Some people believe that they are fixing the issue by changing the XML, but this is not true. The Chromecast file specifies a maximum bitrate of 12,000 kbps.īut, what if we change this XML profile to specify a maximum bitrate of 30,000 kbps? This would solve the problem for most devices, but this does not fix the issue for the Chromecast. This profile contains info about what device supports what features, and if the media is too high resolution or too high bitrate, Plex decides to transcode the video to a compatible format.
Read the How To Guide The Hard-Coded Problemįirst, to understand the issue, you have to know how a Chromecast app and Plex work:Įssentially, when you hit play and stream to your Chromecast, Plex does a few things:įirst, the media is checked against an XML based profile for your device that is located on your Plex server. If you are an end user that just wants to perform the fix yourself, please see my separate how-to guide: Note: This is a detailed post on how I figured out my workaround, and contains some technical material on advanced Javascript concepts. Not only have users casted media higher than 12 mbps from other apps, but I have successfully gotten around this hard coded limitation and streamed 20+ mbps video without a problem. Plex claims this forced transcoding is due to "performance issues" with media over 12 mbps, but this is not true 1. But, I am using an old laptop that can barely transcode to 4 mbps, 720p video files, so the video playback stutters. If you have a powerful PC running as your Plex server, this is fine- the server software will transcode the higher bitrate videos on the fly to 12 mbps. Plex, for whatever reason, has decided to limit the maximum bitrate of a video file to 12 mbps when casting to a Chromecast device. There's one major issue, however, in terms of compatibility between Plex and the Chromecast- and it's not actually the Chromecast's fault. Chromecast also has a browser API, so Plex's website also allows you to cast media to your local TVs.
Using your phone as a remote, you can "cast" media from an app (such as Netflix, HBO, or Plex) and onto your TV. I also have several Chromecast devices- they're great little media streamer sticks that simply plug into your HDMI port on your TV. Attached to my ReadyNAS, my Plex server has access to 6 TB of storage.
I am a big fan of Plex Media Server- it has a great set of software, both server and client side, and is much easier to setup and use than alternatives such as XBMC.
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