works fine.
My PS3 to Plex however can see the "Shared" videos of my friends just fine! Only my videos (via Plex) gives DLNA issues. Same movies (same folder/drive) via my MythTV media server works fine!
I noticed that after the update, I had to "re-login" in to my Roku to see my shared videos. After that, it has worked fine. My Plex Web works fine remotely and at home.
Is there any settings that are new or changed in the new Plex update that I might have missed? I fail to see how this issue suddenly came up.
(Yes, I realize the infamous "it's the Sony problem" for the 501 code - but it doesn't seem valid when the same files are seen fine by PS3 via a different media server)
Any help is much appreciated...
Thanks
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