PLEX server fails to download codecs

General Discussions
1

I run Plex server version 1.17.0.1709 on my fully updated Synology DS918+ .

Whenever I try to play a file through the web player (locally), I get an error that the codec could not be installed. In tle logs, these are the relevant lines:
Sep 29, 2019 11:13:33.618 [0x7f231647f700] DEBUG - HTTP requesting GET https://plex.tv/api/codecs/aac_encoder?build=linux-x86_64-standard&deviceId=ad08872f-1ac9-446f-8883-e637f04e59a3&oldestPreviousVersion=legacy&version=ba1b905-2538
Sep 29, 2019 11:13:49.138 [0x7f231647f700] ERROR - Error issuing curl_easy_perform(handle): 28
Sep 29, 2019 11:13:49.138 [0x7f231647f700] DEBUG - HTTP simulating 408 after curl timeout
Sep 29, 2019 11:13:49.138 [0x7f231647f700] ERROR - Codecs: Failed to download XML for codec ‘aac_encoder’
Sep 29, 2019 11:13:49.138 [0x7f231647f700] ERROR - Error configuring transcoder: Encoder install failed: aac
Sep 29, 2019 11:13:49.138 [0x7f231647f700] DEBUG - Streaming Resource: Terminating session 0x7f232c8669b0:e9jy4yl8bflzdya4lwbwpuyi which is using transcoder slot. Used slots is now 1
Sep 29, 2019 11:13:49.138 [0x7f231647f700] DEBUG - Streaming Resource: Terminated session 0x7f232c8669b0:e9jy4yl8bflzdya4lwbwpuyi with reason Conversion failed. A required codec could not be found or failed to install.

When I open that URL on my computer on the same network, it opens an XML file with the encoder location.
When I open that URL on my NAS (using Synology Download Station), I get the same XML file.

That leads me to believe that the NAS network settings aren’t to blame for this. I’m not using VPN on my NAS, so that can’t cause it either.

Any idea how to resolve this?

2

Did this only start with the upgrade to 1.17.0.1709?
You’re not the first person who’s had libcurl 28 errors with acc_encoder.

While I can’t help much farther than how you’ve noticed the timeout error from libcurl, then tested and found the URL seems to work okay, I can suggest you edit your topic to add the tag server-synology because of the expertise it can bring in.

The Plex website articles cover agent cache and codec deleting iirc.
If you’re really stuck, try rolling back to an earlier PMS.

3

Thanks, I added the tag.

The problem didn’t start with that version as far as I know.
Do you also know of any articles detailing how to manually install codecs that fail to download automatically?

4

Not really. It’s worth mentioning that a curl timeout is an indication of a busy, which isn’t necessarily a problem and can go away. Rebooting all your hardware is a good place to start as ridiculous as that may sound considering you can click the URL I know.

The mechanism for automatic updates is very persistent and will go looking for the codec as soon as it needs it but can’t find it. I’ll hedge that staying with automatic is best.

You can certainly stop your PMS server and delete the aac codec, then start PMS and give it 10minuets to fully initialize. You should be able to trigger aac usage and codec download.

On my QNAP, the PMS directory tree puts the codecs here

[/share/VolumeName/.qpkg/PlexMediaServer/Library/Plex Media Server/Codecs

You can see below that I have two libaac_encoder.so

in my codec list 
# find . -type f
./b26b93f-2545-linux-x86_64/libmpeg2video_decoder.so
./b26b93f-2545-linux-x86_64/libh264_decoder.so
./b26b93f-2545-linux-x86_64/libmpeg4_decoder.so
./b26b93f-2545-linux-x86_64/libhevc_decoder.so
./b26b93f-2545-linux-x86_64/libaac_encoder.so
./b26b93f-2545-linux-x86_64/libac3_decoder.so
./b26b93f-2545-linux-x86_64/libdca_decoder.so
./b26b93f-2545-linux-x86_64/libmsmpeg4v3_decoder.so
./b26b93f-2545-linux-x86_64/libmpeg1video_decoder.so
./b26b93f-2545-linux-x86_64/liblibx264_encoder.so
./b26b93f-2545-linux-x86_64/libaac_decoder.so
./b26b93f-2545-linux-x86_64/libmp3_decoder.so
./b26b93f-2545-linux-x86_64/liblibmp3lame_encoder.so
./.device-id
./ba1b905-2538-linux-x86_64/libmpeg2video_decoder.so
./ba1b905-2538-linux-x86_64/libh264_decoder.so
./ba1b905-2538-linux-x86_64/libmpeg4_decoder.so
./ba1b905-2538-linux-x86_64/libhevc_decoder.so
./ba1b905-2538-linux-x86_64/libaac_encoder.so
./ba1b905-2538-linux-x86_64/libac3_decoder.so
./ba1b905-2538-linux-x86_64/libdca_decoder.so
./ba1b905-2538-linux-x86_64/libmsmpeg4v3_decoder.so
./ba1b905-2538-linux-x86_64/libmpeg1video_decoder.so
./ba1b905-2538-linux-x86_64/liblibx264_encoder.so
./ba1b905-2538-linux-x86_64/libaac_decoder.so
./ba1b905-2538-linux-x86_64/libmp3_decoder.so
./ba1b905-2538-linux-x86_64/liblibmp3lame_encoder.so
./EasyAudioEncoder-eae-69c1de6-38-linux-x86_64/EasyAudioEncoder/EasyAudioEncoder
./EasyAudioEncoder-eae-69c1de6-41-linux-x86_64/EasyAudioEncoder/EasyAudioEncoder

May I ask what it’s trying to encode as AAC?

5

If i may augment here?

  1. There is no manual download / installation for codecs.
  2. One thing which will impede success is ISP issues. Timeouts (as shown in the logs) are an indication of internet/isp issues.
  3. It’s easy to reset (remove) any partially downloaded codecs and have it retrieve new.
  4. May I see some DEBUG log files please to assist further with this issue?
6

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