Increase HIGHEST transcode for LOCAL media? 9999mbps pleas

[domura]

For my understanding the MDE module analyzes the content and makes the decision to which formats the transcoder will convert the streams.

It appears to me that now it gets activated only if the value set in the quality settings is below the average bitrate of the file. If I recall well previously it was getting activated whenever the quality was set to anything different than direct play.

I noticed this change because I have several h265 movies with a low bitrate and to play them (forcing transcoding) I just needed to set PHT to 20 Mbps. Now I have to lower the quality setting to something like 3 or 2 Mpps or the transcoder will not be activated.

If I get it right in your case this would make it impossible to transcode audio without transcoding video as well even if adding an additional higher quality value to the list.

Can you check if you get the same behavior now?

Hmm three things I would note:

1. (obligatory) h265 is still rather experimental.

2. I never found Plex to transcode needlessly, that is to say it always had a reason (or as you put it "activate whenever quality was set to anything different than direct play"). I found for example, Plex would transcode a video that has a max bit rate of ~30mb/s (and my settings allowed for 20mbps) but if the video clip bit rate was below 20mbps (and in a supported format) then it would just direct stream.

3. There is average bit rate and maximum bit rate (as I understand). Whichever bitrate value is used (I understand it to the be the max value - this is specifically relevant with how a ChromeCast is limited), the recognized value on your h265 may not exceed 2-3mbps and thus setting to 20mbps would just tell it to direct play video (disregarding audio at the moment). Perhaps in the past the Plex didnt recognize h265 codec as a supported playback and now does, thus your video clip no longer "needs" to be transcoding (rendering issues aside). 

Regardless I am looking forward to testing this with a "MAX" option or perhaps a "50mbps" option.

[jkalland]

Your logs make it look like you’re on the legacy transcoder, unless I misread them? Do you have the same 20 mbps issue on the new/experimental one?

[domura]

Your logs make it look like you're on the legacy transcoder, unless I misread them? Do you have the same 20 mbps issue on the new/experimental one?

New Matroska transcoder for some reason doesn't respect "DTS enabled receiver" UNchecked? - that is it seems to send a DTS stream to the soundbar. But that is more like me not interepting the logs correctly because the soundbar reports DD5.1 audio being received but audio is only being heard through from front speakers, surrounds are dead silent. Were it actual DTS being sent to the soundbar, it would be silent (as the SONOS soundbar doesnt support DTS track, period).

Legacy transcoder "works", new/experimental one in PHT 1.3 seems to partially work but the audio delivered is not 5.1 channels (or it is 5.1 channel but the surround channels are silent). I wonder if for some reason the transcoder is improperly dropping the surround channels. I am curious what other peoples experience is with the new transcoder, specifically how if they uncheck DTS enabled receiver in PHT settings, to see if they get a AAC?5.1 channel sound delivered.

EDIT: Regardless, the 20mbps issue would still apply to the new transcoder as the clips that are over 20mbps video bitrate will need video to be transcoded. My ultimate end goal is: No transcode on Video (for PHT client) and audio transcode when needed. I almost wonder if there is a flag that could be built in that would NEVER transcode video but allow audio to be transcoded as needed.

[slipstreams]

1. (obligatory) h265 is still rather experimental.

H265 is officially supported by PMS since a few months but it's not supported by PHT yet. Thus to play back h265 content the transcoder is needed.

This is basically the same situation as in your case if you want to playback DTS in other format with or without video transcoding.

2. I never found Plex to transcode needlessly, that is to say it always had a reason (or as you put it "activate whenever quality was set to anything different than direct play"). I found for example, Plex would transcode a video that has a max bit rate of ~30mb/s (and my settings allowed for 20mbps) but if the video clip bit rate was below 20mbps (and in a supported format) then it would just direct stream.

3. There is average bit rate and maximum bit rate (as I understand). Whichever bitrate value is used (I understand it to the be the max value - this is specifically relevant with how a ChromeCast is limited), the recognized value on your h265 may not exceed 2-3mbps and thus setting to 20mbps would just tell it to direct play video (disregarding audio at the moment). Perhaps in the past the Plex didnt recognize h265 codec as a supported playback and now does, thus your video clip no longer "needs" to be transcoding (rendering issues aside). 

After some testing on my setup I would like to confirm that the MDE module is considering only the average bitrate of the video including the audio component.

IMO considering that the maximum bitrate does not make much sense anyway: for most DVD-rips the maximum bitrate is 9600 kbps regardless of the real maximum peak. This is a DVD standard and many DVD's would get transcoded needlessly.

This must be a very recent change:

I noticed the different behavior of the MDE module as PHT was not playing my H265 movies any more after the most recent updates:

Before the updates: I could just switch to 20 Mbps and content would be transcoded regardless of the average bitrate of the file.

After the updates: content gets transcoded only if I lower the quality setting below the average bitrate.

For some detailed example you can give a look at my bug-report here: https://forums.plex.tv/topic/129645-h265-playback-problem-max-resolution/

BTW:

Forcing transcoding to get DTS transcoded to whatever format you need doesn't work anymore:

Since PHT 1.3.0.404 Matroska is the default transcoding format and with this change DCA (DTS) is officially transcoding target. https://forums.plex.tv/topic/56516-plex-home-theater/page-2#entry771570

This means that if you want to force transcoding DTS Audio to something else you need a customized PHT device profile where DCA (DTS) is removed as supported format.

Beside this:

PHT itself transcodes the audio stream when needed with or without running PMS transcoder.

If you tell PHT that your device is not capable of DTS playback, PMS can send a DTS audiostream to PHT but PHT will not pass it through and convert it (PHT audio settings).

Example from the PHT log:

"Creating audio stream (codec id: 86020, channels: 6, sample rate: 48000, no pass-through)"

[domura]

BTW:

Forcing transcoding to get DTS transcoded to whatever format you need doesn't work anymore:

Since PHT 1.3.0.404 Matroska is the default transcoding format and with this change DCA (DTS) is officially transcoding target. https://forums.plex.tv/topic/56516-plex-home-theater/page-2#entry771570

This means that if you want to force transcoding DTS Audio to something else you need a customized PHT device profile where DCA (DTS) is removed as supported format.

Beside this:

PHT itself transcodes the audio stream when needed with or without running PMS transcoder.

If you tell PHT that your device is not capable of DTS playback, PMS can send a DTS audiostream to PHT but PHT will not pass it through and convert it (PHT audio settings).

Example from the PHT log:

"Creating audio stream (codec id: 86020, channels: 6, sample rate: 48000, no pass-through)"

Thanks for the detailed reply! I see what you mean, DTS is now sent from PMS to PHT and the expectation is PHT will convert it to a suitable format.

It is currently a bit broken (PHT does seem to convert but only 2 channels are converted, not the full 5.1 currently).

Can't wait to test with MAX or abitrary higher number bitrate (ie 50mbps would be pretty good). Kills me that my laptop has a crisper image than my main PHT station.

[domura]

Good news on this front:

With audio transcoding (even with it partially working, this thread on fully getting it functional) moving from PMS end to the client/PHT end, I have set the Local Media quality to Direct Play. Direct Play is the correct option now, as we no longer need audio transcoding done on PMS - it all happens on client/PHT now. Video quality now looks original to source on PHT.

I would still like to see the "MAX" option added to the qualities available but it should not be such an issue. I now see what other folks were trying to say before - to that end this scenario did not work before but now is an option moving forward.

Please feel free to mark this thread solved.