Plex unnecessarily transcoding when the player supports all the codecs just fine

[jtarrio]

Server Version#: 1.41.5.9522
Player Version#: Amazon Fire Stick TV 4K Max (2nd Gen) 10.27.1.2743
Sometimes my Plex server will transcode a file when the player perfectly supports all the codecs involved (video, audio and subtitles). This typically only happens with 4K Dolby Vision content with DDP audio and when subtitles are selected from the start, and only when starting to play the file from the beginning, not when resuming playback from somewhere mid-file.

When this happens, all I have to do is turn off subtitles (this will make the file start playing without transcoding) and turn them back on, at which point the file continues to play without transcoding and with subs on. If I stop the file somewhere along the way and resume it from where I stopped it plays it just fine with subs on, it only happens when playing the file from the beginning. It’s driving me crazy and I have no idea how to fix it.

Here’s what I see on Plex Dash when I start the file: Imgur: The magic of the Internet
And here’s what I see when I turn off subs and then back on, or when I’m not playing the file from the beginning: Imgur: The magic of the Internet

Any idea why this is happening?

[pommesmatte]

May be related to this bug here.

Multiple version and transcode bug /w subtitles is back (again again)

Server Version#: 1.41.3 Player Version#: 10.25 This dreaded bug is back again once more. Short summary: Movie with multiple versions and subtitles. As soon as a transcode is needed (regardless if audio, video or subtitle), the playback is failing as long as a subtitle is (auto)selected. Workaround is to pick a version manually or to disable subtitles. Bug doesn’t happen on movies with no versions or when no transcoding is needed (i.e. the 4K version direct plays with their tracks).

Multiple Version and Audio Transcode Issue on Android

I’ve identified a bug with all Android TV clients I have access to (CCwGTV 4K, Fire TV 4K, Sony Google TV, and Android 12 on Pixel 6). The issue presents itself as the file not playing (spinning circle) only when there are two versions of the file and an audio transcode is necessary. The only work around is to MANUALLY select Play Version and manually select the version to Play. @DaveBinM This is the Android Issue I’ve been pinging you about on Discord. Server Version#: 1.31.0.6654 Player Ve…

[jtarrio]

I don’t think so. None of these have multiple versions, and none of these technically require transcoding, since it’s obvious that the player can play all codecs involved just fine. It’s just that Plex decides to transcode for mysterious reasons. So this is a different issue.

I realized yesterday that it also happens with 4K non-HDR content.

[conker22]

I am experiencing the same issue. I am hosting Plex on a NAS with limited transcoding power. Currently, live TV (my own DVR) is unusable because Plex attempts to transcode HEVC to H.264 unnecessarily. Please implement a “force direct play” option and make it available as a preset option for specific libraries, such as “live TV.”