Remote clients unable to play any videos

[Poptartica 13]

Hey everyone! I was wondering if anyone could help me, or if they were having a similar problem ...

 

I am running on a Windows 8.1 Pro system right now, Emby server version 3.0.5641.4, and I am using a dynamic DNS address. At first it was just one of my users that was getting this and I didn't think much of it, but now more and more my users are unable to play any file from outside the network at all. I'm able to reproduce this issue with 3 different users including myself. For one user they were also able to reproduce it on two different browsers as well (chrome and safari), and I am using my own android chrome browser to reproduce it myself. It only occurs outside of my network, if I try to play the files on the client while within my local network they will play just fine.

 

When accessing Emby remotely, you can log in just fine, browse around on the Emby web client just fine, but the actual video refuses to play and simply remains a blank/black screen.

 

I tried restarting my server, removing plugins (of which for me are only EmbyTV and Server Backup), clearing the server cache, and also clearing my own client cache with the client that is reproducing the problem. None of these solved the issue, so I've attached a log (server-63570404559.txt) of what occurs when I do the following:

 

1. Restart server

2. Press play on a show which is loaded up in the Android Chrome web browser

3. Refresh log page to view logs

 

Thanks for any help guys.

Edited June 20, 2015 by Poptartica

[Luke 42079]

Did you figure this out? sounds like the traffic just can't get through your firewall.

[Poptartica 13]

Did you figure this out? sounds like the traffic just can't get through your firewall.

 

Hey Luke ! I haven't figured it out quite yet. It does seem like a firewall issue, however I have no idea what's preventing it from connecting fully.

 

Windows firewall is off, and I haven't put any additional monitoring software on it just yet. I manually forwarded my port (before it was handled by uPnP), and a small bit of improvement was made. It appears as though the videos are buffering for a very excessive time (probably 2-3 minutes longer than they needed before for files which aren't large or high in bitrate) and then are only able to play for a few seconds after the initial load before they experience stuttering and stop - I'm not quite sure why that is, since this same setup with similar files was just fine for a long time. I've checked my connection's speed and it's the same as it's always been in both the UL and DL sense (that is, safely above the requirements of the files I'm trying to stream). I've tried the process with both Direct Streamable and transcoded files and the result has been the same.

Edited June 22, 2015 by Poptartica

[Luke 42079]

i would generally suggest keeping windows firewall on. it's so heavily tied into the OS that disabling it can cause more harm than good

[Poptartica 13]

i would generally suggest keeping windows firewall on. it's so heavily tied into the OS that disabling it can cause more harm than good

 

Typically I do, but I'm really running out of ideas what it could be at this point..

[aziz 16]

Hi Poptartica,

 

I have similar problem but for different reasons. 

 

When I log in from remote using the Emby.connect.  I can browse movies and get to the server, but I can't play movies or download movies.

 

When I log in from remote using the explicit IP address (the one that is on the server page to use remotely) everything works fine.  I can play movies and download movies as well..

 

I am running couple of versions behind on my server, and I think that's my problem, and I am now just using the explicit address..

 

Try this as it may get you close to understanding  (i.e.  it is not server problem, but how you connect to it...)

 

hope this helps.

[Poptartica 13]

Hi Poptartica,

 

I have similar problem but for different reasons. 

 

When I log in from remote using the Emby.connect.  I can browse movies and get to the server, but I can't play movies or download movies.

 

When I log in from remote using the explicit IP address (the one that is on the server page to use remotely) everything works fine.  I can play movies and download movies as well..

 

I am running couple of versions behind on my server, and I think that's my problem, and I am now just using the explicit address..

 

Try this as it may get you close to understanding  (i.e.  it is not server problem, but how you connect to it...)

 

hope this helps.

 

Thank you for the information, aziz! Sadly it appears that my issue is indeed a different one, as accessing the server and attempting to use video playback with the actual address still yields the same results.

 

edit: Whelp I even tried completely reinstalling the server and rolling back (restore point) to the most recent updates in windows, and it's still doing the same thing - barely allowing any access and then continually cutting out once the video(s) try to play.

Edited June 23, 2015 by Poptartica

[split 6]

I have a similar issue, but i have some particular details i have not seen described here.

 

Background

-------------------

Until recently i have been running the server and theater software directly on my HTPC, and i have not accessed the content form anywhere else on my home network. Now i decided to expand the storage in my home server, and move all my content there, allowing me to (in future, if i get this figured out) to replace the HTPC hardware with a low power unit that will simply play back content from the server.

