Getting transcode error message with scheduled DVR recordings

[daflibble]

Server Version#: 1.14.0.5470
Player Version#:2.23.0

Hello

I’ve recently started trying PLEX DVR on a new server install and while the recording quality is much improved over my previous tests (Windows Server 2016 Xeon E3-1230 CPU powered VM with HDHomeRun CONNECT Quatro tuner) I’m now seeing transcoder error messages when attempting scheduled recordings.

This morning I tried to schedule recording of Star Trek Enterprise @ 10am on channel 70 with recording set 1 min before start time as a test and it failed with transcoder error again.

I’d appreciate some help understanding what’s going on to cause this error and if there is anything I can do to improve the situation.

Peace, love and MACHINE empathy
Da’flibble

Plex Media Server Logs_2018-12-02_10-02-13.zip (2.7 MB)

[daflibble]

Okay found old copy of Version 1.13.9.5456 from my over plex server update folder and installed that. Working much better now.

Hopefully the issue introduced recently in the 1.14xxxx versions are resolved soon as I see mines not the only thread referring to these issues.

[realjulian]

PMS unable to record (some) TV Shows after Updates to 1.14.0.5470

After Update from 1.13.9.5456 the DVR failed to record shows on several channels (some worked fine). The recording started, but failed after about 10-15 seconds.PMS told me there was a “Transcoder Error”. Switching “Transcoding” in the DVR settings on or off didn’t change anything. I also tried to deactivate all old rec timetables and made new ones. Sometimes recordings started again, when I tuned into LiveTV while recording. After the recording failed, ist sometimes started again, as soon as …

[MK_The_Reaver]

Hello,

I am having the exact same behavior.
After upgrading from PMS 1.13.9.5456 to PMS 1.14.0.5470 this problem started to appear.

What I notice is that Live TV Tuning also takes longer then in the 1.13 release. Also when I start Live TV on the channel that needs an upcomming recording, it tunes the Live TV and starts recording the program normally. I also can then stop the Live TV and it will keep recording untill it doesn’t need that channel tuned anymore. (multiple programs just after each other will keep recording fine on that channel)

It also is not 100% of the time it seems, some program on another channel recorded fine.

Tuner hardware is a HDHomeRun Expand (HDHR3-4DC) which didn’t have any alterations or firmware updates recently.
PMS Server is Ubuntu Server 14 minimal in this case.
Transcoding directly while recording is off so the transcode error is strange because it doesn’t need to transcode.

When I look in the system log of the HDHR i just see the IP of the PMS that it tuned to the channel and starts streaming to PMS, after like 10 seconds or so it will say it ended the stream because it was “remote closed” in other words the PMS dropped the stream.

PMS Logging:
…/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/Logs/Plex Media Server.log:

