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+--- Thread: Problem playing video in Android app (/t-problem-playing-video-in-android-app)
Problem playing video in Android app - mjremijan - 2025-06-30
Hi all.
I have a video which plays successfully through the Microsoft Edge using the Jellyfin web app. However, I cannot get that same video to play through the Android app. On Android, the I get the video splashscreen then it seems to timeout forever. I have tried force stopping and restarting the Jellyfin Android app multiple times. Still no luck. Are there any logs I can use to try and troubleshoot this problem?
RE: Problem playing video in Android app - bitmap - 2025-06-30
Dashboard > Logs
Alternatively: https://jellyfin.org/docs/general/administration/configuration#log-directory
You can remove your domain or other private data like a public IP and post them to privatebin.net or similar pastebin and we can take a look. If transcoding is triggered, those logs would be useful as well.
RE: Problem playing video in Android app - mjremijan - 2025-06-30
Ok, so I checked the log files and the only one that seems to be getting changed today is " jellyfin20250630.log " I tailed this log file when making the request to play the problematic video.
From --- Android --- the logs were consistent and looked as follows.
Code:
[2025-06-30 11:09:54.260 -05:00] [INF] User policy for "jellyfin-parent". EnablePlaybackRemuxing: True EnableVideoPlaybackTranscoding: True EnableAudioPlaybackTranscoding: True
[2025-06-30 11:13:12.294 -05:00] [INF] Sending ForceKeepAlive message to 1 inactive WebSockets.
[2025-06-30 11:15:52.872 -05:00] [INF] Playback stopped reported by app "Jellyfin Android" "2.6.3" playing "Mr. Denton on Doomsday". Stopped at "0" ms
[2025-06-30 11:15:52.872 -05:00] [INF] Playback stopped reported by app "Jellyfin Android" "2.6.3" playing "Mr. Denton on Doomsday". Stopped at "0" ms
[2025-06-30 11:17:00.294 -05:00] [INF] Sending ForceKeepAlive message to 1 inactive WebSockets.Android never starts playing the video. The android app shows an image from the video like a waiting splash screen, but it just gets stuck there.
I also tried playing the problematic video from Microsoft Edge through the Jellyfin web app. When I do, it streams successfully. The log files look identical though.
Code:
[2025-06-30 11:27:26.472 -05:00] [INF] User policy for "jellyfin-parent". EnablePlaybackRemuxing: True EnableVideoPlaybackTranscoding: True EnableAudioPlaybackTranscoding: TrueI also tried on Android streaming a few different videos and they were able to successfully play. For example, one video played successfully and I saw this in the logs:
Code:
[2025-06-30 15:27:07.343 -05:00] [INF] User policy for "jellyfin-parent". EnablePlaybackRemuxing: True EnableVideoPlaybackTranscoding: True EnableAudioPlaybackTranscoding: True
[2025-06-30 15:27:16.139 -05:00] [INF] "/usr/lib/jellyfin-ffmpeg/ffmpeg" "-dump_attachment:t \"\" -y -i file:\"/media/sf_videos/Movies/Kids/Olympus Has Fallen (2013)/Olympus Has Fallen (2013).mp4\" -t 0 -f null null"
[2025-06-30 15:27:17.571 -05:00] [INF] ffmpeg attachment extraction completed for "file:\"/media/sf_videos/Movies/Kids/Olympus Has Fallen (2013)/Olympus Has Fallen (2013).mp4\"" to "/var/cache/jellyfin/attachments/2774b45a427a1da240d5d384ff43df15"
[2025-06-30 15:27:17.584 -05:00] [INF] "/usr/lib/jellyfin-ffmpeg/ffmpeg" "-analyzeduration 200M -probesize 1G -canvas_size 720x480 -i file:\"/media/sf_videos/Movies/Kids/Olympus Has Fallen (2013)/Olympus Has Fallen (2013).mp4\" -map_metadata -1 -map_chapters -1 -threads 0 -map 0:0 -map 0:1 -map -0:0 -codec:v:0 libx264 -preset veryfast -crf 23 -maxrate 3053988 -bufsize 6107976 -profile:v:0 main -level 40 -x264opts:0 subme=0:me_range=16:rc_lookahead=10:me=hex:open_gop=0 -force_key_frames:0 \"expr:gte(t,n_forced*3)\" -sc_threshold:v:0 0 -filter_complex \"[0:2]scale,scale=-1:360:fast_bilinear,crop,pad=max(720\,iw):max(360\,ih):(ow-iw)/2:(oh-ih)/2:black@0,crop=720:360[sub];[0:0]setparams=color_primaries=bt709:color_trc=bt709:colorspace=bt709,scale=trunc(min(max(iw\,ih*a)\,min(720\,360*a))/2)*2:trunc(min(max(iw/a\,ih)\,min(720/a\,360))/2)*2,format=yuv420p[main];[main][sub]overlay=eof_action=pass:repeatlast=0\" -start_at_zero -codec:a:0 copy -copyts -avoid_negative_ts disabled -max_muxing_queue_size 2048 -f hls -max_delay 5000000 -hls_time 3 -hls_segment_type fmp4 -hls_fmp4_init_filename \"fc414c34829497840c7f2ba03666de13-1.mp4\" -start_number 0 -hls_segment_filename \"/var/cache/jellyfin/transcodes/fc414c34829497840c7f2ba03666de13%d.mp4\" -hls_playlist_type vod -hls_list_size 0 -y \"/var/cache/jellyfin/transcodes/fc414c34829497840c7f2ba03666de13.m3u8\""A different video played successfully without using ffmpeg, an it looked like this in the logs:
Code:
[2025-06-30 15:28:42.839 -05:00] [INF] User policy for "jellyfin-parent". EnablePlaybackRemuxing: True EnableVideoPlaybackTranscoding: True EnableAudioPlaybackTranscoding: TrueNOW, HERE IS A FINAL BIT OF FUN INFORMATION. If I use the same server URL in Chrome on Android, I can successfully stream the problematic video, but the Jellyfin app on Android still can't stream it.
(2025-06-30, 01:19 PM)bitmap Wrote: Dashboard > Logs
Alternatively: https://jellyfin.org/docs/general/administration/configuration#log-directory
You can remove your domain or other private data like a public IP and post them to privatebin.net or similar pastebin and we can take a look. If transcoding is triggered, those logs would be useful as well.
RE: Problem playing video in Android app - bitmap - 2025-07-01
Is the behavior different remotely vs. locally? Are you using a reverse proxy like nginx or Caddy? I've been seeing so many posts lately where folks haven't paid attention to websocket requirements and the symptoms are similar...probably just my brain connecting unrelated incidents.
The video that played successfully appears to have been transcoding, whereas the others appear to be attempting direct play. I'm not certain why the behavior would be different when transcoding vs. not, but it's a clue at least.
RE: Problem playing video in Android app - mjremijan - 2025-07-01
No reverse proxy. I haven't tried the Android app with a local IP address, but I will give it a shot. On my phone, both the Jellyfin Android app and Chrome use the same remote hostname; Chrome works fine but the Android app does not. Once I try the Android app with a local IP address I will reply again.
RE: Problem playing video in Android app - mjremijan - 2025-07-01
Well, I can't tell you what changed but it working with the Android App now.