 

Issue

--------

I still have the Emby server installed on the HTPC. While i stay connected to the HTPC server installation, things work perfectly as they have for years. When i change the connection to connect to the server, some files simply wont play. Others start to play after 15+ seconds, but something is clearly wrong because it calculates the movie's duration as 5 seconds. Everything is on wired network.

Though i can sit there and watch the content that way (the playback is fine once it starts), it is not marked as watched once complete, and i have to do it manually by setting the flag.

While this works for some, other content will not start at all, even though the exact same file plays when i connect to the HTPC local server installation.

 

After seeing this, i tried to connect to the HTPC server remotely and experienced the exact same behavior.

 

 

Is this along the lines of what your issue? Has anyone encountered this?

 

Edited June 27, 2015 by split

[split 6]

I hadn't checked until now, but remote playback via the web interface is fine. IS this perhaps something specific to Emby Theater?

[bluemonkey07 590]

Did you use UNC paths to the media on your NAS when adding them to emby?

Edited June 27, 2015 by Vidman

[Poptartica 13]

Hey, I just saw this. My tests were involving web interface only, and as mentioned there are still some users who can watch just fine and others on the identical browser/build who cannot. They get the same issue that split posted in their second screenshot. Due to this, right now a decent chunk of my users can't watch anything. I don't use Emby for local viewing so I'm still ok myself.

[split 6]

Did you use UNC paths to the media on your NAS when adding them to emby?

 

Awesome, this worked for me, thanks.

I ended up just using Path Substitution in the Library section. Make sure the client can access this path.

[techworld 3]

Hello,

 

I'm in the same boat.

I'm using UNC path, but no luck.

I put it in 'Folder' and "Shared network folder' paths.

 

i.e.

/media/UUID/Share/Music Videos

Edited January 29, 2017 by techworld

[split 6]

Have you tried accessing this UNC path directly? (outside of Emby).

 

Have you looked at Path Substitution in your Emby server config?

[techworld 3]

Don't know what you meant.

I can see the media files in Emby app, and in URL, but they aren't playing.

 

What's Path Substitution?

Edited January 31, 2017 by techworld

[Happy2Play 9780]

Hello,

 

I'm in the same boat.

I'm using UNC path, but no luck.

I put it in 'Folder' and "Shared network folder' paths.

 

i.e.

/media/UUID/Share/Music Videos

 

Are you saying you put this path in both locations?  If so that is not a "Shared network folder" path.

[techworld 3]

I tried with & without the Network Shared path, it doesn't make a difference.

 

[Happy2Play 9780]

Using an image from another post, your network path should be something like this.  Local path and network path are never the same.

 

[techworld 3]

I'm always use the local path.

I'm give it a shot for the network path too.

 

Update: It's working after I filled in the Network Path.

What I don't understand is that the previous Emby last year, I only used the local path.

 

You save the day!

 

Thank you.

Edited February 1, 2017 by techworld

[Happy2Play 9780]

In theory all remote clients should have transcoded do to not having access to the files.

[Happy2Play 9780]

I'm always use the local path.

I'm give it a shot for the network path too.

 

Update: It's working after I filled in the Network Path.

What I don't understand is that the previous Emby last year, I only used the local path.

 

You save the day!

 

Thank you.

Do you have any user Media Playback restrictions applied to the user?   Users-select the user-Media Playback options

[techworld 3]

No.

I tried it as an admin and as user.

It workings fine on local network. I thought it's the firewall or something, but I tested the router, and it ruled out.

Therefore, I know it's something else.

 

 

Right now, I'm not sure whether it's Emby's new version or OMV3 was the culprit.

On OMV2 with the last year Emby version, I only used local path for my share folders, and they played fine on locally and remotely.

I think I'm the only one has this issue in OMV3.

I got stumble over this issue in this OMV3 with this new Emby version until today.

Edited February 1, 2017 by techworld

[Happy2Play 9780]

What exact issues are your remote clients having?

[techworld 3]

After I got an update from OMV3 yesterday,(libgd3, linux-compiler-gcc), & added the network path in the media libraries, my remote clients played fine now.

 

No more issues.

 

Thanks.

Edited February 1, 2017 by techworld

[Luke 42079]

Well done @@techworld. thanks for reporting back.