LG TV App Transcoding SRTs

Plex Players Smart TVs
1

Server Version#: 1.20.2.3402
Player Version#:

Most of what I watch is recorded TV so it is all MPEG2 video (generally 1080i) and generally AC3 5.1 audio. I strip out the closed captions and convert them to SRT and then convert the .ts file to an .mkv and add in the SRT using ffmpeg.

Recently(?) I noticed that Plex started transcoding when I turn on the SRTs. What changed? How can I fix it?

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Obviously Direct Play/Stream are enabled and Burn Subtitles is set to Automatic.
This also doesn’t seem to a case where the audio is being transcoded.

This seems relevant:

Oct 06, 2020 21:52:31.323 [55356] DEBUG - [Transcode] We're going to try to auto-select an audio stream for account 1.
Oct 06, 2020 21:52:31.323 [55356] DEBUG - [Transcode] Selecting best audio stream for part ID 99269 (autoselect: 0 language: en)
Oct 06, 2020 21:52:31.323 [55356] DEBUG - [Transcode] Audio Stream: 57921, Subtitle Stream: 57923
Oct 06, 2020 21:52:31.325 [55356] DEBUG - [Transcode] Scaled up video bitrate to 12976Kbps based on 1.500000x fudge factor.
Oct 06, 2020 21:52:31.325 [55356] DEBUG - [Transcode] MDE: Selected protocol hls; container: mpegts
Oct 06, 2020 21:52:31.325 [55356] DEBUG - [Transcode] MDE: analyzing media item 98906
Oct 06, 2020 21:52:31.325 [55356] DEBUG - [Transcode] MDE: E25 - Vintage Boston: Direct Play is disabled
Oct 06, 2020 21:52:31.325 [55356] DEBUG - [Transcode] MDE: E25 - Vintage Boston: media must be transcoded in order to use the hls protocol
Oct 06, 2020 21:52:31.325 [55356] DEBUG - [Transcode] MDE: E25 - Vintage Boston: selected subtitle cannot be converted to a compatible format, burning into video stream
Oct 06, 2020 21:52:31.325 [55356] DEBUG - [Transcode] MDE: E25 - Vintage Boston: Direct Streaming is disabled, so video stream will be transcoded
Oct 06, 2020 21:52:31.325 [55356] DEBUG - [Transcode] MDE: E25 - Vintage Boston: no remuxable profile found, so video stream will be transcoded
Oct 06, 2020 21:52:31.326 [55356] DEBUG - [Transcode] MDE: Cannot direct stream video stream due to profile or setting limitations
Oct 06, 2020 21:52:31.326 [55356] DEBUG - [Transcode] Scaled up video bitrate to 12976Kbps based on 1.500000x fudge factor.
Oct 06, 2020 21:52:31.326 [55356] DEBUG - [Transcode] MDE: Antiques Roadshow - S20 E25 - Vintage Boston: selected media 0 / 98906
Oct 06, 2020 21:52:31.327 [55356] DEBUG - [Transcode] Streaming Resource: Adding session 0xf40bd38:asbeeeoirr6647vizyvabtaa which is using transcoder slot.  Used slots is now 1
Oct 06, 2020 21:52:31.327 [55356] DEBUG - [Transcode] Streaming Resource: Added session 0xf40bd38:asbeeeoirr6647vizyvabtaa
Oct 06, 2020 21:52:31.328 [55356] DEBUG - [Transcode] Streaming Resource: Reached Decision id=99892 codes=(General=1001,Direct play not available; Conversion OK. Direct Play=3000,App cannot direct play this item. Direct play is disabled. Transcode=1001,Direct play not available; Conversion OK.) media=(id=98906 part=(id=99269 decision=transcode container=mpegts protocol=hls streams=(Video=(id=57919 decision=transcode bitrate=12976 encoder=libx264 width=1920 height=1080) Audio=(id=57921 decision=copy channels=6 rate=48000) Subtitle=(id=57923 decision=burn languageCode= location=embedded))))

Don’t know what HLS is. Not sure why it says the container is mpegts. Not sure why it says Direct Streaming is disabled (it is clearly enabled in the player options).

Plex Media Server Logs_2020-10-06_21-52-39.zip (7.2 MB)

2

You’re watching recorded TV. A transport stream container with MPEG2 video sounds pretty normal to me. [link]

That doesn’t explain the sudden transcoding issue if it was able to direct play with the subs before.

3

Trying to to some additional testing.
Definitely seems to be something related to the LG app. Running the Plex Windows App, it direct plays no problem
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Interestingly, it doesn’t even mention that the subtitles are turned on, but I assure you they are when I took this screenshot from the Plex Dashboard.

1 Like
4

Looks like there was an update yesterday that has a note about subtitles

No idea if that was applied when I was trying to watch last night. When my kids aren’t using the TV, I’ll double check my app version and test again (and also test with a different file as well).

5

Unfortunately, I am running 5.2.1.

Also I tried several recorded files. Same behavior.

