I’m running the latest PP release on my Synology DS415+. It’s been running fine for a couple years. Then a few weeks ago it starts giving me this error whenever I try to play a movie. For some reason TV show generally playback just fine. Now it’s happening on every movie I try to play, even films I’ve watched before that I know work. It makes Plex unusable. Here’s the error I get:
Playback was terminated by the server.
Conversion failed. The transcoder crashed or failed to start up.
OK
I’ve tried restarting the server, restarting Plex, upgrading Plex. Nothing’s worked to fix this. Any help is greatly appreciated! I’m having to resort to using DS Video to playback movies…
The document attach ^^ or photo attach work as well as Drag & Drop.
As for what’s happening, You’re getting this:
Jun 03, 2017 15:32:24.056 [0xea911b40] DEBUG - MDE: analyzing media item 33859
Jun 03, 2017 15:32:24.056 [0xea911b40] DEBUG - MDE: Force Majeure (2014): no direct play video profile exists for http/mkv/h264
Jun 03, 2017 15:32:24.057 [0xea911b40] DEBUG - MDE: Force Majeure (2014): no direct play video profile exists for http/mkv/h264/dca
Jun 03, 2017 15:32:24.057 [0xea911b40] ERROR - get - invalid frameRate value: 23.976
Jun 03, 2017 15:32:24.058 [0xea911b40] DEBUG - MDE: Force Majeure (2014): selected media 0 / 33859
This is a perfectly valid frame rate so either the detected frame rate and the stored frame rate don’t match (from last time it was analyzed) or there’s a codec issue.
I recommend the following next steps:
Analyze the video again
Attempt to play
If failure, delete everything under Plex/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/Codecs
Analyze the movie again so it grabs new codec
Play it.
If failure, grab a new set of logs. It will be either an actual media problem or a networking problem which appears to be manifesting in a ‘kinda sorta’ way.
Also, if failure gain, grab me a fresh set of logs with the new error message(s)
So, I should note that I’m not having this issue when I playback movies in the web client, only from my Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV boxes.
I just started to go through your instructions and noticed that the folder you pointed me to (Plex/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/Codecs) has one file in it, which is .device-id, which is 36 bytes, and created 2016-06-
13. I’m guessing there should be more files there? There are files and folders in the “Plex Media Server/Codecs” folder, if that helps at all…?
Also not sure how to force a new analysis from the Apple TV or Fire TV interface?
I’m not sure, and I don’t know if I would even be able to tell. I initially installed it over 2 years ago. I’m sensing that I may have to completely rebuild my library?
It is strange though that I can play movies in the web client, and for the most part TV shows play in Plex on any client, if I truly have no codecs… It doesn’t seem to fit, if that’s the case.
There is no DirectPlay target as shown in your logs. This mandates either the audio or the video needs a codec.
If it previously worked without extra codecs (entirely possible), what setting(s) changed causing this previously-valid video to now require transcoding?
If you don’ t mind conducting a test, which will keep your existing Library fully intact, I would like to.
The procedure is very simple
Stop Plex
Open File Station and navigate to the Plex share. Open it.
Rename Library to Library.SAVE
Start Plex
Go through setup, but only create a very small test library (don’t need the whole thing)
When it’s finished, repeat the playback test.
If Codecs are required, we will be in a known library & database state when attempting to play.
Ok, I’ve done all of those steps. I first created a library with just one movie, since it’s the one I’m trying to watch this morning. That played back. Then I created a library from a folder with around 20 films, including the one I tried to playback yesterday and it failed. I then played that, and it played fine.
I recommend making sure you spend the minute to finish enabling the automatic maintenance tasks in Scheduled Tasks.
Also I recommend, as you add new sections, before creating the next section, optimize the DB then create the next. It clumps the sections together right up front. Makes for a super-tight DB
When you’re happy, you can delete Library.SAVE from earlier
When a new Library directory is created at the top of the Plex share, it is completely independent and self contained. You can fully replicate everything you had before (makes the most sense).
Since you’re now running in the new Library successfully whereas the old did not. I don’t recommend going back to it. It’s corrupted down deep somewhere.
I therefore recommend deleting Library.SAVE and moving on.
As a point of order though, enabling backups of your database (Scheduled Tasks) is a good idea
Thanks Chuck, I had exactly the same issue to a point that watching anything became impossible with Plex… After creating a new small test library and see that everything is working I am now rebuilding the complete library and following your steps…
I must have been using the same library for over 4 years, so things can get messy
With all the schema changes over the past 4 years, while I’m not surprised, I am a bit surprised. It implies the migration tool is missing something or the new columns added to the tables just need 100% valid data which wasn’t available in the older database. If I look back 4 years, the schema has changed immensely since then.
