Unable to play video as watchable

Plex Players Gaming Consoles
1

My family received a rather generous Christmas gift this year: an XBOX One. I was hoping to have it completely replace my Roku. However, I’m having a lot of trouble with the Plex App on the X1.

(I am a Plex Pass Subscriber)

So far, when I try to play a TV show (I’ve tried several of them) from the TV library, I’m getting audio just fine but the video stutters. It seems like I might be getting a frame change every 5 to 10 seconds. These are all MKV files, but various qualities (720p, 1080p). I did find the way to set quality to Original and it seemed to work right away but then stopped. I checked the status in the iOS app and sometimes it would say transcode and others direct play. There was one time it said a different type of transcode but I can’t remember the adjective (throttled, delayed?). Same results either way.

The bottom line is I can’t get the X1 Plex App to be usable. I switch to the Roku and whatever I just tried on the X1 will play just fine on the Roku. The PMS is a PC running FreeNAS. It has a Core i3-2880T running at 2.8GHz and 8GB RAM.

2

I played around with it a little more tonight and here is a clip from some logs. I could get it to direct play a little and then while playing I turned on subtitles to force the transcode. It worked fine in both and the CPU on the throttling process wasn’t too high. Then I put it back to no subtitles and original. The transcode process stopped and the CPU was way low but the playback was choppy again. I can post a whole log file if needed.

