Some Media Stops Playing After a Few Seconds

Plex Players Streaming Devices
1

Server Version#: Version 1.18.4.2171

Issue: Media plays for a few seconds then stops and returns to plex UI.

Issue happens on ROKU Ultra. Model 4640X. Current version: 9.2.0 build 4131-29.
No issue when played on Samsung (Q70R) TV Plex App version 4.17.1 (Tizen 5.0). Roku app shows 6.4.9.6153-6d1b63c9b-Plex - etc.

Both Roku and Samsung app settings are the same. Both are correctly sent to player as “Direct Play” on the server. If I turn off Direct Play on the Roku, the media is then streamed with no issue.

Media Info for problem file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<MediaContainer size="1" allowSync="1" identifier="com.plexapp.plugins.library" librarySectionID="1" librarySectionTitle="TV Shows" librarySectionUUID="77ba7d1d-900d-4d05-83d2-82867371599c" mediaTagPrefix="/system/bundle/media/flags/" mediaTagVersion="1576861888">
<Video ratingKey="2320" key="/library/metadata/2320" parentRatingKey="2310" grandparentRatingKey="2003" guid="com.plexapp.agents.thetvdb://73378/6/10?lang=en" parentGuid="com.plexapp.agents.thetvdb://73378/6?lang=en" grandparentGuid="com.plexapp.agents.thetvdb://73378?lang=en" type="episode" title="Old Sheba" grandparentKey="/library/metadata/2003" parentKey="/library/metadata/2310" librarySectionTitle="TV Shows" librarySectionID="1" librarySectionKey="/library/sections/1" grandparentTitle="Bonanza" parentTitle="Season 6" summary="As payment for a performance in a circus, Joe and Hoss are given an elephant.  They want to keep it but encounter opposition from Adam and Ben." index="10" parentIndex="6" viewOffset="1273000" viewCount="1" lastViewedAt="1579540149" year="1964" thumb="/library/metadata/2320/thumb/1559741385" art="/library/metadata/2003/art/1538439945" parentThumb="/library/metadata/2310/thumb/1538439944" grandparentThumb="/library/metadata/2003/thumb/1538439945" grandparentArt="/library/metadata/2003/art/1538439945" grandparentTheme="/library/metadata/2003/theme/1538439945" duration="3045575" originallyAvailableAt="1964-11-22" addedAt="1518018654" updatedAt="1559741385" chapterSource="media">
<Media id="2205" duration="3045575" bitrate="1868" width="640" height="480" aspectRatio="1.33" audioChannels="2" audioCodec="ac3" videoCodec="hevc" videoResolution="480" container="mkv" videoFrameRate="NTSC" videoProfile="main">
<Part accessible="1" exists="1" id="2205" key="/library/parts/2205/1559710355/file.mkv" duration="3045575" file="E:\TV\Bonanza\Season 6\Bonanza.S06E10.Old Sheba.mkv" size="711249200" container="mkv" deepAnalysisVersion="4" requiredBandwidths="2346,1932,1932,1932,1932,1932,1932,1932" videoProfile="main">
<Stream id="5147" streamType="1" default="1" codec="hevc" index="0" bitrate="1676" bitDepth="8" chromaSubsampling="4:2:0" colorPrimaries="smpte170m" colorRange="tv" colorSpace="smpte170m" colorTrc="smpte170m" frameRate="29.970" height="480" level="93" profile="main" refFrames="1" requiredBandwidths="2153,1736,1736,1736,1736,1736,1736,1736" width="640" displayTitle="480p (HEVC Main)" />
<Stream id="5148" streamType="2" selected="1" default="1" codec="ac3" index="1" channels="2" bitrate="192" language="English" languageCode="eng" audioChannelLayout="stereo" requiredBandwidths="192,192,192,192,192,192,192,192" samplingRate="48000" displayTitle="English (AC3 Stereo)" />
<Stream id="5149" streamType="3" default="1" codec="vobsub" index="2" language="English" languageCode="eng" headerCompression="1" requiredBandwidths="8,8,8,8,8,8,8,8" displayTitle="English (VOBSUB)" />
</Part>
</Media>
<Director id="1631" filter="director=1631" tag="John Florea" />
<Writer id="1762" filter="writer=1762" tag="Alex Sharp" />
<Extras size="0">
</Extras>
</Video>
</MediaContainer>

