Unsupported codec error running Plex Media Scanner

General Discussions
1

As a follow up to my other post I started looking at Plex Media Scanner to solve my issues as suggested by @MovieFan.Plex.

However, running the scanner against a video that has already been scanned and added fails with:

May 09, 2017 14:16:22.718 [0x7f485bed6700] INFO - Plex Media Scanner v1.5.5.3634-995f1dead - ubuntu PC x86_64 - build: linux-ubuntu-x86_64 - GMT -07:00
May 09, 2017 14:16:22.718 [0x7f485bed6700] INFO - Linux version: 3.10.0-514.16.1.el7.x86_64 (#1 SMP Wed Apr 12 15:04:24 UTC 2017), language: en-US
May 09, 2017 14:16:22.718 [0x7f485bed6700] INFO - Processor       Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E3-1280 V2 @ 3.60GHz
May 09, 2017 14:16:22.718 [0x7f485bed6700] INFO - /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Plex Media Scanner -a -x -c 5 -o 5979 --thumbOffset 1 -v
May 09, 2017 14:16:22.881 [0x7f486d732800] ERROR - [MI] Unsupported codec 'h264' for file '/MyPool/F1 Grand Prix/Formula1.2017.Russian.Grand.Prix.Race.Session.1080p50.HDTV.x264.mkv'
May 09, 2017 14:16:22.881 [0x7f486d732800] ERROR - [MI] Unsupported codec 'h264' for file '/MyPool/F1 Grand Prix/Formula1.2017.Russian.Grand.Prix.Race.Session.1080p50.HDTV.x264.mkv'
May 09, 2017 14:16:22.881 [0x7f486d732800] ERROR - [MI] Unsupported codec 'h264' for file '/MyPool/F1 Grand Prix/Formula1.2017.Russian.Grand.Prix.Race.Session.1080p50.HDTV.x264.mkv'

So, adding the video appears to scan correctly and creates the required images, but trying to re-scan manually fails.

Ideas ??

Cheers.

2

Out of curiosity, can you play this video? I’m wondering if it’s corrupted media?

3

Yes it plays perfectly. And as noted, the initial scan was able to create the 3 screen snapshots.

Cheers.

4

@EddieA said:
So, adding the video appears to scan correctly and creates the required images, but trying to re-scan manually fails.

What do you mean trying to re-scan? Are you running the command line? If so, did you set the variables properly?

5

Yes, it was from the command line. I did set the variable (singular) according to the relevant page: LD_LIBRARY_PATH. I also added: PLEX_MEDIA_SERVER_APPLICATION_SUPPORT_DIR. But evidently even that’s not sufficient. (Suggestion: If you’re going to document commands, then keep that documentation up to date).

Following this post from @sa2000 I added a bunch more variables and tried yet again.

This time the Scanner appeared to work, but did not (re-)create any of the Thumbnail or Art files:

[root@Nethserver ~]# /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Plex\ Media\ Scanner -g -c 5 -o 5979 --thumbOffset 1 -v

Generated new media for Formula1.2017.Russian.Grand.Prix.Race.Session.1080p50.HDTV.x264.
[root@Nethserver ~]#

And the log:

May 11, 2017 13:20:17.840 [0x7f76fa6d6700] INFO - Plex Media Scanner v1.5.5.3634-995f1dead - ubuntu PC x86_64 - build: linux-ubuntu-x86_64 - GMT -07:00
May 11, 2017 13:20:17.841 [0x7f76fa6d6700] INFO - Linux version: 3.10.0-514.16.1.el7.x86_64 (#1 SMP Wed Apr 12 15:04:24 UTC 2017), language: en-US
May 11, 2017 13:20:17.841 [0x7f76fa6d6700] INFO - Processor       Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E3-1280 V2 @ 3.60GHz
May 11, 2017 13:20:17.841 [0x7f76fa6d6700] INFO - /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Plex Media Scanner -g -c 5 -o 5979 --thumbOffset 1 -v
May 11, 2017 13:20:18.182 [0x7f770c08f800] WARN - [FFMPEG] - Increasing reorder buffer to 1
May 11, 2017 13:20:18.394 [0x7f770c08f800] WARN - [FFMPEG] - Increasing reorder buffer to 1
May 11, 2017 13:20:18.703 [0x7f770c08f800] WARN - [FFMPEG] - Increasing reorder buffer to 1
May 11, 2017 13:20:18.967 [0x7f770c08f800] WARN - [FFMPEG] - Increasing reorder buffer to 1
May 11, 2017 13:20:19.611 [0x7f770c08f800] WARN - [FFMPEG] - Increasing reorder buffer to 1
May 11, 2017 13:20:19.915 [0x7f770c08f800] WARN - [FFMPEG] - Increasing reorder buffer to 1
May 11, 2017 13:20:20.223 [0x7f770c08f800] WARN - [FFMPEG] - Increasing reorder buffer to 1

Cheers.

