Hi,
Newbie questions, sorry. I am ripping some dvds, and I noticed that in Plex’s info for an item shows Web Optimized (no).
Would it be in my best interest to have Web Optimized enabled? I read another old post that it moved the metadata to the front of the file, but I didn’t understand the implications of that. Does it benefit the initial streaming time of it? If it should be enabled, then I probably should convert my existing library, and would like to know the easiest way to do so, if desirable.
Lastly, I am streaming mostly to my Roku and local web player. Is H.265 mp4 desirable/preferred over H.264 mp4, or will it put a lot more burden on my CPU?
Web Optimized applies only to the MP4/M4V container, not to MKV. It is also known as MP4 Fast Start. It re-arranges some headers, so the client has to buffer less data before starting playback (playback starts sooner). It is a good thing. You should use it.
It depends.
In general, you should use the video and audio codecs that best match your clients, as that minimizes transcoding by your system. Transcoding increases the load on your server and it also reduces audio/video quality. Depending on your server, clients, and eyes/ears, you may or may not be able to tell a difference. However, the process of transcoding does discard information.
Regarding H.265, except for Safari v13+, no web browser support H.265 video (see caniuse.com).
If you use a web browser to watch media, consider using Plex for Windows/Mac instead. It direct plays more video & audio codecs than Plex Web, including H.265. Plex for Win/Mac is based on mpv.io, and does not have the limitations of web browsers. The most recent release added the capability to passthrough audio, which is useful if you have a surround sound system.
H.265 compresses better than H.264, requiring less bandwidth for the same quality video. This won’t matter much for local playback, as bandwidth is usually not an issue on a LAN / home network. The added compression can help on remote streaming. Note that if the stream has to be transcoded it may use more bandwidth (depending on Plex settings), as Plex transcodes all video to H.264.
What is the best way to convert the ones I already ripped without Web Optimized? Should I just create an Optimized Version in Plex? Is there something that will do only that without destroying the video? Thanks in advance.
It transcodes, like Handbrake, but also has options to remux/copy streams, which Handbrake does not. It has a checkbox for “Streaming - Fast Start” when working with mp4 files.
If you’ve a Mac, look at Subler. Use the Optimize option.