Dec 10, 2018 15:00:00.710 [0x111111111111] ERROR - Unable to find title for item of type 5
Dec 10, 2018 15:00:00.710 [0x111111111111] ERROR - Unable to find title for item of type 5
Dec 10, 2018 15:00:01.097 [0x222222222222] ERROR - [Transcoder] [mpeg2video @ 0x1c94d40] Invalid frame dimensions 0x0.
Dec 10, 2018 15:00:01.117 [0x333333333333] ERROR - [Transcoder] [mpeg2video @ 0x1c94d40] Invalid frame dimensions 0x0.
Dec 10, 2018 15:00:01.143 [0x222222222222] ERROR - [Transcoder] [mpeg2video @ 0x1c94d40] Invalid frame dimensions 0x0.
Dec 10, 2018 15:00:01.170 [0x333333333333] ERROR - [Transcoder] [mpeg2video @ 0x1c94d40] Invalid frame dimensions 0x0.
Dec 10, 2018 15:00:01.240 [0x222222222222] ERROR - [Transcoder] [mpeg2video @ 0x1c94d40] Invalid frame dimensions 0x0.
Dec 10, 2018 15:00:01.272 [0x333333333333] ERROR - [Transcoder] [mpeg2video @ 0x1c94d40] Invalid frame dimensions 0x0.
Dec 10, 2018 15:00:01.308 [0x222222222222] ERROR - [Transcoder] [mpeg2video @ 0x1c94d40] Invalid frame dimensions 0x0.
Dec 10, 2018 15:00:01.340 [0x333333333333] ERROR - [Transcoder] [mpeg2video @ 0x1c94d40] Invalid frame dimensions 0x0.
Dec 10, 2018 15:00:01.409 [0x222222222222] ERROR - [Transcoder] [mpeg2video @ 0x1c94d40] Invalid frame dimensions 0x0.
Dec 10, 2018 15:00:01.435 [0x333333333333] ERROR - [Transcoder] [mpeg2video @ 0x1c94d40] Invalid frame dimensions 0x0.
Dec 10, 2018 15:00:01.462 [0x222222222222] ERROR - [Transcoder] [mpeg2video @ 0x1c94d40] Invalid frame dimensions 0x0.
Dec 10, 2018 15:00:01.487 [0x333333333333] ERROR - [Transcoder] [mpeg2video @ 0x1c94d40] Invalid frame dimensions 0x0.
Dec 10, 2018 15:00:01.554 [0x222222222222] ERROR - [Transcoder] [mpeg2video @ 0x1c94d40] Invalid frame dimensions 0x0.
Dec 10, 2018 15:00:01.583 [0x333333333333] ERROR - [Transcoder] [mpeg2video @ 0x1c94d40] Invalid frame dimensions 0x0.
Dec 10, 2018 15:00:01.616 [0x222222222222] ERROR - [Transcoder] [mpeg2video @ 0x1c94d40] Invalid frame dimensions 0x0.
Dec 10, 2018 15:00:01.647 [0x333333333333] ERROR - [Transcoder] [mpeg2video @ 0x1c94d40] Invalid frame dimensions 0x0.
Dec 10, 2018 15:00:01.773 [0x222222222222] ERROR - [Transcoder] [mpeg2video @ 0x1c94d40] Invalid frame dimensions 0x0.
Dec 10, 2018 15:00:01.959 [0x111111111111] ERROR - Unable to find title for item of type 5
Dec 10, 2018 15:00:01.960 [0x111111111111] ERROR - Unable to find title for item of type 5
Dec 10, 2018 15:00:11.966 [0x111111111111] ERROR - Failed to start session.
Dec 10, 2018 15:00:11.967 [0x111111111111] ERROR - DVR:Recorder: Unable to create transcode session or session failed to start.
Dec 10, 2018 15:00:11.967 [0x111111111111] ERROR - DVR:Recorder: Error 12 (There was a transcoder error) starting the record, shutting things down.
Dec 10, 2018 15:00:12.026 [0x111111111111] ERROR - DVR:Grabber: Starting media grab failed.

(I did try restarting the HDHR and PMS.)

Regards and I hope the problem gets found fast of course

MK

[realjulian]

Update to Version

1.14.1.5487

solved my problem. since yesterday all recordings have worked.

[daflibble]

Thanks for the update realjulian. I’ll have a look at the release note and might give it a go today on my test server.

[daflibble]

Well a few days after upgrading to 1.14.1.5487 beta version and recordings are working on schedule once again. Getting the odd pixel corruption issue but nothing very disruptive. Only lasting couple of seconds and the audio is barely disrupted during those periods.

Looks like they’ve fixed it.

[MK_The_Reaver]

Hi, I updated to the version 1.14.1.5488.

After doing this all recordings since have been successfull again.
This has been running for more then a week now I think.

Regards, MK

( same message body thing blabla )

[that0n3guy]

This is causing me some pain and i’m on 1.14.1.5488. Afterward the error plex crashes and won’t respond to anything.

Plex Media Server Logs_2018-12-31_15-51-14.zip (513.7 KB)

[MK_The_Reaver]

Dont think this is the same problem. Problem in this topic plex didn’t crash, it just gave the transcode error and didn’t record. Plex Server itself stayed online.

[darcilicious]

@that0n3guy

This is causing me some pain and i’m on 1.14.1.5488. Afterward the error plex crashes and won’t respond to anything.

You should start a new thread; this one is marked as solved and your issue sounds different.