# Hardware Transcoding not working **URL:** \ **Category:** Plex Media Server\ **Tags:** server-windows\ **Created:** [October 9, 2024, 3:22pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-not-working/891818 "2024-10-09T15:22:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jagankumar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@jagankumar](https://forums.plex.tv/u/jagankumar)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2024, 3:22pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-not-working/891818/1 "2024-10-09T15:22:33Z")
Server Version#:1.41.0.8994 Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64 bit) Processor: Intel® Core™ i5-4210U CPU @ 1.70GHz Graphics : Intel HD graphics 4400, NVIDIA GE 820M (Disabled in BIOS) Hi everyone, I am seeking assistance regarding an issue I’ve encountered with hardware transcoding in Plex Media Server. After enabling the hardware acceleration feature, I have been unable to successfully utilise it for transcoding tasks. Below are the details of my setup and the challenges I am facing: Please help me to get the hardware transcoding working. 1. Has anyone experienced a similar issue with hardware transcoding in Plex after enabling it? 2. What troubleshooting steps would you recommend to get hardware transcoding working effectively? 3. Are there any specific settings or configurations within Plex or my system that might help resolve this issue? I would greatly appreciate any guidance or advice that can assist me in resolving this problem. ### Steps Taken to Resolve - I have ensured that my Intel GPU drivers are up to date. - I have verified that my hardware supports Intel Quick Sync Video. - I have double-checked the transcoder settings in Plex and confirmed that hardware acceleration is enabled. - I have disabled the Nvidia GeForce 820M in the BIOS to ensure that the Intel GPU is being utilised for transcoding. - I have tested various video files, but the issue persists. - I have monitored system resources during transcoding attempts. Core error: ```auto Oct 09, 2024 15:26:23.622 [7208] ERROR - [Req#88d/Transcode/a5z6hs7lc9crynvs2k6lbymf/5f6f3c5b-bc2f-453f-be22-5f1b304eeff9] [AVHWDeviceContext @ 026edf00] Error creating a MFX session: -9. Oct 09, 2024 15:26:23.623 [7208] ERROR - [Req#88e/Transcode/a5z6hs7lc9crynvs2k6lbymf/5f6f3c5b-bc2f-453f-be22-5f1b304eeff9] Device creation failed: -1313558101. Oct 09, 2024 15:26:23.623 [7208] ERROR - [Req#88f/Transcode/a5z6hs7lc9crynvs2k6lbymf/5f6f3c5b-bc2f-453f-be22-5f1b304eeff9] Failed to set value 'qsv=qsv@d3d11va' for option 'init_hw_device': Unknown error occurred Oct 09, 2024 15:26:23.623 [7208] ERROR - [Req#890/Transcode/a5z6hs7lc9crynvs2k6lbymf/5f6f3c5b-bc2f-453f-be22-5f1b304eeff9] Error parsing global options: Unknown error occurred Oct 09, 2024 15:26:23.633 [8048] DEBUG - Jobs: 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Plex\Plex Media Server\Plex Transcoder.exe' exit code for process 9736 is 1 (failure) ``` [Plex Media Server (1).log](https://forums.plex.tv/uploads/short-url/zCMybqeQhqmqzSQpjYfIj2Ow5ZT.log) (854.2 KB) ---
**Author:** ![jagankumar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@jagankumar](https://forums.plex.tv/u/jagankumar)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2024, 3:25pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-not-working/891818/2 "2024-10-09T15:25:55Z")
FOllowing my GPU details ### Graphics Intel® HD Graphics Family Driver Details Provider Intel Corporation Version 20.19.15.4642 Date 2017-03-28 Device Details Adapter Compatibility Intel Corporation Video Processor Intel® HD Graphics Family Resolution 1920 x 1080 Bits Per Pixel 32 Number of Colors 4294967296 Refresh Rate - Current 60 Hz Refresh Rate - Maximum 60 Hz Refresh Rate - Minimum 60 Hz Adapter DAC Type Internal Availability Running at full power Status This device is working properly. Location PCI bus 0, device 2, function 0 Device Id PCI\VEN\_8086&DEV\_0A16&SUBSYS\_397817AA&REV\_0B\3&11583659&0&10 NVIDIA GeForce 820M Driver Details Provider NVIDIA Version 21.21.13.7667 Date 2017-01-15 Device Details Adapter Compatibility NVIDIA Video Processor GeForce 820M Adapter DAC Type Integrated RAMDAC Availability Offline Status This device is working properly. Location PCI bus 4, device 0, function 0 Device Id PCI\VEN\_10DE&DEV\_1140&SUBSYS\_381717AA&REV\_A1\4&3420519A&0&00E4 ---
**Author:** ![OttoKerner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ottokerner/32/10079_2.png) [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2024, 4:43pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-not-working/891818/3 "2024-10-09T16:43:18Z")
> [@jagankumar](#): > > Processor: Intel® Core™ i5-4210U CPU @ 1.70GHz That CPU belongs into the family called “Haswell”. [https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/sku/81016/intel-core-i54210u-processor-3m-cache-up-to-2-70-ghz/specifications.html](https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/sku/81016/intel-core-i54210u-processor-3m-cache-up-to-2-70-ghz/specifications.html) That model is ten years old by now. The abilities of the Quicksync unit in Haswell chips are very basic. It supports only AVC 8-bit and MPEG2 video. > **[Intel Quick Sync Video](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Quick_Sync_Video#Hardware_decoding_and_encoding)** > > Intel Quick Sync Video is Intel's brand for its dedicated video encoding and decoding hardware core. Quick Sync was introduced with the Sandy Bridge CPU microarchitecture on 9 January 2011 and has been found on the die of Intel CPUs ever since. > The name "Quick Sync" refers to the use case of quickly transcoding ("converting") a video from, for example, a DVD or Blu-ray Disc to a format appropriate to, for example, a smartphone, in situations where speed is more important than the best possible q... Your log shows that you were testing with a source video with HEVC video codec. The HEVC codec (H.265) is more modern than AVC (H.264) and is not supported by your old chip. ---