Dec 30, 2015 17:10:48 [0x80a8d8000] DEBUG - Client [oxpykj0uz05y] reporting timeline state playing, progress of 207155/2532366ms for guid=, ratingKey=4333 url=, key=/library/metadata/4333, containerKey=, metadataId=4333
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:48 [0x80a8d8000] DEBUG - Play progress on 4333 ‘Penalty Phase’ - got played 207155 ms by account 1!
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:48 [0x80a8d8000] DEBUG - [Now] User is kazooless (ID: 1)
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:48 [0x80a8d8000] DEBUG - [Now] Device is Xbox One (XboxOne).
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:48 [0x80a8d8000] DEBUG - [Now] Updated play state for /library/metadata/4333.
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:48 [0x8099e1400] DEBUG - Completed: [192.168.0.1:50685] GET /:/timeline?ratingKey=4333&key=%2Flibrary%2Fmetadata%2F4333&state=playing&playQueueItemID=2044&time=207155&duration=2532366 (6 live) TLS GZIP 66ms 158 bytes 200 (pipelined: 3)
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:52 [0x80a8d8000] DEBUG - Request: [192.168.0.176:65340] GET /photo/:/transcode?url=http%3A%2F%2F127.0.0.1%3A32400%2Flibrary%2Fparts%2F6059%2Findexes%2Fsd%2F213155%3FX-Plex-Token%3Dxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx&width=700&height=394&minSize=1&X-Plex-Token=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (6 live) TLS GZIP
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:52 [0x80a8d8000] DEBUG - Auth: We found auth token (xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx), enabling token-based authentication.
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:52 [0x80a8d8000] DEBUG - Auth: Came in with a super-token, authorization succeeded.
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:52 [0x80a8d8000] DEBUG - Photo transcoder: Request for url [127.0.0.1:32400/library/parts/6059/indexes/sd/213155?X-Plex-Token=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] (is local: 1 upscaled: 0)
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:52 [0x80a8d8000] DEBUG - Auth: We found auth token (xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx), enabling token-based authentication.
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:52 [0x80a8d8000] DEBUG - Auth: Came in with a super-token, authorization succeeded.
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:52 [0x80a8d8000] DEBUG - Closest frame to 213155 ms was frame 106 at 212000 ms.
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:52 [0x80a8d8000] DEBUG - Calling back into ourselves for photo to transcode, optimizing the process (status: -1)
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:52 [0x80a8d8000] DEBUG - Photo cache obtained 9896 bytes from http://127.0.0.1:32400/library/parts/6059/indexes/sd/213155?X-Plex-Token=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:52 [0x80a8d8000] DEBUG - Created thumbnail of size 320x180, has pixels: 1
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:52 [0x8099e1c00] DEBUG - Completed: [192.168.0.176:65340] GET /photo/:/transcode?url=http%3A%2F%2F127.0.0.1%3A32400%2Flibrary%2Fparts%2F6059%2Findexes%2Fsd%2F213155%3FX-Plex-Token%3Dxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx&width=700&height=394&minSize=1 (6 live) TLS GZIP 10ms 9896 bytes 200 (pipelined: 35)
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:54 [0x80a8d8000] DEBUG - Auth: We found auth token (xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx), enabling token-based authentication.
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:54 [0x80a8d8000] DEBUG - Auth: Came in with a super-token, authorization succeeded.
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:54 [0x80a8d8000] INFO - [Plex for Xbox One] Navigated to /pages/episode/episode.html
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:54 [0x80a8d8000] DEBUG - Request: [192.168.0.1:50688] GET /:/timeline?ratingKey=4333&key=%2Flibrary%2Fmetadata%2F4333&state=stopped&playQueueItemID=2044&time=213403&duration=2532366 (8 live) TLS GZIP
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:54 [0x80a8d8000] DEBUG - Auth: We found auth token (xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx), enabling token-based authentication.
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:54 [0x80a8d8000] DEBUG - Auth: Came in with a super-token, authorization succeeded.
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:54 [0x80ae7ac00] DEBUG - Request: [192.168.0.1:50687] GET /library/metadata/4333?checkFiles=1&includeRelated=1&includeRelatedCount=0&includeExtras=1 (8 live) TLS GZIP
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:54 [0x80a8d8000] DEBUG - Client [oxpykj0uz05y] reporting timeline state stopped, progress of 213403/2532366ms for guid=, ratingKey=4333 url=, key=/library/metadata/4333, containerKey=, metadataId=4333
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:54 [0x80ae7ac00] DEBUG - Auth: We found auth token (xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx), enabling token-based authentication.
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:54 [0x80ae7ac00] DEBUG - Auth: Came in with a super-token, authorization succeeded.
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:54 [0x80a8d8000] DEBUG - Play progress on 4333 ‘Penalty Phase’ - got played 213403 ms by account 1!
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:54 [0x80a8d8000] DEBUG - [Now] User is kazooless (ID: 1)
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:54 [0x80a8d8000] DEBUG - [Now] Device is Xbox One (XboxOne).
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:54 [0x80a8d8000] DEBUG - [Now] Updated play state for /library/metadata/4333.
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:54 [0x80ae7ac00] DEBUG - Updating part with ID=6059 [/media/shows/Major Crimes/Major Crimes - 4x18 - Penalty Phase.mkv]
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:54 [0x80ae7ac00] DEBUG - We’re going to try to auto-select an audio stream for account 1.
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:54 [0x80ae7ac00] DEBUG - Selecting best audio stream for part ID 6059 (autoselect: 1 language: en)
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:54 [0x80ae7ac00] DEBUG - Audio Stream: 17861, Subtitle Stream: 0
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:54 [0x80ae7ac00] DEBUG - It took 0.0 sec to serialize a list with 1 elements.
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:54 [0x8099e1400] DEBUG - Completed: [192.168.0.1:50687] GET /library/metadata/4333?checkFiles=1&includeRelated=1&includeRelatedCount=0&includeExtras=1 (8 live) TLS GZIP 67ms 1450 bytes 200
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:55 [0x8099e1c00] ERROR - Error writing media: 32 - Broken pipe
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:55 [0x8099e1c00] DEBUG - Completed: [192.168.0.1:50681] GET /library/parts/6059/file.mkv (8 live) TLS GZIP 33203ms 26443776 bytes 200 (pipelined: 7)
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:55 [0x80ae73800] DEBUG - Auth: We found auth token (xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx), enabling token-based authentication.
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:55 [0x80ae73800] DEBUG - Auth: Came in with a super-token, authorization succeeded.
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:55 [0x80ae73800] INFO - [Plex for Xbox One] key: /library/metadata/4333
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:55 [0x80ae73800] DEBUG - Request: [192.168.0.1:50687] GET /library/metadata/3706/allLeaves (7 live) TLS GZIP
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:55 [0x80ae73800] DEBUG - Auth: We found auth token (xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx), enabling token-based authentication.
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:55 [0x80ae73800] DEBUG - Auth: Came in with a super-token, authorization succeeded.
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:55 [0x80ae73800] DEBUG - It took 0.0 sec to serialize a list with 8 elements.
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:55 [0x8099e1400] DEBUG - Completed: [192.168.0.1:50687] GET /library/metadata/3706/allLeaves (7 live) TLS GZIP 9ms 3059 bytes 200 (pipelined: 3)
Dec 30, 2015 17:10:55 [0x8099e1c00] DEBUG - Completed: [192.168.0.1:50688] GET /:/timeline?ratingKey=4333&key=%2Flibrary%2Fmetadata%2F4333&state=stopped&playQueueItemID=2044&time=213403&duration=2532366 (7 live) TLS GZIP 883ms 158 bytes 200
Dec 30, 2015 17:11:01 [0x80ac72000] DEBUG - TranscodeJobManager: [Throttled] -> [Running]
Dec 30, 2015 17:11:01 [0x8099e2400] DEBUG - BPQ: onConsiderProcessing: Idle (false)
Dec 30, 2015 17:11:01 [0x8099e2400] DEBUG - BPQ: [Idle] -> [Processing]
Dec 30, 2015 17:11:01 [0x8099e2400] DEBUG - BPQ: [Processing] -> [Idle]
Dec 30, 2015 17:11:01 [0x80ae7ac00] DEBUG - Request: [192.168.0.176:65340] GET /playQueues/1212 (6 live) TLS GZIP
Dec 30, 2015 17:11:01 [0x80ae7ac00] DEBUG - Auth: We found auth token (xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx), enabling token-based authentication.
Dec 30, 2015 17:11:01 [0x80ae7ac00] DEBUG - Auth: Came in with a super-token, authorization succeeded.
Dec 30, 2015 17:11:01 [0x80ae7ac00] DEBUG - It took 0.0 sec to serialize a list with 0 elements.
Dec 30, 2015 17:11:01 [0x8099e1c00] DEBUG - Completed: [192.168.0.176:65340] GET /playQueues/1212 (6 live) TLS GZIP 3ms 549 bytes 200 (pipelined: 36)

3

Hi there. When direct playing the server should (in theory) be no longer in the equation as the client is just passed a direct link to the file for it to consume. How is your Xbox One connected to your home network? Some users report choppiness in playback when connected via a non-optimal wifi signal. Have you tried an ethernet connection to rule out signal issues?

4

Thanks for your reply. I am connected to gig Ethernet. Same switch as server.

5

Magically, it just started working a little while ago. Seems stable now. Weird.

6

@kazooless Oops, sorry I missed your first reply in the deluge of messages. Glad it’s working for you now. If you encounter any more issues then please do let us know!

7

I’m having this same issue. Usually corrects itself within a minute…but after 2 or 3 shows in a row it will just freeze up completely. Only does this on TV shows, no issues with movies. File type doesn’t seem to make a difference either. No WiFi, all ethernet from server to router to Xbox. Works fine on Roku and iOs…just the Xbox One.