Problem playing (naming?) Multi-part documentary

[cappy2112]

Server Version#:1.32.3.7162-7000
Player Version#: 8.19.1

I’ve got a documentary from a DVD which has two parts. I’ve named them according to this
https://support.plex.tv/articles/multiple-editions/

I Dream Of Wires (2013)_pt1 {edition-Hardcore Edition}.mkv. (2.75GB)
I Dream Of Wires (2013)_pt2 {edition-Hardcore Edition}.mkv ( 4.92GB)

Plex shows the run time as 4 hrs 3 minutes.
Info shows both files, yet after Pt 1 finishes I cannot get part 2 to play using the IOS Plex client.
When I play part 2 with VLC, no problem.

Does anyone have any ideas what is wrong?

thanks

[JaysPlex]

I tested this in Plex for Windows and it works fine named that way

I don’t know if there’s an official list of apps this is suppose to work in but since it works for me an not for you I’d say it’s your iOS client

You might have to merge the two parts

I use this but there are others if you want to find something else
https://mkvtoolnix.download/downloads.html

There is an actual version of that movie listed on TVDB if you want to name it that way
https://thetvdb.com/movies/i-dream-of-wires-hardcore-edition

[FordGuy61]

@cappy2112

I Dream Of Wires (2013)_pt1

Plex Docs → Your Media → Naming & Organizing Your Movie Files

Name the files according to the Movies Split Across Multiple Files section (Hint: dash, not underscore).

You may need to Plex Dance the movie after renaming.

That written, as @JaysPlex mentions, you would be better served by combining the two parts.

See Forums: Joining multi-part movie files with MKVtoolnix GUI

[cappy2112]

Thanks

There is an actual version of that movie listed on TVDB if you want to name it that way
I’ve tried that just now, no change.

Regarding “Not all Plex apps support playback of stacked media”
I have the same problem when I try viewing this in the web browser using the Plex server.

I have been able to watch other multi-part movies though. LOTR comes to mind.
I remember fixing all 3 of the LOTR movies - simply by adding - pt1, - p2.
I don’t see how this documentary is any different. It too is a 2 part movie like LOTR (although LOTR was on BR discs, whereas this documentary was on a DVD).

I’ll try merging them with mkvtoolnix

[cappy2112]

Thanks

@FordGuy61

you would be better served by combining the two part

I did rename them just after I posted the message, I’ll try the dance next.

[cappy2112]

I’ve just tried watching LOTR again. I moved the time sider all the way to the end of the movie,
Plex started playing Pt2 without a problem.

So we know Plex can handle this - at least watching it in in a web browser.
There must be something strange embedded in the video for “I dream Of Wires” that prevents automatic playing of Pt2.

That said, I’ve noticed a bug in Plex. When I slide the time slider all the way to the end of Pt1,
the timeline on the screen changes to the time of Part 2 (I dream of wires), but never starts.
Eventually, a dialog is displayed showing a network error occurred. When this happens, Plex cannot recover. I need to go to the server (Synology), shutdown & restart the service.

Plex runs normally then. This is obviously a bug, I would like to report this to the developers.
On my Synology this repeats every time I try to play I Dream Of Wires Part 2.

[cappy2112]

The issue of not playing multiple doesn’t seem like it’s related to the client in this case,
since I have other multi-part movies which play just fine (in the browser and in the iOS client).
It seems like it’s something in the media, although I wouldn’t know what to look for nor where in the media.

Does anyone have any ideas why some movies work but others don’t, with the same client?

thanks

[JaysPlex]

My first guess would be this

• All parts should have identical audio and subtitle streams in the same order

I would remux both, or convert it from an mkv to mp4 to see if it made any difference

Sometimes you solve a problem by doing that without really understanding exactly what the problem was

This is probably part of the reason why they tell you to just merge the video for better results.

Random glitches