Server Version#:1.25.0.5282
Player Version#:4.29.2
I’m just wondering how well Plex makes use of multiple cores when playing back high bitrate video. My server is currently an i7 6700K, and it can often have difficulty with videos from my actioncam - they’re 4K, 60 fps, 100 Mbps videos. I’m debating getting a new computer for my personal use, and putting my Threadripper 1950x in the Plex server. The Threadripper has cores that are arguably a little weaker individually than the i7 6700K, but it has 16 cores instead of 4 - does Plex Media Server for Windows make enough use of multiple cores that I am going to see an improvement in streaming those 100 Mbps videos? The clients in question are Plex Media Player 4.29.2 for Windows, the Plex web player, and Plex for Android.
There’s no yes/no answer to your question.
Many of the codecs used by Plex support multi-threading. However there’s certain tasks you cannot split or only in a limited way.
When it comes to 4K transcoding, you’ll need a super powerful machine anyway.
Your best shot is to check out the Passmark score (CPUmark) for the CPU to see if it meets the requirements.
Yeah, the ThreadRipper 1950X IS quite a powerful machine - its Passmark is over 27,000 - but a lot of that is due to having 16 cores. My i7 scores closer to 9,000, but does that with 4 cores. I would hate to throw the more powerful machine at the server, only to find that it’s limited by core strength as opposed to overall Passmark score.
The i7 actually CAN stream the 100 Mbps video, but the moment you try to seek instead of just straight play, that can sometimes sink it. Transcoding it down to 720p works a bit better, but of course, going from a 100 Mbps stream to a 2 or 3 Mbps stream, it loses a TON of quality. I don’t want to switch to the 1950x only to find that it has exactly the same problem, and just idles all the extra cores.
I just turned on hardware acceleration - I’m going to need time to play with it, and see how I feel about the quality it gives me, but it might be the answer.
This does not sound like your current machine is incapable of delivering that amount of data, it sounds like your network isn’t capable of handling that bandwidth. I frequently deliver content at similar bitrates on much less powerful hardware. (Intel J4125) How is the network set up from the server to the client you are trying to deliver said content to?
The server is on gigabit ethernet. My desktop computer is also on gigabit ethernet. The upstairs computer hooked up to the TV has, I believe an AC1700 card in it. I know they never get their theoretical max throughput, but that should still be more than adequate available bandwidth. Any mobile devices are running at either wifi N or AC speeds.
I can’t say for sure it’s the problem, but it is probably the devices on Wi-Fi. 100Mbps content is going to have spikes in it that go way higher than that and if you happen to be in a dip in your Wi-Fi it would explain why it struggles. If you are just delivering content your CPU really shouldn’t be a limiting factor. The fact that your CPU can transcode those files to 720p which is a WAY more difficult process to pull off tells me it’s really unlikely it is your CPU. Does your desktop struggle with those videos the same way? Also, remember with bitrates that high you are always going to see a little bit of a slowdown seeking through that content primarily because of the decoding that client has to do once that data is delivered to it. I’m not trying to convince you not to upgrade to Threadripper (because that’s f’ing cool ) but I don’t want you to do it and find out that your network is the true limit.
Yeah, it does it to my desktop too. Specifically, playing the videos would usually be okay, but the moment you try to move to a different part of the video instead of just watching through, it would really hang - it MIGHT get going again in a couple of minutes, or it may stay hung. Turning on hardware acceleration seemed to change that. I haven’t had enough of a chance to experiment with the wifi devices since turning on hardware acceleration.
This tells me that your server is transcoding every time you play one of those videos. I would make sure that all of your quality settings of all your clients are set to Maximum and try it again.
Sorry - I’m short on sleep, so I’m not sure if I posted the xml portion correctly - I used the “blockquote” button. If it doesn’t show up, I would be happy to try again. By small sample video, are you wanting me to use a splitter to get just a brief portion of it and upload it somewhere?
Mod-Edit: fixed the code tags around the XML section
So I can’t speak to the “multicore” aspect directly. But:
Woah! That’s a burly video for H.264.
H.264, 100Mb/s sustained, 4K, 60fps, Level 5.2.
H.264 was basically designed around 1080P video, and most hardware doesn’t include support for H.264 4K or those high bitrates. There’s a lot of hardware that supports 4K H.265/HEVC, but only 1080P H.264/AVC.
Something interesting - an i7 6700K is Skylake, and Intel Quick Sync video from the Skylake generation maybe only officially supported H.264 up to Level 5.1. (I’m not sure if later generations support a higher Level with H.264. They might not.) I’m also curious about 4K vs. 1080p support. So it would be interesting to see your logs.
Does your camera have an option to record in H.265/HEVC?
It’s also possible that some of your clients (not Plex Web) would be able to Direct Stream/Play if the source was HEVC and lower bitrate.
Unfortunately, the camera does not have H.265 as an option, just H.264. I could use HandBrake, and try converting a couple to H.265 if you think it’s worth it? My action cam videos are literally the only videos I have that are at that bitrate. I think I MIGHT have a movie sitting at 40 or 50 Mbps, everything else is quite a bit lower.
Recompressing to H.265 with Handbrake is a good method.
If you don’t have any intention of editing those videos, you can and should recompress them.
“Raw” videos directly out of cameras provide a high level of quality and detail to compensate for quality losses during the editing process.
If you don’t have the habit of editing your videos, you should think about recording with a lower quality level in your camera in the first place. (if the camera provides such a lower quality setting)
I’ll get Handbrake to encode them in H.265. I don’t specifically plan to edit the videos, but because they are videos of important memories, I still plan to shoot them at the highest quality available.
Action cam videos are going to be the slide carousels of the future.
“Won’t somebody watch 6 hours of my kid riding a bike in circles with me? I also have dance class, 12 years of birthdays, and me on the stand-up paddleboard. All in 4k60 immersive HDR virtual reality!”
I hope yours are more exciting than mine.
I wonder if distant archaeologists will be able to decode SD cards.
I don’t know how exciting my videos are - but I’ve got videos of trips with my dad, and he just had a stroke 3 weeks ago, and may or may not be able to do a lot of the things he used to, so there are some important memories there, like dirt biking with one of his grandsons.
I do have a small example of what I shoot that’s on YouTube (I hate how badly YouTube hacks the quality). While it might not be too exciting for the average viewer, I came a lot closer to dumping my bike over a ledge and into a creek on one side, and hitting a fence on the other side than you would think just watching the video.
It looks like you saved the dirtbike with the power of clenched buttcheeks! Nonono, not today!
Sorry to hear about your dad.
And I agree. Those memories are all precious, and it’s hard to know how much they will mean someday. I have a dumb voicemail from my dad that still means a lot to me.
Clenched butt cheeks was exactly what my saving grace was! Too much gravel to brake heavily, or to turn sharply - but I made it.
I definitely understand the “dumb” voicemail - at this point, we don’t know if my dad will even walk or talk again, but we have seen he’s definitely still in there, and I’m hoping the dirt bike adventures aren’t over. I would definitely hang onto something like a voicemail too if he weren’t around anymore!