**Author:** ![jagankumar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@jagankumar](https://forums.plex.tv/u/jagankumar)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2024, 8:43am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-not-working/891818/4 "2024-10-10T08:43:48Z")
Thanks, @OttoKerner , much appreciated for your detailed explanation. I now understand that my CPU’s GPU isn’t capable of handling HEVC due to its limitations. My primary use case is for Plex to serve content on my local network at home, where I use two TVs: 1. LG Smart TV (non-Android) with Chromecast 2. Android TV I don’t face issues with low-resolution movies (480p), as they play via DirectPlay/Direct Stream. However, any movies in 720p or 1080p—even if they are encoded in H.264—trigger the transcoder, leading to high CPU usage and significant playback stuttering. Are there any steps I can take to improve the playback experience and eliminate the stutter? I’ve also tried using my NVIDIA GeForce 820M as the primary GPU, but there’s still no improvement. Based on what I’ve gathered, this GPU does not support hardware transcoding. Could you confirm if my understanding is correct? What would you recommend to optimise smooth playback without transcoding issues? Many Thanks, Jagan ---
**Author:** ![OttoKerner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ottokerner/32/10079_2.png) [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2024, 9:02am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-not-working/891818/5 "2024-10-10T09:02:16Z")
> [@jagankumar](#): > > However, any movies in 720p or 1080p—even if they are encoded in H.264 Resolution and video codec are not the only things to investigate. Equally as important are informations about - the bitrate of the video stream - number of audio streams. If there are several of these, which has been selected for playback? What is the number of audio channels and the audio codec of the selected audio stream? - Presence of subtitles. If they are present, have they been selected for display? And if so, which subtitle format are they using? - Is the TV “seeing” the server as being on the same local network? Check the Plex Dashboard during playback. It is one of the most significant tools for investigating issues like this. ![grafik](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/4X/e/5/0/e506ff2e408e6789f7a99218a1683072ed80ebae.jpeg) Notice the first mark I made. In my screen shot it says “Local”, which is how it should be when server and player are within the same local network. If this is not the case for you, it can mean that the available bandwidth between server and TV is severely limited. The second mark is indicating whether the video stream is played as-is, or whether it is transcoded. This is also important to know, because if the CPU in your server is not up to the task, it cannot transcode the video stream fast enough – resulting in frequent pauses during playback. The third mark is indicating the same for the audio stream. Below all of these, you may find information about subtitles, if they are present and selected for display. ---
**Author:** ![jagankumar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@jagankumar](https://forums.plex.tv/u/jagankumar)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2024, 9:43am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-not-working/891818/6 "2024-10-10T09:43:06Z")
![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/4X/f/2/c/f2c5cb18612ad8145ba753ea46d14727b191f7be.jpeg) Please find above screensho which clearly marks the local network, transcoding, unknown audio stream and no subtitle. ---
**Author:** ![OttoKerner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ottokerner/32/10079_2.png) [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2024, 10:12am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-not-working/891818/7 "2024-10-10T10:12:22Z")
Once again, it is showing that your source file is using the HEVC video codec, which needs transcoding in order to be played on your TV. That is a task that the CPU in your server cannot do fast enough. ---
**Author:** ![jagankumar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@jagankumar](https://forums.plex.tv/u/jagankumar)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2024, 11:12am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-not-working/891818/8 "2024-10-10T11:12:26Z")
Thanks @OttoKerner . I found a work around as optimise the movie for TV which play smoothly. Much appreciated your time and help me on this issue. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2025, 11:12am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-not-working/891818/9 "2025-01-08T11:12:30Z")
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