Hi, I recently had upgraded from the plex media version that is offered from the SYNOLOGY package centre, to what I could obtain from the plex download site, and this changed the file recording format from .ts to .mkv.
When .ts it (Video file from TV recording) was much larger in file size, and I would convert it to MP4 via handbrake, and have no issues with watching the resultant MP4 video.
Now when the file is in .mkv format, after 1 minute of watching the video the visual and audio degrades to being very choppy.
I don’t need to convert via handbrake, as I assume it is pretty much in MP4 format inside an mkv container?
I did attempt to convert it using handbrake only to see the file size be pretty much near enough the same size.
is this (choppiness) as a result of my NAS (synology ds215J) not being able to transcode fast enough, so it is impacted?
Are there settings that can help overcome this? I have played with transcode set to fast, very fast etc.
I also see some setting for “transcoder default throttle buffer”…which is set to 60 seconds.
Do you think it would be possible to have an option to have NO transcoding (due to my server limitations) and leave it to me to then convert via handbrake on my computer. that option would be nice I think.
So, in short…is there:
a current issue with plex media server recording in mkv onto synology NAS (or some models at least, ilke ds215j)
if not the above, is there some kind of setup I should be applying to ensure I don’t have choppy videos
Is there a workaround anyone has found…to convert a TV recorded video file hat is choppy, into something watchable…or is it a case of, if its choppy that’s it. its kaput! cant be saved?
thanks.
@d23wilson It should still be in the broadcast format (h264 or MPEG2Video most likely), but just in a mkv container now. If you’re able to reproduce, would you be able to provide some logs, please?
Having a very similar issue… Had no problems till yesterday… Seems almost like plex stops pulling enough data from tuner
http://forums.plex.tv/discussion/274827/data-rate-drop-out-hdhomerun-connect#latest
i played with the transcoder default throttle buffer parameter…set it to 99999 so it would not attempt to “throttle”, and that seems to have resolved the choppiness.
BUT, when attempting to play the video in the flex app on iPad it is slow and every so often will stop and then complain that the server is not powerful enough to transcode (does it enough to make it unwatchable)…OK, fair enough. BUT and a BIG BUT…why when i start up DS File (Synology app to access my folders) can i navigate to my plex folder, play the video…and it plays rather well with no blurry picture, and next to no buffering (except for that at the start). and there is no transcoding occurring on the server (i am quite sure). why is DS File a better media player for the flex recorded TV files?
SO, have solved the choppy recording (albeit not a very good solution, but it works)…but now need help with best way to view the video file on a device. don’t think i should use DS file, really want to play via the Plex app.
I have device settings to play quality as original recording…thinking that it should not want to transcode (isn’t mkv a container, and the video file is like MP4 format?..which played flawlessly, when i converted from.ts to MP4 previously with handbrake).
i have also set the playback quality to “auto” where it states i need latest flex media server for it to determine most appropriate speed etc (i do have latest server version)…nothing seems to work well (and on a side note, there are options offered in playback quality that you press, but never actually seem to be accepted after you press…seems like a bug).
But playing with playback quality seems to not achieve much…only if i have “auto” ON, then i get better lengths of video being played, bust just extremely blurry…and when i say better lengths of time, i mean 2 minutes of play before pausing to buffer. If i don’t have auto ON, then i gets pauses every 30 seconds or less.
hope the throttling parm idea helps others…and hopefully there is something to work around the playback quality to device soon.
OK, problem solved…kinda …i am back where i started…happy, and now researching how to perform a automated handbrakeCLI batch solution.
Thanks to DaveBinM for reminding me that within the container the format will be that of what the network has sent the file as (i kept thinking it would MP4), which is most likely mpeg2…so i needed to convert again, via handbrake. Once did that to MP4 i have a flawless video…no buffering, even at the beginning (that i think i noticed).
Thanks.
So kind of back where i was with the ver
Actually, the throttle part caused more havoc…recordings would not complete at 100% and they would continue on.
And the file would not be picked up for viewing (most likely because it was still considered as being recorded)…i would have to stop and restart the application on my NAS server. If i selected the recording and selected modify and then cancel…it would ignore me. 
So i went back to a prior version (that offered on the synology package centre (for ds215J models that is)), and i am OK again.
Recordings are stored in .ts, and i run a batch conversion using HandbrakeCLI…now all recordings are clear, and i have no issues when playing on a wifi connected device (i.e. my iPad)…recordings are done, and ready to view when i awake.
So the latest version using the new transcoder, and creation of mkv, might be great for some, but definitely not me. Will stick around on the older version. Maybe synology only offer that package version because they run their own testing before releasing to their customers (and depending on what model NAS they have)…thats great customer care !
