2018 Mac Mini Hardware Accelerated Transcoding

Plex Media Server Desktops & Laptops
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Server Version#: 1.14.0.5468
Player Version#: 3.77.1 (Web)

I am trying to play a 4k UHD x265 Bluray remux with hardware acceleration turned ON on my new 2018 Mac Mini. Hardware acceleration is failing with a long stream of errors that looks like this:

Nov 26, 2018 23:58:09.903 [0x700005648000] ERROR - [Transcoder] Error while decoding stream #0:0: Invalid data found when processing input
Nov 26, 2018 23:58:09.904 [0x700006001000] ERROR - [Transcoder] [hevc @ 0x7f93bd1d6200] Could not find ref with POC 14
Nov 26, 2018 23:58:10.012 [0x7000047f4000] ERROR - [Transcoder] [hevc @ 0x7f93bd1d6200] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
Nov 26, 2018 23:58:10.013 [0x700005854000] ERROR - [Transcoder] Error while decoding stream #0:0: Unknown error occurred
Nov 26, 2018 23:58:10.014 [0x7000059dd000] ERROR - [Transcoder] [hevc @ 0x7f93bd191800] Could not find ref with POC 11
Nov 26, 2018 23:58:10.122 [0x7000052b3000] ERROR - [Transcoder] [hevc @ 0x7f93bd191800] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
Nov 26, 2018 23:58:10.123 [0x70000574e000] ERROR - [Transcoder] [hevc @ 0x7f93bd191e00] Could not find ref with POC 10
Nov 26, 2018 23:58:10.125 [0x700005be9000] ERROR - [Transcoder] [hevc @ 0x7f93bd191e00] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
Nov 26, 2018 23:58:10.186 [0x7000053b9000] ERROR - [Transcoder] Error while decoding stream #0:0: Invalid data found when processing input
Nov 26, 2018 23:58:10.236 [0x7000057d1000] ERROR - [Transcoder] [hevc @ 0x7f93bd315c00] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
Nov 26, 2018 23:58:10.260 [0x700006001000] ERROR - [Transcoder] Error while decoding stream #0:0: Unknown error occurred
Nov 26, 2018 23:58:10.261 [0x700005648000] ERROR - [Transcoder] [hevc @ 0x7f93bd192400] Could not find ref with POC 13
Nov 26, 2018 23:58:10.346 [0x7000047f4000] ERROR - [Transcoder] [hevc @ 0x7f93bd192400] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
Nov 26, 2018 23:58:10.347 [0x700005854000] ERROR - [Transcoder] Error while decoding stream #0:0: Invalid data found when processing input
Nov 26, 2018 23:58:10.367 [0x7000052b3000] ERROR - [Transcoder] Error while decoding stream #0:0: Unknown error occurred
Nov 26, 2018 23:58:10.368 [0x70000574e000] ERROR - [Transcoder] [hevc @ 0x7f93bd02bc00] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
Nov 26, 2018 23:58:10.369 [0x70000497d000] ERROR - [Transcoder] Error while decoding stream #0:0: Unknown error occurred
Nov 26, 2018 23:58:10.370 [0x7000053b9000] ERROR - [Transcoder] [hevc @ 0x7f93bd02c200] Could not find ref with POC 8
Nov 26, 2018 23:58:10.371 [0x700005be9000] ERROR - [Transcoder] [hevc @ 0x7f93bd02c200] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
Nov 26, 2018 23:58:17.714 [0x7000052b3000] ERROR - [Transcoder] Error while decoding stream #0:0: Unknown error occurred
Nov 26, 2018 23:58:17.715 [0x70000574e000] ERROR - [Transcoder] [hevc @ 0x7f93bd02c800] Could not find ref with POC 4

Is everyone else seeing the same issue? Is there reason to think that hardware acceleration will be supported on this platform soon? I was hoping the T2 chip would open up some possibilities.

2

Are you using the web player on the Mac Mini? If so, is there a reason why you’re not using PMP?

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I’m using the Web player on a different Mac, not the Mini. I use it because I like the UI/UX better. Is accelerated hardware transcoding only available for certain clients?

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Well with PMP you might be able to avoid transcoding all together…

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I was hoping to find a server powerful enough to let me host 4k video files with the ability to transcode to whatever client I choose to stream to. It sounds like the new Mac Mini isn’t there yet. I suppose I can perhaps hold out hope for an update down the road to add support.

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The new Mini is definitely capable of multiple 4k streams.
I don’t know if you can use hardware encoding with it yet. It’s certainly possible from a hardware standpoint but plex may have to catch up on the software side.

Do you notice any difference when hardware encoding is turned on vs disabled?

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I’m seeing this as well, on a 2018 Mac Mini

Dec 07, 2018 20:46:12.309 [0x70000468f000] ERROR - [Transcoder] Error while decoding stream #0:0: Unknown error occurred
Dec 07, 2018 20:46:12.310 [0x700004c30000] ERROR - [Transcoder] [hevc @ 0x7fdc4e38e000] Could not find ref with POC 2
Dec 07, 2018 20:46:12.421 [0x700004818000] ERROR - [Transcoder] [hevc @ 0x7fdc4e38e000] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
Dec 07, 2018 20:46:12.421 [0x7000049a1000] ERROR - [Transcoder] Error while decoding stream #0:0: Unknown error occurred
Dec 07, 2018 20:46:12.504 [0x700005d13000] WARN - Transcode runner appears to have died.

It can’t even do 4k to 3mbps 720p without constant buffering. Even though it does say (hw) in both decode and encode and cpu, disks, everything are practically idle. Tautulli says the transcode is running between 0.0x, 0.8x and 1.9x - up and down all the time - and when it does play, the transcoder can only hold a 1% lead - causing constant buffering while the transcoder catches up…

This does not happen with all files or all the time - this file is a 4k hevc remux.

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