Server Version#: 1.22.0.4163 (Manual install on a TrueNAS 12.0-U2.1 basejail, jail based on 12.2-RELEASE-p4)
Player Version#: Android Mobile v8.14.0.23432
CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1245 v6
Motherboard: Supermicro X11SSA-F
I have been doing some testing of hardware transcoding on a new build I just did and it looks like Plex is having some issues falling back to software transcoding if hardware is unavailable for the particular file. In this specific instance, Intel Quick Sync Video on my CPU does not support the 4:2:2 color space so the transcode will need to be done in software. In the Plex logs, I can see it making a call for hardware transcoding, but it never fails with a transcoder error or falls back to software, I just get an infinite spinning wheel on my player. Transcoding of a fully supported file works with no issues and I get the “Transcode (hw)” line in my server dashboard like I should.
When transcoding locks up like this, I am also no longer able to shut down PMS or the jail as there is a stuck Plex Transcoder process that won’t terminate even with a kill -9. I have to restart the entire NAS to clear the stuck process. This is the offending process line:
plex 4361 0.0 1.7 440900 278760 - DJ 22:05 0:00.29 /usr/local/share/plexmediaserver-plexpass/Plex Transcoder -codec:0 hevc -hwaccel:0 vaapi -hwaccel_fallback_threshold:0 10
And these lines stand out to me in the server log:
Mar 15, 2021 12:35:01.884 [0x817d21d00] DEBUG - [Transcode] Streaming Resource: Determining preferred transcode encoders through transcode only decision.
Mar 15, 2021 12:35:01.884 [0x817d21d00] DEBUG - [Transcode] Codecs: testing hevc (decoder) with hwdevice vaapi
Mar 15, 2021 12:35:01.884 [0x817d21d00] DEBUG - [Transcode] Codecs: hardware transcoding: testing API vaapi
Further down, you see this:
Mar 15, 2021 12:36:02.016 [0x80cf78500] DEBUG - Request: [192.168.0.68:46410 (WAN)] GET /video/:/transcode/universal/ping?autoAdjustQuality=0&hasMDE=1&location=lan&mediaBufferSize=209664&session=51b9fd8795601454-com-plexapp-android (22 live) TLS GZIP Signed-in Token (rb14060)
Mar 15, 2021 12:36:02.016 [0x80cf78500] DEBUG - [Transcode] Found session GUID of 51b9fd8795601454-com-plexapp-android in session start.
Mar 15, 2021 12:36:02.016 [0x80cf78500] WARN - [Transcode] Got a transcode session ping without a session GUID (or with an invalid one).
Mar 15, 2021 12:36:02.016 [0x80b8a1f00] DEBUG - Completed: [192.168.0.68:46410] 404 GET /video/:/transcode/universal/ping?autoAdjustQuality=0&hasMDE=1&location=lan&mediaBufferSize=209664&session=51b9fd8795601454-com-plexapp-android (22 live) TLS GZIP 0ms 379 bytes (pipelined: 1)
Full server logs are attached.
Plex Media Server Logs_2021-03-15_12-36-42.zip (1.1 MB)
