So I have Plex installed on my MyCloud Mirror and it refuses to play .avi files. What can I do to fix this?
Searching online, I found that Plex AVI playback issue has been asked frequently, but there are still many people feel confused about it. Fortunately, I’ve worked solution to fix the AVI in Plex playback issuse. Follow this article to learn why Plex not working with AVI and find the quick fixes to troubleshoot Plex AVI not showing/playback error.
Why Plex Won’t Recognize or Play AVI Files?
Reason 1: AVI is a container format, which can contain varied types of video codecs, subtitle tracks, audio tracks, etc. Though the most common used codecs like DivX, XviD are supported by Plex, some minor factors such as AVI bit rate, frame rate, resolution, audio codec also matter a lot when it comes to AVI playback on Plex.
Reason 2: Plex TV show naming will be ignored in movie libraries. That’s to say, if you have some TV shows AVI files, they won’t show in Plex library.
Reason 3: Poor named AVI movies might have been matched as a different movie. If random named AVI video not showing in Plex, you may find it in “rencently_added” column.
Reason 4: AVI files following the naming convention for multi-file movies end up as a single record in your library (e.g. Movie Name-part 1.ext and Movie Name-part 2.ext will result in an entry called Movie Name which will play both entries in sequence).
Reason 5: Depending on your library settings, movies might be automatically associated with a collection and only display inside that collection.
Workarounds to Run AVI Files in Plex without Issues
Solution 1: Re-name AVI Movie or TV Show File
Try to rename your AVI movie. After re-naming is done, decouple AVI movie files and TV show files into different folders. Then do the Plex Dance.
Solution 2: Downgrade PMS
Downgrade Plex media server version. Old installs are located in AppData\Local\Plex Media Server\Updates, uninstall the current server first and then get older or downgraded version installed on your NAS, Windows, macOS computer, etc.
Solution 3: Transcode AVI and Adjust Parameters- 100% workable
AVI is a container format, which can contain varied types of video codecs, subtitle tracks, audio tracks, etc. Though the most common used codecs like DivX, XviD are supported by Plex, some minor factors such as AVI bit rate, frame rate, resolution, audio codec also matter a lot when it comes to AVI playback on Plex. Yes, you can count on Plex built-in video transcoder to deal with AVI parameter issues via transcoding. As for large-sized AVI files like 1GB or 10GB, you’ll suffer seemingly forever Plex buffering or freezing during transcoding. To transcode AVI with as fast speed as possible, give a shot on DumboFab Video Converter (or Mac version).
This software tool can help you batch convert AVI files(as well as MKV) to Plex best settings (MP4 H264 or HEVC codec, 1920×1080, 8Mbps, 30FPS, audio codec AAC, AC3 or EAC3) at GPU hardware accelerated speed without subscription fee. See Best Video Format for Plex Streaming.
It can also downgrade resolution 4K to 2K/1080p/720p, lower 120/60FPS to 30FPS, tweak bit rate, convert any video to MP4, MKV, AVI, MOV, WMV, iPhone, iPad, Android, Microsoft devices, Xbox, PS5/4, etc. for movies/TV shows playback on any Plex client device without Plex buffering/freezing issue.
How to convert AVI to Plex for playback
STEP 1. Import AVI videos
Launch the program, and click “Add” button on the main interface to load your AVI files for converting. (Drag&Drop function is included.) Check the “Merge into one file” box and you can join AVI clips into one.
STEP. Select output format
Click Profile bar and select MP4 (codec: h.264+aac) from Common Video category as the output profile. More options are here for your Plex client devices including iPhone, iPad, PS5, Xbox One, etc.
STEP 3. Further Settings
With the right settings you can retain the quality of the original videos while also saving space. This is particularly helpful when streaming over your network, depending on your network quality. Simply click Settings bar and you can tweak the settings to your satisfaction and even save it as preset.
STEP 4. Start AVI to Plex Conversion
Finally, hit the “Convert” button at the bottom of the main interface. This AVI to Plex Converter will start encoding AVI to Plex friendly MP4 video automatically. After a while, you can make Plex play AVI files as you wish.
