Movies don't resume, they start from beginning

[Nabukodonosor 13]

I have the FireTV version of the app. The issue is when I resume a movie, it starts from the beginning. This was not the case before, but now it happens in 70% of the cases. Any ideas why?

[Luke 42077]

 

Hi there, let's look at an example. Please attach the information requested in how to report a media playback issue. Thanks!

 

[Nabukodonosor 13]

Here.

embyserver.txt

[visproduction 315]

In embyserver.txt

1524 times "Response 204" followed by "Disconnected by host" on the test media.

Suspect test media has bad timeline data.  Try a quality test media to see if the problem is with the media Horizon: An American Saga.  Playing the media in a 3rd party player does not guarantee the media is error free. TV Apps, mobile and browser playback handle problem issues differently. You can also test the media with ffmpeg probe.

Test media sources: 1, 2, 3

 

[Nabukodonosor 13]

This doesn't occur every time I resume a movie, or an episode, but sometimes. But more and more often. And not with only this movie you mentioned, but with multiple random movies/tv shows. So I don't think the movie is the problem.

  

6 hours ago, visproduction said:

Suspect test media has bad timeline data.

What does this mean?

Edited February 8 by Nabukodonosor

[visproduction 315]

Media that is previously converted from an original and then copied, might have damaged timeline data or not have the timeline optimized for streaming.  Optimization, brings the timeline startup to the beginning of the file.  The timeline counts off where you are in the media.  For other media types, the timeline can be differently embedded to optmize for blu-ray or DVD playback.  Some content has copyright protection and sometimes a version of this process actually includes setting up jumps in the timeline and then the content producer puts the file to map to these jumps in an end area of the blu-ray disc, that nomally cannot even be copied.  I don't know how often this is done, but it use to happen.  This makes playing back the media very difficult, when it is not on the original disk.

Encoders and ripper software have various counter software to help create a media copy that should play back correctly, but it's possible that some combination of encoding, copying, encryption creates media that has a non-optimized timeline data for playback.  You can sometimes see this when opening a media and there is no duration info or the duration is far too long.  Other symptoms are clicking on the timeline is delayed or does nothing.  Some 3rd party players, like VLC I believe, has a correction feature, that helps playback media with a problem timeline.  You often remux a video to a streaming container and codec .mkv or .mp4 and repair the timeline.  ffmpeg also has a command that can remux.  This is a very fast process, typically under a minute for a two hour media.

If the media plays on VLC or other 3rd party player, fine. That does not mean the media is perfect.  TV apps, mobile, browser are not so sophisticated with fixing issues.  They can easily be hung up by some problem with the media.  Of course, it could be Emby.  It could also be a lot of videos that you think are fine, but they are not.  The symptom could be that sometimes they play and sometimes not.  Have you already remuxed all your videos?  Test with a proper quality demo video to eliminate the possibility that your videos have issues. Otherwise, you could be barking up the wrong tree, so to speak.

Remux and encoding software I prefer: AVIDemux

Edited February 8 by visproduction

[Luke 42077]

Hi.  Can you try searching for our standard android app (Just "Emby" on Amazon and "Emby for Android on Google) on the same device's app store and see how that compares?

Thanks.

 

[Nabukodonosor 13]

I have your standard app already installed, but I don't use it. Compared to the ATV app it sucks. I mean, GUI wise.

BTW, it stills happens. Last night I was watching Landman, and when I wanted to continue watching an episode, it started from the start of it.

[ebr 16168]

Do you use a proxy of any sort?  It sounds like maybe something is interfering with the apps ability to update play state on the server.  An incorrectly configured proxy could cause this.

[Nabukodonosor 13]

No proxy. Nothing.

[ebr 16168]

Okay, any chance your router recently updated its firmware?  We had a recent occurrence of someone's router's firewall specifically blocking certain traffic from Fire devices.

[Nabukodonosor 13]

Nope. Everything is as it always was. It just randomly starts an episode/movie from the start instead of resuming.

[ebr 16168]

Is there a "Resume" button and it just doesn't resume or there is no resume button at all?

[PedroDelCargo 1]

I had the same issue yesterday. I had the Resume button, but when I pressed it, the movie started from the begining.

[Nabukodonosor 13]

On 2/12/2026 at 4:10 PM, ebr said:

Is there a "Resume" button and it just doesn't resume or there is no resume button at all?

Yeah, there is a resume button, and it's displays the current time where it should continue, but it starts from the beginning.

[ebr 16168]

Okay, when that happens, are you able to immediately seek forward without restarting the video?

[Nabukodonosor 13]

The movie starts from the beginning and everything works like that was the first time I started it. I fast forward to find the time I want.

[ebr 16168]

Can you please reproduce the problem and then follow the instructions to send a log from the app?