Server Version#: 1.18.9.2571
My server normally can do 6-7 streams at once without much issue but with lots more using right now due to quarantines, I am thinking about turning on hardware encoding. I would have done it earlier but the comment in the description that “ The output quality of video may be lower, appearing slightly more blurry or blocky.” has me concerned.
Is it actually bad or is this just a CYA in case it is worse than without it?
just give it a try… never sprang so much into my face to make me look super close for any quality degradations.
“worse” doesn’t mean it’s bad.
If your files are already bandwidth-starved, they might look worse with hardware transcoding.
The quality of the hardware transcoding is also dependent on the age of your hardware, i.e. older versions of the Intel QuickSync chip may produce inferior output.
I went from 2x X5650 CPU transcoding to a Quadro P2000 transcoding and honestly, I can’t tell the difference.
If you’re really picky, create two optimised versions, one with HW and one with SW transcodng and compare yourself.
I use HW transcoding and NO ONE can tell the difference. Really depends on your chipset though, I use a TS-453Be and 1080p looks quite stunning regardless of direct play or HW transcoding.
… If they can - they’re watching from a Remote Location and they need to figure out why they’re transcoding and fix it - before I boot 'em and get smarter Friends…lol
Actually I am the same way. I encode such that nearly all devices should be direct playing unless the need is to downscale from 1080p to 720p for something like a mobile device.
I’m adding some 265.
I’ll handle “Aunt Gladys” personally, but there will be a brief window in which other Friends/Family/Crocodile Dundee Impersonators will either upgrade - or else.
When 265 transcodes, it has my server up against the wall performing a deep cavity search - and we’re not going to put up with that nonsense for long.
Guaranteed.
I use 264 exclusively, more than enough space on my server I do not need the 265 compression (until I start burning 4k at least)
I plan on using 265 when I move into the 4k burns however I will keep those limited to my house network.
Thank you to all of the responders. I turned it on and asked and no one can tell the difference but boy is my CPU happier. Thanks again!
I get really bad HW Transcoding coming in and out of videos randomly. Sometimes it will devolve into a blocky mess, then when the scene changes it’s crystal clear. I think it’s using quicksync on an 8th Gen i5 with Iris graphics on Win10. Handbrake conversions using quicksync come out pretty good otherwise.
Same here - i’m on uhd graphics 630 - which is 9th gen - go to a 3 mbps 720p encoding and its the boxiest thing i have ever seen on my server - i’ve turned off gpu encoding because its so bad
What on earth is going on
Plex versions above 1.17.x have a bug with Intel HD HW transcoding. Plex still hasn’t got off their ass and fixed it even though people have been complaining since NOVEMBER LAST YEAR.
Revert to 1.17.x and it will look fine.
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