Samsung Tab S8 Ultra incapable of playing 4k

Plex Media Server
1

Server Version#: Latest as of this date
Player Version#: Latest as of this date
<If providing server logs please do NOT turn on verbose logging, only debug logging should be enabled>

My friend has bought this tablet, it’s 4k, hdr, it’s a top of the line tablet with a huge screen. And would be the first I’d expect to perform well. But it doesn’t.

It refuses to play anything in original quality, always transcoding everything to SD format. This is from futurama to bigger films.

I am unsure why it decided to transcode everything, it states “resolution or bitrate too high”. neither are true.
Chosing my own transcode resolution actually does work, and makes it transcode to the set resolution. Which looks better than what plex automatically does to it.

All setting in the app are confirmed to be set to max quality, secure connections on or off, directly setting IP, increasing the h264 level, I have tried everything on my end and it doesn’t work. Other devices can play the files directly just fine, it’s just the Samsung S8 Ultra tablet that seems to misbehave.

I guess this is mostly a bug report, but I wonder if others have ever encountered the same issues or managed to fix it.

One user's devices always transcode
2

Would you be able to attach the client logs? And have you tried playing locally or only remote, and does your PMS have an upload speed set in remote settings?

3

Hello!
Getting the client logs may be a while as my friend in question is a truck driver, but I will do my best if he returns.

As for the other questions, locally and remote were tried, but my S23 was able to play the same file directly without trouble on both ends, and there is no limitations set within plex whatsoever on quality or bandwidth.

The thing is, it doesn’t just do this on bigger movies. But also on say, The Simpsons or anything else it plays, it just begins transcoding to h264 SD at all times.

Manually changing quality will actually push it to transcode to that quality, but not on its own.

4

When you are able to get the logs please upload them. And yes I am also able to direct play on both a S23 Ultra and Tab S7. Unfortunately, I don’t have a Tab S8 to test with. Does it only transcode 4K content or SD as well?

5

It transcodes anything, 1080p, 4k, everything just gets slapped down to a super low quality, as if it doesn’t recognize the capabilities of the tablet.

I will try to get logs this weekend if all goes well, but to me it seems like plex is having trouble recognizing it as an expensive and capable tablet

6

@morganj

I have returned, here is the zip file containing all the logs. Hope to hear what you can see!

plex-log-robbi376.zip (551.9 KB)

7

Thanks for the log files. As you said it’s stating the max bitrate has been exceeded and the max is set to 720 which is the bitrate used for the default mobile bandwidth. Can you confirm if the “Limit mobile data” setting under Quality settings has been disabled? Unfortunately, I cannot tell what the settings are set to from log files.

8

Every setting I could set to max or the highest has been set. I have done this for all my users since always so I can assure you that setting is set properly.

I did notice it gave us a message about the speed with the server not being fast enough (it was 5G so perhaps because it fluctuates)

We did manage to get it back to full original quality after changing to 720p and back to original again. It just seems the automated system thinks it can’t do original.

9

But are you certain that setting has been disabled? Because even if Remote Streaming is set to Max and it is on mobile it is going to set the Max bitrate to 720 which is the bitrate being used in the logs. And as you stated if you manually change quality during playback it will adhere to the new selected quality which is what it would do with that setting enabled.

10

I am certain, I went through the settings multiple times and they are 100% similar to my own, my device direct plays just fine. His previous device also had no issues.

I’d be willing to go through them again but anything that could be set to make sure the movie/series plays on original/maximum quality has been set. I’ve had to set up user settings on almost every device in use by my friends/family from xboxes to TVs to phones since 2019, so I am almost completely positive that I have set up the settings correctly.

11

Additionally, I went through the logs to hopefully find something, I didn’t quite, except a message that the estimated server bandwidth was 2.5mbs…

I did see my friend uses a vpn connection as an adblock, and the logs are really persistent with its “unable to resolve hostname” errors…

Could it somehow be possible it’s downgrading as a result of (plex) being either bandwidth capped or partially blocked by the vpn?

12

I noticed the 2.5 Mbps connection to your server but it does change often there are some as high as 18.4 and low as 1.6. This would definitely effect playback but it should not start playback as transcoded unless Auto adjust quality is selected when playback starts but looking at the logs it is not enabled. I would suggest disconnecting the VPN though as with that connection they are going to buffer.

I know that you have setup the devices for your users multiple times but are you certain your user has not made changes afterwards? And how many of your users use a mobile connection.

I just want to show you this is from the log file you gave me

[MediaDecisionEngine] Server was happy with client's original decision
[MediaDecisionEngine] Decision: CanPlay: true CanDirectPlay: false CanDirectStreamVideo: false CanDirectStreamAudio: false CanDirectPlaySubtitle: false CanTranscodeSubtitle: false CanDisplayVideo: true Transcode Reason: Resolution or bitrate exceeds maximum allowed 
[LoadControl] New bitrate: 720, Maximum: 720
[MediaDecisionMediaSource] Resetting mappable types.
[video] User maximum h264 profile determined: 61
[video] Device recommended h264 profile determined: 61
[BufferHelper] Assumed Bitrate: 10000, Segment Count: 1171
[BufferHelper] Segment count: 1171

And this is from my logs with the limit on mobile data setting enabled

[MediaDecisionEngine] Server was happy with client's original decision
[MediaDecisionEngine] Decision: CanPlay: true CanDirectPlay: false CanDirectStreamVideo: false CanDirectStreamAudio: false CanDirectPlaySubtitle: true CanTranscodeSubtitle: false CanDisplayVideo: true Transcode Reason: Resolution or bitrate exceeds maximum allowed 
[LoadControl] New bitrate: 720, Maximum: 720
[MediaDecisionMediaSource] Resetting mappable types.
[video] User maximum h264 profile determined: 62
[video] Device recommended h264 profile determined: 62
[BufferHelper] Assumed Bitrate: 10000, Segment Count: 1171
[BufferHelper] Segment count: 1171

Another line from provided logs

[MediaDecisionEngine] Analyzing media: 3840x1608 23044kbps (Container: mkv, Video: hevc, Audio: ac3)
[MediaDecisionEngine] Bitrate 23044 exceeds maximum allowed (720)
[MediaDecisionEngine] Selected subtitle (pgs) can be direct played (via Transcode? true)
[video] User maximum h264 profile determined: 61
[video] Device recommended h264 profile determined: 61
[BufferHelper] Assumed Bitrate: 10000, Segment Count: 1171
[BufferHelper] Segment count: 1171

My logs with the setting enabled

[MediaDecisionEngine] Analyzing media: 1920x1080 3524kbps (Container: mp4, Video: h264, Audio: eac3)
[MediaDecisionEngine] Bitrate 3524 exceeds maximum allowed (720)
[MediaDecisionEngine] Selected subtitle (srt) can be direct played (via Transcode? true)
[video] User maximum h264 profile determined: 62
[video] Device recommended h264 profile determined: 62
[BufferHelper] Assumed Bitrate: 10000, Segment Count: 1171
[BufferHelper] Segment count: 1171

Now if that setting is definitely not enabled and remote streaming is not set to anything lower than max and your shared user has not changed the settings after you set them then perhaps it is ignoring them for some reason.

Could the user perhaps reset the app and set it up again by “Clearing Data” in the Android settings for the Plex App?

13

This topic was automatically closed 90 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.