New error message after recent PLEX update blocking all most movie playbacks “Conversion failed. Transcorder exited”

Plex Media Server NAS & Devices
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Server Version#: 1.18.7.2457-77cb9455c-x86_64.spk (Synology) update 2.25.2020
Player Version#:

After a recent PLEX update (both to PMS on my Synology NAS - - - and also to PMS on my Mac computers), attempting to play most movie files returns an error message saying: “Playback error: Conversion failed. The transcorder exited due to an error.” No further hint is offered about how to resolve that problem.

This new failure to play most video files is the same regardless of which playback device is used (AppleTV, iPhone, iPad, computer) — the error message is always the same.

Meanwhile, all music files continue to play normally.

I have read the instructions at Plex Media Server security changes for Synology users ----- these refer to a much earlier server version but I have double checked the permissions and rebooted my Synology NAS (418-play).

I have discovered that this halting playback error happens to movies in one particular folder; and that when I move a copy of a movie to a different folder, then it will play.

I am looking for some troubleshooting steps to help figure out whether I have to move all my movies to another folder, or whether something much simpler is possible. I would love to regain the function of playing movies with PLEX.

Thanks.

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DEBUG (not VERBOSE) Log ZIP file please?

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Plex Media Server Logs_2020-03-03_08-24-54.zip (7.5 MB)

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Thanks. I am seeing what’s happening.

The same thing happened to me last night on my i7-based QNAP.

To confirm where the problem is, I would like you to do the following:

  1. Uninstall the package from Package Center. DO NOT delete the Plex share or user
  2. Open Package Center and install Plex from the Synology Package Store.
  3. You will see it is version 1.16.5. This is good enough to test with
  4. Now attempt playback again.
  5. Please let me know if the problem disappears or is still present.
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(*) I uninstalled PLEX in the Package Center

(*) I reinstalled PLEX in the Package Center, but it installed version 1.18.5.2309 -f5213a238 and not version 1.16.5 as you suggested that it would. Further, it suggests that I should update to version1.18.7.2457 and prompts me to download that. (Version 1.18.7.2457 is what I had been using up until the just completed uninstall/reinstall step.)

(*) as before, the movies which are in my primary movie folder now report back with the red “UNAVAILABLE” banner and do not play. However, if I put a copy of that “UNAVAILABLE” movie file into one of my other movie folders, then it plays ok. (I have not confirmed whether that will work with all of my movie files, since copying them all would be daunting.)

(*) If I do just copy all of my movies into a new folder, and if that results in normalcy, then we will never know what happened to make such a move necessary; and we will not know how to prevent that same thing from happening again in the future, right? - - - - But if you think this might be the best avenue to take, then I’m ok with doing that….

(*) Thanks for working on this with me. RWH-Bux

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  1. DRATS! Synology updated their site. I was counting on 1.16.5. I have 1.16.5 if needed.

  2. To correct the “UNAVAILABLE” flag on your media, Please follow the instructions I have here

This is how to assign user plex permission to see the media.

I am concerned this happened. When the package uninstalls, I do not remove the Plex user. When it does install, if user Plex exists, I use it as is. All permissions will be intact.

Please take care of step #2 (the shared folder permissions) then report back please.

I want to know everything is back where it belongs.

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I have 5 shared folders, as follows: (1)music; (2)photo; (3)video; (4)TV; (5)Plex

I have gone through each of those 5 folders; I did not change the (2)Photo shared folder, since it directed me to the Photo Station to change that. I set all but the Photo shared folder to “R/O (read only)” — but it was unclear whether granting “no access” at all by leaving everything unchecked would be acceptable, too???

By making these changes have I de facto removed these shared folders from the administrator group? Or, must I do something additional to make sure they’re not part of the administrator group?

But I have done all this on version 1.18.5 , which is what I got when I reinstalled Plex after having deleted it. Should I go back to version 1.16.5 (using my archive copy) and do it all over again? (but, your post at : Plex Media Server security changes for Synology users gives all these instructions using version 1.15.4 , even though your message from today cites version 1.16.5 ) So, let’s clear up which version I should have installed for doing all of this!!!

