cannot play back direct play on web player, used to. debug logs attached.

General Discussions
21

Not knock them down but did spark an idea.

“Corrupt codec”

Go into the Codecs directory `/var/lib/plexmediaserver/Application Support/Plex Media Server/Codecs’ and, with PMS stopped, look for a short/zero length file. If you find one delete it. It will download fresh when you need the codec again. (a slight delay starting playback the first time you play the file as it downloads it)

22

thanks Chuck. does not look like it. smallest is 270k that’s for libac3_encoder.so

love the ideas… keep em coming :slight_smile:

23

whats the easiest way to remove all of plex but retain my watched metadata, then reinstall?

24

I looked at my codecs. average about 1MB.

Easiest way to retain: Take the table which holds that data. It’s linked by TVDB / IMDB ID number (tt number)

https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/201154527-Move-Viewstate-Ratings-from-One-Install-to-Another

25

thanks Chuck. maybe I’ll just do an uninstall/reinstall this weekend. imagine my frustration if that does not resolve this. :slight_smile:

26

I totally understand.

A simple test which still keeps your existing database and allows you to see if you have some deep and weird DB corruption below what anything can check.

sudo sh
service plexmediaserver stop
cd /var/lib/plexmediaserver
mv Library Library.keep
service plexmediaserver start

Open the IP / loopback addy at 32400/web and setup as new.

If you have success, we’ll extract your viewstate and load into the new DB
If not, then it’s not a PMS rooted problem… which would NOT be good.

27

cool - will try tomorrow - got a couple friends streaming successfully (on non-webclient :slight_smile: ) right now, also abv on beer too high to try this evening. will let you know results. appreciate all the things.

28

well, that didn’t work. too bad. what else ya got?

29

Ok, now we’re down to 1) the media itself or 2) the browser or 3) the host

What’s your pref?

  1. Run one of those problematic files through HandBrake real quick and create a MKV. Try using it instead.
  2. Convert the audio track to something else. Web browsers take AAC natively. Most require transcode to do AC-3.

Also grab me a fresh set of logs, a list of any plug-ins you have, container info, host distro/version, the works. “Fresh set” time.

30

earlier I mentioned my friend streaming to his browser, worked for roughly 10m or less, then dies with the “Conversion failed. Transcoder crashed or failed to start up.” error. I said that didnt happen to me on my network, but that I did have the full quality (no transcode problem). That’s not true. I actually get the same problem if I transcode.

so current status:

  1. transcode to webplayer fails remotely or locally, after playing for 10 minutes or less (get transcoder error noted above)
  2. full quality fails on local network to web player after playing for about 3 seconds, no error just spinner on screen and playback pauses indefinitely.
  3. any other device that is not the web player that I have tested works. including: android, ios, appletv, samsung tv, fire tv.
  4. some files work fine.
31

Logs attached

i restarted the plex service then:

  1. played full Qual then stopped when it paused (about a 1s)
  2. played it and switched to convert automatically, for around 5m then got transcoder error noted above.
  3. grabbed the logs.
32

Create a test… VERBOSE on… with you as the only user…

Send me the logs. I have to take every packet exchange apart and track it one by one.

33

please cut me a sample of Prometheus.

dd if=filename of=sample-filename bs=1M count=20

Put that in a zip and attach it as well

34

attached. You’re a trooper man. thanks again. I owe you a beer or something, resolved or not.

35

Now I can see! :slight_smile:

A. You will need to run that file through HandBrake and re-encode it. There are corrupt timestamps. 23.976 is a valid frame rate but the transcoder found a different frame rate and is calling out the known/advertised rate as bad. (details on how to re-encode below)

Sep 09, 2017 12:11:32.625 [0x7fc0fd3fe700] DEBUG - Prometheus - audio.channels limitation applies: 8 > 2
Sep 09, 2017 12:11:32.625 [0x7fc0fd3fe700] ERROR - get - invalid frameRate value: 23.976
Sep 09, 2017 12:11:32.626 [0x7fc0fd3fe700] DEBUG - Prometheus - audio.channels limitation applies: 8 > 2
Sep 09, 2017 12:11:32.626 [0x7fc0fd3fe700] DEBUG - MDE: Prometheus (2012): selected media 0 / 430450
Sep 09, 2017 12:11:32.626 [0x7fc0fd3fe700] DEBUG - Streaming Resource: Added session 0x7fc0fc41f8e0:ae5p00

And here’s the proof it’s damaged.

Sep 09, 2017 12:11:34.302 [0x7fc0feffd700] ERROR - [Transcoder] [mp4 @ 0x293aee0] Application provided duration: -16 / timestamp: 726984 is out of range for mov/mp4 format

It keeps trying but eventually just keels over.

The 7.1 → 2 channel has problems too but may be secondary to this. Hard to tell at this point.

Let’s fix this file and get it to play right.

  1. ffmpeg -i filename Get the video bit rate
  2. Open HandBrake and specify Prometheus to re-encode
  3. Specify the bitrate manually.
  4. Specify (check the box) two-pass encoding
  5. Set the bit rate 2000 kbits above what ffmpeg reports (this helps compensate for what HandBrake is about to do)
  6. Go to the Audio tab and add the codecs to COPY your audio through but you can convert it if you want. The browser is 2 channel only.
  7. Output in MKV
  8. Push the start button :slight_smile:
  9. When done, Save original file that’s in your library.
  10. Replace it with the newly encoded one
  11. Have PMS analyze the new file
  12. Play the sucker.

Note: I don’t like to loose.

36

Cool - thanks man. I kinda don’t want to re-encode, it’s a full bit rate br rip. but I might try it. either way, it’s good news the problem is the file.

How come it works to other devices?

edit - oh also, any chance a future update could handle this better and not fail?

37

Then remux it into a MKV file. If it was a rip, 23.976 wouldn’t be flagged as bad timestamps.

Different playback devices have different tolerances. Some just use the advertised FPS and play at it - one frame at a time.

No idea about the future. Today is hard enough to predict.

38

cool man. Thanks for all the help. I’ll see what I can do with the file. I have the Bluray and can try a re-rip too. Your perseverance was only matched by the generosity of your time.

39

Like I said, I don’t like to lose.

40

@sGarver said:
“Left field” thoughts… available HD space to transcode?.. corrupt media file? I expect @ChuckPA to knock these down but I ask anyway. :slight_smile:

So I guess this time “left field” wasn’t so “left”. :slight_smile: