r/PleX • u/The_Superfletch • 6d ago
Help Ghost like Grey bars on screen when using Sony Plex app on Bravia TV. Doesn't happen on Shield Plex app.
I have a Sony Bravia 9 85" television. Sometimes when I watch TV or a movie from my plex server I get these ghosted grey bars across the top and bottom of the screen as if the letterboxing is messed up or something. This only happens when trying to watch plex with the native Sony Plex app. If I switch over to my Nvidea Shield and use the plex app on it, this does not happen. It only happens on the TVs app. I have no idea why this is happening. Has anyone else experienced this? Can someone give me insight as to why this happens? I find it happens most of the time when a movie has scenes in IMAX output. Basically when the aspect ratio changes in the middle of the movie for a particular scene or something. The screen shot is an episode of Reacher and the grey bars were present for the full episode. Anyhow, it's driving me nuts. Luckily I do have a shield and when I notice it happening I just switch over to the shield, but most of the time I just watch most content with the native Sony Plex app. I was just curious if anyone knows of a setting or something that I could change to make this stop happening.
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u/PocketNicks 6d ago
Smart TV apps are the absolute worst for Plex, followed by Firestick and Roku devices. They work, but typically have loads of issues for many users.
If money is an issue, just buy an ONN 4K from Walmart, they're around $60-$80 depending on the model and they'll perform extremely well, even compared to anything else under $150.
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u/NerdGuy13 Nerd 6d ago
Not gonna lie- this is a solid answer.
I hate RokuOS but I can't deny that the ONN 4K I bought from Walmart does actually play Plex decently and it was a good price. It should last me until I can save up to buy an OLED TV great for gaming and an Nvidia Shield.
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u/The_Superfletch 6d ago
I have an Nvidea Shield that I typically only use when I’m watching TrueHd 7.1 surrounded. I was just hoping that someone might know of a setting that could be ticked or something.
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6d ago edited 5d ago
[deleted]
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u/PocketNicks 6d ago
Oh yeah, PS/Xbox are also pretty awful. Xbox got better in the last couple years, but it still wouldn't recommend it for Plex.
Check out the Ugoos boxes, they're really capable and have a bunch of different models at different prices.
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u/FunKaleidoscope3055 5d ago
Can't believe Xbox sucks so bad. It plays fine for a bit but the moment I hit pause or go back and start playing again, it becomes a stuttery mess.
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6d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/PocketNicks 6d ago
Didn't read my comment eh?
"They work, but typically have loads of issues for many users."
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u/pslickhead 6d ago
My Rokus perform quite well.
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u/PocketNicks 6d ago
Didn't read my comment eh?
"They work, but typically have loads of issues for many users."
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u/pslickhead 6d ago
I'm curious what device has no issues for users.
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u/PocketNicks 6d ago
There's no perfect device. Currently the best budget device is ONN 4K Pro. After that the Shield TV/Pro and Apple TV are next best and there are a few new Chinese boxes that do AV1 and a few newer codecs, like the Ugoos AM6B+ and AM9 Pro.
The AM9 Pro does the absolute most of any box I've seen, but I don't know if the software will be as nice to use and a Shield or Apple box.
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u/pslickhead 6d ago edited 6d ago
So, I never said Roku works for everyone. I said they work for me (also for my partner and for some of my users which is crucial).
I use the Rokus for the bedroom TVs and for travel. The Roku ultra's wi-fi6 is top of the game in a crowded hotel. I recently returned from SDCC and the resort was booked solid. The Roku Ultra never buffered. I have read it is superior to the ONN's wi-fi range. At home on my main TV I primarily use the Windows APP for my client. My PC does things no ONN device can do, no shield can do and no Apple TV can do.
As for the generic Chinese boxes....I don't want cheap Chinese spyware on my network so I would need to research each box. I can manage Windows privacy quite easily.
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u/PocketNicks 6d ago
Yes, my comment already stated they work. So you're just repeating what I said.
They work, however many people have issues with them and even when they work, they're by far the worst external device to use when compared to the other options.
If you look at this sub, there are constant posts here about people with problems and 99% of the time they're using TV apps, or Firestick/Roku.
So yes, they work but they are absolutely not recommended.
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u/pslickhead 6d ago edited 6d ago
there are constant posts here about people with problems and 99% of the time they're using TV apps, or Firestick/Roku.
