Plex on ds423+ trying to transcode everything to flac and most of the time kills stream

[tjmac2119]

Server Version#: 1.32.8.7.7639-7000
On synology ds423+ running pms on nvme m.2. Plex installed from the Plex website not through package center and not in a docker.

Plex pass with hardware transcoding. My cpu usage barely goes over 3% when trying to stream. But when trying to stream he aac 5.1 or even aac 5.1 it tries to transcode the audio to flac. This seems to be causing the streams to fail for a lot of my media.

Previously, I was using my 4th gen i5 4570s mini pc to run pms and it transcodes the problematic stuff to aac and it runs beautifully on my Roku.

I’m really stumped on this and can’t figure out why this is failing. Some files with aac 5.1 transcode to flac and still play, but not others. I’m also trying to figure out how to just have the synology transcode similarly to the mini pc because it never had this issue. Thankfully I didn’t remove the pms from the mini pc so I was able to test and if need be go back to the mini pc, but I chose the 423+ so I could run Plex as a standalone unit from the nas.

Frustrating plex - Album on Imgur Some screen grabs, one from mini pc stream and other from nas.
Can anyone point me in a direction of fixing this? Can I tell the Plex on the nas to transcode to aac in these situations so the stream works? Should I just abandon it for now and continue using the mini pc?

[ChuckPa]

Can you please share DEBUG server logs ZIP file which capture this happening?

If you can restart the server before the test, that will be helpful but not required.

[tjmac2119]

I will figure out how to do this and see what I can get. Will update soon.

[FordGuy61]

@tjmac2119

I will figure out how to do this

1. Ensure Plex is configured for debug, not verbose, logging.
   Settings → Server_Name → General + Show Advanced
   

   

2. Using Synology Package Center, stop Plex Media Server, wait one minute, start Plex Media Server.

3. Wait three minutes for Plex to fully start and log the startup sequence.

4. Re-create the problem.

5. Pull the server log files via Settings → Troubleshooting → Download Logs.
   A ZIP file will be downloaded to your system.

6. Upload the ZIP file to the thread.
   Drag it into the message window, it will insert at the cursor location.

[tjmac2119]

[
Plex Media Server Logs_2023-12-30_14-48-03.zip (3.8 MB)
](https://)

Here are the server logs after recreating the issue. It will hang until it says there’s a playback error and if I hit retry sometimes it buffers with and plays with super out of sync audio.

[ChuckPa]

@tjmac2119

Thanks for the logs.

They are showing me that you don’t have HW transcoding engaging at all.

Dec 30, 2023 10:29:09.786 [140317648948024] DEBUG - [Req#36/Transcode] TPU: hardware transcoding: final decoder: , final encoder:
Dec 30, 2023 10:29:09.787 [140317648948024] DEBUG - [Req#36/Transcode/JobRunner] Job running: FFMPEG_EXTERNAL_LIBS=‘/var/packages/PlexMediaServer/shares/PlexMediaServer/AppData/Plex\ Media\ Server/Codecs/90a317c-4653-linux-x86_64/’ X_PLEX_TOKEN=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx “/volume1/@appstore/PlexMediaServer/Plex Transcoder” -codec:0 mp3 -analyzeduration 20000000 -probesize 20000000 -i “/var/packages/PlexMediaServer/shares/PlexMediaServer/AppData/Plex Media Server/Metadata/TV Shows/c/e30f8164115c667b5bfb5192bb2c46b8481b42e.bundle/Contents/_combined/themes/tv.plex.agents.series_3bcdd6101080a204e621e2bb8473c404fb0cbe4c” -filter_complex “[0:0] aresample=async=1:ochl=‘stereo’:rematrix_maxval=0.000000dB:osr=44100:rematrix_volume=-25.000000dB[0]” -map “[0]” -codec:0 libmp3lame -q:0 0 -f segment -segment_format mp3 -segment_time 1 -segment_header_filename header -segment_start_number 0 -segment_list “http://127.0.0.1:32400/video/:/transcode/session/0b7689a8-a141-4c7a-b17c-6380400cd2ae-177/b57c4b23-d073-4836-9039-ef129007c9a9/manifest?X-Plex-Http-Pipeline=infinite” -segment_list_type csv -segment_list_unfinished 1 -segment_list_size 5 -segment_list_separate_stream_times 1 -map_metadata -1 -map_chapters -1 “chunk-%05d” -y -nostats -loglevel quiet -loglevel_plex error -progressurl http://127.0.0.1:32400/video/:/transcode/session/0b7689a8-a141-4c7a-b17c-6380400cd2ae-177/b57c4b23-d073-4836-9039-ef129007c9a9/progress

