PLEASE HELP>>>>High CPU with Plex, not with Channels

Plex Media Server NAS & Devices
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I am using Synology 218+ server. When using Plex Pass with HW encoding enabled the cpu usage is over 70% on on dvr playback it can be choppy. I tried Channels DVR and cpu is around 10% and no stutter. I like the layout of Plex. Is there something I can do to improve Plex? Thanks

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Anyone?? Thanks

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One last try, please help, I would like to make Plex work. Thanks.

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PLEASE help, I do not know what I’m doing wrong.

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I think the question to answer is why software transcoding (CPU) is being used instead of hardware, as that’s your issue.

Channels DVR is likely not transcoding anything. I run a Channels DVR server offsite and only use it in remote mode, and it has never once had to transcode anything (unless I forced it to) due to the bitrates of over the air broadcasts being so low.

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NateTheBrewer, thanks. Is there a setting I can enable on PMS to help this?

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If you look at the dashboard while playing back and post a screenshot it will give info about the codecs in use, subtitles, etc and what is being transcoded and with hardware vs software.

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Closed captioning will tank the processor in that NAS.

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Tiebierius, thanks but cc was off

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NateTheBrewer, thanks again. Would it be worthwhile to try Plex Pass (paid) again? If so should I disable HW transcoding or change the rate? Appreciate the help.

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Unless something has changed, hardware transcoding requires a Plex Pass.

So the transcoding is happening in software and hitting the Celeron CPU in that thing hard.

You could try to get all your content to direct play but if it were me I’d get the Plex pass as I transcode a lot of stuff.

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@pster0

Would you please get the metadata for any one of the files which are giving you problems with playback?

I ask because, Looking at your account, I see a PlexPass.
I also see your DS218+

What I know about the DS218+,

  1. CPU Intel Celeron J3355 dual-core 2.0 GHz, burst up to 2.5 GHz
    – It has HW transcoding capability for H.264
    – It has HW transcoding capability for HEVC SDR (NO HDR)

  2. Image based subtitles (PGS, VOBSUB, or DVDRIP) will be problems for it
    (This is a dual-core CPU)

  3. With care, we can get smooth playback of almost anything on it.
    It might not be as easily accomplished / universal as you hoped but we can get there.
    ( I have a much weaker DS1518+ which will DirectStream a lot of HDR content)

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