For streaming over Plex, what is the best file format to obtain the clearest, sharpest picture and the smallest file size in .mp4, .m4v or .avi or .mkv?
Plex is designed to let many Apps play media from a central Server. You can playback media on your local network, stream it over the internet, or physically sync media to a mobile device. Well, many users may have the confusion which is the best video format for Plex streaming. Let’s talk about in the following paragraphes.
What is the Best Video Format for Plex, MP4, MKV…?
As known to all, most compatible format across devices and other softwares is MP4 but not MKV, so the best video format for Plex is MP4. That means, if you want to stream your own movies thru Plex, MP4 is highly recommended and more widely supported than MKV. To get the best result playback for Plex streaming, you’re recommended to keep your videos in the lowest standard provided below:
Container: MP4
Codec: H.264 video (30fps or less, high@4.0 or lower, reference frames 5 or less)
Audio: AAC 2.0 audio (320kbps or lower)
Resolution: 720p or 1080p
Aspect ratio: 16:9
How to Convert Videos to MP4 for Plex Streaming
If your bunch of videos are not in above parameters, you can run your media through a video transcoding tool like DumboFab Video Converter to make these videos more compatible with Plex. As a simple video transcoding and compressing software, this program features high efficiency and seamless conversion. With it, you can transcode HEVC/H.265 MP4, MOV, MKV DTS, AVI, WMV, MPG to H.264 MP4 AAC for streaming and playing with Plex without any trouble.
Steps to convert media files to .mp4 for Plex with best quality
Step 1: Add video files to the converter
Open DumboFab Video Converter, you can directly drag and drop source video files, or click Add Video button on the toolbar to load your MKV, AVI, WMV, H.265, etc media files.
Step 2: Choose H.264 MP4 as output format
Tab the Format bar and select MP4 as the output format.
Step 3: Start video conversion for Plex
Hit convert button to begin transcoding. Intel/NVIDIA/AMD hardware accelerator is enabled by default to boost decoding and encoding speed. Once finished, you can add the new file to Plex for Direct Play and smooth streaming.
Final Words:
Plex is an ideal streaming server which will give you free access to a movies, DVD, TV series at the go. To optimize your experience as a Plex user, the best workaround is to transcode your video files to MP4@H.264@AAC with the easy-to-use video converter – DumboFab Video Converter. Enjoy!
