Playback Error: No compatable streams (Samsung/LG only it seems?)

[doonze 31]

Starting yesterday, 3 of my users (2 on samsung, 1 on LG) started getting the Playback Errors. All 3 use my server daily, and never got these errors before. 2 of the users have confirmed their Roku TV's do not get the errors at the same time. I also do not get the errors on my Roku TV, my android app, nor the web app. The weird thing is, all content will throw this error for a while, sometimes for several hours, then start working again for them. Only to go back to throwing errors. 

I'm on Emby 4.9.3.0 and have been for some time. Nothing changed on my system. I restarted the Emby server and then rebooted my server itself. My Emby runs on Debian Bookworm. Emby logs show no errors, just that the stream starts, then shows the app (LG app for example) stops the playback at 0 seconds. 

 

I've attached my logs. References to LG or User Nicole are where I was personally seeing the errors. They are around and just after 00:00 in these logs. Just before the app quits, there are messages like this:

2026-04-11 00:01:58.794 Info MediaInfoService-0HNKNGPJTMGD0:0000000A: Bitrate exceeds DirectPlay limit: media bitrate: 5507519, max bitrate: 4000002
2026-04-11 00:01:58.794 Info MediaInfoService-0HNKNGPJTMGD0:0000000A: Bitrate exceeds DirectStream limit: media bitrate: 5507519, max bitrate: 4000002

Then followed by: 
 

2026-04-11 00:01:59.897 Info SessionManager: Playback stopped reported by app Emby for LG 1.0.50 on LG Smart TV (32LK540BPUA)

But like I said no errors. There are no ffmpeg logs at these times; it seems pretty obvious to me that the system wants to transcode as the bitrate is too high for direct play, but is failing to start the transcode so the stream is failing? That's my take from what I see. I do see correct transcoding going on for these same files on my android and Roku apps, accessing these exact same files just before or after they are failing on the LG app. My test were not at the exact same time (to exclude some weird type of contention), but I would switch back and forth between the LG, Android app, and Web app, and walk from the room the Roku TV was in, and the LG TV was in. 

 

Any ideas? I've got 2 unhappy users and one disgruntled GF I need to appease. 

 

 

 

embyserver (1).txt

[Luke 42360]

HI, is the issue only with this one video?

[doonze 31]

@LukeNo, it seems to be anything that needs transcoding. Tried like 10+ different files, even ones that worked in the past just fine  And like I said, the weird thing is it seems to come and go. It won't work for a few hours for them, then will start working again. 

Just weird. And out of the blue. And Roku, Android, web (even ones at the problem locations) work fine. Even transcoding. I checked that those systems were generating ffmpeg logs on the exact same files at the exact same location during the times the Samsung/LG systems were throwing errors 

[doonze 31]

Any ideas? A few days before my first post this started, and seems to impact anyone using LG or Samsung app. Android and Roku seen unaffected. All three of my users effected worked fine till last week, now almost nothing plays for them. 

 

Emby didn't update, and while LG seems to have had an update earlier this month, nothing lines up with when the problem started. 

 

Testing/logs seem to show either the TVs aren't reporting back that they need transcoding, or if they are, Emby isn't starting it. So the streams are incompatible. 

Roku, Android, Web all seem to work as normal. And transcode when needed. 

[visproduction 351]

LG updates including 2026
https://techjunctions.com/how-to-update-lg-tv-software/

LG Forum
https://www.avforums.com/forums/lg-tvs.91/

I did not find a definite answer about playback issues.  An LG update could cause some issues.

[Luke 42360]

Hi, we are looking into it. Thanks.

[doonze 31]

@luke and team. More info....

So, I use Cloudflare as my domain host/DSN service with my sub-domains proxied (Emby being one). Locally, I have an Apache reverse proxy. Been on Cloudflare about 2 years (since Google Domains shut down) and had my Apache reverse proxy set up for 10+ years. All worked fine for many many years for many users of Samsung and LG TV's. I use Letsencrypt for my own servers SSL certs. I had read from other post on here about Samsung (and possibly LG) issues where it will connect, you can scroll the menus, but something about the certs causes issues with actual playback. Doesn't make any sense to me, but I decided to have one of my users test.  

