In the last few days i have noticed that my plex server has been at 100% CPU, when in use.
MY specs are in the photo…
I have also noticed that I have low local speeds…
all connections are ethernet to a DLINK switch and then the switch to my DLINK router then to Spectrum modem…
The users who are remote access all have been saying they are getting low-low speeds and buffering when they never did before.
The transcoding is setup as followed…
The CPU at 100% is due to The Invisible Man video transcoding. You need to eliminate the transcode.
When direct playing, the local speed is what is required by the movie. The Shaggy Dog is playing at 3 Mbps because it is a 3 Mbps video. Same for This Island Earth at 6 Mbps.
Try setting Transcoder Quality to Automatic (default setting). This might reduce the load on the CPU somewhat, but the real fix is to not transcode video.
I haven’t seen that before when direct playing. Plex always lists the bandwidth of the video on my setup.
You need to find out why the video is transcoding. Try playback without subtitles. Anything like playing a 1080p video on a 720p TV?
If not, you can check the log files. You can also post the log files here so others can check them.
In Settings → General, enable debug logs. Do not enable verbose logs.
Play the movie for ~30 seconds. Stop playback, then wait 30 - 60 seconds.
Download the logs via Manage → Troubleshooting.
Look in the Plex Media Server.log file (also .1.log, etc). The key lines will have MDE:, for Media Decision Engine.
You can also attach the logs to the thread. Just drag the zip file into the compose window.
H.264 video with AAC 2.0 audio should direct play on any recent Plex client.
Not sure why The Invisible Man is transcoding. Does it transcode when played on other local devices - bedroom, living room, etc?
In addition to the logs, please pull the Plex XML for the movie.
For a more general answer, you can limit transcoding, but will probably never completely eliminate it, especially with remote users.
The most compatible format across Plex clients is:
MP4 container
H.264 video, High@4.0 or lower
AAC 2.0 audio, 320kbps or lower
Optional: AC3 5.1 audio, 640kbps or lower, for clients that support surround sound.
The above will direct play on any current Plex client. It direct plays on a 1st gen FireTV stick from 2014.
Remote users potentially have bandwidth restrictions. If a video exceeds the allowed bandwidth, then Plex will transcode the video. The limits can be set on both the client and the server (Plex Pass required to set server limits).
Unless the remote clients have bandwidth limitations, you can usually configure them to play at Original / Maximum quality.
Without a Plex Pass, you cannot set bandwidth limits for remote clients. With an upload speed of 12 Mbps, you’ll have to make sure the remote users do not request more bandwidth, otherwise they will experience buffering (ex: 3 simultaneous streams at 5 Mbps ea would experience buffering due to lack of uplink bandwidth).
May 23, 2019 18:27:57.237 [1996] DEBUG - MDE: Overboard (2018): selected subtitle cannot be converted to a compatible format, burning into video stream
May 23, 2019 18:27:57.237 [1996] DEBUG - MDE: Overboard (2018): avoiding video remux due to burned subtitle stream
May 23, 2019 18:27:57.237 [1996] DEBUG - MDE: Overboard (2018): no remuxable profile found, so video stream will be transcoded
well you will have to monitor or check the logs and look for what the MDE: lines have to say about why its transcoding, as fordguy provided an example above…
so why would subtitles cause issues??? is it the device that does the transcoding??
I have 3 roku2 and 2 roku stick plus… the roku stick plus is the one doing the transcoding
I played the same movie on two different Rokus; Roku 2 and Roku Stick Plus
Subtitles are known troublemakers that can result in video transcoding. Whenever somebody has video transcoding for unknown reasons, the first response is “playback without subtitles…”
It is also basic troubleshooting to eliminate variables to simplify problem analysis. Turning off subtitles eliminates one variable.
Video transcoding is performed by the Plex Media Server. It is very compute intensive, which is why the CPU is at 100% when it happens. If the CPU is not powerful enough it cannot transcode the video in real time and the user experiences buffering. The video stream pauses momentarily to allow the CPU to catch up with demand.
Users direct playing video at the same time a transcode is occuring may also be affected. The Plex server may be so busy trying to transcode video that is also has trouble streaming to other, direct playing clients.
Question: Does the movie transcode on both of the Roku Stick Plus?
If not, what is different between the two devices/setups - configuration, connected to TV vs soundbar/receiver, etc?
If the movie transcodes on both of the Roku Stick Plus, suggest you try the following:
Review audio/video settings on the Roku Stick Plus. Make sure they are set appropriately.
Make sure the Roku Stick Plus is running a current version of the Plex app.
Review Plex app settings on the Roku Stick Plus. Make sure they are set appropriately.
Play The Invisible Man, without subtitles, on the Roku Stick Plus for 30 - 60 seconds. Stop playback. Wait 60 seconds. Pull log files. Note: Do not have other streams at the same time. It makes the logs more difficult to read.
Look in the Plex Media Server.log files for lines with MDE: to determine why the video is transcoding.
Post the logs files to this thread.
Please post the Plex XML for The Invisible Man as well. Note that the forum software does not support attaching .xml files. Rename it to .txt and then attach.
