[Regression] Apple TV "Infinite Spinner" with Auto Adjust Quality (PMS v1.43.0 / MPEG-2 DVD Rips)

kylethk
Mon, 02 Mar 2026 16:26:01 +0000
Plex Players

Server Version#: 1.43.0.10492-121068a07
Player Version#: 8.45 (9684) Plex for Apple TV
Hardware: Intel i5-9500 (QuickSync verified active)
Media Type: DVD Rips (MPEG-2 Video in MKV container)

The Issue: I am experiencing a specific playback regression introduced with the FFMPEG 6 transcoder overhaul in v1.43.x. When attempting to play legacy DVD rips (MPEG-2 MKV) on Apple TV with “Automatically Adjust Quality” enabled, the player enters an infinite loading spinner and fails to initialize.

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Use PMS v1.43.x.

2. Enable “Automatically Adjust Quality” on the Apple TV client.

3. Play an MPEG-2 MKV (DVD Rip).

4. Result: Infinite spinner.

The Workaround: Manually changing the playback quality (e.g., forcing a manual transcode or Play Original Quality and then switching back to “Convert Automatically”) immediately fixes the hang and the stream starts. This suggests the new FFMPEG 6 demuxer is struggling with the initial segment negotiation for MPEG-2 content when in “Auto” mode.

The Conflict with Legacy Hardware (Apple TV HD / A8): Turning “Automatically Adjust Quality” OFF is not a viable solution for my environment. I support several Apple TV HD (A8 chip) units.

If “Auto” is OFF: The app attempts to Direct Play. Because the A8 cannot natively decode modern audio (EAC3/TrueHD) or handles MPEG-2 poorly in Direct Play, it results in Video with No Audio.

If “Auto” is ON: I get the infinite spinner.

Notes:

Reverting to v1.42.2.10156 resolves the issue entirely for these DVD rips.

Issue is localized to tvOS; iOS and Web clients work fine.

HW Acceleration (QuickSync) is functional, verified by intel_gpu_top during the “manual quality toggle” sessions.

It seems the v1.43 branch has a specific issue negotiating the initial buffer for MPEG-2/DVD content on Apple TV. Has anyone found a server-side flag to address this?

3 posts - 2 participants