How to set temporary transcoder directory on a QNAP NAS?

Plex Media Server
1

Server Version#:Version 1.30.0
Player Version#: Version 4.115.2

I have a TS-251D QNAP NAS (2 Bay) with 2x 6TB HDDs in RAID 1, memory is expanded to 32gb RAM with 2x 500GB NVME PCIe for cache acceleration.

I’m having a frustrating time whenever I try to use subtitles I get an error message " The transcoder Exited Due to an Error with Plex" which from googling may well be an issue with the location of the transcoder temp directory.

Or rather maybe because I have nothing listed within Plex settings for a Temp Directory.

TBH I do not have the first clue how to set this on a QNAP NAS, nor the best practice for doing so - I have read many set it to the system RAM somehow? Plex own FAQs says NOT to set it to a share so I’m completely out of my depth with this - I have zero experience accessing the NAS through anything other than a GUI.

Help would be VERY appreciated.

2

If you don’t set a location, PMS will use the default location .

May we see your DEBUG server logs which capture the failure ?

(Settings - SERVER - Troubleshooting (lower left corner) - Download Logs)

Attach the ZIP file it gives you

3

Hey ChuckPa,

Please find attached requested zip file

Plex Media Server Logs_2023-09-26_00-00-35.zip (4.4 MB)

FYI the last time I tried and failed to play a file with subs and got the message was around 9.30-9.45pm Monday 25th. Sorry it’s not exact.

4

Thank you. This shows me a great deal.

Your logs show me you’re using the Multimedia shared folder.

This is VERY ill advised on QNAP

The “Multimedia” shared folder is a software (Codex Pack) construction and never plays well.

We recommend putting each media type in it’s own purpose-created shared folder.

Q14: Multimedia

5

I did realise that when I was googling for answers but didn’t think that would have such an effect.

I’m moving my video folders to a new shared folder I’ve created.

Should I then reinstall Plex and set up from scratch or do I just tell it where new media folders are?

6

Not watched a full movie yet but have tried various files and it seems to have done the trick!

One other question though. If I leave the subtitle burn option to default (automatic) the file just buffers endlessly and doesn’t play. I have to set it to off and then the file plays normally instantly.

Any ideas why that is the case?

7

Usually that buffering or hangup happens when Plex server has to burn subtitles which is a video transcoding process and that can be pretty intensive; if it needs to burn subtitles or not depends on the playback device and the format of the subs usually.

SRT format is pretty universal but SSA\ASS isn’t so often needs to burn and PGS almost always needs to burn and is even MORE intensive.

So, for example, when I watch 720p anime with SSA subs and I have it set to automatic with “english” as my default language, when I playback on Roku it has to burn those subtitles in because Roku doesn’t support SSA but on my iPad it plays back without transcoding. My newer server handles that without a blip but my older server couldn’t do 1080p SSA transcoding very well and PGS transcoding for burn in was right out (newer server handles that better now but I still avoid PGS).

So you might be having a similar experience with automatic setting and “off” is ignoring a transcoding trigger.

This is a very different scenario than your original topic so it might be easier to start a new one and include client playback device and movie file details (the media info - audio\video\subtitle info) to help troubleshoot it; and logs again for the failed playback. Language settings might help too. :slight_smile: