Been having this isseu with V1(.8) forever, but since 2.0 has released and it still occurs i’ though I make a topic.
Nearly (i think all) content i play with EAC3 5.1 (which nowadays is nearly everything) stutters when I play it on the Xbox One. Each file has the issue, some episodes some to suffer more then others. It does seem to be consistent in the parts of the episodes the stutter. The stutter is both audio and video.
I looked into/eliminated a bunch of issue’s:
Computer performance: standard server is a Mac Mini, but just to be sure I ran Plex Server with the same file on my 2016 Macbook Pro, same issue
Network: network speed is up to 300 mps, other downloads etc seem to atleast hit 100mbs
Performance/Network: most of these TV episodes are around mbs, streaming movies with bitstreams of 30mbps have no isssue’s
Audio: it really is a EAC3 issue, any file that is not that has not problem whatsover
Turning off direct stream and direct play only gives minor stutter in first few second and then it runs fine
So, basicly I eliminated network or server issue’s (right?). Does Xbox One not (fully) support EAC audio that makes it stutter? Could it be a Xbox One original performande issue, i don’t have a Xbox One S?
Turning off direct stream and play is sort of solution, but i rather not.
@Moussa said:
Thanks for the report, will look into this.
Hello Moussa, I actually found out the AC3/EAC3 problem a while ago but have no way to submit my finding. Basically whenever a AC3/EAC3 sound format, no matter transcoded or directly played/streamed, is sent to play on XBOX Plex, the sound will have a strong DRC-like effect which makes the sound very unstable. The easiest way to test is to download a Dolby Test Tone video here: https://www.dolby.com/us/en/guide/test-tones.html . You can hear the EAC3 pink noise is not consistent but strangely unstable for some reason instead. I’ve tested it on both XBOX ONE and XBOX ONE S and multiple different PCs as servers as well as different receivers or sound system. The problem is always the same. If I force Plex server to transcode AC3/EAC3 to AAC then the problem disappears. Please investigate it. Thank you so much.
@ozblogger said:
How does the same video play in another App(VLC or Media player) ?
That might give you an idea, if it’s Plex or Xbox one at fault
Tried the Microsoft “TV & Movies” Xbox app, there it also stutters. VLC on Xbox does NOT stutter, but VLC has it’s own encoder/transcoder build in right?
@ozblogger said:
How does the same video play in another App(VLC or Media player) ?
That might give you an idea, if it’s Plex or Xbox one at fault
Tried the Microsoft “TV & Movies” Xbox app, there it also stutters. VLC on Xbox does NOT stutter, but VLC has it’s own encoder/transcoder build in right?
My problem is a bit different. The video plays fine. But the sound is not stable. Not that it stutters but it has a strong dynamic range compression effect. The same video plays fine in TV & Movies or in any other Plex player. The problem only occurs when AC3/EAC3 format is played, not matter transcoded or directly streamed. @Moussa
It looks like EAC3 has performance issues inside an mkv container that results in stuttering or playback timeout. We’ll report this to Microsoft and will (unfortunately) have to disable support for streaming EAC3 or EAC3 audio tracks in a MKV container in the next update. Though they still are supported and perform fine in an MP4 container.
It should just be a pink noise test signal with stable and constant volume level. However, when played through Plex, the pink noise signal becomes unstable. The volume level will suddenly drop from time to time with other distortion. This happens whenever a AC3/EAC3 was sent to the player, no matter transcoded or directly played/streamed, both in MKV and MP4 container. More over, this morning I tested it on Chrome Plex web player, to my surprise it also has the same problem. Though less obvious than XBOX.
My problem is a bit different. The video plays fine. But the sound is not stable. Not that it stutters but it has a strong dynamic range compression effect.
@Moussa Try this one: http://download.dolby.com/us/en/test-tones/dolby-test-tones_5_1_4.mp4
It should just be a pink noise test signal with stable and constant volume level. However, when played through Plex, the pink noise signal becomes unstable. The volume level will suddenly drop from time to time with other distortion
@Moussa said:
It looks like EAC3 has performance issues inside an mkv container that results in stuttering or playback timeout. We’ll report this to Microsoft and will (unfortunately) have to disable support for streaming EAC3 or EAC3 audio tracks in a MKV container in the next update. Though they still are supported and perform fine in an MP4 container.
