Plex is an app on your computer that lets you watch live TV, stream movies and music to a device like your phone or tablet. It’s well loved by cord-cutters who want more content without paying for cable. But with the recent release of Plex Pass subscription service, users are running into issues.
The “plex an unexpected playback problem occurred” is a message that appears when Plex has encountered an error. This is usually due to the media library not being properly configured.
Have you run across the issue “there was a difficulty playing this item” when viewing movies on Plex? Users who are using the app for the first time often have this issue.
It may also happen if you’re using Plex Media Server 0.9.17.X or above. In other circumstances, the problem occurs when you attempt to play particular files, such as MKV.
This implies you won’t be able to view a movie on Plex if this occurs. The good news is that there are various methods to resolve this Plex problem.
Table of Contents
Plex’s “trouble playing this item” issue has been solved.
- Delete any outdated devices.
- Transcoder parameters should be changed.
- Reduce the server’s performance.
- Plex should be updated to include the AC3 codec.
Continue reading for a more in-depth look at these options.
Method #1: Delete any outdated devices.
Plex has the benefit of allowing you to connect several devices to your account. Plex Cloud, Plex Web, Plex for Roku, and Plex for Android are just a few examples.
If you have many devices, a device conflict may cause the media player to cease operating. When all devices are utilizing the same server resources – memory, interrupt requests, etc. – or are executing at the same time, a conflict ensues.
Read: Plex’s Best Channels
Plex not functioning errors may also arise when your account has multiples of the same device. A web browser, for example, appears on the account numerous times. This implies that each browser is a separate instance.
Despite the fact that the media player can figure out which entry to use, you should delete it to prevent future conflicts and failures. The instructions below demonstrate how to delete or erase old accounts.
- Access your Plex account by logging in.
- List of Open Devices
- Look for any devices you’ve added to your account.
- To remove individual devices from your account, click the red X.
- Verify the deletion.
If you remove a device, you’ll have to login in to your account on that device again to get back into Plex.
Method #2: Transcoder parameters should be changed.
Plex Server takes a lot of computing power to perform at its best. The server’s processing power enables it to concurrently convert files and broadcast movies. To change media file formats on the fly, you’ll need a more powerful CPU.
Change your transcoding settings to repair the Plex unable to play media problem. Plex transcodes files for you automatically.
However, you must alter the default parameters to fit the speed of your CPU. To free up CPU space, the easiest approach to accomplish this is to lower the quality of transcoded files. Follow the steps below to change the settings.
- Return to the main menu.
- Choose Settings, then Transcoder.
Change the Transcoder quality by using the drop-down menu on the Transcoder tab. You have the option of selecting one of the four traits given. These are some of them:
- Automatic – this option allows the Plex Server to choose the quality for you.
- Make my CPU pain – this option provides for the highest picture quality. It will cause transcodes to take longer and promote more CPU consumption.
- Prefer higher-quality encoding — this option allows for slower transcodes with higher-quality results.
- Prefer high-speed encoding — this choice will result in quicker transcodes at the expense of quality.
If you’re receiving the issue because your selection is automated, try experimenting with the other three to see what happens.
Also see: How to Resolve a Plex Error: Insufficient bandwidth for playback
Method #3: Reduce the server’s performance.
When you update the media server to a new version, the Plex “there was a difficulty playing this item” issue might occur.
Some files will not play after upgrading the server on Windows. Consider upgrading the media server to a prior version to resolve this problem and continue viewing your programs.
If you’re using Windows, go to percent LOCALAPPDATA percent Plex Media Server and open the Plex Media Server folder. Locate the Plex Media Server folder in /Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/ on OSX.
Both locations have an updates folder where PMS is installed. They contain previous updates of the server. Choose any version you wish to install to Reduce the server’s performance. to an earlier version.
Method #4: Plex should be updated to include the AC3 codec.
If you’re having trouble playing media, it’s possible that you’re using a format that can’t be played directly. Plex makes advantage of Smart TV playback mechanisms supplied by device makers.
Audio from unsupported video formats will be automatically transcoded to AC3. However, if the AC3 codec is not correctly created, you will have trouble playing stuff.
To fix this error, you need to Plex should be updated to include the AC3 codec.. The following steps show how to do it.
- Using a web browser, download a video file.
- Organize the file in your Plex Library.
- Play the video file — By playing the file, the AC3 codec should be generated. When you use the media player, the codec is always created.
Restart the video feed. By now, the modifications should have taken effect.
Hopefully, this article has helped you resolve the Plex problem. If not, contact customer service for assistance. They’ll be able to figure out what’s causing the problem and assist you in resolving it. But first, follow the methods outlined above for a fast fix.
The “plex an error occurred while attempting to play this video chromecast” is a common problem that can be fixed by following the steps in the article.
Related Tags
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- plex playback error multimedia file format not supported
- plex an error occurred please check your connection
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- plex error code: 4294967283