I restarted PLEX after making the permission changes. Then, as directed, I restarted the Synology NAS (418-play). After Synology NAS (DSM) was restarted, the PLEX package would not run (all this was done with version 1.18.5 installed).

So, should I go back and do it with one of those other versions? You have pointed to both 1.15.4 and also 1.16.5 ---- so I’m not sure which one I should use.

Again, thanks for continuing to help me with this. R\

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I just tried to install 1.16.5 but the Package Center would not allow me to “downgrade” to an earlier version; so I’m stuck with 1.18.5 (the version that came with my re-install of Plex after I did that uninstall the other day).

And with the new permission changes, PLEX will not run. So I’m DIW (Dead In the Water) for the moment. Help!

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Synology requires:

  1. Uninstall first
  2. Now install the desired version
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OK, I have again uninstalled Plex in the Package Center.

Then, I manually installed an archived version of PMS (version 1.16.5) which I happened to have on my hard drive. (I had not realized that when doing a new install, that it could be done selecting the “manual install” button, allowing the user to install an older version.)

Then, I double checked the permissions — following the directions that you provided yesterday. I set all of the permissions to R/O (read only), including for the Plex user folder

Then I restarted Plex. Then I restarted the Synology NAS DiskStation.

The current status remains that

(1) movies from my primary movie folder continue to report back the same “playback error” as before.

(2) when I place a COPY of a movie from my primary folder to an experimental other folder then the movie plays fine.

I am still on version 1.16.5

What should I do next? Thx. R\

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With version 1.16.5 installed, I continue to get “Playback Error — Conversion Failed. The transcorder exited due to an error.” And the red ‘UNAVAILABLE’ banner is displayed.

I’m hoping for directions for a next step to get this thing back on track. Thanks

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I need the logs
Also:

Control Panel - Shared Folders -

For each of your Media shares

EDIT - Permissions tab

Now verify user plex has permission to read or read/write the share.

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Plex Media Server Logs_2020-03-05_22-56-41.zip (6.6 MB)

(*) I have uploaded current logs, with version 1.16.5 installed

(*) for the Media shares (by which I’m assuming you’re referring to Audio, Video, TV) I have set the permission as Read Only.

(*) for the user Plex, I have set the permission as Read/Write

(*) I then restarted the DSM and then relaunched PMS

(*) Result just now: I continue to have that red ‘UNAVAILABLE” banner for movies in my primary movie folder. And the same error message presents when selecting “play.”

(*) Could it be I’m doing something wrong in setting those permissions; should I send screenshots?

Thanks for the ongoing help with this. RWH-Bux

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You have your media in the Synology-provided Video share? (it looks like you do)

If that’s true, then that’s the problem. They do something very very strange with it.

The best success is to create your own shares (names that you want).
Use File Station to move your media into them.
Then point Plex at those shares (remember to give Plex permission when you create the new shares)

- Error opening file '"/volume1/video/Com MOVIES/The Anonymous People.mp4"' - No such file or directory (2)
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(*) Yes, I have been using a Synology-provided Video share folder for a long time; it has always worked, until now (when the most recent Plex update obviously tipped the scales into non-functionality)

(*) I would really appreciate hearing a bit more detail on what it means that “ they do something very very strange with it. ” (is there a URL where I can read about it?) I’m very curious about what’s “strange” with the Synology-provided share folders!

(*) I have now created my own (not Synology-provided) share folder for movies — as you have suggested

(*) then I created a new PLEX library to point to that new share folder… With that arrangement, like a miracle, everything seems to play properly!!! J

(*) That was all on version 1.16.5

(*) Then, I dared to update to the current version — 1.18.7

(*) Then, just to dot the “i’s” and cross the “t’s,” I restarted Synology and did a final test of the system —

(*) the only remaining glitch at this point is with the playback of movies through my AppleTV.

