Server Version#: Latest
Player Version#: Latest
Can anyone help or explain why when someone is remote streaming a 720 file they are direct playing at 2mbps, but anything that’s 1080 automatically transcodes to SD at less than 800kbps? My server is overbuilt and have seen it transcoding 8 streams to 720 before. I had the remote user switch back and forth to several different files and it’s the same every time. They are the only user on right now too.
Any help would be immensely appreciated.
2 scenarios…
if your remote access isn’t properly configured, you could end up with their connection being relayed through a server of Plex. This will show as “indirect playback” in their clients and your Now Playing dashboard.
Indirect playback is restricted to 1 Mbit/s (2 Mbit/s for Plex Pass members).
if the users have not touched the remote streaming video quality setting of their client, this will default to 720p @ 2 Mbps (I think it has recently been pushed to 3 Mbps with the latest updates of the main clients).
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If your 720p file is below the applicable restriction, it will smoothly play at its original quality.
Your 1080p file however has likely a higher bitrate (requiring a higher bandwidth to stream). Plex will then transcode the file to a suitable format. That could result in a SD video with an average 800 kbps bitrate file.
#1 - I thought that may be the case too but ensured it wasn’t indirect and also this wouldn’t explain why they can stream 720 files at 2mbps with no problems.
#2 - This could be it but could you help me understand it better? I have seen other users transcode this file at 720 2mbps. Why wouldn’t this specific user be able to do this if they can watch direct play 720 at 2mbps? Also, I logged into their account and changed their remote streaming quality to 1080, 720, and max. No change with results regardless of that setting.
Thanks for the reply, I really appreciate it.
hard to tell with knowing the specifics
This is across the board with this user. All 720 is fine at 2mbps but all 1080 is transcoded down to SD. What specifics would help?
Plex is using a “fudge factor” to estimate the required bandwidth. When your restriction is a 2 Mbps max bandwidth/bitrate, you cannot just take the average bitrate of your video. The video bitrate can have peaks significantly higher than the average (e.g. for complex, high action scenes).
From what I’ve seen this can range between 50% over the average bitrate up to double the average bitrate.
So I take it your 720p files meet the restriction while the 1080p is transcoded so the expected maximum bitrate still can be squeezed through your maximum of 2 Mbps bandwidth.
Thank you! That is a good explanation and sounds like what’s going on. When adjusting their remote access quality, thought logging into their web client and changing it there would apply to all of their devices. I think that’s where my confusion lies.
That’d apply to their devices where they run Plex through a browser.
Other clients have their own individual settings for the remote streaming quality.
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