There is definitely an issue with the Plex experimental player deployed on SHIELD TV 2019 version (standard). I’m using it as a Plex Client only, uplinked to the Plex Server on FreeNas (1Gb link)
After having run a few comparative tests, I can report the following;
- With experimental player, I throw a 4k file ripped directly from a disc at it (size around 51.6GB). I see a multitude of issues;
- Player crashes before server responds
- Player crashes after server responds and/or video starts playing - in the eventuality of the crash, Plex Server does not know that the player crashed, and continues to play the video.
- Occasionally the video can play for a while, but can stop/start or be jumpy.
- Audio sometimes cannot properly process through the amp (Standard track is TrueHD 7.1 Atmos)
- The supplied remote control becomes unresponsive or extremely slow to respond during playback.
Resetting the SHIELD or pulling the power cable out and plugging back in, makes no difference to results when I try again.
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The same 4k film, with same soundtracks, but FFMPEG of the video track (CRF=22, retain HDR) vastly reducing size down to 6.4GB, can then be played through the experimental player. There are no discernable problems at all playing this file.
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Back to the 51.6GB film, I disable use of the experimental player in the Plex settings screen, and replay the large film. Works perfectly.
The smaller file also works fine.
As the SHIELD is hooked directly onto the back of a Denon AVC-6500H, in turn connected to a 4k capable telly, then the server does not need to transcode any of the streams (all direct play). The client shouldn’t need to do anything special either. Atmos is comfortably passed to the Denon
I can’t help but think that the larger video throughput to the experimental Plex client is straining the SHIELD somewhat. I do not believe it’s the network - if it was then I cannot think how that would cause the remote to become sluggish, and as seem above, reverting to the old player immediately resolves the issue.
Plex Server Version: 1.18.4.2171
SHIELD TV Client: 7.26.0.14578
SHIELD OS version: 8.1.0(32.7.301.32)
More than happy to provide dumps, debug info etc. but please let me know exactly what you need, I don’t want to fill up the post with irrelevant rubbish…!
Thanks.
