Playback Problems

Most playback issues come down to one of three things: the network between your device and your server, a specific audio or subtitle track, or a format your setup can’t handle directly. This page walks through the common ones.

By default Zuno plays the original file straight from your server without re-encoding it, which gives the best quality but relies on your connection being able to carry the full bitrate.

Black screen or no picture

If you can hear audio but see nothing, or the screen stays black:

Give it a moment. A demanding file can take a few seconds to start, especially over a remote connection.
Try a different version or quality. In Settings → Playback, set Playback Mode to Adaptive Streaming so Zuno can drop to a stream your connection and device can handle if the original is too much.
Check the format. Some advanced-HDR files need Zuno Pro to play in colour (see Advanced Formats). Without Pro they fall back automatically, but a file with no fallback layer won’t.
Open Stats for Nerds from the player to see what’s actually being decoded.

Jagged lines or combing during motion

If older or standard-definition content, such as a DVD rip or a broadcast recording, shows fine horizontal lines or a torn, combed look whenever something moves, the source is interlaced and needs deinterlacing.

Zuno handles this automatically for most files. If a title still looks combed, open Settings → Playback and set Deinterlacing to Force.
Force deinterlaces everything regardless of what the file reports, so once you’ve finished that title switch it back to Auto for normal viewing, as it can slightly soften video that was never interlaced.

See Playback for what each mode does.

No sound or audio dropouts

Wrong track. Open the Audio Track menu during playback and pick the right one. To have Zuno choose automatically next time, set your preferred languages in Settings → Playback → Audio.
Immersive audio on an incompatible setup. Object-based and lossless formats need a compatible TV or receiver and Zuno Pro. If a track drops out or plays silent, try a standard surround or stereo track for that title.
Dropouts over a busy connection. Switching Playback Mode to Adaptive Streaming lets Zuno ease the load when your connection can’t keep up.

Buffering and stalling

Buffering is almost always a network or server-bandwidth issue:

Lower the ceiling. In Settings → Playback, set Playback Mode to Adaptive Streaming and, if needed, a Maximum Bitrate your connection can sustain.
On mobile data, turn on Lower Quality on Cellular so Zuno reaches for a smaller version away from home.
Check the link. Make sure your device and server are on the same network, or that your server is properly reachable from where you’re watching. See Remote Access & Connection Issues.
Streaming & Quality covers all of these options in detail: Streaming & Quality.

Subtitles not showing

The track is off. Open the Subtitles menu during playback and select a track, or set Subtitles Always On in Settings → Playback → Subtitles.
The file has no subtitles you want. Use Search Online… from the Subtitles menu to find and load more, or add your own external subtitle file and Zuno will offer it in the menu.
They’re there but out of sync. Adjust the Sync Offset in the Subtitles menu until they line up with the audio.

See the Subtitles page for the full set of options.

When to report it

If a specific title still won’t play after trying the above, that’s worth reporting: note the title, your server type, and your device, then send it from Settings → Support Center. See Getting Support.