Plex was working great until I reinstalled Windows 10 - now videos all look blurry

Plex Media Server Remote Access
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Server Version#:4.69.1
Player Version#:

I wonder if you can help.

I’ve been using Plex for years with no issue. I haven’t got it customised in any way, I find that it’s pretty much download and use.

My setup is this: Plex Media Server installed on a Windows 10 machine. Machine is hard-wired via ethernet to router.

Playback is via Plex app on PS4.

Media files are stored on a dedicated SSD.

Example video properties:

Size: 86.5mb

Length: 18mins

Dimensions: 1280 x 720

Data rate: 533kbps

Total bitrate: 661kbps

Frame rate: 29.97

File type: MP4.

So this is a common type of video that I play. Playback is on a 42" Sony 1080p TV.

Video playback has always been great, very clear.

However, last week, I reinstalled Windows 10 - not upgraded to, just reinstalled - and now the playback is terrible. It looks like the video is 480 and fills the screen. Not quite pixelated, just blurry.

I’ve got no idea why it’s doing that, and what I need to do to change it, but I need to sort it because I can’t carry on like this!

And, just to clarify, I took that video, stuck it on a USB, plugged that directly into the TV, and playback was how it always has been, very clear.

When I playback the video file on the Windows 10 machine, in Plex, it’s fantastic. There’s obviously something that’s going wrong with either streaming / transcoding or something that I really don’t understand!

Can anyone help? Thanks!

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There can be a number of different issues, e.g. the video playback quality on your Sony could be set to a lower resolution/bitrate. What information is showing in the “now playing” tile for that playback on the Plex server dashboard when you try to play that video on the Sony?
Exemplary screenshot from the "now playing" section

I’m particularly interested in the network mode (local, remote or indirect) and if the item or single tracks are being transcoded.

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Apologies for the delay - I ended up reinstalling Plex on the PC because it wasn’t talking to the PS4!

Anyway, reinstalled Plex, still got the same issue.

Here’s a screenshot of something playing on the PS4, streaming from the PC:

Plex Screenshot

Is the fact that it is ‘Indirect’ a problem?

Also, just to emphasize, I’ve streamed to this Sony TV, from this PC, via the PS4, for years, with no issue. Reinstallation of Windows 10 is the only thing that has happened recently, and with that, reinstallation of Plex.

Thanks again for your help!

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It is. It means
(a) your PMS considers this to be a remote stream and
(b) the client/server are not able to establish a direct connection – those are limited to 1 Mbps (2 Mbps for Plex Pass members).

If it’s not actually a remote stream, you’ll need to review your network setup for Plex to recognize it’s supposed to be a local stream.

Indirect connections are usually linked to a bad remote access setup. There’s the general troubleshooting article with some hints and a guide on how to approach the actual troubleshooting from the tips & tricks section.
https://support.plex.tv/articles/200931138-troubleshooting-remote-access/

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Great, I should be able to get to the bottom of it now - thanks for pointing me in the right direction!

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So, after a bit of digging around and getting nowhere, I stumbled across a post asking another user to check their Windows Firewall.

I knew immediately what I was going to find.

Windows Firewall was being managed by Avast Antivirus.

This was an upgraded version of Avast that I haven’t used before.

Went in to Avast, toggled the Firewall from On to Off - immediately playback became Local instead of Indirect.

Hope this helps anybody struggling with the same issue in the future!

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