Plex Media Player (Windows) gets transcoded file - why?

Plex Players Desktop Players
1

Server Version#: 1.13.2.5142
Player Version#: 3.71.1 or 3.71.2

When playing back using PMP, the server transcodes the HEVC/AAC file to H264/OPUS with the following info in the log file:

Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.807 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - MDE: Selected protocol http; container: mkv
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.807 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - MDE: analyzing media item 305457
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.807 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - MDE: Parenthood (1989): Direct Play is disabled
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.807 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - MDE: Parenthood (1989): no direct play video profile exists for http/mkv/hevc
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.807 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - MDE: Parenthood (1989): no direct play video profile exists for http/mkv/hevc/aac
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.807 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - MDE: Parenthood (1989): selected media 0 / 305457
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.807 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - Streaming Resource: Calculated bandwidth of 5815kbps exceeds bandwidth limit. Changing decision parameters provided by client to fit bandwidth limit of 2000kbps
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.807 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - Streaming Resource: Determining preferred transcode encoders through transcode only decision.
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.808 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - Scaled up video bitrate to 10746Kbps based on 4.500000x fudge factor.
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.808 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - Scaled up video bitrate to 10746Kbps based on 4.500000x fudge factor.
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.808 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - Streaming Resource: Reducing playback quality for 1904kbps stream bitrate: video resolution to 720x406, audio channels to 2, quality to 41, disable video DS as 2147483647kbps is > the 1724kbps available, disable audio DS as 2147483647kbps is > the 162kbps available
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.809 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - Scaled up video bitrate to 10746Kbps based on 4.500000x fudge factor.
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.809 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - Scaled maximum bitrate for resolution reduction to 3408Kbps.
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.809 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - MDE: Selected protocol http; container: mkv
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.809 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - MDE: analyzing media item 305457
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.809 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - MDE: Parenthood (1989): Direct Play is disabled
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.809 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - MDE: Parenthood (1989): no direct play video profile exists for http/mkv/hevc
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.809 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - MDE: Parenthood (1989): no direct play video profile exists for http/mkv/hevc/aac
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.809 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - Parenthood - video.width limitation applies: 1280 > 720
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.809 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - Parenthood - audio.channels limitation applies: 6 > 2
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.809 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - MDE: Parenthood (1989): Direct Streaming is disabled, so video stream will be transcoded
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.809 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - MDE: Parenthood (1989): no remuxable profile found, so video stream will be transcoded
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.809 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - MDE: Cannot direct stream video stream due to profile or setting limitations
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.810 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - Scaled up video bitrate to 10746Kbps based on 4.500000x fudge factor.
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.810 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - Scaled maximum bitrate for resolution reduction to 3408Kbps.
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.810 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - MDE: Parenthood (1989): Audio Direct Streaming is disabled, so video’s audio stream will be transcoded
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.810 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - MDE: Cannot direct stream audio stream due to profile or setting limitations
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.810 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - MDE: Parenthood (1989): selected media 0 / 305457
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.810 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - Streaming Resource: Adding session 0x7f93722c1f20:h8knpe2xmaxcdyplyafzme7b which is using 1981kbps of WAN bandwidth. Used is now 1981kbps
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.810 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - Streaming Resource: Adding session 0x7f93722c1f20:h8knpe2xmaxcdyplyafzme7b which is using transcoder slot. Used slots is now 1
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.810 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - Streaming Resource: Added session 0x7f93722c1f20:h8knpe2xmaxcdyplyafzme7b
Oct 28, 2018 13:49:22.811 [0x7f93797c5700] DEBUG - Streaming Resource: Reached Decision id=128861 codes=(General=1001,Direct play not available; Conversion OK. Direct Play=3000,App cannot direct play this item. Direct play is disabled. Transcode=1001,Direct play not available; Conversion OK.) media=(id=305457 part=(id=321406 decision=transcode container=mkv protocol=http streams=(Video=(id=681144 decision=transcode bitrate=1724 encoder=libx264 width=720 height=406) Audio=(id=681145 decision=transcode bitrate=162 encoder=libopus channels=2 rate=48000))))

Can someone tell me why it decides to transcode? I thought that PMP (on Windows) were able to direct-stream MKV/HEVC files. Is it a setting somewhere that prevents it? If so, is it at server end or player end, and which setting?

Thank you for any help you can give on this matter…

2

The .MKV file is encoded as HEVC at 2Mbit video, 384 Kbit audio. I have 12 Mbit upstream.

Video
ID : 1
Format : HEVC
Format/Info : High Efficiency Video Coding
Format profile : Main@L4.1@Main
Codec ID : V_MPEGH/ISO/HEVC
Duration : 1h 55mn
Bit rate : 2 005 Kbps
Width : 1 280 pixels
Height : 720 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 25.000 fps

Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile : LC
Codec ID : A_AAC
Duration : 1h 55mn
Bit rate : 384 Kbps
Channel(s) : 6 channels
Channel positions : Front: L C R, Side: L R, LFE

3

There is a bandwidth limit in effect which prevents streaming anything over 2mbps.
This is either caused by:

  • a limit set at the server side for remote connections (Settings - Server - Remote Access)
  • a bandwidth limit set in the client’s settings
  • the server is not available with a direct connection, so the data is relayed. This relay connection has a 2 mbps bandwidth limit for Plex Pass users.

Under certain conditions, the client is considered being in a ‘remote’ network, even though it is not. (As a consequence all the limitations for remote connections are applied.) Most often, this has to do with settings in your router.

1 Like
4

There is also this checkbox which should be checked:
Settings - Server - Network - ‘Show Advanced’ - “Treat WAN IP As LAN Bandwidth”

Better stop and restart Plex server after changing this preference.

5

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