Many videos are encoded in a particular format where transcoding is not possible due to a lack of processor power, but also meaning that playback in real time in original format over a slow network is not possible neither.
I would like to see Plex client apps have an option to create an ‘Optimised version’. Plex already gives suggestions based on connection speed so this could form the option for what pre-set is used for the optimised version that gets created.
When the creation of the optimised version is completed the Plex server can then send an alert to that user to let them know it is ready to watch. In the interest of disk storage, this would be a good time to allow a limit of how many optimised versions a single user can have at any one time.
As far as the managed user is aware, the process would work like so:
Managed user selects video from library
Managed user selects ‘More’ or ‘…’ button depending on what client is being used
Managed user selects ‘Request optimised version’
Plex client collects network bandwidth data
Plex client sends request to Plex server
Plex server receives request for optimised version and bandwidth data
Plex server begins optimising video for that bandwidth
Plex server sends Started alert to Managed User with ETA
Plex server sends Completed alert to Managed User when conversion is completed
Interesting. That’s a lot of complexity and moving parts for the worst-case scenario - slow connection, slow server, low server storage, limited client.
Some parts of it are similar to sync or the workflow when downloading a video. That doesn’t apply to consoles and set-top boxes, however. You could use the Download approach with a phone or tablet or mini PC.
Some people use Ombi so their users can request movies/shows/content. I haven’t used it, but I know you can configure “profiles” for media.
The “big” streaming folks encode a bazillion optimized versions in advance, ignoring how much storage space it requires, so they have every option for clients immediately.
That’s basically what Sync does. You select a quality/bandwidth and the transcoder is doing it’s best to pre-transcode the file, before it is downloaded to your device.
This is a Plex pass feature.
That’s basically what Sync does. You select a quality/bandwidth and the transcoder is doing it’s best to pre-transcode the file, before it is downloaded to your device.
When you say download, does sync not allow streaming that pre-transcoded file? Many devices do not have storage capacity to accommodate that and it would just add time to waiting for it to be ready to play. Also I wanted to try out the feature but there is no option visible for Sync on the Plex client application on Windows.
I think that is where the functionality falls down, Managed Users need to ask me (the admin) to optimise the media for them. They can’t send that request to the server for themselves.
It works pretty well if somebody is binge watching a TV show because optimisation can be linked to On Deck, and the next episode will optimise automatically as they are watching the previous episode in the season.
But for movies and when starting a new TV show a managed user needs to ask the admin to do the work manually, this is due to a lack of a feature that allows the managed user have some control of optimising content. My request effectively addresses this.
Here is a scenario where it will be needed. We are driving to a destination, and my child is in the back passenger seat. That child has their tablet and wishes to watch a movie, however the movie is too large to play at original quality and the plex server cannot easily transcode. So the child could ask the server to optimise it, because I do not want to pull over just to start optimising the video myself nor do I want to give the child access to the server UI with my admin account.
I’ve just checked, they can sync but cannot optimise in the web app. I’m happy to explore the Sync however, I will just try some random videos and see what the quality is like for files and aimed towards certain file sizes.
Are you sure? I just switched to a managed user and was able to start an optimization job in the web app.
The admin user can see it in Settings -> Manage -> Optimized Versions.
My server isn’t fast either. But I can’t imagine telling a user “Find what you want to watch, then go to this other page, login, find your show, and click these options, then wait an hour before you try to watch.”
For the minivan scenario, we’ve done this:
Use a sync job to keep high-quality favorites on the iPad in advance
Keep additional low-res, low-bitrate versions of kid shows available on the server for emergency streaming.
Imagine you have several of those users.
And they have no idea how this is working.
And they don’t know that your server is too weak to transcode in real time.
If you allow your users to trigger an optimization job, you’ll very likely end up with
a server that is bogged down with dozens of optimization jobs
a permanently clogged hard drive, due to the multiple optimized versions for dozens, or even hundreds of videos
