No Quick Sync HW Transcoding Ubuntu 18

Plex Media Server
1

Server Version#:1.18.9.2578
Player Version#:

Hello,
I’m using a I5-9400F on a Gigi-Byte C246M with a K2200 GPU, I have Ubuntu 18.04 with a Raid 5 Array. I’m trying to get HW Transcoding to work and I have loaded Driver Ver 430.50 and CUDA 10.1.

There have been questions if I need Quick Sync in the processor or not, I have read “Yes” and “No”. Going through the Loggs i haven’t seen any Errors for the Transcoder like other posts.

I have also patched the driver to see if that works, It did not. Is it possible to do HW Transcodding with this setup?

2

I suppose that’s because “it depends”.
Having a QSV capable CPU in combination with a dedicated GPU could lead you to kind of a bumpy road if the drivers are not fully supported.
You might want to read the related support article on how to apply it for your system.

3

The quickest way to tell what is happening is to enable hardware transcoding,
Attempt to transcode a HEVC movie,
Allow it to fail,
Download the logs from PMS
Attach them here so we can post mortem analyze them.

4

I do have a Plex Pass.
I’m kinda new to Linux, Witch Log files do you need. It looks like there is about 20 different log files.
I figured the Transcoding one.

com.plexapp.system.log (77.3 KB) Plex Crash Uploader.1.log (198 Bytes) Plex Media Server.1.log (175.2 KB) Plex Transcoder Statistics.1.log (36.4 KB)

5

One thing I am noticing now is that when I do a nvidia-smi command, under processes Plex is not listed.

6

Settings - Server - Troubleshooting - Download Logs gives me what I need.

you unfortunately missed. Close, but missed. :wink:

7

Sorry,
How about this?
Plex Media Server Logs_2020-04-06_17-48-27.zip (2.8 MB)

8

Perfect. That’s what we request . It’s just the way we need it. I’m all set up to handle that with one click.

9

Now for the news:

  1. It can’t see the onboard ASIC in the CPU
  2. It can’t use/see the Nvidia.
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.156 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] DEBUG - Codecs: hardware transcoding: testing API vaapi
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.156 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] DEBUG - Codecs: hardware transcoding: opening hw device failed - probably not supported by this system, error: Input/output error
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.156 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] DEBUG - Codecs: testing h264_nvenc (encoder)
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.156 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] DEBUG - Codecs: hardware transcoding: testing API nvenc
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] ERROR - [FFMPEG] - Cannot load libcuda.so.1
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] ERROR - [FFMPEG] - Could not dynamically load CUDA
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] DEBUG - Codecs: hardware transcoding: opening hw device failed - probably not supported by this system, error: Unknown error occurred
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] DEBUG - Codecs: testing mpeg4 (decoder) with hwdevice vaapi
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] DEBUG - Codecs: hardware transcoding: testing API vaapi
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] DEBUG - Codecs: hardware transcoding: opening hw device failed - probably not supported by this system, error: Input/output error
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] DEBUG - Codecs: testing mpeg4 (decoder) with hwdevice nvdec
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] DEBUG - Codecs: hardware transcoding: testing API nvdec
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] ERROR - [FFMPEG] - Cannot load libcuda.so.1
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] ERROR - [FFMPEG] - Could not dynamically load CUDA
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] DEBUG - Codecs: hardware transcoding: opening hw device failed - probably not supported by this system, error: Unknown error occurred
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] DEBUG - Scaled up video bitrate to 2554Kbps based on 1.500000x fudge factor.
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] DEBUG - MDE: Selected protocol dash; container: mp4
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] DEBUG - MDE: analyzing media item 33
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] DEBUG - MDE: An Act of War (2015): Direct Play is disabled
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] DEBUG - MDE: An Act of War (2015): media must be transcoded in order to use the dash protocol
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] DEBUG - MDE: An Act of War (2015): no direct play video profile exists for http/avi/mpeg4
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] DEBUG - MDE: An Act of War (2015): no direct play video profile exists for http/avi/mpeg4/ac3
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] DEBUG - MDE: An Act of War (2015): avoiding video remux due to potentially unsafe container/codec combination
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] DEBUG - MDE: An Act of War (2015): no remuxable profile found, so video stream will be transcoded
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] DEBUG - Codecs: testing h264_nvenc (encoder)
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] DEBUG - Codecs: hardware transcoding: testing API nvenc
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] ERROR - [FFMPEG] - Cannot load libcuda.so.1
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] ERROR - [FFMPEG] - Could not dynamically load CUDA
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] DEBUG - Codecs: hardware transcoding: opening hw device failed - probably not supported by this system, error: Unknown error occurred
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] DEBUG - MDE: Cannot direct stream video stream due to profile or setting limitations
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] DEBUG - Codecs: testing mpeg4 (decoder) with hwdevice vaapi
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] DEBUG - Codecs: hardware transcoding: testing API vaapi
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] DEBUG - Codecs: hardware transcoding: opening hw device failed - probably not supported by this system, error: Input/output error
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] DEBUG - Codecs: testing mpeg4 (decoder) with hwdevice nvdec
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] DEBUG - Codecs: hardware transcoding: testing API nvdec
Apr 06, 2020 14:51:20.157 [0x7fa5d8dd6700] ERROR - [FFMPEG] - Cannot load libcuda.so.1

Please go look at /dev/dri and see if there’s anything listed there.

“renderD128” and “renderD129” both being listed means the kernel sees the hardware.

10

Under that Directory their are two files and one directory
By-path (Directory)
card0
renderD128

11

drats. it sees one of them

Now the puzzle to figure out which.

Can the Nvidia card and driver be removed ( another GPU drives the display ) ?

what does the ls -la /dev/dri show as the group membership and is Plex part of it?
It should have been set by the installer

12

So the 9400F does not have iGPU and the K2200 doesn’t have HEVC decoder.

13

you’re right. I looked at Ark.intel.com No QSV.

Sounds like you are limited to H.264 , at best.

14

Thats OK. Im going to have only h.264 files.
The permissions are
Root Video 226 for card0 and renderD128

15

Kevin,
If you check the group memberships for user plex, you should find plex is a member of the video group.

16

Correct groups=999(plex), 44(Video)

17

then you have whatever the GPU can give you.

Can you exchange that 9000 cpu for a 7000 or 8000 ?

18

Is that the only fix? If so I can save up for it and change it out.

19

Also I have another question, I cant get it to update to 1.19.1. I tried downloading the new .deb and unpacking and installing. It sais it upgraded it, but when I restart it always sais 1.18.9

20

I use the i7-7700 and an i7-8509g. I see no difference between them.
For HEVC -> H.264 either will serve you well.

The -9xxx CPUs require the iHD_drv_video library. That Intel driver is still buggy so best to avoid it if possible.

I wrote the DEB installer for Linux, can you show me what it says? (It’s ok to install over itself)