Server Version#: 1.28.2.6106-44a5bbd28
Player Version#: Roku Ultra
So, I need some understanding of what it is that goes on when I’m using Plex Media Server on my PC and attempting to watch a movie downstairs on my Tv.
What and where are the potential log jams in this scenario?
The issue is buffering that can occur when attempting to watch 4k at high bitrate. Before I upgraded my entire system, it was almost impossible to watch 4k because of the buffering.
Now I’ve got CAT5 lines to my PC/Router/Tv/Receiver/Roku Ultra Player. I use the Roku as the Plex Player. It’s cabled to the receiver which is a fairly high end Sono receiver. The receiver is cabled to the Tv via HDMI 2.1 cables certified at 8k (whatever the hell that means).
So, it’s on my PC on a NvMe drive. From my PC to the router via CAT5. From router to receiver via CAT5. Receiver to Roku Ultra via HDMI 2.1 and to LG Tv via HDMI 2.1.
So, now I’m able to watch 4k pretty much ad lib, even at higher bit rates. However, on occasion, it starts buffering even as low as 20 kbps… Most of the time anything under 50 kbps works fine. When I get to 60 or higher it is hit and miss. Sometimes it buffers, other times not. One movie was offered at 90 kbps. That buffered immediately and consistently. Sometimes rebooting the PC as well as router can “correct” things. The Batman 2022 was giving me trouble that rebooting seemed to solve. So, that tells me that things are not consistent, some events or combination of processes seem to make a difference. Or what?
Where I’m at is I’m struggling to understand what’s going on or even how to begin to problem solve this. I would have thought that I had more than enough horsepower in my pc and graphics as well as network to handle virtually anything. Apparently not!
I assume your file bitrates are in Mbps, not kbps?
Keep in mind this is average bitrates – videos are usually encoded using a dynamic bitrate (e.g. lower bitrate for simple pics without changes, higher bitrate for “action” sequences with more changes…). Therefore the max. bitrate you’ll need to accommodate can be significantly above the average bitrate.
While your cabling sounds reasonable – can you verify…
the Roku has a 1 Gbps port or if it’s only a 100 Mbps port? 100 Mbps can be too constrained for some high-quality/high-bitrate 4K content.
the router’s ports are not limited to 100 Mbps (some routers have options to run in an “eco mode” where they only server 100 Mbps on ports that can deliver 1 Gbps).
As for…
What kind of horsepower are we talking about?
Transcoding 4K media is VERY demanding. If you’re successfully transcoding media using your GPU, your CPU might still not be up to the job – this will be relevant if you’re transcoding media with subtitles which cannot be handled by the GPU!
So, I’ve just read that Roku only has a 1Mbps port. No 1Gb ports, even on the ultra. Hmmm.
I further read that perhaps the best media server on the planet is nVidia’s Shield
My CPU is an Intel i9-12900k with 32Gb ram
GPU is an RTX 2080 ti
That doesn’t sound right. At least Wikipedia is listing a number of Roku models with 10 or 100 Mbps Ethernet ports.
For reference:
1 Mbps will be a bit low for basic internet streaming.
100 Mbps will be perfect for high-quality blu-ray rips but will likely not be enough for a high-quality 4K rip (those can peak above the given 100 Mbps bitrates)
Best media player… maybe. It has very wide support for media formats and can pass-through high-quality audio to a tv / av-receiver. (This is referring to the „full models“, not the tube)
Best server… no. It can be a good server but there’s limits to it’s capabilities where it cannot keep up with a dedicated machine.
Sorry, sometimes I’m an idiot. Yes it’s 100 Mbps not 1 as I reported.
I really enjoy the idea of playing movies at highest bitrates possible, along with experiencing ATMOS sound and (along with gaming) bought equip with those thoughts in mind. So, now I’m thinking maybe I need to be looking into getting a Shield in order to take advantage of the 1 Gbps port. It seems to be the only thing left that’s a potential reason. Is that correct?
As you can see, I’m still, however, not well versed on what it its that’s needed to play these kinds of files, or where is the bottleneck is. I’ve a fast cpu, fast gpu, enough ram, fast NvMe SSD, Cat 5 lines, and hi speed HDMI cables. Good lord, what am I missing?
If you have a good WIFI connection you could try to unplug the Roku’s Ethernet cable and connect it via WIFI instead. Some devices can get a better bitrate and overcome the 100 Mbps limitation of their ethernet port. However wireless connections are easily impacted by outside influences – so you might still want to go for a player with a 1 Gbps port… just to test if the 100 Mbps port is the bottleneck causing your hiccups.
