I recently upgraded to PMS version 1.2.3 to enable the new bandwidth restriction features. Unfortunately, I’m experiencing a playback issue with a specific set of files that I can’t figure out. The version in question is PMS v1.2.3.2914-1ff0f18 running on OS X 10.10.5.
When using iOS or the PlexWeb player, no files of one particular show (Seinfeld) will play when transcoding is involved. The files Direct Play OK using PleXBMC. However, when using iOS, playback will attempt to start, then skip to the next episode, then the next, and so on. Other times, it will display an error: “Couldn’t create the playback session for this item.” Attempting playback on PlexWeb, I get the error message: “Conversion failed. The transcoder crashed or failed to start up.” I noticed that when in the episode view before hitting the play button, it was not displaying the video resolution, audio codec, or number of audio channels. Digging into the server log files, this looks pertinent:
Oct 26, 2016 08:59:41.410 [0x10fcd9000] DEBUG - MDE: analyzing media item 499707\ Oct 26, 2016 08:59:41.410 [0x10fcd9000] ERROR - MDE: video has neither a video stream nor an audio stream\ Oct 26, 2016 08:59:41.410 [0x10fcd9000] DEBUG - MDE: ignoring media item 499707\ Oct 26, 2016 08:59:41.410 [0x10fcd9000] ERROR - MDE: no compatible media decisions are available\ Oct 26, 2016 08:59:41.410 [0x10fcd9000] ERROR - Streaming Resource: Cannot make a decision because either the file is unplayable or the client provided bad data\
I tried re-encoding the file using a Handbrake preset I’ve used on hundreds of files, but the result is the same. My next step was to revert back to PMS version 1.1.4. After doing that, the files once again play perfectly on iOS and PlexWeb. Additionally, the episode view correctly displays the video resolution, audio codec, and number of audio channels.
I’ve included log files from both the unsuccessful playback on v1.2.3, as well as the successful playback on v1.1.4. Also included is the information on the file I tried to play back. Any help would be greatly appreciated
Here is the XML info for that file. Not sure whether it matters, but the version of PMS that was running when I retrieved that file was 1.1.4.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <MediaContainer size="1" allowSync="1" identifier="com.plexapp.plugins.library" librarySectionID="3" librarySectionTitle="TV Shows" librarySectionUUID="d980a9be-e1df-49a7-81b4-78ced5530f54" mediaTagPrefix="/system/bundle/media/flags/" mediaTagVersion="1473708418"> <Video ratingKey="396250" key="/library/metadata/396250" parentRatingKey="396247" grandparentRatingKey="396223" guid="com.plexapp.agents.thetvdbdvdorder://79169/9/3?lang=en" librarySectionID="3" type="episode" title="The Serenity Now" titleSort="Serenity Now" grandparentKey="/library/metadata/396223" parentKey="/library/metadata/396247" grandparentTitle="Seinfeld" contentRating="TV-PG" summary="Frank is supposed to say "serenity now" every time his blood pressure is in danger of going up. Jerry's girlfriend gives his Knicks tickets away. She comments that she has never seen him get "real mad." George gets Kramer to help him fix his parents' screen door. They remove the old door and Kramer takes it with him. Frank is selling computers; he wants to bring George into his business. Lippman's boy tries taking advantage of becoming a man at his bar mitzvah by using his tongue while kissing Elaine. Kramer installs the screen door outside his apartment to give his apartment "the cool even breezes of Anytown, USA." His initial instinct is to quit, but George decides it is finally time to take on his arch-nemesis, Lloyd Braun, whom Frank has also hired to sell computers. When Jerry learns how to get mad, it releases all his other feelings, including caring and another that results in a proposal. Kramer fights with the neighborhood kids of "Anytown, USA." George tells Elaine she is attractive to the Lippman men because of her "shiksappeal." The result gets her two Lippman "men" who want to denounce their religion. George hatches a scheme to sell more computers; however, continual use of the phrase "serenity now" has an "impact" on computer sales. The release of emotions from George has an impact on emotional Jerry. Elaine seeks help from a "rabbi" to see if she can reduce her "shiksappeal."" index="3" parentIndex="9" viewCount="1" lastViewedAt="1477625869" year="1997" thumb="/library/metadata/396250/thumb/1477634734" art="/library/metadata/396223/art/1477496113" parentThumb="/library/metadata/396247/thumb/1477496113" grandparentThumb="/library/metadata/396223/thumb/1477496113" grandparentArt="/library/metadata/396223/art/1477496113" grandparentTheme="/library/metadata/396223/theme/1477496113" duration="1367339" originallyAvailableAt="1997-10-09" addedAt="1477496069" updatedAt="1477634734" chapterSource=""> <Media videoResolution="720" id="499804" duration="1367339" bitrate="3191" width="1280" height="720" aspectRatio="1.78" audioChannels="2" audioCodec="aac" videoCodec="h264" container="mkv" videoFrameRate="24p" audioProfile="he-aac" videoProfile="high"> <Part accessible="1" exists="1" id="512876" key="/library/parts/512876/1477485635/file.mkv" duration="1367339" file="/Volumes/Drobo3/Television/Seinfeld/Season 