Plex WinServer only transcodes for a few seconds and then CRASHES!?

Plex Media Server Desktops & Laptops
1

Server Version#: Latest 1.25.9.5721.965587f64
Player Version#: Various, including mobile: 9.1.031883, NvidiaShielPro2019: 9.0.5.31871

I have a few 4K REMUXs on my server (for local consumption), my upload is only 30Mbps, so if streaming from out the home, it 100% needs a transcode. I have a fairly powerful cpu, gpu, and ssd, to handle all this.

Yesterday my mom reported that she cant watch a movie and transcoding was failing after a couple seconds. Today, I tested it myself on my mobile phone (wifi disabled), and yep, can confirm with a few Remux Movies, I cant even output and transcode at 12Mbps. It transcodes, for a few seconds, then buffers, and then the stream just 100% stops (according to the dashboard in my PC dashboard?)

My Plex TRANSCODE settings in PMS were set to: “Auto”, Directory was blank, 180seconds, background process was faster, enable HDR tone, and of course both the hardware accelerated options are enabled (I have a 5900x, and a 3080TI).

The PC is 100% idle, I’ve also rebooted and restarted.

I also tried changing the settings, cutting it down from 180 to 90, changing auto to: “prefer high quality” changing “faster” to “fast” (hoping that it does it slower so can push it fine).

Still having issues…

I also did more testing, directly on my Nvidia Shield PRO (2019) top of the line model, (on Wifi), but transcoding.

Tried Movie 1: REMUX, 4K-DolbyVision, AC3 audio - tried to transcode, audio also auto transcodes from AC3 to “OPUS??” - and transcode fails
Tried Movie 2: REMUX, 4K-DolbyVision, AC3 audio - tried to transcode, audio also auto transcodes from AC3 to “OPUS??” - and transcode also fails
Tried Movie 3: NOT-A-REMUX, 4K-DolbyVision, AC3 audio - tried to transcode, audio also auto transcodes from AC3 to “OPUS??” - and transcode fails
Tried Movie 4: REMUX, 4K, NOT DOLBYVISION, but AC3 AUDIO - tried to transcode, transcode kinda worked, but kept pausing every 15-20 seconds for 2-3 seconds to “buffer”, but didn’t crash
Tried Movie 5: NOT-A-REMUX, 4k-NOT-DolbyVision, DTS5.1 audio - tried to transcode - transcode WORKED FINE HERE. No issues, watched 4 minutes to test.

So it seems that its either DolbyVision failing to transcode with the AC3 to OPUS audio track

Then I came across this thread on reddit:

Basically it’s been an issue for FOUR MONTHS and the Devs are ignoring it??? and the only option is to roll back to PMS from 7 months ago???

Please tell me this isnt the case and theres a fix?

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Update: Per a different reddit post, I uninstalled 1.25.9.
I even tried the 1.26.0 that came out, and same issue.

I downgraded (after uninstalling) to: PlexMediaServer-1.24.5.5173-8dcc73a59-x86 and transcoding the above movies that failed WORKS AGAIN - so it’s an issue with the 1.25 and 1.26 transcoder.

Please fix so I can upgrade to the newer version?

Thanks

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your latest announcement speaks to this towards the Nvidia shield right?
I have one (see above), and it isnt fixed.

let me know what kind of logs or whatever you need.

The only fix was a hard roll back from 1.25 to 1.24 from October 2021, the 1.26 also didnt do anything, same crashes, spinning, buffering…

Is this knnown? or need some specific logs? videos? thanks

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Bump :frowning:

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problem still persists… help 1.26.1 :frowning:

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Yep, problem still exists. An easy way to test its broken is to use a client that can direct stream video, but cannot direct stream the audio format (ie E-AC3). If both the video and audio are transcoded then there are no issues. If only the audio is transcoded then the stream will play for a few secs to a minute (depending on buffer size of client) and when it requests the next transcoded audio segment it will start a buffering spinning icon, or crash the video completely with a “this server isnt fast enough to stream this content”

The issue seems to lie in the OPUS audio codec transcoder from Easy Audio Encoder?

7

@sa2000

any update on these issues that have lingered for 5 months according to reddit? :frowning:

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@sa2000

Update: Per a different reddit post, I uninstalled 1.25.9.
I even tried the 1.26.0 that just came out, and same issue.

I downgraded (after uninstalling) to: PlexMediaServer-1.24.5.5173-8dcc73a59-x86 and transcoding the above movies that failed WORKS AGAIN - so it’s an issue with the 1.25 and 1.26 transcoder.

Please fix so I can upgrade to the newer version?

Let me know if I can provide any help/logs, etc, and what version you want them from (1.24.5.5173 vs 1.26??) – thanks, happy to help clean this mess

Thanks

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please see my comment + the link above (solution = rollback to 1.24 from October) - thanks

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Thanks for your posts

It would be useful to have debug server logs from both versions of Plex Media Server
1.24.5.5173 which works for you and the current release 1.26.0 which does not

Also could you provide me by PM link to zip of ample file I can download and use to reproduce the issue

Thanks

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Hey, sorry about the late reply.

