I am currently running my plex media server on an old super micro server with 2x 4 core 2.4 ghz xenon’s. I don’t remember the exact cpu type but that isn’t important for this question. My main problem is that I have a 4k movie in mkv format and direct streaming that to my Roku over a gigabit link is just fine but when I need to trans code it to send it out side of my home it is maxing the cpu and stuttering. So I am thinking of upgrading to a different server but I am not sure if I should go with something like a dell power edge r900 with a ridiculous number of cores, or if I should go with something more modern with fewer cores but a higher clock speed per core. I have noticed that while trans coding on my current server it will use all 8 cores but I am not sure if the trans coder has a limit on the number of cores that it can realistically use.
PMS really can’t do 4K/HEVC software transcoding in real time.
I recommend you transcode your media in advance either using PMS’ Optimize function or preferably use HandBrake so that it DirectPlays. Or maybe try the PMS hardware transcoding preview assuming you have the necessary video hardware in your server.
I’m on a mac with 24 virtual cores. I could stream 6-7 1080p m2ts streams to various devices with no problem. One stream was direct, the others were transcoding h264-h264 and audio to ac3 or e-ac3. At 8 streams the devices started to stutter randomly. My statistics at that point were:
User 94%
System 5%
Idle 1%
Plex Media Server 2108.9%
Safari 93% (playing 5 streams)
other apps took up the remaining ~200%
So with 21 of 24 virtual CPU’s maxed there wasn’t enough cpu capacity for the 8th stream.
So I’d say Plex on a Mac supports at least 21 cpus (2.7 GHz 12-Core Intel Xeon E5).
If a system had 8 cpus which ran at 3 x 2.7 GHz = 8.1 GHz it would be interesting to know if you would get the same results, with the same total cpu capacity. Don’t think that exists, and there are obviously lots of other things in cpu and memory architecture that could come into play.
If bears repeating that while every transcode is a stream, not every stream is a transcode.
PMS is excellent at DirectPlay and pretty good at DirectStream but no version of PMS does software 4K/HEVC transcoding well if at all.
@dduke2104 said:
PMS really can’t do 4K/HEVC software transcoding in real time.
Not true. Plex Cloud does an outstanding job of transcoding 4K. I uploaded a 65GB 60Mbps HEVC H.265 4K UHD Blu-ray rip & this happily plays on all my devices (Roku 3, Roku Ultra, iPhone 6s Plus, Amazon Fire TV 4K, web app on my Retina MacBook Pro etc). It even plays nicely on the iPhone on 3G/4G cellular when away from WiFi.
Anyone thinking of buying hardware for their own Plex Server should think again. Provided you have a decent Internet connection Plex Cloud can provide a better Plex experience than local hardware & the cost saving is enormous. Plex Cloud is a game changer.
@nigelpb said:
Plex Cloud is a game changer.
So is The Federal Penitentiary System/Attorney Fees/Extended Federal Court Proceedings
or
just having your stuff disappear once The MPAA changes the Cloud Game.
Hey, it may not happen… or it may. Nobody knows.
Me? I’ll just keep my stuff here in the house and make SWAT take the door off the hinges. I prefer to sell my Crack a block over from the Police Station - not right outside the building.
@nigelpb said:
Plex Cloud does an outstanding job of transcoding 4K…
I don’t use Plex Cloud myself but I will offer the observation that a lot of people on the forum would disagree with such a transcoding performance assessment or even it’s reliability in general. And there are various things that Plex Cloud simply won’t do in comparison to what is possible on your own PMS instance.
Decide what’s most important to you and pick accordingly.
@dduke2104 said:
@nigelpb said:
Plex Cloud does an outstanding job of transcoding 4K…I don’t use Plex Cloud myself but I will offer the observation that a lot of people on the forum would disagree with such a transcoding performance assessment or even it’s reliability in general. And there are various things that Plex Cloud simply won’t do in comparison to what is possible on your own PMS instance.
Decide what’s most important to you and pick accordingly.
Why should anyone rate your opinion when you have no personal experience of Plex Cloud? I have personal experience of the outstanding transcoding ability of Plex Cloud & it’s simple & cheap to test it out of anyone doubts the veracity of my claim.
I don’t doubt your personal experience with Plex Cloud but it’s hardly universal as the forum topics clearly indicate.
Plex Cloud requires a Plex Pass plus whatever you pay your Cloud Storage provider for however much you care to put out there for however long it make take to get it there. And keep it there. And keep your Cloud server running. And not caring about Cloud Sync, limits on simultaneous transcodes, et. al… Not what I consider “simple & cheap to test out”.
Decide what’s most important to you and pick accordingly.
@dduke2104 said:
I don’t doubt your personal experience with Plex Cloud but it’s hardly universal as the forum topics clearly indicate.Plex Cloud requires a Plex Pass plus whatever you pay your Cloud Storage provider for however much you care to put out there for however long it make take to get it there. And keep it there. And keep your Cloud server running. And not caring about Cloud Sync, limits on simultaneous transcodes, et. al… Not what I consider “simple & cheap to test out”.
I already have a Lifetime Plex Pass & G Suite for Business at £6.99/month with unlimited storage on Google Drive so using Plex Cloud costs me literally nothing.
If you want to test it out then there is a 30-day free trial of G Suite for Business after that & if you don’t already have a Plex Pass then shame on you but it’s only $4.99 for one month which is a small price to pay to test the capabilities of Plex Cloud.
No need to explain how to do Plex Cloud to me. I’ve already looked at the pluses and minuses and decided ‘No’.
The OP, a Plex Pass user himself, already had his own multi-processor PMS and asking how best to deal with transcoding 4K. I simply gave a reasoned response in that context on the basis of operating my own multi-processor PMS instance.
FWIW, I can do a real-time 4K transcode with my PMS setup but the consequent limitations on doing much of anything else at the same time make it unworkable for the shared use case I have. The same as the limit of three concurrent transcodes on Plex Cloud, 4K or not, would be unworkable for me.