I opened port 8096 on my router, made an "un-proxied" subdomain so the app could get IP resolution, gave the port and http:// to the user, and they once again have no issue streaming content from my server on their LG TV. 

 

I plan on doing some more testing to figure out if the issue lies in Cloudflare certs or my certs, but bypassing SSL/TLS all together seems to have resolved the issue. But I'm now running unencrypted. I'm betting it's something in the latest and greatest cert chains. But I don't understand how it doesn't impact connection/menus navigation, and only playback streaming.... 

More to come.  

 

EDIT:

I got an answer quicker than I suspected, the problem seems to be Cloudflair proxied connections. I simply turned off their proxy of my emby subdomain, and my users report it's working again. Of note, this worked fine till just before my first post, and has worked fine for 2 years for all impacted users. CF changed something I suspect in the certs that caused the issue. I guess it could be something in the proxy, but I've looked and they have not reported making any changes. BUT I do see the cert they use when I have proxy turned on seems to be only about 3 weeks old. It doesn't exactly line up with when the issue started, but I don't know when they cut over to the new cert.  

Edited April 20 by doonze

[Luke 42360]

OK have you compared your cloudfare and reverse proxy options to these?

 

[doonze 31]

tl/dr: Cloudflare Proxy started blocking transcoding from happening on my Emby server on Samsung/LG TV's. Roku TV's (TCL and Hisense tested) still worked fine. As did android and web. Turning off Proxied in CF fixed my remote users' issues with Samsung/LG TVs. As it still works on many other TV's apps, and users could still direct stream content, I suspect something weird in a new CERT CF started using 3/4/26. My users didn't report the problem till about 5 days later, but if I had to guess they didn't cut over to the new cert on 3/4, but most likely the day my users started seeing issues. Strangely, it was hit and miss for the first 2 days, then 100% not working for anything that needed transcoding. 

 

@luke Sorry, I was writing an edit to my above post just as you sent your reply. The problem is in Cloudflare. A LOT has changed in Cloudflare since that post you linked to above it seems, as not all those screens/options exist anymore. And I was not aware CF would block streaming, but it HAD been working for two years. However, I'm not thinking that's actually what is going on as it seems only transcoding is not working, as my users are able to view anything that can actually direct steam on their TV's just fine even through CF. And other TV's and apps have no issue streaming and transcoding through CF. If CF was blocking video everything should have stopped working for all TV's/APPS, etc. 

Anyway, taking CF out of the picture, aside from DNS resolution, has resolved the issue for my users. I simply turned off "Proxied" and my emby subdomain now shows "DNS only" for that subdomain. Pretty much turning off Proxied completely takes CF out of the picture, and all CF does is pass back my IP address now. I had cache turned off anyway (what that post talked about) and all that CF was really doing was masking my physical IP from the internet. I had all other "features" of CF turned off. I liked that as it made my server harder to find/attack. But as SOMETHING in that process was jacking up transcoding working (or even starting) on my server, I'll take the security hit and just keep it off. 

Informational for anyone who searches this issue and runs across this post:

CF Proxy works like this. USER > CLOUDFLAIR IP ADDRESS/STUFF YOU HAVE IT SET TO DO > YOUR SEVER. The IP address the user sees and the CERTS it sees are CF's IP's and CERTS. Hiding your server behind it's back, so to say. 

CF DNS ONLY (no proxy) USER > YOUR SERVER. All CF does is serve up the DSN record for your domain (your IP). User can see the IP address of your sever as well as your certs.

Masking my IP/certs is why I use/used CF proxy at all, but.... oh well. It had helped in the number of attacks my server sees. But I have only two subdomains exposed now so the impact should be limited.

 

I hope this help someone else as I can't be the only person using CF and seeing issues. Some may not be impacted till they pull a new cert from CF. 

Edited April 20 by doonze

[Luke 42360]

@doonzethanks for following up !