Describe the on-screen transition precisely
Note whether the current video remains visible in a small box, whether a next-item countdown appears and whether the video continues playing. Those observations distinguish presentation from playback position. A statement that the film ended early can refer to several different settings.
The checked Android TV help documents Show Up Next with a choice between waiting until video finishes and showing it during final credits. It says selecting the minimised video returns to full screen. That provides a documented explanation for one kind of transition without establishing that every unexpected ending has the same cause.
Choose the control that answers your preference
Credits skipping has its own disabled, manual and automatic choices where eligible. Up Next presentation is another setting. Someone who wants to watch credits full screen may be interested in presentation timing rather than asking the app to skip or changing the entire autoplay routine.
For a practical household choice, decide whether you prefer an uninterrupted full-screen ending, a visible next-item panel, or an automatic move through episodes. Make one supported setting change and note the original value. Keeping these goals separate makes the result easier to understand when another person uses the television.
Keep inactivity protection separate from countdown timing
Plex also documents Passout Protection, which limits continued autoplay after a period without interaction, and a separate Auto Play Countdown Time. Those controls address inactivity and the wait before the next item, rather than whether the credits picture becomes small. The help marks these optional settings with Plex Pass requirements.
If a behaviour remains unexplained, give support the Android TV app version, setting names and exact transition observed. Avoid extrapolating this menu to a different Plex client with different controls. This guide interprets official Android TV documentation; it includes no remote-control, subscription or playback test.
Questions about this guide
Does a small credits picture always mean the film stopped?
No. Plex documents a minimised video on the Up Next screen.
Is inactivity protection the same as next-item countdown timing?
No. The Android TV settings document them separately.