In playback settings, when I select “Convert Automatically,” the movie is frequently interrupted with the message: “The server is not powerful enough to convert this video. Try playing the original quality.”

However, when I select “Play Original Quality” (which is what I have always done in the past), there now appears a splash of annoying text right on the screen; and the text remains on the screen; and I can’t figure out how to remove the text from the screen so that it doesn’t overwhelm the movie (see attachment screenshot of the AppleTV playback).

I’m not clear if the message is referring to the Plex server or to the Synology server?

My Synology NAS (418-play) is connected to my AppleTV via ethernet cable, so it’s not a WiFi issue.

Anyway, my original issue appears to be completely resolved with going from the Synology-provided share folder to the new share folder that I created today. Thank you very much for all your help on this. Much appreciated!!! Ron H.

AppleTV screenshot
AppleTV screenshot998×501 180 KB

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  • “They do something very strange”

Synology, for whatever reason, has reserved the right to control permissions of the default video share as they deem appropriate.

The primary way it manifests is by removing share access OR direct modification of the ACL on the directories in favor of Video Station.

Did you receive a DSM update recently? If so, then the re-application of Synology-default permissions cannot be overlooked.

User plex is no longer an administrator on the device (as of PMS 1.15.4.994) and cannot override those restrictions.

Ref: Plex Media Server security changes for Synology users

Regarding the error in your log and this file becoming “Not Found”:

/volume1/video/Com MOVIES/The Anonymous People.mp4"
  1. The file has truly been deleted ?
  2. It’s a symbolic link or under a mount point which resolves to ‘nothingness’ now.
  3. The permisions of /volume1/video no longer let user plex read it. (most common)
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To resolve this, the easiest way is to capture the actual start of the playback sequence.

  1. Verify DEBUG logging is ON, VERBOSE logging is OFF (save if changes)
  2. Start playback and let play 30 seconds
  3. Stop Playback
  4. Wait another 30 seconds for processes to terminate and logs to flush
  5. Settings - Server - Troubleshooting - Download Logs
  6. Attach that ZIP
  7. Also attach the XML (between <Media> and </Media>) so I can see what PMS sees in the file.

``` (back ticks)

<Media>   
XML will be  here and bracketed by the  "Media" XML markers
</Media>

```

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Regarding the extra overlay information which remains?

Turn it off again. It is off by default

Settings ->
  Show Enhanced Video Player Debug Overlay   ->   OFF / ON

Plex-Enhanced-Video-Player-Debug-Overlay

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Thank you; you have been very patient

Now that I’ve got the share file thing straightened out and now that my movies are recognized for play, I need only turn attention to that “overlay information” issue.

I will send the new zip file of the logs, with “debug logging on” and with “verbose logging off.”

But I need clarification to complete the remaining steps, to wit:

(1) When you say “start playback and let play for 30 seconds,” I’m assuming that you mean to do a playback on the AppleTV device with the overlay information displayed (with “Play Original Quality” selected), right?

(2) ditto for the next step which is “Stop Playback” and “wait another 30 seconds for processes to terminate and logs to flush”

(3) Then, after I’ve got the updated logs in zip format, the the directions go beyond my paygrade:

(3a) Directions call for: “ Also attach XML ” — but I don’t know what “ attach XML ” is, nor how to do it.

(3b) Do you mean for me to navigate into the .plist file in the library, or something like that? — I suspect that you mean something simpler than that, but it’s not clear; don’t know where to find those media markers, between which something called “the XML” is apparently located

(4) Also, I’ve never seen a “settings” screen like the one in the screenshot you sent. Is that supposed to be on the AppleTV PLEX app, or is that somewhere else?

Thanks for sending the next level of detail, so that I can get the zip file of the logs and “the XML” over to you.

Thanks, RWH

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I still hope
(a) to hear back about that "attach XML" thing so that I can run through your instructions and get my overlay display issue resolved; and

(b) to find out how to navigate to that settings screen (shown in your screenshot).

Thanks.