I struggle to understand Transcoding in any detail. I have got myself an HD Homerun to record some TV programmes using Plex but the files that are being produced are very significant in size, I guess they are MPEG2 - they have a .ts extension.
My server is good enough to serve them up on any device I have but I would really rather reduce their file sizes to a more realistic level. I have used the built in optimizer at the ‘Optimized for Mobile’ setting which I was worried would not be that good on a 47" TV - it is fine but still quite a large file having been reduced from 4.5Gb to 1.2Gb. I’d still like it to be under 1Gb (for a 1 hour show).
Would I be better playing with the customized settings or trying something like handbrake?
I know there is an option in the DVR setting for a post processing script but the server is built on an Xpenology server and I don’t know of any conversion software for Xpenology.
There is a setting in PMS to convert the files automatically while recording instead of saving the .ts file. In Plex Web, go to Settings \ Server \ Live TV and DVR. Click on the gear icon next to the name of your tuner. You should then see a page with an option to “Convert Video While recording”. Change that setting to “Transcode”. This still might not reduce the files down to what you want.
If you want something even smaller you will need to optimize the file like you did but choose the custom option and select an even lower bitrate.
Thanks, I have the ‘Transcode’ option selected - as the resulting file is still .ts I didn’t think it was doing anything but I see a 1 hour show that is 1.1Gb so I guess I am wrong. I am currently ‘optimizing’ that show to see how it shrinks
Thanks!
I keep on thinking of at least the early days of Google when they sent out spiders cataloging/indexing the internet - it would be good if there was an offline optimizer that trawled through a media library and processed everything that met certain criteria - I can’t even define it but I can still dream!!!
I have no “Covert Video While recording”. Maybe it’s because I have the HDHR Extend that can do hardware encoding.
Can I ask, what format (if that is the right question) does the HDHR Extend record in? And, what size is a 1 hour long show? I know that different channels have different bit rates but just looking for a ball park answer.
@MovieFan.Plex said:
There is a setting in PMS to convert the files automatically while recording instead of saving the .ts file. In Plex Web, go to Settings \ Server \ Live TV and DVR. Click on the gear icon next to the name of your tuner. You should then see a page with an option to “Convert Video While recording”. Change that setting to “Transcode”. This still might not reduce the files down to what you want.If you want something even smaller you will need to optimize the file like you did but choose the custom option and select an even lower bitrate.
FYI, in my experience, it transcodes it to h264 but still leaves it in a .ts file.
Your bursting my brain cells now - I wouldn’t have thought an (old) .ts file could have ‘used’ the h264 format!
Thanks
@masterkaj said:
I have no “Covert Video While recording”. Maybe it’s because I have the HDHR Extend that can do hardware encoding.
You should still have the option and it will use the HDHR’s internal transcoder instead of your server’s. Something doesn’t sound right if you don’t see that option, because the internal transcoder is not always used, it needs to be turned on which is what that option would do. I’ll have to check if something changed.
@KarlDag said:
FYI, in my experience, it transcodes it to h264 but still leaves it in a .ts file.@macowens said:
Thanks, I have the ‘Transcode’ option selected - as the resulting file is still .ts I didn’t think it was doing anything but I see a 1 hour show that is 1.1Gb so I guess I am wrong. I am currently ‘optimizing’ that show to see how it shrinks
Oops. Yeah, the file is still in .ts format, but the video should be in H264. The file will still use the same bitrate as the original raw video so the size will vary depending on the source but it should be quite smaller than the original. Unless the source is already in H264, which some channels are so you wouldn’t see a difference turning that function on/off.
@macowens said:
I keep on thinking of at least the early days of Google when they sent out spiders cataloging/indexing the internet - it would be good if there was an offline optimizer that trawled through a media library and processed everything that met certain criteria > - I can’t even define it but I can still dream!!!
Check out https://forums.plex.tv/discussion/131308/cayars-setup-walk-through-and-some-tips-and-tricks#latest. He made a tool that does what you are describing.
@MovieFan.Plex said:
@masterkaj said:
I have no “Covert Video While recording”. Maybe it’s because I have the HDHR Extend that can do hardware encoding.You should still have the option and it will use the HDHR’s internal transcoder instead of your server’s. Something doesn’t sound right if you don’t see that option, because the internal transcoder is not always used, it needs to be turned on which is what that option would do. I’ll have to check if something changed.
Yes, I have the internal hardware transcoding options. Problem is all of them are pretty poor for my use. The High Quality is around 3GB for 45 min, but interlaced material looks awful. High Quality 30 fps max is around 1.5-3GB and has the same issue with interlaced sources, and mobile just looks bad.
Before Plex incorporated commercial removal I was using a post-processing script with MCEBuddy/Comskip to bring 45 min shows to ~600mb with no commercials. Now that Plex has the built in commercial removal, I was hoping to just skip the MCEBuddy portion and have Plex “optimize/trancscode” my videos after they have been recorded. Unfortunately I am stuck with the hardware encoding options which don’t work for me.
Ideally Plex would record in original quality, remove commercials, then transcode via x264 to bring the size down to under 1GB.
As of now I am stuck using MCEBuddy/Comskip because the original MPEG-2 files are just too large. It’s unfortunate because I find that Plex’s commercial removal works better than Comskip.
@masterkaj said:
@MovieFan.Plex said:
@masterkaj said:
I have no “Covert Video While recording”. Maybe it’s because I have the HDHR Extend that can do hardware encoding.You should still have the option and it will use the HDHR’s internal transcoder instead of your server’s. Something doesn’t sound right if you don’t see that option, because the internal transcoder is not always used, it needs to be turned on which is what that option would do. I’ll have to check if something changed.
Yes, I have the internal hardware transcoding options. Problem is all of them are pretty poor for my use. The High Quality is around 3GB for 45 min, but interlaced material looks awful. High Quality 30 fps max is around 1.5-3GB and has the same issue with interlaced sources, and mobile just looks bad.
Before Plex incorporated commercial removal I was using a post-processing script with MCEBuddy/Comskip to bring 45 min shows to ~600mb with no commercials. Now that Plex has the built in commercial removal, I was hoping to just skip the MCEBuddy portion and have Plex “optimize/trancscode” my videos after they have been recorded. Unfortunately I am stuck with the hardware encoding options which don’t work for me.
Ideally Plex would record in original quality, remove commercials, then transcode via x264 to bring the size down to under 1GB.
As of now I am stuck using MCEBuddy/Comskip because the original MPEG-2 files are just too large. It’s unfortunate because I find that Plex’s commercial removal works better than Comskip.
It IS comskip. Probably just uses different settings.