9/Seinfeld S09E03.mkv" size="545314226" audioProfile="he-aac" container="mkv" deepAnalysisVersion="1" requiredBandwidths="3190,3190,3190,3190,3190,3190,3190,3190" videoProfile="high"> <Stream id="964533" streamType="1" default="1" codec="h264" index="0" bitrate="3191" bitDepth="8" chromaSubsampling="4:2:0" frameRate="23.976" hasScalingMatrix="0" height="720" level="31" pixelFormat="yuv420p" profile="high" refFrames="5" requiredBandwidths="3126,3126,3126,3126,3126,3126,3126,3126" width="1280" /> <Stream id="964534" streamType="2" selected="1" default="1" codec="aac" index="1" channels="2" language="English" languageCode="eng" audioChannelLayout="stereo" profile="he-aac" requiredBandwidths="64,64,64,64,64,64,64,64" samplingRate="24000" /> <Stream id="964535" streamType="3" default="1" codec="srt" index="2" language="English" languageCode="eng" requiredBandwidths="1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1" /> </Part> </Media> <Director id="53220" tag="" /> <Writer id="53219" tag="" /> <Extras size="0"> </Extras> </Video> </MediaContainer>
Would you mind flipping back to 1.2.3 for a moment and grabbing the same info? It would be greatly appreciated
Edit: Would you please re-run Analysis after doing the update back to 1.2.3 so we can verify both versions are seeing the same or if the error was there?
After re-updating to version 1.2.3 I performed the “Plex Dance” with my entire Seinfeld folder. Then I re-added it to the library. Here is the resulting XML data for the same file:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <MediaContainer size="1" allowSync="1" identifier="com.plexapp.plugins.library" librarySectionID="3" librarySectionTitle="TV Shows" librarySectionUUID="d980a9be-e1df-49a7-81b4-78ced5530f54" mediaTagPrefix="/system/bundle/media/flags/" mediaTagVersion="1477330180"> <Video ratingKey="396468" key="/library/metadata/396468" parentRatingKey="396465" grandparentRatingKey="396441" guid="com.plexapp.agents.thetvdbdvdorder://79169/9/3?lang=en" librarySectionID="3" type="episode" title="The Serenity Now" titleSort="Serenity Now" grandparentKey="/library/metadata/396441" parentKey="/library/metadata/396465" grandparentTitle="Seinfeld" contentRating="TV-PG" summary="Frank is supposed to say "serenity now" every time his blood pressure is in danger of going up. Jerry's girlfriend gives his Knicks tickets away. She comments that she has never seen him get "real mad." George gets Kramer to help him fix his parents' screen door. They remove the old door and Kramer takes it with him. Frank is selling computers; he wants to bring George into his business. Lippman's boy tries taking advantage of becoming a man at his bar mitzvah by using his tongue while kissing Elaine. Kramer installs the screen door outside his apartment to give his apartment "the cool even breezes of Anytown, USA." His initial instinct is to quit, but George decides it is finally time to take on his arch-nemesis, Lloyd Braun, whom Frank has also hired to sell computers. When Jerry learns how to get mad, it releases all his other feelings, including caring and another that results in a proposal. Kramer fights with the neighborhood kids of "Anytown, USA." George tells Elaine she is attractive to the Lippman men because of her "shiksappeal." The result gets her two Lippman "men" who want to denounce their religion. George hatches a scheme to sell more computers; however, continual use of the phrase "serenity now" has an "impact" on computer sales. The release of emotions from George has an impact on emotional Jerry. Elaine seeks help from a "rabbi" to see if she can reduce her "shiksappeal."" index="3" parentIndex="9" viewCount="1" lastViewedAt="1477625869" year="1997" thumb="/library/metadata/396468/thumb/1477682175" art="/library/metadata/396441/art/1477682177" parentThumb="/library/metadata/396465/thumb/1477682177" grandparentThumb="/library/metadata/396441/thumb/1477682177" grandparentArt="/library/metadata/396441/art/1477682177" grandparentTheme="/library/metadata/396441/theme/1477682177" originallyAvailableAt="1997-10-09" addedAt="1477682130" updatedAt="1477682175"> <Media id="500045"> <Part accessible="1" exists="1" id="513117" key="/library/parts/513117/1477485635/file.mkv" file="/Volumes/Drobo3/Television/Seinfeld/Season 9/Seinfeld S09E03.mkv" size="545314226" /> </Media> <Director id="53220" tag="" /> <Writer id="53219" tag="" /> <Extras size="0"> </Extras> </Video> </MediaContainer>
Oh, sorry about that. I didn’t realize it would change the ID numbers. I have started over from scratch, starting with another “Plex Dance” removal of Seinfeld. I then started playback of Seinfeld S09E09 on my iPad, grabbed the PMS log (attached) and the XML for the file (see below). After that, I installed PMS v1.2.3 and performed the “analyze” function on Seinfeld S09E03. I grabbed the XML info (see below) and grabbed the PMS log during the playback attempt. This time, I didn’t get a playback error; instead I got the situation I described in my original post where Plex tries to start playback, then after a few seconds goes to a countdown to start playback on the next episode.