Media info for an episode that doesn’t have the issue:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<MediaContainer size="1" allowSync="1" identifier="com.plexapp.plugins.library" librarySectionID="1" librarySectionTitle="TV Shows" librarySectionUUID="77ba7d1d-900d-4d05-83d2-82867371599c" mediaTagPrefix="/system/bundle/media/flags/" mediaTagVersion="1576861888">
<Video ratingKey="2321" key="/library/metadata/2321" parentRatingKey="2310" grandparentRatingKey="2003" guid="com.plexapp.agents.thetvdb://73378/6/11?lang=en" parentGuid="com.plexapp.agents.thetvdb://73378/6?lang=en" grandparentGuid="com.plexapp.agents.thetvdb://73378?lang=en" type="episode" title="A Man to Admire" titleSort="Man to Admire" grandparentKey="/library/metadata/2003" parentKey="/library/metadata/2310" librarySectionTitle="TV Shows" librarySectionID="1" librarySectionKey="/library/sections/1" grandparentTitle="Bonanza" parentTitle="Season 6" summary="Hoss relies on clever attorney Whitney Parker, who has a drinking problem, to clear him of a murder charge." index="11" parentIndex="6" lastViewedAt="1579540818" year="1964" thumb="/library/metadata/2321/thumb/1559741385" art="/library/metadata/2003/art/1538439945" parentThumb="/library/metadata/2310/thumb/1538439944" grandparentThumb="/library/metadata/2003/thumb/1538439945" grandparentArt="/library/metadata/2003/art/1538439945" grandparentTheme="/library/metadata/2003/theme/1538439945" duration="3045876" originallyAvailableAt="1964-12-06" addedAt="1518021796" updatedAt="1559741385" chapterSource="media">
<Media id="2206" duration="3045876" bitrate="1877" width="640" height="480" aspectRatio="1.33" audioChannels="2" audioCodec="ac3" videoCodec="hevc" videoResolution="480" container="mkv" videoFrameRate="NTSC" videoProfile="main">
<Part accessible="1" exists="1" id="2206" key="/library/parts/2206/1559710503/file.mkv" duration="3045876" file="E:\TV\Bonanza\Season 6\Bonanza.S06E11.A Man to Admire.mkv" size="714505994" container="mkv" deepAnalysisVersion="4" requiredBandwidths="1914,1914,1914,1914,1914,1914,1914,1914" videoProfile="main">
<Stream id="5150" streamType="1" default="1" codec="hevc" index="0" bitrate="1685" bitDepth="8" chromaSubsampling="4:2:0" colorPrimaries="smpte170m" colorRange="tv" colorSpace="smpte170m" colorTrc="smpte170m" frameRate="29.970" height="480" level="93" profile="main" refFrames="1" requiredBandwidths="1719,1719,1719,1719,1719,1719,1719,1719" width="640" displayTitle="480p (HEVC Main)" />
<Stream id="5151" streamType="2" selected="1" default="1" codec="ac3" index="1" channels="2" bitrate="192" language="English" languageCode="eng" audioChannelLayout="stereo" requiredBandwidths="192,192,192,192,192,192,192,192" samplingRate="48000" displayTitle="English (AC3 Stereo)" />
<Stream id="5152" streamType="3" default="1" codec="vobsub" index="2" language="English" languageCode="eng" headerCompression="1" requiredBandwidths="8,8,8,8,8,8,8,8" displayTitle="English (VOBSUB)" />
</Part>
</Media>
<Director id="1631" filter="director=1631" tag="John Florea" />
<Writer id="1939" filter="writer=1939" tag="Mort R. Lewis" />
<Extras size="0">
</Extras>
</Video>
</MediaContainer>

I did clear out the logs and captured the issue as it happened. So I have the server log files in a small footprint with just the issue recreated. Please PM me and I can send them. Thank you.

[Edit] Wanted to add that my android phone app works fine via direct play. Version 7.26.0.14578.

2

I checked and this issue still exists as of this post.

3

I just started having the same issue. I have to transcode to get it to play, otherwise it will play a few seconds and then go to the next episode.

4

I assume you’re using a Roku? This only happens on the app on the Roku and works fine on my Samsung TV and Android Phone. TV/Android app definitely doing direct play just fine.

5

Yes, this is only happening to my Roku Ultra and it just started a few days ago when I updated my Plex server. I can transcode and it plays fine… but, who wants to do that?!

6

Can confirm that turning off direct play fixes this issue.

I also had an issue where everytime I played a particular series, it would go to the beginning, even if I was half way through. This is also temporarily fixed by doing the above.

7

Re the jumping to beginning gavzey mentioned, that also happens when you have chapters and attempt to jump to a chapter. That also is “fixed” by using direct stream instead of direct play.

8

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