aTV3 movie lags/stutter with plexconnect and trailer app

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1

Your ATV model (2 or 3) and firmware version (found under the ATV settings > general > about > Apple TV software):

aTV3 5.2.1 firmware

 

The DNS server set on the ATV (found under the ATV settings > general > network > DNS):

192.168.178.40

 

The device and operating system (including version number) that PlexConnect is installed on:

Windows 8 Enterprise x64 (i7 920, 12GB, Radeon HD6900)

 

The local IP address of the device that PlexConnect is installed on:

192.168.178.40

 

The device and operating system (including version number) that the Plex media server (PMS) is installed on:

Windows 8 Enterprise x64 (i7 920, 12GB, Radeon HD6900)

 

The local IP address of the device that the Plex media server (PMS) is installed on:

192.168.178.40

 

Where your media is stored (e.g. internal drive):

Synology DS413 (192.168.178.x)

 

The PlexConnect version number:

Version from iBaa. Date: yesterday (10th june. 5:30 pm UTC+1)

 

The content of your 'Settings.cfg' file: 

[PlexConnect]
port_pms = 32400
enable_plexgdm = True
ip_pms = 192.168.178.40
ip_dnsmaster = 8.8.8.8
enable_dnsserver = True

Detail on the media file if it is an issue related to playing a media file

http://pastebin.com/xuGVv0PN

 

A detailed description of the issue

I'm using aTV3, Synology and Windows8 machine all connected to the same router. On the Windows8 machine i have PlexConnect and PMS installed. On aTV3 i start the trailer app and i can load my movies and tvshows grid very fast. In settings i tried transcoding options "1080p 12Mbps", "1080p 10Mbps", "1080p 8Mbps" and even the highest 720p. When i try to start a movie or tvshow, the screen lags/stutter a little bit sometime. It's not flawless. All the video files are MKV's. The movies are 1080p and tvshows are 720p.

 

I used a PopcornHour for a long time. The PopcornHour was directly connected to the NAS and played the movies and tvshows flawless witouth a lag/stutter. I think it has something to do with the transcoding? Do i have to change something on my Windows 8 machine. Maybe missed some settings in PMS or PlexConnect?

Thanks in advance :)

2

I wonder if using mp4 videos will give you flawless playback. Mind to try Big Buck Bunny.Mp4? http://www.bigbuckbunny.org/index.php/download/

I still think there's a problem in latest PMS-mkv-PlexConnect.

3

I wonder if using mp4 videos will give you flawless playback. Mind to try Big Buck Bunny.Mp4? http://www.bigbuckbunny.org/index.php/download/

I still think there's a problem in latest PMS-mkv-PlexConnect.

I downloaded 1080p MP4 (avi) file. On trailer app i changed transcoding option back to 1080p 12Mbps and the Big Buck Bunny movie played flawless without lags/stutter.

What now? Do i have to wait for an update for PlexConnect or PMS? :)

4

An update was just posted on Github, can you download that, set the transcoder quality in the ATV settings screen to a higher value and try again please?

It goes up to 40 now ;)

5

This is NOT settings.cfg. It is settings.py. Starting last week, nobody should do any changes there!

6

An update was just posted on Github, can you download that, set the transcoder quality in the ATV settings screen to a higher value and try again please?

It goes up to 40 now ;)

I removed the complete PlexConnect directory and copied the settings.cfg to the desktop. Downloaded the new PlexConnect and copied the settings.cfg back. On trailers settings i changed transcoding options to "1080p 40Mbps" and started a movie. I didn't notice any lag for the first 6 minutes so i think it's solved :) Thank you

This is NOT settings.cfg. It is settings.py. Starting last week, nobody should do any changes there!

My bad. I edited the first post.

7

Can you re-do the issue with pushing the transcoder quality down? In my eyes, that would point to your PMS being the bottleneck...

8

He has Intel i7?

9

... and Windows 8 Enterprise x64.

10

You can say I’m fairly new to Plex but from what I understood h.264 should not be transcoded and I expect h.264 to be in those MKVs.


Now, if those videos are not being transcoded than I would expect something went wrong between 9.7.27 and newer PMS builds since all MKV started to hiccup after PMS update.


I may be all wrong but if I remux my mkv to mp4 the problem goes away.

11

It depends upon a few factors (bit rate, various things to do with the media file).

Also at the moment PlexConnect has the standard iOS profile but this should get changed to specific ones for the AtV2 and ATV3, which should reduce what is transcoded.

12

I want to do more testing tomorrow. Just watched a show (45 mins) and noticed some lags/stutter. I really think it’s better then before.

In PMS advanced transcoder settings i added a transcoder temp folder to c: emp (SSD disk, aprox 30GB free space). Hoping it would be better.


I’ll do some testing and post those results here. I’ll test different transcoder quality’s. And different mkv’s, some with internal subs and some with external subs.

13

I downloaded the latest plexconnect a few minutes ago. I tried different transcode options on trailer app. Even at 480p it gives little lags/stutter. I think it’s worser at 480p then 1080p 40Mbit.


Enable or disable internal subs does not make it better. Even tried the “force transcode” option in trailer app settings but it does not make it better when false or true.


I even noticed external subs (srt) on movies won’t work. They do work at the tvshows.

14

Not sure if I missed this... did you try to remux your file to mp4? (you could use ffmpeg, mp4box, mkvtools...)

If it has aac sound, too (h264 is a given), it should play natively, without any interference of PMS. You could also run Plex vs iTunes...

15

Do you have your ATV on lan or wifi.

If you have it on wifi is should try lan because that connection is much more stable and faster than wifi.

16

It depends upon a few factors (bit rate, various things to do with the media file).
Also at the moment PlexConnect has the standard iOS profile but this should get changed to specific ones for the AtV2 and ATV3, which should reduce what is transcoded.

It is possible to add this option in the next release?

17

It is possible to add this option in the next release?


The profiles are actually on the PMS so need to be updated there.
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