Please try the following for me –

1. Settings - Transcoder - Show Advanced
2. Confirm all three HW acceleration options are enabled.
3. Attempt to play again
4. Now turn off Tone Mapping & SAVE
5. Attempt to play the same thing one more time
6. Now download and attach the logs ZIP file

Please also tell me if you have subtitles in the video file you’re trying to play

[tjmac2119]

Well that’s not good. These are the options that were enabled and are currently enabled.

I will disable tone mapping and try again.

[tjmac2119]

I just tried without hdr tone mapping. The video played for a moment, with messed up audio and then the screen went black. Exited out, tried again, and then it buffered until I had the playback error.

Logs from just now. I should add that I originally copied my media server files from the mini pc I was using, and then had deleted the codec folder based on other posts with ideas, so I don’t know if that caused more of a problem or if there would be another problematic file or something in any of the other copied files.

Plex Media Server Logs_2023-12-30_20-12-36.zip (3.8 MB)

[ChuckPa]

@tjmac2119

I originally copied my media server files from the mini pc I was using, and then had deleted the codec folder based on other posts with ideas, so I don’t know if that caused more of a problem

Did you do a proper DSM 7 “Import from another OS” ?

DSM 7 is unique in that we can’t just “Drop the files and change ownership”.

This is for any OS to DSM 7

Synology FAQ - Questions, Answers, and a few How-To's

FAQ 26 - Migrate from another OS → DSM 7 Migrating from another PMS installaton to Synology DSM 7 requires a little bit of up-front work. The basic procedure is: Prepare the existing installation for copying Create a “Plex” shared folder on DSM which will be the base share for importing. Create the folders “Plex/Library/Application Support” Copy the “Plex Media Server” folder and contents into “Application Support” Manually set permissions of the Plex share, and all files in the shared fo…

[tjmac2119]

I did not use this guide.

At this point should I remove the existing package on the nas and start over using the proper import methods and see if that fixes my issues with the transcoding?

[ChuckPa]

At this point,

1. Create a Plex shared folder
2. Create sub-folders Library/Application Support
3. Stop Plex
4. Move PlexMediaServer/AppData/Plex Media Server → Plex/Library/Application Support (mimmick the DSM 6 structure)
5. Uninstall + ERASE the DSM 7 application
6. As detailed in the FAQ which follows:

Synology FAQ - Questions, Answers, and a few How-To's

FAQ 27 - Migrating an existing PMS from DSM 6 to DSM 7 Upgrading PMS from DSM 6 → DSM 7 DSM 7 no longer allows us to go find the metadata directory and use it across volumes before starting PMS (This is the lack of “root” privilege blocking). As such we require the following two conditions are met we will attempt to automatically migrate you; You have an existing DSM 6-created PMS installation and PMS is installed on the SAME STORAGE VOLUME as the “Plex” shared folder (this is critical) …

7. Give Full Control to “This Folder, sub-folders, and files” to “PlexMediaServer” for everything in the “Plex” shared folder. (This is important/required)

8. Now install the App again.
   – It will sit at “Installing” while it imports the existing server data
   – Do not leave that page or refresh it (DSM will lose it)
   – Instead, in a new tab, open the Plex shared folder (File Station)
   – File “Migration.log” will appear and show you the progress.
   – When “Cleaning” is complete, the data will have been imported.

[tjmac2119]

Excellent thank you. I will begin doing this.

[tjmac2119]

So tried making a plex shared folder and reinstalling and it didn’t seem to do what the guides were saying it should, so I removed plex again, as well as the plex media server folder and essentially started from scratch following the FAQ 26 any os to dsm guide.

That time the nas saw it an upgrade from dsm 6 and migrated the essentials over. The server is currently scanning everything so I’ll likely try to stream one of the original problematic shows in the morning. Hopefully it all works now that I set it up properly.

Thank you for your help.

Edit: the tv show I was having issues with was ready so I tested it now, and it works! Seems like the fresh install and proper migration of files fixed my problem.

Thanks again!