Fix playback problems

Silo is in active development before 1.0. These guides are updated frequently.

Test one title at a time and change one setting at a time. That makes it clear which change fixed the problem, or which details to report.

A title won’t start or keeps stopping

1. Try another title. If every title fails, the problem is likely the connection or the server rather than the file.
2. If the title has more than one version, try another version.
3. Try the same title in another Silo app, such as the web app.
4. If playback keeps buffering on Auto, Silo lowers the quality for you or asks first, depending on Lower quality when buffering. If it’s set to Never, or you picked a quality, choose a lower Quality in the player. See If playback keeps buffering.

If the web player says This file can't be played, the file itself is empty, corrupt, or cut short, and trying again won’t help. On a series page, the web app shows Damaged file next to an episode like this. Replace the file, then scan the library. If someone else runs the server, tell them which title it is.

If you run the server, check active playback to see whether the stream is being converted, and server health for errors at that time. Otherwise, share the details below with the person who runs it.

If Silo converts a title your device should play as it is, check the viewer’s quality settings first. A Resolution below the file’s size or a Maximum bitrate below its bitrate makes Silo convert it, and so does Cellular Quality on mobile data or a metered network.

If titles start at a lower quality than your connection should allow, Silo may still be holding a limit from earlier buffering on this device and network. Settings > Playback shows it as a line such as “Limited to 12 Mbps after buffering on Oct 17”. Select Reset to clear it, then play the title again. See Lower quality when buffering.

If a title won’t start and isn’t marked Damaged file, check that Silo can still read it. Filter Admin > Logs > Server Log by the scanner component for ffprobe failed because the file could not be read. Fix the file’s permissions or its storage, such as a network mount that dropped, then scan the library.

If the web app converts HEVC files on Linux

Make sure your browser decodes HEVC with your graphics card. Most 4K, HDR, and Dolby Vision files use HEVC, and most browsers on Linux can’t play it without hardware decoding, so Silo converts those files on the server.

To check, start the title in the web app, open Playback info in the player, and look at Play method. Transcode means the server is converting the file. Direct Play or Direct Streaming means the browser is decoding the original video.

1. Check that your graphics driver can decode HEVC. Run vainfo, from the libva-utils package, and look for VAProfileHEVCMain10. If it isn’t listed, install the VA-API driver for your GPU.
2. Update the browser. Chrome and Chromium use hardware decoding by default from version 143, and Firefox plays HEVC on Linux from version 137.
3. Quit the browser completely, then start it again.
4. Check that the browser can decode HEVC. In a Chromium-based browser, open chrome://gpu and look for Decode hevc main 10 under Video Acceleration Information. In Firefox, open about:support, find HEVC under Codec Support Information, and check that Hardware Decoding says Supported. If that table is empty, play any video and check again. If HEVC isn’t listed, follow your Linux distribution’s guide to hardware video decoding in your browser.
5. Start the title again and check Play method in Playback info.

On a screen without HDR, HDR and Dolby Vision files also need converting to standard range. Decode in the browser (beta), under This browser in Settings > Playback, lets the browser do that instead of the server. It’s on unless you’ve turned it off. If the browser can’t do it, Silo still converts these files on the server.

Picture problems on a TV

Check the selected version before you press Play, and try another if one fails. Note whether the picture is missing, has the wrong colors, or stutters.

HDR and Dolby Vision depend on the whole chain: the file, the app, the TV, and anything in between, such as a receiver. Check what the TV reports it is receiving rather than the label on the file.

On Android TV, if the bars around the picture look grey during HDR or Dolby Vision, turn on True Black Bars in Settings > Playback. On some devices it has the opposite effect, so turn it off again if the bars get lighter or show a thin line where they meet the picture.

Sound problems on a TV or receiver

Open the audio options during playback and try another track. Check that the TV or receiver is set to the input and sound output you expect. For Dolby Atmos, check what the receiver displays; a track labeled Atmos may still play as ordinary surround if part of the chain doesn’t support it.

Subtitle problems

Choose another subtitle track in the player. Text subtitles and image subtitles behave differently, so note the track’s format and language. To add a track that’s missing, see Find or add missing subtitles.

If a subtitle is out of sync, open the web subtitle menu and check the line under its name. Doesn’t match this video means it was made for a different release or title, so choose another file. Otherwise select it and choose Sync to audio under Timing, or change the delay. Subtitles inside the video file and .sub files can only use the delay. See Fix subtitles that are out of sync.

What to include in a report

• The title and the version you chose.
• The app, app version, and device model, and the server version.
• The audio and subtitle tracks you chose, and the quality setting.
• What happened and when: no picture, no sound, wrong colors, stutter, or an error message.
• For a TV setup: the TV and receiver models and how they are connected.

Report the problem with those details. Don’t attach the media file.