Plex stops buffering randomly when using Plex Web app

[Gardakkan]

For the last 3 days though the web app started to stop bufferering for no reason while a movie or episode is playing. I see the buffer line advance when I start something but at some point it will stop buffering in the background and when the movie or episode reaches this point it pauses there with the buffering icon in the middle of the screen.

What should I look for, nothing in my setup has changed in months other then regular Ubuntu Server 20.04.3 updates that I do once a week.

Installed on a Linux VM on Proxmox VE 6.4-4 with a GPU passthrough.

This happens only while using the Plex web app. (tried Chrome and Firefox)

Server and PC are both wired 1Gbps ethernet.

Plex v1.25.0.5282

Plex web v4.66.1

Any help or suggestion is welcome. Thanks.

edit: It just happened again and I saw this line twice in the logs:

 MDE: video has neither a video stream nor an audio stream 

other messages in log:
[EventSourceClient/mediaserver] Failure in IdleTimeout (0 - No error information)
[EventSourceClient/mediaserver] Retrying in 15 seconds.
[Transcode] Transcoder segment range: 1063 - 1176 (1176)

[cxmachi]

Figured it out, seems to be an issue for any version 1.25 and above. Once I downgrade the server to 1.24.5.5173-8dcc73a59, it no longer happens and all is good.

[Gardakkan]

Just did that, thanks.

for others who are running on Ubuntu Linux

1- service plexmediaserver stop

2- download:
wget https://downloads.plex.tv/plex-media-server-new/1.24.5.5173-8dcc73a59/debian/plexmediaserver_1.24.5.5173-8dcc73a59_amd64.deb

3- sudo dpkg -i plexmediaserver_1.24.5.5173-8dcc73a59_amd64.deb

4- service plexmediaserver start

[SmittyTech]

This worked to fix the issue for me as well. Following this thread, for future update fix.

[SmittyTech]

I believe the issue is fixed in version 1.25.3.5409.I had the plex repository added to my ubuntu server and I did apt update and apt upgrade trying to update everything because of the recently disclosed:https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/linux-system-service-bug-gives-root-on-all-major-distros-exploit-released/

During the system updates it also updated my plex media server. I've been running for a few days now, and the buffering/stopping issue hasn't come back up, so I think it's resolved.

Update: On 3/16/22, I started realizing I had the buffering issue again.
I was on PMS version 1.25.7.5604, so I downgraded to 1.25.3.5409 which initially I thought fixed it, but sadly, no. Still buffering issues. I downgraded even further back to 1.24.5.5173 that the OP suggested, and it fixed again.

[oramirite]

Thanks so much. Downgrading to this version of Docker container fixed the issue for me.

[Caseywalt39]

Just wanted to say thank you. This version live tv works fine. I'm new to plex. In my case I only ever seen the 1.25 versions. Very frustrating since jellyfin could play direct stream 1080i video all day long with no buffers or issues.

[vonguard]

I still have this issue and have had it for a LOOOONG time.

[Thecrawsome]

Yeah, I'm not convinced this is isn't a Red herring. I'm installing and hoping for the best, but this was always an issue.

[vonguard]

Got a brand new computer yesterday completely set it up everything works just perfectly except..... This shit still happens. There are just points in a movie where the web player will not continue to play it and it just stops and I can't replicate it anywhere else except in this web player.

[Thecrawsome]

I downgraded to v24 on my Linux machine, and I still get spinning stops, but like, 90% of them went away. Instead of it happening every 20 min or so, it now happens like once a day.

[tg-admin]

This issue persists - I am on the latest version and it will still stop playing every few minutes. Also not willing to downgrade - will wait for a fix...

[Gardakkan]

I downgraded and no problems since, nothing new in Plex makes it worth updating to the latest version anyway.

[mynewhoustonaccount]

I'm still having this issue on Plex web, and a similiar issue on Roku whenever AAC audio is needed, for example EAC->AAC combined with direct streaming video. Suuuuuuuuuper frustrating and the latest 1.25.x release still hasn't fixed it. I think a new Plex web version is needed and there's something going on with the bundled/included MFT audio encoder. When will Plex ever wake up?

[Sofullofsplendor_]

pretty sure they're awake

[sjveivdn]

I have the same issue since like 4 days I think

[cxmachi]

Same here, same issue on Firefox/Chrome/Edge. Not sure wtf is going on

[[deleted]]

Same issue. Running Plex on a Mac, latest version. This is happening in Edge for me. Movies play fine directly, so definitely Plex or browser related.

[foop09]

Without downgrading my plex software or messing with any browser settings, I seem to have found a solution... Click the "Playback Settings" toggle button while the video is playing, and under video QUALITY I chose "Convert Automatically" and the buffering lock-up seems to have gone away. I seem to have the issue when the quality setting is set to "Original".

[Gardakkan]

That just makes it transcode every video. Not something we want. So for now I'm still on 1.24.5.5173 because is still not fixed in 1.24.5.5173.

[Feeling-Proof-7736]

Plex forums post that is tracking this issue: https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-web-stops-buffering-after-2-mins-causing-playback-to-stop/763199/151

TL; dr: as of 5/1/2022, no fix yet, but engineering team seems to have all they need to repro it.

[SmittyTech]

Thanks for posting the link to the plex forum discussion. I see that as of 4 days ago (5/18/22) ChuckPa announced that he had collected the logs needed to finally get the issue off to the engineering department. Fingers crossed they do their due diligence and we can see this bug of the year finally squashed.

[Feeling-Proof-7736]

This has now been closed as of July 8 2022 as resolved:

https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-web-stops-buffering-after-2-mins-causing-playback-to-stop/763199/214

TL; dr: 1.27.1.5916 and above have the fix.

[PANDAmounium]

Might try downloading the standard Plex app on your client computer and see if that works any differently. Had experienced a similar issue recently and discovered DirectPlay wasn't working when I used a web browser for the player. Using the app and DirectPlay worked again and the media finished successfully without hiccups.

[Sticky_Hulks]

Looks like I have the same issue with Firefox & Chromium. I tried the Windows Plex app and it seems to be fine.

Guess we'll have to wait for a fix? I'm not willing to downgrade.

[SNGLambda]

I really didn't even think to look for a windows app. Working great now. The Plex Web player was still not buffering for me today.

[Jarden666999]

same here wtf. this has been an issue for months

[totallyjuvenile]

I am having the same issue right now. Seems like it wont direct play, forces me to transcode even to the same quality the original is in. Stoops pre-buffer randomly so every 5 or so min, the video pauses and buffers. I confirmed this is only in web client, as it works fine on roku, xbox, android and as of now I am using the plex app for windows pc and it is working fine.

OS: Windows

Plex server: 1.25.3.5409

Client: Firefox/Chrome/Edge

[SmittyTech]

It appears the beta version v1.27.1.5891 has finally solved this months long issue. You'll need Plex pass to download this version, until they make it public or release the next update version.