As an owner of a Samsung TV, I know how frustrating it can be when you experience an error with your Plex playback. I had this problem recently and after some research and testing, I was able to solve it and discover some other solutions. I’m writing this blog post to share my experience and help others experiencing the same issue.
In this post, I’ll go over the common causes and solutions for the error with Samsung TV Plex playback. Hopefully, this will help you get your Plex up and running again soon.
Plex playback errors on a Samsung TV can be due to the app’s incompatibility with the TV’s connection settings. It can also be caused by a VPN connection that the app can’t recognize or because you’re logged into your Plex account on too many devices simultaneously.
| Tips |
|---|
| Samsung TVs may experience a playback error when using the Plex app. |
| This can be due to the app’s incompatibility with the TV’s connection settings or a VPN connection that the app can’t recognize. |
| The newest version of Plex doesn’t support secure connections on Samsung TVs, which is the most common reason for this error. |
| To fix the error, allow insecure connections on both the media server and the TV application and disable any VPN connections. |
| Ensure that you are not logged into your Plex account on too many devices at once. |
| Logging out of any devices you’re not using can help you avoid this issue. |
Table of Contents
Causes of Plex Playback Error on a Samsung TV
There are a few plausible explanations as to why Plex won’t play anything on your TV, which are:
The Newest Version Doesn’t Support Secure Connections on Samsung TVs
This is the most common reason this playback error comes up every time you want to play something from Plex on your Samsung TV. On September 30, 2021, Plex updated the app, and as a result, all Tizen-based Samsung TVs were affected by a failure-to-connect situation.
The problem mainly affected older devices of other brands that no longer receive updates from their manufacturers. However, it was soon discovered that all Samsung Tizen TVs don’t support the certification that allows the TV to establish a secure connection to the Plex Media Servers.
A VPN Connection the App Doesn’t Recognize
This also seems to be a secure connection problem since the Plex servers won’t connect to your TV if you’re using a VPN.
VPNs are used to mask your data packets to prevent “packet sniffing,” which is the practice of spying on the data you send and receive to gather information about you. This is a great step to ensure your security, but it can also lead to playback errors on apps like Plex.
Too Many Logins at the Same Time
If you use Plex, it’s probably because of the versatility and convenience of the app that gathers all streaming platforms into one place. This convenience also means that you use it on your TV, PC, and mobile device, or maybe even give your account credentials to a couple of family members and friends.
Well, unfortunately, this can cause playback errors due to too many logins at the same time. All streaming apps allow a ceiling to how many devices can use an account at once, and for Plex, it’s ten devices at a time.
How to Fix a Plex Playback Error on a Samsung TV
The problems causing your Plex app to struggle with playing content on your Samsung TV can be easily fixed. All you have to do is make sure you’re following these steps in order:
Allow Insecure Connection on the Plex Server and the TV App
For all Samsung Tizen TVs, the only way to establish a connection between the media server on your PC and the TV is to allow an insecure connection on both. This overrides the security certificate required by the TV to enable the Plex server to connect.
On the server:
- Go to Settings
- Select Network
- Change Secured Connections to Preferred
On the TV app:
- Go to Settings
- Select Advanced
- On the Allow Insecure Connections option, choose Always
This configuration change allows for unencrypted communication between the TV app and the Plex media server when playing remotely over the internet. However, connections will remain secure for the apps, as well as the platforms that support them.
Disable the VPN Connection
This step is crucial if your Plex server is functioning the way it should, but the TV connection still can’t be established. Just go to your VPN app and disable it while using the Plex streaming servers, then check to see if your TV is connected.
This might also be a problem if you’re using a proxy on your router, so make sure the proxy is disabled for your TV to connect to the server.
Log Out of Devices You Don’t Use
It might seem like an annoying inconvenience, but you can’t possibly be watching on ten devices at once. Log out of the devices you’re not currently using and try checking again if the playback error persists. Most likely, it’ll go away once under five logins are active on the server.
Pros of Plex with Samsung TV
- Plex is easy to set up and use
- It provides access to a wide variety of streaming content
- It can be used on multiple devices with one account
- It allows for secure connections
Cons of Plex with Samsung TV
- The newest version does not support secure connections on Samsung TVs
- VPN connections may cause playback errors
- It can be difficult to troubleshoot playback errors on Samsung TVs
- It is limited to a maximum of 10 devices logged in at the same time
Conclusion
A Samsung TV Plex playback error is annoying but not surprising. Thanks to the current version of the Plex TV app not supporting a secure connection to Samsung Tizen TVs, you’re likely to bump into this problem.
The only way to override the security certificate needed is to allow insecure connections on both the media server and the TV application.
As for other reasons a playback error occurs, using a VPN and being logged into too many devices at once also cause the same problem.
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