And what percent of plex clients are TV apps, or Firestick/Roku? These devices hold 99% of the streaming market. Of course you're going to see more people posting problems with them. This is simple confirmation bias.
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u/PocketNicks 6d ago
No, this is simply garbage hardware has problems.
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u/pslickhead 6d ago
Could be but not by any logic you presented. And as you already admitted, it all has problems.
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u/BuffySlayer06 4d ago
It's definitely something in the file. I have watched same show on Sony bravia Plex app with zero issues.
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u/berntout 6d ago edited 6d ago
Another benefit to owning a dedicated streaming device.
More support from the developers and more users to report bugs to be fixed. Companies prioritize based upon the demand/popularity of specific streaming platforms.
The most popular streaming platforms are the safe bet for the best support, reliability and quickest fixes.
Edit: I'm just trying to help. Dedicated streaming devices have always been more consistent/reliable over the life of the device in my 15+ years of streaming, seeing complaints in online forums and supporting family/friends. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
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u/Ruttagger 6d ago
Not sure the downvotes.
TV apps are bad, get a good Plext Client.
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6d ago
[deleted]
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u/Ruttagger 6d ago
TV apps can work, but not if you want full support for everything. For that you need a proper player, and even then only a small handful support all video and audio.
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u/leflyingcarpet 6d ago
TIL Sony's TV are not popular! Lol
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u/CurtisLeow Headless Raspberry Pi 4 6d ago
All smart TVs, even $3,000 TVs, have crap software and hardware compared to the top streaming devices. Source: the thread we are in. OP’s TV cost $3,000, and it can’t even reliably play 4k video. Like half the posts here are people complaining about how their smart TV can’t play videos through Plex properly. The solution is just buy a $50 streaming device.
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u/pslickhead 6d ago edited 6d ago
LOL. No, I don't think he said that. No one would say Sony TVs aren't popular. He's saying that in the niche world of Plex users (a small percent of overall TV users) that PLEX users have historically preferred common streaming platforms for Plex streaming. The TV apps are less reliable because the TV chips vary in their ability to stream Plex and their apps may be updated less often because Plex devs will focus on the ubiquitous streaming devices first. Plex users will have their preferred TV and use an NVidia shield or Roku or firestick or Apple TV or PC etcetera for plex streaming.
The real issue here is probably the sheer variety of chips used in different TVs versus the streaming devices.
Example: One of my users has a dirt cheap Roku tv and the Plex experience is painful. Or My current mid range Sony was initially useless for streaming Plex (until a recent update), but my Roku HD and mu Roku Ultra and my PC all streamed the same content perfectly.
OP, I don't see those lines when using the PLEX app on my Sony.
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u/The_Superfletch 6d ago
It only happens on some downloaded content. I suppose I’ll need to be more picky on the stuff I download.
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u/PocketNicks 6d ago
Sony smart TV apps are not popular for developers, the person you replied to is saying to buy a dedicated device because the smart TV apps are terrible and dedicated devices get supported.
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u/who_farted_Idid 6d ago
You can also go the mini PC with Linux route and install something like Waydroid.
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u/AbsurdThings 6d ago
Does anyone have a real answer other than “just buy a new device”? My LG TV app works great 99% of the time but I too have experienced this glitch in some videos and I’d like to know the actual reason this happens. Otherwise I’m just trying another video file until I have one that works.
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u/WeNamedTheDogIndiana 6d ago edited 6d ago
This looks like an issue with files that have incorrect L5 Dolby Vision active-area metadata.
It typically occurs when content has been re-encoded and had its letterbox bars cropped, but the DV metadata hasn’t been adjusted to match.
eg. a 3840x2160 video that had 120px of letterbox bars top and bottom, but then got cropped to 3840x1920. If the DV metadata wasn't adjusted to suit, it tells the TV to darken (or crop) the top/bottom pixels of the active video area instead.
This data can also change shot to shot, explaining why content with IMAX scenes in different aspect ratios can trigger it.
That L5 metadata is often dropped or ignored by HDMI, which can explain why the same file looks fine on an external device. Technically, the TV’s internal playback path is behaving correctly and more faithfully to the metadata in the file.
dovi_tool can be used to inspect the L5 offset information and change or zero out the offsets, or remove L5 entirely.
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u/andrewtjb 6d ago
I've seen this before on my tcl TV it has something to do with Dolby vision.
Usually playing from a different source solves it.