:man_shrugging: help!

6

I turned on logging from the LG App.

Plex Media Server.log (232.4 KB)

This tidbit stands out:

Oct 07, 2020 15:19:58.382 [63968] INFO - [Plex for LG] [sean.a.hyde:asbeeeoirr6647vizyvabtaa]     Cannot direct play with protocol: http, codec: mpeg2video. Reason: Recorded Live TV direct play is not allowed

Really? Not allowed? WTH Plex? Since when?

Also, when subtitles are turned off I see:

INFO - [Plex for LG] [sean.a.hyde:asbeeeoirr6647vizyvabtaa] [SubtitleConnectionManager] Subtitle connection ignored. App is not rendering subtitles.

And then when subtitles are enabled, it says this:

Oct 07, 2020 15:20:06.141 [50480] INFO - [Plex for LG] [sean.a.hyde:asbeeeoirr6647vizyvabtaa] Forcing subtitle burn: HLS direct stream incompatible
Oct 07, 2020 15:20:06.141 [50480] INFO - [Plex for LG] [sean.a.hyde:asbeeeoirr6647vizyvabtaa] Cannot direct play subtitles. Reason: Server required to burn subtitles

So there are several problems. First, why won’t it just direct play? What in the world does “not allowed” mean?
Second, since it won’t direct play, it tries to direct stream and chooses the HLS protocol(?) which doesn’t support subtitles.

This doesn’t seem related to my particular set up, but rather a problem with the LG App.

Please respond Plex!

7

bump?
This all used to work so something changed on the Plex Server and/or App side.

I did the work to find the exact debug lines associated with the problem.

  • What does this message actually mean? Recorded Live TV direct play is not allowed
  • Why is it choosing HLS?
  • Why is HLS not compatible with subtitles and direct stream?

A response would be appreciated.

8

Does it do the same thing when you leave Early Access and go back to the old player?

9

I don’t see a way to go back to the old player anymore.

It does work in XPlay
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It shouldn’t be a surprise for Plex employees, but I’ll also note that XPlay seems to be using HLS as well (but doesn’t choke on the SRT).

Furthermore, XPlay is using Direct Play. Even without subtitles, the Plex App is using Direct Stream for some reason…

So I’ll come back to this line in the log:
Recorded Live TV direct play is not allowed

What does this mean? Clearly the TV can Direct Play MPEG2 with AC3 5.1 Audio (and SRTs). Why is Plex insisting on Direct Stream?

Still waiting for someone who actually works for Plex to acknowledge they have even seen this…

10

Select your user icon on the LG and choose “Leave Early Access”.

11

Thanks! I always look for it in settings.

YES! That works. So it is definitely something weird with the new app.

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image750Ă—741 333 KB

Too bad, the new app is much faster and more responsive.

Hopefully someone from Plex can squash this bug (hint, hint)

12

bump

Still no response, not even an acknowledgement that they’ve read it.

The new LG app is clearly deciding (“Not Allowed”) not to Direct Play these files, even though it can. Why? Is this on purpose?

C’mon Plex, have you even read the post?

13

I will note that the Plex Support Page lists mpeg2 video inside an mkv container as capable of Direct Play (and this works in the “old” App).

The problem definitely seems related to the logic that produces the Recorded Live TV direct play is not allowed message.

14

bump
Still no response? Please, there is a debug message right where the problem is. Can someone at least comment on what Recorded Live TV direct play is not allowed is supposed to mean?

15

Have you tried setting it to “Only image formats”?

16

Random brainfart: does the folder path inside the registry key LocalAppDataPath in the branch
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Plex, Inc.\Plex Media Server\
end with a backslash \?
If not, try adding it in. (while PMS is shut down)

17

Yes, tried all combinations. Again, the problem seems related to the fact that for MPEG2 files (recorded TV), the new LG Plex App (but not the old version) is saying Recorded Live TV direct play is not allowed and choosing to Direct Stream rather than Direct Play. This weirdness is than compounded by whatever they are using for the new container to not be compatible with SRTs.

18

Yes. My key is just E:\ (as I moved the LocalAppData back when I first started using Plex to get it on my SSD).

Again, the problem seems to be an explicit decision by Plex to not Direct Play MPEG2 files and report Recorded Live TV direct play is not allowed.

Why? It obviously isn’t that the TV doesn’t support MPEG2 since the old format of the app Direct Plays the files just fine (not to mention XPlay).
If we had the answer to why that debug message exists, I think this would get resolved quickly.

19

bump
Still nothing from Plex? Please, just search for that string (Recorded Live TV direct play is not allowed) and tell me why you are Direct Streaming instead of Direct Playing this on the new version of the app.

20

Confirmed this still exists on LG App version 5.3.1 and Plex Server version 1.20.4.3517.

Every time I switch back from the new LG App it asks me why and then tells me to post something on the forum. So I’m doing that. But no one from Plex has responded.

Please tell me why the new app says Recorded Live TV direct play is not allowed but the old app direct plays the same file.