I actually don’t have this problem and almost all of my videos are encoded from original Blu-rays with Vidcoder/handbrake and EAC3 AS audio-codec… and it’s Inside a MKV-container too
So i’m thinking that if you disable e-ac3 completely, my entire plex server Will be rendered useless?
I am using the new app, but no problems with the old app either
I am using plex media server on windows 7
This is (partial) info from mediainfo from a file i just watched:
“Maybe” its helpful somehow
Format : Matroska
Format version : Version 4 / Version 2
File size : 2.79 GiB
Duration : 2 h 2 min
Overall bit rate : 3 264 kb/s
Writing application : HandBrake 1.0.7 2017040900
Writing library : Lavf57.7.2
ID : 2
Format : E-AC-3
Format/Info : Enhanced Audio Coding 3
Format settings, Endianness : Big
Codec ID : A_EAC3
Duration : 2 h 2 min
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 224 kb/s
Channel(s) : 6 channels
Channel positions : Front: L C R, Side: L R, LFE
Sampling rate : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate : 187.500 FPS (256 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Delay relative to video : -5 ms
Stream size : 196 MiB (7%)
Title : Surround
Language : English
Service kind : Complete Main
Default : Yes
Forced : No
@Moussa said:
It looks like EAC3 has performance issues inside an mkv container that results in stuttering or playback timeout. We’ll report this to Microsoft and will (unfortunately) have to disable support for streaming EAC3 or EAC3 audio tracks in a MKV container in the next update. Though they still are supported and perform fine in an MP4 container.
I actually don’t have this problem and almost all of my videos are encoded from original Blu-rays with Vidcoder/handbrake and EAC3 AS audio-codec… and it’s Inside a MKV-container too
So i’m thinking that if you disable e-ac3 completely, my entire plex server Will be rendered useless?
I am using the new app, but no problems with the old app either
I am using plex media server on windows 7
This is (partial) info from mediainfo from a file i just watched:
“Maybe” its helpful somehow
Format : Matroska
Format version : Version 4 / Version 2
File size : 2.79 GiB
Duration : 2 h 2 min
Overall bit rate : 3 264 kb/s
Writing application : HandBrake 1.0.7 2017040900
Writing library : Lavf57.7.2
ID : 2
Format : E-AC-3
Format/Info : Enhanced Audio Coding 3
Format settings, Endianness : Big
Codec ID : A_EAC3
Duration : 2 h 2 min
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 224 kb/s
Channel(s) : 6 channels
Channel positions : Front: L C R, Side: L R, LFE
Sampling rate : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate : 187.500 FPS (256 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Delay relative to video : -5 ms
Stream size : 196 MiB (7%)
Title : Surround
Language : English
Service kind : Complete Main
Default : Yes
Forced : No
It is subtle sometimes. Try the Dolby Test tone and see if the pink noise is stable and constant with no change in levels.
We have just released v2.0.4 which will transcode EAC3 audio tracks to AAC if the track is in a mkv container (it will still direct stream in mp4 containers). We’ve reported the issue to Microsoft and will reintroduce support when they resolve the issue.
@Moussa said:
We have just released v2.0.4 which will transcode EAC3 audio tracks to AAC if the track is in a mkv container (it will still direct stream in mp4 containers). We’ve reported the issue to Microsoft and will reintroduce support when they resolve the issue.
Thanks Moussa. Since Netflix and VUDU are also using EAC3 for some of their movie sound tracks, I’m wondering why only Plex has problem playing EAC3 if that is indeed a Microsoft problem.
without knowing the specifics of their situation they’re probably not sending over EAC3 in mkvs or via a HLS stream. There is no issue with EAC3 streams inside mp4 containers, so perhaps that’s what they’re streaming.
@Moussa said:
without knowing the specifics of their situation they’re probably not sending over EAC3 in mkvs or via a HLS stream. There is no issue with EAC3 streams inside mp4 containers, so perhaps that’s what they’re streaming.
@Moussa But after numerous test I found that is not the case. Please try http://download.dolby.com/us/en/test-tones/dolby-test-tones_5_1_4.mp4 . It is an mp4 container file with EAC3 Atmos signal. The pink noise should be stable and constant but it is not via Plex. At least one another member has confirmed the same the other day. The same problem also occurs when AC3 is played via Plex no matter direct played or transcoded. They all have a strong dynamic range compression effect which makes the sound unstable. Not stuttering, but just unstable with inconsistent volume level. It is subtle but really annoying.
