This may not be the ‘best’ way, but it does work and it’s fast. It also doesn’t mess with the current streams (to my knowledge):
Start Multiplexing - then zip up the ‘little’ file - drag and drop the zip file on message window.
(I did one to find the magic file size the forum allows - indicated in my screenshot above)
Is a WinRAR file okay? If so, I think I zipped the correct file. There’s a 29MB sized file and then a duplicate file of the same exact size as my original.
I don’t have anything to open it with.
Not in the mood to start a ‘Trial Version’ of Winrar.
Here’s a zip file for you. Sorry about that.
All I can tell you is - it played fine, without stuttering, with audio, on my Roku 3.
I only got the intro, but subs were engaged, so I assume they would have played if I had gotten to them.
The file was in Direct Play.
@ljunkie can evaluate and take over from here.
@JuiceWSA said:
All I can tell you is - it played fine, without stuttering, with audio, on my Roku 3.
I only got the intro, but subs were engaged, so I assume they would have played if I had gotten to them.
The file was in Direct Play.@ljunkie can evaluate and take over from here.
The thing is that sometimes this exact file plays perfectly fine and then randomly starts buffering. There’s no exact part that causes the buffering, it’s always random.
… and that sounds EXACTLY like the 7.7 Roku Firmware HELL that happens to me if I don’t ‘Force’ Direct Play.
I don’t get the buffering, but files Direct Play for a while then at random - for no reason - start transcoding.
@JuiceWSA said:
… and that sounds EXACTLY like the 7.7 Roku Firmware HELL that happens to me if I don’t ‘Force’ Direct Play.
I don’t get the buffering, but files Direct Play for a while then at random - for no reason - start transcoding.
How long has 7.7 been the latest firmware? I’ve had this issue for a while now on both my Roku 3 and now my premiere+
4 months?
They’re trying to roll out OS–8 - and you may have gotten it on that Premier.
Roku Home/Settings/System/About/what firmware version?
Wanna try for a new one?
Roku Home/Settings/System/System Update
If you don’t have OS-8 (or whatever they’re calling it) and are still on some flavor of 7.7 and Roku reports you are up to date - there’s not much you can do. Eventually you’ll be updated, as will we all, but I suspect you’ll be updated before I am.
@ljunkie can confirm or deny any or all of the above.
I’m mostly guessing - but sometimes do something right.
@JuiceWSA said:
4 months?They’re trying to roll out OS–8 - and you may have gotten it on that Premier.
Roku Home/Settings/System/About/what firmware version?
Wanna try for a new one?
Roku Home/Settings/System/System Update
If you don’t have OS-8 (or whatever they’re calling it) and are still on some flavor of 7.7 and Roku reports you are up to date - there’s not much you can do. Eventually you’ll be updated, as will we all, but I suspect you’ll be updated before I am.@ljunkie can confirm or deny any or all of the above.
I’m mostly guessing - but sometimes do something right.
Definitely still have 7.7. I just tried playing the same exact file on Emby and it played with absolutely no issues, oddly enough.
So, interestingly enough, after some testing, it turns out the reason that my audio didn’t work was due to my optical cable, for some odd reason. I switched the audio back to the TV speakers and used Force Direct Play and disabled Direct Stream, and the sound worked perfectly fine, when it didn’t work using those settings while connected via optical cable. I also connected to my soundbar via HDMI, instead of optical cable and the sound still works. Not sure what the reasoning behind it is, but there’s some progress. Maybe now I can force Direct Play at all times and have no more issues with stuttering/buffering.
Is Direct Play the best option, by the way?
Ideally, yes, Direct Play means there is no Plex middleman fiddling with your file so what you see is what’s there.
Direct Play also means very little CPU stress (virtually none). If you have 10 devices in your house all Direct Playing something - it’ll probably work. It’s very unlikely Plex is going to be able to transcode 10 device streams - unless you have one of these:
Direct Stream is important because in the event you run up against some audio your system can’t deal with Plex will:
Direct Play the video
Transcode a suitable audio track
or
Direct Play the audio track
Transcode the video - for whatever reason
If Direct Stream is disabled Plex will:
Direct Play the video
and you’ll have to read lips - or subtitles - and imagine what it might sound like <— not the best situation
or
You’ll hear audio while staring at a black screen <— again - not too good.
So it seems like I should keep my Plex set to force Direct Play, but should I keep Direct Stream enabled still or just manually turn it on when/if there are issues with a file and Direct Stream is disabled?
There is no reason to disable Direct Stream.
It can’t work if it’s turned off.
For YEARS I had Direct Play on ‘Auto’.
When the 7.7 Roku Firmware Horror Show began I had to use Forced.
Maybe one day I’ll be able to go back to Auto, but that remains to be seen.
As far as I know there is no real downside to using Forced on Direct Play.
It’s still going to transcode if it has to, but for now - during 7.7 - it’s working as intended.
Got it. I’ll keep Direct Stream enabled then.
I’m just really curious now as to why forcing Direct Play resulted in no audio using an optical cable, but works when using the TV speakers or an HDMI connection to the soundbar.
@ljunkie will have to weigh in on that - I have no idea.
I have heard that optical cable isn’t the best option for audio. Seems like I there could be bandwidth issues or something like that.
HDMI would be better, perhaps best.
I can use neither, so I just don’t know.
Ugh, seems like I haven’t actually solved this issue. I got the Roku 8.0 firmware update today and Direct Play was set to force on a 720p file with EAC3 5.1 audio and no audio played. Once I set Direct Play to auto, the audio started working again
Also happens with the original test file which is AC3 5.1 Seems like I’m back at square one.
Sounds like it’s working correctly.
Shouldn’t AC3 5.1 be able to be direct played and not have to be transcoded?
