Starlink latency and plex remote streaming

Plex Media Server
1

I’m struggling a bit to stream to a remote user who has Starlink. Their download speeds are around 180Mbps and my upload speed is around 66Mbps.

I’m experiencing buffering and other issues with this remote user that other remote users using terrestrial ISPs don’t experience.

Two questions:

  1. Is it possible that the issues I’m having are due to Starlink greater latency than terrestrial ISPs?

  2. Can plex stream remotely using UDP instead of TCP, assuming that will solve latency issues. I assume all the menu and movie choices presented to the remote user will continue to use TCP, but that the actual streamed media content would be UDP.

2
  1. Yes
  2. No
3

Is there any correlation to the file bitrate? Have you tried a very low test?

4

Yes I’ve tried lower bitrates. It reduces the incidents, with maybe 3 pauses during a 2 hour movie. It’s watchable, but now I’m giving up resolution.

5

I guess this is yet another case where using a much bigger local buffer would be a huge benefit. I wish PLEX would do that.

6

Don’t expect Blu-ray “remuxes” to work.
Use a client which is able to Direct Play your files.
Use of either Plex for Desktop or Plex HTPC in combination with the latest server beta should buffer plenty.

7

What do you mean by “blu ray remuxes?”

Here’s a typical example of a file that gave me issues:

IMG_9969
IMG_9969838×597 77.1 KB

8

Well, that is not a remux, but it is 4K. You can pretty much forget that over a high-latency connection.

9

Are you sure that the the reason behind the buffering is caused by latency? Does your friend watch Plex with subtitles? The buffering might be caused by burning substitles. LG or Samsung tv Plex apps are great examples.

10

Ok, this is a very slight rant. But when people have issues, other people on this forum make all kinds of suggestions and things to look at and check and fiddle with.

Yet Netflix, Prime, Max, etc., all manage to work just fine over a high latency connection.

That’s all “we” (speaking collectively) want. Just something that works without having to have IT experience. Plex is not that product.

Plex does not make diagnosing problems and issues easy.

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11

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