Hi,
I have a paid version of plex. Server running on a QNAP NAS. My TV is compatible with HEVC codec (Sony XR-65A84J).
I’d like to know why Plex wants to transcode a x265 movie instead (sometimes it works, sometimes it says “server not powerful enough”) of directly playing the file ? Can’t I avoid this ?
Thank you.
Plex Android TV app version?
In the Plex Android TV app, pull up settings. Look in the lower right corner.
Please provide a set of server logs that capture the problem:
Ensure the Plex Media Server is configured for debug level logs
Settings → Server_Name → General
If you changed the log level, restart Plex Media Server.
With subtitles turned off, play a movie that causes the problem. Let it play for ~30 seconds. Stop playback.
Wait 2 minutes for the server to capture everything.
Pull the server log files (Settings → Troubleshooting) and attach to this thread (drag the zip file into the message window, it will insert at the cursor location).
I forgot to say that I have the same problem when using plex player from my computer.
If I tick “deactivate video transcoding” (I believe it’s translated this way), I get a message “your CPU is not powerfull enough”. If I untick this box, I have to tune the setting “transcoder quality” in order not to have a problem.
Plex Media Server Logs_2022-08-13_19-01-31.zip (3.5 MB)
Thanks for the log files.
Short Answer
If you pick the wrong combination of video, audio, and subtitles, it can result in Plex having to transcode video. Your QNAP NAS has a limited transcoding capability. If it cannot transcode the video, playback will fail. You may experience heavy pausing/buffering or you may see the “the server is not powerful enough” message.
I did not see problems with the Sony TV (Android TV). I did see issues with the Samsung (Tizen) and Plex Web (Chrome). Details below.
Long Answer
You have a QNAP TS-230. The low power ARM CPU in the NAS has limited video transcode capability. It can transcode 480p, 720p, and some 1080p video. Do not expect that it will reliably transcode 1080p HEVC video. It simply is not powerful enough. See NAS Compatibility List → Plex NAS Compatibility Guide.
When transcoding video, you may experience buffering/pausing. The system is transcoding the video, but cannot do it in real time. Therefore, playback will pause so the server can catch up. This will repeat every few seconds.
You may see the “server is not powerful enough” message. The Plex server has determined it cannot transcode the video, does not try, and shows you the error message.
If you disable video transcoding and Plex has to transcode the video for some reason, then you will also see the “server is not powerful enough” message. Disabling video transcoding does not force Plex to direct play/direct stream. It means Plex will not play the video at all if it must be transcoded, i.e. “direct play or don’t play.”
Implications for your clients:
Plex Web (Chrome, FireFox, etc)
Other than Safari, web browsers do not support HEVC video, and no browser supports HDR video. Plex will transcode HEVC video when played in any Windows/Linux browser.
Do not expect Plex will reliably play HEVC video when using Plex Web.
Instead, consider Plex Desktop or Plex HTPC. Both direct play most video and audio formats, including HEVC. They will also tonemap & scale 4K HDR video when playing on a lower resolution SDR display. They are available for Windows, Mac, & Linux, and can be downloaded at plex.tv.
Samsung TVs can direct play HEVC video. However, they have limited audio codec and subtitle support. If you pick the wrong combination of audio and subtitles, it forces Plex to transcode the video (any video, not just HEVC).
The “safe” combination is SRT subtitles and Dolby Digital or Dolby Digital Plus audio.
Other combinations of audio and subtitles are more likely to result in a video transcode. I’m not sure if this is still current, but at one time, with Samsung Tizen TVs:
I do not see any problems with playback on the Sony. The last three items all direct played. If something is transcoding, please re-create the problem and then pull a new set of log files.
The Sony should direct play HEVC video just fine.
Subtitles should not be a problem. The Plex Android TV app supports direct playing PGS, VOBSUB, & SRT subtitles. SSA/ASS subtitles will cause a video transcode. However, support for SSA/ASS is currently in beta and will hopefully make it to the public Android TV builds soon.
Plex Documentation → Your Media
→ Naming & Organizing TV Show files
→ Naming & Organizing Movie Files
FYI, you should clean up your media naming and organization, both TV shows and movies…
It might work OK now, but it will most likely cause issues in the future.
Putting in the effort now avoids having to spend a larger amount of time in the future straightening things out.
Example (Gossip Girl):
Current:
/Séries
.../Gossip.Girl.2021.S01.1080p.10bit.HMAX.WEBRIP.Multi.x265.REPACK-Antrax
....../Gossip.Girl.2021.S01E01.Just.Another.Girl.on.MTA.1080p.10bit.HMAX.WEBRip.Multi.x265-Antrax.mkv
Correct
/Séries <-- folder added to TV library
.../Gossip Girl (2021) <-- Show_Name (year)
....../Season 01 <-- "Season" in English, two digits for number
........./Gossip Girl (2021) s01e01 Just Another Girl on the MTA.mkv <-- S01E01 mandatory
There are tools to help automate the process:
Many people use Filebot. It is quite powerful and can rename an entire library in minutes.
Tiny Media Manager is also very useful, and free. I’ve used it on several movies with the pattern ${title} (${year}) {imdb-${imdb}}. You can easily set a pattern for TV shows that matches Plex’s naming standards.
PowerRenamer in Microsoft Power Tools is helpful for simple renaming with pattern matches or regular expressions. It makes quick work of tasks such as adding a year to file names, removing undesirable text from multiple files, etc. Simple example: Rip a TV show with MakeMKV and all the episodes have _tXX at the end. You can remove it from all episodes in just a few seconds.
Thank you so much for your involvement…
I learnt a lot in your answers.
Here are some additional details :
FYI, you can monitor playback via Plex Dashboard → Now Playing.
The expanded view will show you if the audio or video is transcoding.
Upload the new logs when you get a chance. Will be interesting to see what is causing the problems.
Here you should see a problem with the Sony TV… thank you !
Plex Media Server Logs_2022-08-16_14-00-00.zip (4.2 MB)
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