Seinfeld S09E03 XML info PMS v 1.1.4:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <MediaContainer size="1" allowSync="1" identifier="com.plexapp.plugins.library" librarySectionID="3" librarySectionTitle="TV Shows" librarySectionUUID="d980a9be-e1df-49a7-81b4-78ced5530f54" mediaTagPrefix="/system/bundle/media/flags/" mediaTagVersion="1473708418"> <Video ratingKey="396658" key="/library/metadata/396658" parentRatingKey="396655" grandparentRatingKey="396631" guid="com.plexapp.agents.thetvdbdvdorder://79169/9/3?lang=en" librarySectionID="3" type="episode" title="The Serenity Now" titleSort="Serenity Now" grandparentKey="/library/metadata/396631" parentKey="/library/metadata/396655" grandparentTitle="Seinfeld" contentRating="TV-PG" summary="Frank is supposed to say "serenity now" every time his blood pressure is in danger of going up. Jerry's girlfriend gives his Knicks tickets away. She comments that she has never seen him get "real mad." George gets Kramer to help him fix his parents' screen door. They remove the old door and Kramer takes it with him. Frank is selling computers; he wants to bring George into his business. Lippman's boy tries taking advantage of becoming a man at his bar mitzvah by using his tongue while kissing Elaine. Kramer installs the screen door outside his apartment to give his apartment "the cool even breezes of Anytown, USA." His initial instinct is to quit, but George decides it is finally time to take on his arch-nemesis, Lloyd Braun, whom Frank has also hired to sell computers. When Jerry learns how to get mad, it releases all his other feelings, including caring and another that results in a proposal. Kramer fights with the neighborhood kids of "Anytown, USA." George tells Elaine she is attractive to the Lippman men because of her "shiksappeal." The result gets her two Lippman "men" who want to denounce their religion. George hatches a scheme to sell more computers; however, continual use of the phrase "serenity now" has an "impact" on computer sales. The release of emotions from George has an impact on emotional Jerry. Elaine seeks help from a "rabbi" to see if she can reduce her "shiksappeal."" index="3" parentIndex="9" viewCount="1" lastViewedAt="1477625869" year="1997" thumb="/library/metadata/396658/thumb/1477686610" art="/library/metadata/396631/art/1477686611" parentThumb="/library/metadata/396655/thumb/1477686611" grandparentThumb="/library/metadata/396631/thumb/1477686611" grandparentArt="/library/metadata/396631/art/1477686611" grandparentTheme="/library/metadata/396631/theme/1477686611" duration="1367339" originallyAvailableAt="1997-10-09" addedAt="1477686580" updatedAt="1477686610" chapterSource=""> <Media videoResolution="720" id="500225" duration="1367339" bitrate="3191" width="1280" height="720" aspectRatio="1.78" audioChannels="2" audioCodec="aac" videoCodec="h264" container="mkv" videoFrameRate="24p" audioProfile="he-aac" videoProfile="high"> <Part accessible="1" exists="1" id="513297" key="/library/parts/513297/1477485635/file.mkv" duration="1367339" file="/Volumes/Drobo3/Television/Seinfeld/Season 9/Seinfeld S09E03.mkv" size="545314226" audioProfile="he-aac" container="mkv" videoProfile="high"> <Stream id="964881" streamType="1" default="1" codec="h264" index="0" bitrate="3191" bitDepth="8" chromaSubsampling="4:2:0" frameRate="23.976" hasScalingMatrix="0" height="720" level="31" pixelFormat="yuv420p" profile="high" refFrames="5" width="1280" /> <Stream id="964882" streamType="2" selected="1" default="1" codec="aac" index="1" channels="2" language="English" languageCode="eng" audioChannelLayout="stereo" profile="he-aac" samplingRate="24000" /> <Stream id="964883" streamType="3" default="1" codec="srt" index="2" language="English" languageCode="eng" /> </Part> </Media> <Director id="53220" tag="" /> <Writer id="53219" tag="" /> <Extras size="0"> </Extras> </Video> </MediaContainer>
