Server Version#: latest
Player Version#:latest
Plex Media Server Logs_2022-08-23_21-28-45.zip (4.8 MB)
Watching h.264 movie I noticed on the dashboard that it was transcoding to h.264 (hw) and the source is already h.264. My client is a Roku 4 which supports both 264 & 265. No subtitles were being displayed. What can you see in the logs? Thanks!
Look through your logs. Look for lines starting with MDE:
One frequent line is
Aug 23, 2022 21:25:11.554 [0x7fa8ccdb4b00] DEBUG - [Req#1667e0/Transcode] Wifelike - audio.channels limitation applies: 6 > 2
What log file are you looking at? My audio is 3.1 thru a Sony A/V receiver. I understand that the AAC audio needs to be converted to AC-3 for the Roku to handle it. I just dont understand why the video is being transcoded.
Plex Media Server.log
I have no experience with Rokus. Multichannel-AAC is notoriously “difficult” though.
As the log reads now, the server delivers only stereo to the Roku.
Sometimes the video needs to be transcoded as well, or the transcoded audio will drift out of sync.
He is also hitting a bandwidth limitation.
MDE: Selected protocol hls; container: mpegts
MDE: analyzing media item 129717
MDE: Wifelike (2022): Direct Play is disabled
MDE: Wifelike (2022): media must be transcoded in order to use the hls protocol
Wifelike - audio.channels limitation applies: 6 > 2
Wifelike - audio.channels limitation applies: 6 > 2
Wifelike - audio.channels limitation applies: 6 > 2
MDE: Cannot direct stream audio stream due to profile or setting limitations
MDE: Wifelike (2022): selected media 0 / 129717
Streaming Resource: Calculated bandwidth of 18816kbps exceeds bandwidth limit. Changing decision parameters provided by client to fit bandwidth limit of 12000kbps
Streaming Resource: Determining preferred transcode encoders through transcode only decision.
This is on a local gigabit LAN, there should be no bandwidth limitations. Is the Roku defining the max bandwidth? Even if the Roku is 100Mb its only computing 18.8Mb for the bandwidth.
It would be a limit you set on the remote networking.
Are the server and roku on the same network segment? Looking at the dashboard does it report as remote or local?
they are on the same 192.168.100 subnet. I’ll look this evening at the dashboard.
There is also a bandwidth limit you can set on the Roku, AFAIK.
I’ll have to check on the Roku bandwidth limitation, I dont think I’ve ever seen that in the Settings. Searching for Bandwidth Settings reveals a way to set “bandwidth limits”, but its NOT enabled by default. Also in the logs I see Direct Streaming is Disabled, but I’m pretty sure it is enabled & Direct Play is set to Automatic, its not set to Force & its not set to off/disable. Have to check tonight.
What does “media must be transcoded in order to use the hls protocol” mean?
On the Roku in the Plex app in Settings->Video->Local Quality was set to 12Mbps instead of Original. Now that its set to Original its playing video Direct Stream and transcoding the audio AAC → AC-3 as expected. I know it used to be Original, possibly one of the Plex updates reset that. Thanks for your help, now I know a little bit more about reading the logs and what to look for.
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