6

Cr@p. Just typed in a full reply, hit Post. Then went back to Edit it and after Save the whole thing disappeared.

I’ve had this happen once before with Edit, so I’ll wait for a while to see if it eventually shows up. The last time it did, but some time later. If not, then I’ll repost my reply.

Cheers.

7

@EddieA said:
Cr@p. Just typed in a full reply, hit Post. Then went back to Edit it and after Save the whole thing disappeared.

That happens when you hit the ‘Flag’ link under your post. It marks your post as Spam and sends it right into the trashbin.

8

Ha. See it’s now re-appeared. But it looks like it screwed up one of the edits I was trying to do. The first code block should be this:

[root@Nethserver ~]# /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Plex\ Media\ Scanner -g -c 5 -o 5979 --thumbOffset 1 -v
Generated new media for Formula1.2017.Russian.Grand.Prix.Race.Session.1080p50.HDTV.x264.
[root@Nethserver ~]#

Cheers.

9

OK, so more experimentation. I deleted the video via the Plex Media Player. This removed the mkv file from the directory, but left the Thumbnail and Art files in the Media directory tree. So, they got nuked as well. >:)

Ran the following:

[root@Nethserver ~]# /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Plex\ Media\ Scanner -s -r -c 5 --thumbOffset 1 --artOffset 1 -v -p
GUI: Scanning Formula1 (2017)
GUI: Scanning Formula1 (2017)
GUI: Scanning Formula1 (2017)
GUI: Scanning Formula1 (2017)
GUI: Scanning Formula1 (2017)
GUI: Scanning Formula1 (2017)
GUI: Scanning Formula1 (2017)
GUI: Scanning Formula1 (2017)
GUI: Scanning Formula1 (2017)
GUI: Scanning Formula1 (2017)
GUI: Scanning Formula1 (2017)
GUI: Scanning Formula1 (2017)
GUI: Matching 'Formula1'
GUI: Score for 'Formula1' (2017) is 100
GUI: Requesting metadata for 'Formula1'
GUI: Background media analysis on Formula1
GUI:
[root@Nethserver ~]#

Here’s the Scanner Log:

May 12, 2017 14:07:48.825 [0x7f10746d6700] INFO - Plex Media Scanner v1.5.5.3634-995f1dead - ubuntu PC x86_64 - build: linux-ubuntu-x86_64 - GMT -07:00
May 12, 2017 14:07:48.825 [0x7f10746d6700] INFO - Linux version: 3.10.0-514.16.1.el7.x86_64 (#1 SMP Wed Apr 12 15:04:24 UTC 2017), language: en-US
May 12, 2017 14:07:48.825 [0x7f10746d6700] INFO - Processor       Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E3-1280 V2 @ 3.60GHz
May 12, 2017 14:07:48.825 [0x7f10746d6700] INFO - /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Plex Media Scanner -s -r -c 5 --thumbOffset 1 --artOffset 1 -v -p
May 12, 2017 14:07:49.533 [0x7f1085cd9800] WARN - Held transaction for too long (../Library/MetadataItem.cpp:2796): 0.260000 seconds
May 12, 2017 14:07:49.997 [0x7f106e58c700] WARN - [FFMPEG] - Increasing reorder buffer to 1
May 12, 2017 14:07:50.211 [0x7f106e58c700] WARN - [FFMPEG] - Increasing reorder buffer to 1
May 12, 2017 14:07:50.845 [0x7f106e58c700] WARN - [FFMPEG] - Increasing reorder buffer to 1
May 12, 2017 14:07:51.121 [0x7f106e58c700] WARN - [FFMPEG] - Increasing reorder buffer to 1
May 12, 2017 14:07:51.725 [0x7f106e58c700] WARN - [FFMPEG] - Increasing reorder buffer to 1
May 12, 2017 14:07:52.032 [0x7f106e58c700] WARN - [FFMPEG] - Increasing reorder buffer to 1
May 12, 2017 14:07:52.343 [0x7f106e58c700] WARN - [FFMPEG] - Increasing reorder buffer to 1

But guess what. The re-generated Thumbnail and Art files were exactly as before, taken at (based on other comments) 25%, 50%, and 75%.

For good measure, I nuked the Thumbnails and Art yet again, and tried this:

[root@Nethserver ~]# /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Plex\ Media\ Scanner -g -c 5 -o 6032 --thumbOffset 1 --artOffset 1 -v -p
Generated new media for Formula1.2017.Russian.Grand.Prix.Race.Session.1080p50.HDTV.x264.
[root@Nethserver ~]#

Oh dear, yet again it re-generated the Thumbnails and Art from 25%, 50%, and 75%.

So, with help from @sa2000 I can now run the scanner from the command line, but it isn’t doing what I want, so my beef with the “spoiler” Thumbnails and Art is still there.

Cheers.