Was about to leave Plex Forever But

Plex Players Streaming Devices
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I was about to leave Plex forever when I discovered that the files that were stuttering the most on my plex were m4v files. Which a google search told me firestick cannot natively play.

now I have a question. What’s the best format for firestick and what are setting recommendations for Handbreak or something better?

Thanks

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Are you sure about that?
I just searched a bit but couldn’t find any mention of that issue. Keep in mind there’s little technical differences between mp4 and m4v as a container.
From HandBrake Documentation — Container formats

MP4 vs M4V

They are the exact same file, the only difference is the extension. MP4 vs M4V.

For MP4 files, HandBrake will automatically use the extension M4V when you pass-through audio (AC3), use SRT subtitles or have chapter markers enabled.

You can simply change the file extension between .mp4 and .m4v as the file is exactly the same. There are no differences in the content or container itself.

You can disable the option to automatically set this in !HandBrakes preferences.

Note: QuickTime or any QT based application will not be able to play a MP4 file with these features enabled, unless it has the extension “.m4v”

The only hard technical restriction I can currently think of is that you might deal with DRM protected m4v files purchased from Apple. In order to play those you’ll always need a player from Apple

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Firesticks play .m4v files just fine. Plex does not care if the file extension is .m4v or .mp4.

Any movies with DRM display “DRM” instead of H.264, etc on the movie pre-play screen. If you try to play one you’ll get an error stating something similar to “Plex can’t play DRM protected files.” This is for any client, not just Android TV devices.

When using Handbrake, most of the pre-sets will work fine. Try the HQ 1080p30 or Super HQ 1080p30 presets as starting points.

  • When using MP4/M4V container, always choose Web Optimized on the Summary tab.
  • Apply Interlace Detection/Deinterlacing only when transcoding interlaced material. When transcoding progressive media it does not hurt quality if enabled. However, it slows the conversion, as Handbrake still checks the material to see if it is interlaced. Examine source file with MediaInfo before transcoding to see if it has interlaced content.
  • On Video tab, set Framerate = to the frame rate of the source material. Use MediaInfo to verify. Use Peak Framerate, not Constant (saves space, doesn’t affect quality).
  • For HD material, High@4.0 is enough for 30 fps or less. Going higher won’t help quality and can cause compatibility issues.
  • For Constant Quality, no need to go lower than 20 for blu-rays and 18 for DVDs. As you increase quality the file size grows exponentially. Those numbers are my personal opinion. Experiment and see what you like best.
  • Keep Reference Frames at 5 or less. If necessary, put ref=5 in Advanced Options. Some clients do not like more than five reference frames, even if allowed by H.264 specs.
  • For audio choose AC3 5.1 or fewer channels, 640kbps or less, and/or AAC 2.0, 320kbps or less.
  • Do not choose PGS subtitles when using MP4/M4V container. They are not supported by the container and Plex will burn them into the video.

The above is for transcoding to H.264/AVC video. The non-video tab items will also apply if you transcode to H.265/HEVC.

That will give you a starting point. Experiment and see what works best for your setup.

If you want to encode to a specific bit rate, choose Avg Bitrate and 2-Pass Encoding instead of Constant Quality on the video tab.

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Thanks

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