Issue is STILL happening.

and now your scraper on the old 1.24.5 PMS is broken (new shows that are added, ALL add as 1900-01-01), … complete clusterF.

Anyways, used the opportunity to upgrade to 1.26.1.5772 and Problem still there, cant transcode any 4k thing, like I linekd above on that 6 month old reddit thread.

Here are the logs you asked for.

In LogFile #1 youll see I played a Remux, and set it to Transcode to 12MBit, and everything is good (version 1.24.5), and on the 2nd log one, if you check the logs,I upgraded to 1.26.1 and tried to play the same file at 9:18ish EST, plays fine, and then when i transcode the same file to 12, WHILE BEING ON A SUPER FAST NETWORK, it just freezes at BUFFERING…

I sent you both logs via PM.

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Sorry what?

You want me to try this OLDER version?? 1.26.1.5762 when I am on the NEWER still broken 1.26.1.5772 ???

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No. My note relating to 1.26.1.5762 was made before 1.26.1.5772 was released - the later release would also have the fix

i have responded to your message requesting a sample file (part of the mkv file) together with logs confirming the issue arises on 1.26.1.5772 but not 1.24.5.5173

This issue should be a separate forum topic and is not related to the Plex Media Server crashes / lockouts issue being discussed here. I will move your post and my reply to a new separate forum topic

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I moved all your posts from the unrelated topic Windows 7 Server exits after some time - Plex Media Server - Plex Forum to here as the fix that I mentioned in that topic has no relevance to what you were cross linking to

I have also replied to your private message requesting a sample file with logs of the issue on 1.2.6.1 and it working on 1.24.5

Also you mention in the topic here that it crashes - there is no evidence in the logs you provided of any crash for the transcoder or the server

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The transcoder doesn’t crash, it fails to fetch the next segment i believe. I’m on Unraid and experiencing the identical issue since 1.24.5.

Heres the log entry when it occurs

image
image1920×467 52.7 KB

Heres the problem, if a video is directly streamed but audio is transcoded it will cause a buffering error, the client does not matter.

image

Here’s my logs, the time stamp on the first picture should put you around the ballpark.

Plex Media Server Logs_2022-05-11_20-17-35.zip (7.0 MB)

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I need a sample file that reproduces the problem and the logs please and if you have the earlier version available to test - logs of it showing that the sample transcodes ok with that version

please see Generating Sample Files from Media | Plex Support

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OK, will do tommorow night as its late here in australia.

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No.

This isn’t the issue.

In my examples, my client (SHIELD PRO 2019), I have set the audio to the base DD 5.1 compatibility track, and have zero issues playing it on 1.24.5 with video untouched at DolbyVision, or when transcoding it.

As soon as I change the version, Direct Play is still 100% fine, but as soon as I try to convert the video down to anything, 20, 12, 10, 8, it doesnt matter, my PMS Dashboard shows my client just stuck on “Buffering…”

There’s no error about “this server isnt fast enought o stream this content”

It literally just hangs as soon as a transcode command is given, and as I mentioned above, the issue isnt specific to the shield. Tested it directly on another TV (also local, so Wifi isnt the issue), hangs on Buffering, tested it on my Phone WITHOUT Wifi (data, outside home network), and also hangs on Buffering.

Neither the other TV, nor the shield, nor the phone, have any issues with 1.24.5

Also tagging @sa2000 here to clarify this point

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The Batman sample won’t work at all because it is DV profile 5. We cannot tone map profile 5 and it’s not directly supported on the Shield so there is no way to play it. Don’t use profile 5 videos.

I’m not able to reproduce the issue using your Matrix sample on my Windows PMS running 1.261 and playback on Shield with Android 11. Video plays either as direct play or via transcode. It is doing hardware transcoding via my NVidia RTX 2060.

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@MovieFan.Plex

I had some unexpected issues last night, and I had to do a full format of my Windows.

Despite backing up my Windows LOCAL Folder for Plex, — a TON of my customized settings (like: Store Temp Transcoded Files on my W:\ drive), etc, seem to have been completely reset and I dont know what happened or how to fully restore them.

Also couldnt reclaim the server, but my library remained intact so just set it all up again with more or less default settings (it looks like) on latest 1.26.1 – still the “TestFile” doesnt work for me

I also wondered if its my AMD cpu causing it, so I had a buddy who has a Core i7 8700k and a 3080 grab the matrix remux and tried to play it off his server, same thing, couldnt transcode, on his end on his dashboard all he saw was I was attemptin to “buffer buffer buffer”, and never worked.

I also tried on my a80j, but that didnt work at all from him (even direct play), as I suspect the Sony TV’s native app is too weak to cache incoming full stream? Dunno, but for his test, I couldnt even get to the Transcoding test on the a80j, so only shield was tested.

Would you perhaps be OK giving me library access to your server (just the 1 folder) so I can test it off yours?

I sent the 2GB sample file which you have, so if that one works (transcodes) fine off you… it should be telling, but to me there clearly seems to be some issue? Perhaps its specific to the RTX 3000 series (my friend and I both have that). I dont know :frowning:

Where do we go from here?