As the host of a large Plex server, streaming issues are just as irritating to me as the people I share my library with. And although setting up a Plex server is simple enough, there are always moments when you need to fix streaming issues on your Plex setup.
1
Reboot Your Internet and Plex Server
Any time I have network issues, I reboot my modem and router. It usually fixes the problems by dumping temporary data and starting with a clean slate. Find your modem and router (if you have one), unplug them, wait 60 seconds, and then plug it back in.
For your Plex server, shut down the Plex Media Server and Plex services, then restart both, starting with Plex Media Server first and then Plex after. It also wouldn’t hurt to reboot the device hosting your Plex server.
2
Double-Check For Any Updates
Once you’ve rebooted your Plex server, it’s also wise to check for updates, which you can do from Settings.
- Click your profile icon in the top-right and go to Account Settings.
- On the left-hand side, under Settings, select General.
- Now click Check for Updates. Plex will quickly scan and let you know if everything’s good.
- It’s also wise to update the Plex app if you’re connecting from a console, streaming box, or mobile app.
In addition to your server, you may also want to double-check if any Plex plugins also need an update. One of the best Plex plugins, WebTools-NG, is super helpful at keeping them up-to-date.
3
Adjust Your Streaming Settings
Your network bandwidth and CPU can cause major bottlenecks if neither are up to the task of streaming high-quality movies across numerous users. However, you can make some handy adjustments to your Plex streaming settings to fix any issues.
- Go into Account Settings again, and under Plex Web, choose Quality. Set Video Quality to something more manageable, like 1080p or even 720p. You’ll also notice the quality has Mbps attached to it, which is a nice indicator of the internet speeds required to keep a solid connection.
- Now, open the Settings tab and head to the Transcoder options. You need a fast enough connection to stream, and your transcoder is working to format the media so your users can enjoy the content. This uses your CPU.
- Start by clicking Show Advanced. For Transcoder quality, setting it to Automatic is fine. If you go for a higher speed, you may run into artifacts, whereas higher-quality encoding will push your CPU more. Keep the Transcoder default throttle buffer at 60 to ensure smooth performance.
In this case, you should also consider the hardware hosting your Plex library and server. You’ll need a device with at least an Intel Core i3 (or AMD equivalent), and if you want to stream 4K content, you’ll need an Intel Core i7 (or AMD equivalent). If you want to be specific, Plex recommends a CPU with a PassMark score of around 2000 per 1080p simultaneous transcode (PassMark is a PC performance benchmarking tool).
- 4K HDR (50Mbps, 10-bit HEVC) file: 17000 PassMark score (being transcoded to 10Mbps 1080p)
- 4K SDR (40Mbps, 8-bit HEVC) file: 12000 PassMark score (being transcoded to 10Mbps 1080p)
- 1080p (10Mbps, H.264) file: 2000 PassMark score
- 720p (4Mbps, H.264) file: 1500 PassMark score
You’ll also need at least 4GB RAM. Though the minimum is 2GB RAM, large libraries need at least 4GB, and you’ll likely want more to keep Plex running smoothly.
4
Consider Booting a Few Users
Lastly, it’s worth looking at the number of Plex users you’ve invited and start cleaning house. At the very least, remove people who haven’t watched anything in a while. You can do that by visiting Manage Library Access in Settings. Click the X next to their name, and they’ll no longer have access.
Additionally, under Limited remote video quality, you may limit playback streaming quality. For reference, an internet connection capable of 25 Mbps is needed to stream 4K and 5 Mbps for 1080p. Unless you’re ripping Blu-rays to your Plex server, 10 Mbps gives users enough headroom for a stable connection, though you reduce this further.
Alternatively, those subscribing to the Plex Pass can put a cap on your Plex users’ streams. If you have a Plex Pass subscription, you can head to Settings > Network, where you can limit the number of streams users can have simultaneously. It’s best to set that to one or two maximum.
Honestly, this is one of my favorite aspects of Plex. It’s easy to make some quick adjustments here and there if you’re experiencing streaming issues. Just limit that or tweak this, and your loyal watchers will get back to enjoying your awesome library.
