Converting to a lower quality fails with Hardware-Accelerated Streaming in Plex Web

Plex Media Server
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@ChuckPa - my offer from June 2021 still stands if you’d like to do a remote session to check my setup/logs. I had posted logs back then from Ubuntu 20.04 instance, but you never replied. Not sure if they were the right kind of logs, but if you still need confirmation of the issue let me know and I can rebuild my lab and reproduce whatever you need.

From what I remember (I haven’t been using HW transcoding since this issue never got resolved), if you set a lower quality setting than native, HW transcoding simply did not work via Plex Web, but it did work via Plex App.

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Depending on which app, some of the apps (Windows and Nvidia Shield, that I know) can do the resolution change within the app. The server is always DirectPlay.

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When I say it didn’t work, I mean the playback completely froze, though it indicated it was playing in activity monitor and on the web client, but when clicking pause it reverted back to the time at which the transcode value was changed.

Ah, sorry, just got what you meant - I believe the activity monitor still showed HW transcoding when viewing server stats.

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I second this and am happy to do a remote session if needed. I see this issue being posted all over online but it doesn’t seem like we can get any official support from devs.

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Just tested and my Windows install is behaving 100% the same.

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@BillTheScrub

I will make arrangements with you for that session.

I’m walking through it here , now, with QSV (which is all I have).

Screenshot from 2022-02-14 23-57-31

Screenshot from 2022-02-14 23-58-04
Screenshot from 2022-02-14 23-58-041133×943 45.6 KB

Now, lowered from 57 → 10 Mbps

Screenshot from 2022-02-14 23-59-03
Screenshot from 2022-02-14 23-59-031001×926 39.5 KB

This is what I’m having trouble with. I can’t reproduce it… (but that’s what I hope to find during our session).

I think this looks pretty good for 10 Mbps?

Screenshot from 2022-02-15 00-04-54
Screenshot from 2022-02-15 00-04-541293×929 84.8 KB

PMS Version 1.24.5.5173

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Are you available later this afternoon for a remote session? DM me and we can get some things setup.

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This is a Intel Atom based system, using a gtx 1650 super for encoding, because being a low power cpu it struggles at that task and has no quicksync capability either. Im running Ubuntu 18.04.6 LTS no virtual machines or anything, straight to hardware.

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Ok here we go, updated fresh nvidia driver install.

±----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| NVIDIA-SMI 510.47.03 Driver Version: 510.47.03 CUDA Version: 11.6 |
|-------------------------------±---------------------±---------------------+

And yet, Plex web fails to transcode while playing the exact same file transcoding on android works perfectly.

Both transocdes are in the log, please dont tell me its working just because the msot recent playback succeeded! Debugging enabled on transcoder.

I cant really give more proof this is an issue somewhere with how plex web functions, its the only platform failing these transcodes.

First is plex web, second android.

Feb 15, 2022 18:20:08.712 [0x7faeff573b38] DEBUG - [Transcode] TPU: hardware transcoding: final decoder: , final encoder: 


Feb 15, 2022 18:21:03.800 [0x7faefe2e4b38] DEBUG - [Transcode/30a5b374c137d5d8-com-plexapp-android] TPU: hardware transcoding: final decoder: nvdec, final encoder: nvenc

Plex Media Server Logs_2022-02-15_18-21-43.zip (927.1 KB)

1 Like
190

Chuck, I can do a remote session this evening.

191

Still available for a remote session…

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Sorry, Today is getting away from me very quickly.

I’m trying to put the fires out.

I will reach out soon

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I’m available for the next two hours, shoot me a DM when you’re ready.

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I welcome you to join the stream/Discord call/however we do it to see if you can provide any additional input from the Linux side.

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Will do. I’m having my intercontinental staff meeting right now (yeah… it’s the crazy one)

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Good tell them all about this issue then xD

197

Just got off the meeting. Give me a minute please.

Who do you think got volunteered :rofl:

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Lmao. Contact me through PM and I’ll send you a Discord link or something.

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check PM

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@ChuckPa Did you have a chance to resolve anything with your remote session yesterday? If not this is the log after I updated drivers and still have the issue.

Ive been staring at logs for the past while trying to find it doing anything different the only thing i’ve noticed is streams that fail appear to be

[Transcode] MDE: Selected protocol dash; container: mp4

Above is plex web in firefox using dash

Meanwhile the following streams are fine? Plex for windows uses http and seems to work when doing so. Android uses hls.

[Transcode] MDE: Selected protocol http; container: mkv
[Transcode] MDE: Selected protocol http; container: mkv
[Transcode] MDE: Selected protocol hls; container: mkv

Is it possible the protocol is causing issues? I ran out of ideas as to the cause of this a while ago and really just lookin for anything it could be at this point