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I’ve got Plex Pass so I am able to enabled Hardware transcoding however I have an old-ish computer which I use as PMS and also my everyday computer so I would like to minimise transcoding as much as possible.
My PMS is on a Windows 10 computer running i7-4770. I have the GTX 1060 GPU and have 32 GB of system RAM.
From what I’ve read (which quickly made me even more confused), this is my plan (short to long term):
Find a way to minimise transcoding (converting files to a format that doesn’t require transcoding) - this will reduce my CPU load since I game on the same computer and I currently get 100% CPU load when gaming with 1 transcode.
Upgrade my computer to Ryzen 7 with 8 (or more cores) to gain more CPU power in general since quad-core isn’t enough for PMS and everyday computer usage.
Buy a Quadro P2000 to handle transcoding
I have a few questions which I hope can be answered from this post:
How does hardware transcoding affect the CPU, as I thought hardware transcoding means the GPU handles the load?
Is there a way to convert my media files to a format that can be directly played back by clients like Samsung Galaxy S9, iPhone (11), iPhone casting to Chromecast, Apple TV?
Is there a way for me to easily view which formats my media files are in so I know which ones I need to convert (assuming I can easily convert to a transcode-free format)?
Even with my i7 4770 CPU, if I added a Quadro P2000 to handle hardware transcoding, will this solve my CPU maxing out issue?
I read somewhere that Intel CPUs has this Quicksync feature, if I switched over to an AMD CPU (i.e. Ryzen 7), how will this impact on transcoding?
I did try to search around before posting this but I seem to be very confused.
I’m hoping I can get some clarity, that might point me in the right direction in terms of what to search.
Thank you.
Start here - follow the instructions, but do find your own suitable bit rate - the one for my eyeballs/displays may not work for yours - unless you’ve created a few different 240 SECOND PREVIEWS and placed them in an Other Videos Library and viewed them on everything in your Plexiverse - so you can see what happens and see what they look like (duh):
Perhaps, but this will let you look at what does work - so you can repeat it, or something similar:
I have an AMD Radeon R9 380 Graphics Adaptor that helps out greatly when a transcode is necessary - but if a transcode is ever necessary - it won’t be for long. I create ALL the material - or ensure ANY material that is added WILL Direct Play on EVERYTHING that will encounter it. Few have that level of Transcoder Hate, but I do.
My Rig is an AMD FX-8350 - capable of transcoding a few - unnoticed - with the help of the AMD R9 380 - but the issue is when I’m gaming those components are already fully involved and were they to ‘help’ out - it’s gonna suck hard for everybody and if it sucks hard for me (screw ‘everybody’ - they got no dog in this fight) - that’s a huge problem. <—so we don’t allow that foolishness… period.
I did read through the linked post and you seem to have a very technical knowledge of what’s going on in the background with transcoding!
I’ll take a look at Handbrake some time.
I guess that’s the tool to use to convert files to transcode free media files.
You mentioned that you convert all your media so it direct plays for all devices.
Does this mean you will have multiple files of the same show in your library?
I fail to see much improvement in standard HD material above 3250kbps so I use 3750kbps and call it a day. I’m encoding more 265 these days - if I have time - and for those I use between 1250kbps and 1650kbps for 1080p - depending on how the source looks (can’t turn a sow’s ear into a silk purse - stopped trying about 15 years ago).
I don’t have any 4K - or am likely to. Everything has to be consumed remotely so it all has to Direct Play and at least 4 streams have to fit into the available upload bandwidth - and everything does at the bit rates I choose.
I use Average Bit Rate (2 Pass with Turbo) instead of Constant Quality so I have a vague idea how much bit rate my files have and so far, so good.
The guide is written for the latest Handbrake Version - or at least within one as I have upgraded at least once, but nothing that would affect the guide has changed. I may have increased the bit rates a bit, but if so - it ain’t much… I just can’t see it, so I don’t waste time or bit rate on it.
When I’m test/viewing material - I don’t look at the bit rate and decide the material is no good - I look at the material and decide if the bit rate is any good - then adjust from there. <— call me old fashioned.
