Server Version#: 4.22.3
Tuner Make/Model: HDHomeRun PRIME
The files that get recorded look like raw .TS files. On my old Sage system, I was able to transcode them automatically to a more reasonable size once the recording finished.
Is this possible with Plex as well?
In the web client, navigate to Settings -> Live TV & DVR -> Device Settings and set Convert Video While Recording to Transcode. This will cause the recordings to be transcoded in real time. But as the warning suggests, it requires a fast CPU:
Do you know if this will use hardware transcoding if enabled to encode?
It doesnât in my case, but the documentation of the setting doesnât say whether or not it should. However, my 8 year old i7-3615QM-based Mac Mini can handle (at least) two simultaneous 1080p recordings, so âfastâ doesnât mean it requires the latest, greatest CPU.
My HDHomerun is setup like this:
If youâre already configured to transcode while recording, and it still isnât producing files which are optimized enough, you can create a post-processing script and have it re-encode the file using HandBrakeCLI, or something similar.
You configure the post-processing script in your DVR settings. Plex calls this script after the file is recorded but before it is moved into your library. The script is passed the full path to the file which was recorded.
https://support.plex.tv/articles/225877347-live-tv-dvr/#toc-2
What is Plex supposed to do on its own? I did a test recording of the local new that was 1080. It took over an hour after the show ended before it showed up in the directory. Even though it was only 30 minutes, it was 3.14GB. That seems even like no transcoding even happened at all.
Just trying to determine if something is broken, or if this is normal.
If itâs h264 transcoding happened - very âgenerousâ transcoding.
Iâm still using MCEBuddy to convert material automatically to bit rates I choose and that usually only happens to material I plan to keep. Watch and delete stuff Direct Plays on the device itâll be watched and deleted from so I donât do anything to that. Except watch and delete it.
Plexâs DVR User Options are quite limited.
I didnât think Iâd be doing it all without MCEBuddy before Plex Pass and Post Plex Pass Iâm absolutely convinced of it.
You could âOptimizeâ versions at a greatly reduced bit rate - but then you have to deal with âOptimized Versionsâ. Been there - didnât like it - didnât get the T-Shirt.
I was having a similar issue with the size of the dvr recordings as well. The default is to have the transcoding while recording off. I never noticed how long after the recording that they showed up in the directory but if it takes an hour than it appears that you are using the default. Like you I was concerned about the huge size of the files. I then went into the settings and changed to transcode while recording 3 days ago and I do know that the recordings now show up about 2 mins after the live airing is done and the files are about 1/5 the the previous size with the same resolution!
Where did you change this at?
Server/Settings/Live TV & DVR/Device Settings (not DVR Settings)
ExperimentalâŠ
Experiment. Seemed to work for @Steazy
⊠and, ya knowâŠ
The âExperimentalâ bit is probably Experimental because:
This may be a record for the number of times a screenshot of one setting has appeared in a thread.
⊠it looks like every thread wanting to know where Clean Bundles is hidingâŠ
But now Iâm curious and the transmitter (singular) is off the air for an overhaul leaving me nothing to work with. What does one of these files look like after itâs been through the grinder (MediaInfo would be nice) - and are there any âadjustmentsâ (I have to ask)?
Hereâs whatâs left of an hour long 1080p show after the commercial skipper got through with it (52 minutes).
General
ID : 1 (0x1)
Complete name : /Volumes/Seagate 8TB/DVR TV/The This Old House Hour (2002)/Season 18/The This Old House Hour (2002) - S18E20 - Cape Ann Hard Work Ahead Pedestal Sink Grout Cleaning.ts
Format : MPEG-TS
File size : 4.99 GiB
Duration : 52 min 2 s
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 13.7 Mb/s
Law rating : TV-G
Video
ID : 256 (0x100)
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : Main@L4
Format settings : CABAC / 4 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, Reference frames : 4 frames
Codec ID : 27
Duration : 52 min 7 s
Bit rate : 12.6 Mb/s
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Variable
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Stream size : 4.60 GiB (92%)
Audio
ID : 257 (0x101)
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : AC-3
Format/Info : Audio Coding 3
Commercial name : Dolby Digital
Codec ID : 129
Duration : 52 min 7 s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 384 kb/s
Channel(s) : 6 channels
Channel layout : L R C LFE Ls Rs
Sampling rate : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate : 31.250 FPS (1536 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Delay relative to video : -60 ms
Stream size : 143 MiB (3%)
Service kind : Complete Main
Text #1
ID : 256 (0x100)-CC1
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : EIA-608
Muxing mode : SCTE 128 / DTVCC Transport
Muxing mode, more info : Muxed in Video #1
Duration : 52 min 7 s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Stream size : 0.00 Byte (0%)
CaptionServiceName : CC1
Text #2
ID : 256 (0x100)-1
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : EIA-708
Muxing mode : SCTE 128 / DTVCC Transport
Muxing mode, more info : Muxed in Video #1
Duration : 52 min 7 s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Stream size : 0.00 Byte (0%)
Menu
ID : 4096 (0x1000)
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Duration : 52 min 2 s
List : 256 (0x100) (AVC) / 257 (0x101) (AC-3)
Service name : Service01
Service provider : FFmpeg
Service type : digital television
Law rating : TV-G
Thatâs AFTER?
Jesu⊠H. F⊠Christmas Ornaments! - what did it look like before?
I mean, I thought we were going to see an âEconomy Versionâ or something.
Ainât no âEconomy Thereâ - unless perhaps you consider your 90â Yacht the dingy to your 200â YachtâŠ
lol
That actually looks like an original masterpiece from around here to be honest. Thatâs why Iâm using MCEBuddy - but that will be the first thing I test when tower operations are completed.
thx for the info
If I recall correctly, this represents a 15-20% reduction in size; thatâs just a guesstimate, itâs been a while since Iâve had the transcoding option disabled.
I donât really mind much as most of what I record is deleted immediately after it is watched. So it doesnât really represent a permanent dent in my (limited) storage. The stuff I do keep is mostly older and broadcast in 480i. Those files are end up being ~600 MB for roughly 42-43 minutes.
Iâve toyed with the idea of using a post-processing script re-encode after recording, using HandBrakeCLI. I created very unintelligent proof-of-concept script and it works. But Iâd need to give it some intelligence to re-encode with different profiles based on the source for it to be genuinely useful.
Well, thatâll be fine, but I had to employ MCEBuddy to do that 'cause we live in West Virginia.
When I had IPTV for itâs brief and painful tenure at HDHR Central I had MCEBuddy profiles that auto-engaged for different sources, to do different things. The set up was perhaps a bit easier than doing it your way. I do recall it wasnât that bad.
Anyway, now that Premium TV has been executed - in a fair and swift hanginâ - Iâm down to 2 PBS channels, when the transmitter is working - and I can pretty much handle that with a single profile and VideoRedo.
I do have Buddy reigned back to create 720s at about 1450kbps - in 15 minutes per hour or so - and for watch and delete thatâs plenty.
Ya. Mine is already on. I posted a screenshot of it earlier in the thread. Apparently that doesnât do anything for me.