Seinfeld S09E03 XML info PMS v 1.2.3:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <MediaContainer size="1" allowSync="1" identifier="com.plexapp.plugins.library" librarySectionID="3" librarySectionTitle="TV Shows" librarySectionUUID="d980a9be-e1df-49a7-81b4-78ced5530f54" mediaTagPrefix="/system/bundle/media/flags/" mediaTagVersion="1477330180"> <Video ratingKey="396658" key="/library/metadata/396658" parentRatingKey="396655" grandparentRatingKey="396631" guid="com.plexapp.agents.thetvdbdvdorder://79169/9/3?lang=en" librarySectionID="3" type="episode" title="The Serenity Now" titleSort="Serenity Now" grandparentKey="/library/metadata/396631" parentKey="/library/metadata/396655" grandparentTitle="Seinfeld" contentRating="TV-PG" summary="Frank is supposed to say "serenity now" every time his blood pressure is in danger of going up. Jerry's girlfriend gives his Knicks tickets away. She comments that she has never seen him get "real mad." George gets Kramer to help him fix his parents' screen door. They remove the old door and Kramer takes it with him. Frank is selling computers; he wants to bring George into his business. Lippman's boy tries taking advantage of becoming a man at his bar mitzvah by using his tongue while kissing Elaine. Kramer installs the screen door outside his apartment to give his apartment "the cool even breezes of Anytown, USA." His initial instinct is to quit, but George decides it is finally time to take on his arch-nemesis, Lloyd Braun, whom Frank has also hired to sell computers. When Jerry learns how to get mad, it releases all his other feelings, including caring and another that results in a proposal. Kramer fights with the neighborhood kids of "Anytown, USA." George tells Elaine she is attractive to the Lippman men because of her "shiksappeal." The result gets her two Lippman "men" who want to denounce their religion. George hatches a scheme to sell more computers; however, continual use of the phrase "serenity now" has an "impact" on computer sales. The release of emotions from George has an impact on emotional Jerry. Elaine seeks help from a "rabbi" to see if she can reduce her "shiksappeal."" index="3" parentIndex="9" viewCount="1" lastViewedAt="1477625869" year="1997" thumb="/library/metadata/396658/thumb/1477686610" art="/library/metadata/396631/art/1477686611" parentThumb="/library/metadata/396655/thumb/1477686611" grandparentThumb="/library/metadata/396631/thumb/1477686611" grandparentArt="/library/metadata/396631/art/1477686611" grandparentTheme="/library/metadata/396631/theme/1477686611" duration="1367339" originallyAvailableAt="1997-10-09" addedAt="1477686580" updatedAt="1477686610" chapterSource=""> <Media videoResolution="720" id="500225" duration="1367339" bitrate="3191" width="1280" height="720" aspectRatio="1.78" audioChannels="2" audioCodec="aac" videoCodec="h264" container="mkv" videoFrameRate="24p" audioProfile="he-aac" videoProfile="high"> <Part accessible="1" exists="1" id="513297" key="/library/parts/513297/1477485635/file.mkv" duration="1367339" file="/Volumes/Drobo3/Television/Seinfeld/Season 9/Seinfeld S09E03.mkv" size="545314226" audioProfile="he-aac" container="mkv" videoProfile="high"> <Stream id="964881" streamType="1" default="1" codec="h264" index="0" bitrate="3191" bitDepth="8" chromaSubsampling="4:2:0" frameRate="23.976" hasScalingMatrix="0" height="720" level="31" pixelFormat="yuv420p" profile="high" refFrames="5" width="1280" /> <Stream id="964882" streamType="2" selected="1" default="1" codec="aac" index="1" channels="2" language="English" languageCode="eng" audioChannelLayout="stereo" profile="he-aac" samplingRate="24000" /> <Stream id="964883" streamType="3" default="1" codec="srt" index="2" language="English" languageCode="eng" /> </Part> </Media> <Director id="53220" tag="" /> <Writer id="53219" tag="" /> <Extras size="0"> </Extras> </Video> </MediaContainer>
I need the entire log please. You failed to include the request to play and MDE. These are important as they tell us what decision PMS made and why it made the decision it did.
Thanks for the update but I’m not surprised. PMS 1.2.4 was probably too far along in the release pipe. Having 1.2.5 so quickly behind 1.2.4 tends to support that.
I still have no feedback on anything submitted which is very odd. That team might be dug in deep working on it or were kidnapped… no way of knowing.
ChuckPa—ever hear from the devs on this? I just tried PMS v1.3.0, but the problem still remains. Unable to play any episode of Seinfeld on any device which requires transcoding. Reverting back to 1.1.4, the files play without issue.
