Plex stops DVR Playback the same time every hour

Live TV & DVR
1

Server Version#: 1.24.3.5033
Player Version#: 8.23.1 Android
Tuner Make/Model: HDHomeRun HDHR5-4DT
Guide/Lineup name: Unsure
Using XMLTV?: No
Channel number/Name: Quest RED (can be any channel)

At the same time every hour, around 3 minutes past the hour, when watching Live TV, the stream will stop and I will be presented with the loading animation. This will remain until I close the app and if I restart the playback, everything will be fine again.

I have collected these logs when it happened. It occurred at 19:03:38. I found this in the logs initially which not sure if helps. Raw logs included attached.

Sep 27, 2021 19:03:38.703 [0x70849d48] DEBUG - Request: [192.168.1.4:37294 (Subnet)] GET /livetv/sessions/95b415aa-d88c-4ba6-814a-d5454d17f58a/431624c28a519aaf-com-plexapp-android/index.m3u8?autoAdjustQuality=0&hasMDE=1&location=lan&mediaBufferSize=74944&offset=-1.000000 (7 live) TLS GZIP Signed-in Token (JonnyBooker)
Sep 27, 2021 19:03:38.706 [0x7260ad48] DEBUG - Completed: [192.168.1.4:37294] 404 GET /livetv/sessions/95b415aa-d88c-4ba6-814a-d5454d17f58a/431624c28a519aaf-com-plexapp-android/index.m3u8?autoAdjustQuality=0&hasMDE=1&location=lan&mediaBufferSize=74944&offset=-1.000000 (7 live) TLS GZIP 3ms 379 bytes (pipelined: 653)
Sep 27, 2021 19:03:38.754 [0x6f4e0d48] DEBUG - Request: [192.168.1.4:37294 (Subnet)] GET /:/timeline?airingID=5619&audioStreamID=2536&context=inline&duration=476857&guid=plex%3A%2F%2Fepisode%2F5fc6f6b1678e02002ecbcf70&key=%2Flivetv%2Fsessions%2F95b415aa-d88c-4ba6-814a-d5454d17f58a&playbackTime=213059&playQueueItemID=5fc76df9461161002d5e35dd-5fc70604598c41002da3ddc0-1632763800000&ratingKey=951&state=stopped&time=476857&token=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (7 live) TLS GZIP Signed-in Token (JonnyBooker)
Sep 27, 2021 19:03:38.755 [0x6f4e0d48] DEBUG - Client [431624c28a519aaf-com-plexapp-android] reporting timeline state stopped, progress of 476857/476857ms for guid=plex://episode/5fc6f6b1678e02002ecbcf70, playbackTime=213059ms ratingKey=951 url=, key=/livetv/sessions/95b415aa-d88c-4ba6-814a-d5454d17f58a, containerKey=, metadataId=951, source=
Sep 27, 2021 19:03:38.759 [0x6f4e0d48] WARN - Timeline: Unknown metadata item 951, using default completion duration multiplier
Sep 27, 2021 19:03:38.788 [0x6f4e0d48] DEBUG - [Now] User is JonnyBooker (ID: 1)
Sep 27, 2021 19:03:38.788 [0x6f4e0d48] DEBUG - [Now] Device is Android (SHIELD Android TV).
Sep 27, 2021 19:03:38.789 [0x6f4e0d48] DEBUG - [Now] Profile is Android
Sep 27, 2021 19:03:38.789 [0x6f4e0d48] DEBUG - [Now] Updated play state for /livetv/sessions/95b415aa-d88c-4ba6-814a-d5454d17f58a.
Sep 27, 2021 19:03:38.794 [0x6f419d48] ERROR - Error issuing curl_easy_perform(handle): 7
Sep 27, 2021 19:03:38.794 [0x6f3b0d48] ERROR - Error issuing curl_easy_perform(handle): 7
Sep 27, 2021 19:03:38.795 [0x6f4e0d48] DEBUG - Statistics: (431624c28a519aaf-com-plexapp-android) Reporting active playback in state 3 of type 4 (scrobble: 0) for account 1
Sep 27, 2021 19:03:38.810 [0x6f4e0d48] DEBUG - Streaming Resource: Terminated session 0x71da62f0:431624c28a519aaf-com-plexapp-android with reason Client stopped playback.

I have replicated this issue on both Synology and on Raspberry Pi, it seems happen on both.

Plex Media Server Logs_2021-09-27_19-08-11.zip (2.1 MB)

2

Any help potentially anyone can offer? It is very disruptive to watching anything live.

3

I have exactly the same issue. Doing my head in.
I have a HD Homerun Quadro. PMS is running on a windows PC and playback is from a new Chromecast with Google TV.

