Poor picture quality when watching remotely using smart tv or ipad

[acheng]

Server Version#: 1.25.5.5492
Player Version#: 4.74.2

I have Plex running on my Synology NAS. When trying to watch content remotely, the sound is fine but the picture quality is very bad (blocky/pixelated). I believe it started happening after I upgraded the server version. It worked before so I tried resetting the settings to default in case I changed something that cause the issue. I tried setting the limits to be below the max upload speed. I also set automatic on so that it will adjust based on what Plex thinks. I know that feature is beta.

Not sure if anyone else experienced the same issue. Any suggestion will be gratefully received.

[tom80H]

What are you seeing on the server dashboard while streaming a video remotely?
Does it show as remote or indirect?

https://support.plex.tv/articles/200871837-status-and-dashboard/

If you’re only getting an indirect connection, you might need to troubleshoot your remote access configuration.

https://support.plex.tv/articles/200931138-troubleshooting-remote-access/

The Basics of Remote Access Troubleshooting

When it comes to remote access, there’s a lot of different factors which can impact your setup. Some are under your own control, others not so much. First off… there’s a dedicated support article on troubleshooting your remote access. I strongly recommend you have a look at that. Find below some additional remarks on how to troubleshoot your remote access setup. Review your internet access / remote access configuration It’s good practice to review if Plex gets the correct public IP address…

If that’s not it… try disabling automatic quality.
Is your server powerful enough to transcode those files (if needed)?

[acheng]

There is an interesting development after some trail and error. If I use the app on my phone, the quality is still terrible. From the dashboard, it is showing as indirect. However, if I open plex in a browser, the quality is perfect. It is showing as remote. I assume now is to work out how I can config the app to be the same as the browser. Any suggestions or is this not really the fix.

[tom80H]

Did you configure the Plex app on iOS to use a manual connection that might be pointing to an old/bad/broken URL/IP?

Edit: on a similar note… are you using some VPN or other network restrictions on your device (maybe w/ exceptions applied in mobile Safari)?