When watcing live TV, when you get in 3 minutes past the hour it just stops playback and I have to start it up again, then it is fine until next time.

4

Very Similar to thread below, happens watching live tv on Android Clients
Yes i have the same issue with both my Nvidia Shields.

[Live TV & DVR - Live TV stopped working after update]

5

Same issue here since the last PMS update. 3 and 33 minutes past the hour unless watching a show that goes over an hour. Using Firesticks with HD Homerun tuner. The EPG guide does not update automatically either.

I swear it’s like every step forward with Plex is 2 steps back - at least for the Live TV feature.

6

I’ve been having this issue for some time as well. It happens ~3 minutes after the currently viewed program ends. It doesn’t matter if it’s a 15, 30, 60, or 240 minute program. It plays fine until after that program ends.

7

This is similar to Thread Below:

https://forums.plex.tv/t/live-tv-dvr-live-tv-stopped-working-after-update

Look at post #22 - Side-loading a Beta Version of the App is a band aid until a stable public version of the App becomes available.

I did test 27327 which did work, EPG does update. Keep in mind beta apps have some minor flaws. I found this to get me through for the meantime. Hope it helps you.

8

I had a go at the beta android app, still exact same issue. It does seem to be a bit more sporadic at times.

Its too unreliable to use at the moment and its extremely frustrating.

9

I can confirm that reverting back to a older Android version (8.22.0) has improved this issue. Not ideal but does potentially suggest issues with the Android App over plex server

10

It appears the live tv playback is leveraging the recording setting, so when the program is scheduled to end plus padding time in your DVR settings.
30 minute show with a combined padding of 3 minutes = live tv craps out at 33 minutes.
60 minute show with a combined padding of 3 minutes = live tv craps out at 63 minutes.
90 minute show with a combined padding of 3 minutes = live tv craps out at 93 minutes.
120 minute show with a combined padding of 3 minutes = live tv craps out at 123 minutes.
I either get a spinning wheel and if I back out can re-launch the channel or it crashes to the home screen of my Fire tv4k
This is on a win dohs 10 server

11

I’m glad I found this thread to know I’m not alone - been having the exact same issue. Fairly often, a few minutes after the hour, Plex Live TV goes to grey screen with spinning wheel.

HDHomeRun Prime with CableCard
Official PMS Docker on Unraid
nVidia Shield Pro 2019

Everything is updated.

12

I had a test of this theory and found it sadly didn’t add up for me. My padding was 1 minute ether side of a program finishing and it errors at 3 minutes past. I did set both these values to 0 to see if it did have an effect and it didn’t sadly for me.

My family have stopped using live tv now unfortunately as it is too unreliable at this point

1 Like
13

There is a solution to this. Stop paying Plex, file a chargeback with your credit card company if you unfortunately purchased a lifetime pass, then go with a company who actually takes pride in their work and cares about their customers such as Channels DVR or Emby.

14

Yup, that’s not helpful champ.

15

Interestingly enough, I’m also experiencing the live TV playback stopping at 3 minutes past the hour / half hour.

My default recording buffer has zero padding.

Friday I was watching a baseball game live (I have no recordings scheduled for this). The game ran long on it’s scheduled time.

I was able to watch about 2 hours without issue, during which time the EPG had the baseball game listed the entire time. At 11:03, playback froze. The EPG had the local news scheduled to start at 11pm.

I restarted watching, and it froze again at 11:33, when the next program was listed at 11:30 on the EPG.

The freezing perhaps seems linked to the EPG thinking a new program should be starting (?).

1 Like
16

Agreed, it is after the scheduled time for the event to end. I believe that the padding time default is or was 3 minutes at one time. One minute before and two minutes after. Here’s the thing…
Watched Redzone and pooped out after the scheduled end time of 7 hours and the “normal now” three minutes later… Its definitely leveraging the epg’s schedule as a dvr event.
I tuned into a channel I was also recording “Premier league soccer” and selected watch live, no issue until the end of the recording when the live channel displayed “recording failed” and went to the blurred background and spinning wheel instead of continuing to play the channel.

I believe the temp recorder for live tv is treating each “show”, individually as a “DVR event” which would stop the action and release the tuner,… instead of as a “live event” which should NOT release the tuner and continue playing the channel.

17

I think the theory is good! Sounds like could be what is going on.

Sadly not the first issues experienced with Plex Live DVR, had many issues previously where it would randomly buffer and never manage to come back. Wish could get some feedback!

18

Having the same issue, be nice for a fix, the misses is going mad at me lol

19

It’s a problem going on for a month now and there has been progress. See thread below.

https://forums.plex.tv/t/live-tv-dvr-live-tv-stopped-working-after-update

20

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