Transcoding problem

Plex Players Smart TVs
1

Server Version#: 4.12.3
Player Version#: 4.19.2
Hello

There is a huge problem since a few days on Samsung Tizen TV app (I have a 90R 2019) as Plex will transcode the video every time the audio has to be transcoded… Exemple: before, when I had a video that the TV could direct play but an audio that the TV needed to be transcoded, then the server would direct play the video and transcode only the audio… Since a few days: every time the TV needs the sound to be transcoded, the server will also transcode the video even if it is not necessary.

Here are the logs: Plex Media Server Logs_2020-01-31_22-19-07.zip (1.5 MB)

What can I do? A bit frustrating as I bought this TV among of other features for its Plex app…

1 Like
2

looks like maybe disable subtitles.

subtitles + audio transcoding = video transcoding

Jan 31, 2020 22:17:26.802 [0x70000b498000] DEBUG - MDE: analyzing media item 15012
Jan 31, 2020 22:17:26.802 [0x70000b498000] DEBUG - MDE: E1 - June: Direct Play is disabled
Jan 31, 2020 22:17:26.802 [0x70000b498000] DEBUG - MDE: E1 - June: media must be transcoded in order to use the dash protocol
Jan 31, 2020 22:17:26.802 [0x70000b498000] DEBUG - June - video.bitrate limitation applies: 21346 > 20000
Jan 31, 2020 22:17:26.802 [0x70000b498000] DEBUG - June - video.bitrate limitation applies: 21346 > 20000
Jan 31, 2020 22:17:26.802 [0x70000b498000] DEBUG - MDE: E1 - June: no remuxable profile found, so video stream will be transcoded
Jan 31, 2020 22:17:26.802 [0x70000b498000] DEBUG - June - video.bitrate limitation applies: 21346 > 20000
Jan 31, 2020 22:17:26.802 [0x70000b498000] DEBUG - MDE: Cannot direct stream video stream due to profile or setting limitations
Jan 31, 2020 22:17:26.802 [0x70000b498000] DEBUG - Scaled up video bitrate to 32019Kbps based on 1.500000x fudge factor.
Jan 31, 2020 22:17:26.803 [0x70000b498000] DEBUG - MDE: Cannot direct stream audio stream due to codec dca when profile only allows aac
Jan 31, 2020 22:17:26.803 [0x70000b498000] DEBUG - MDE: La Servante écarlate - S2 E1 - June: selected media 0 / 15012
Jan 31, 2020 22:17:26.803 [0x70000b498000] DEBUG - Streaming Resource: Adding session 0x7fa70db4d768:3sng7gefa5rphzicbjrmdq0u which is using transcoder slot.  Used slots is now 1
Jan 31, 2020 22:17:26.803 [0x70000b498000] DEBUG - Streaming Resource: Added session 0x7fa70db4d768:3sng7gefa5rphzicbjrmdq0u
Jan 31, 2020 22:17:26.803 [0x70000b498000] DEBUG - Streaming Resource: Reached Decision id=16975 codes=(General=1001,Direct play not available; Conversion OK. Direct Play=3000,App cannot direct play this item. Direct play is disabled. Transcode=1001,Direct play not available; Conversion OK.) media=(id=15012 part=(id=15412 decision=transcode container=mp4 protocol=dash streams=(Video=(id=31352 decision=transcode bitrate=20000 encoder=libx264 width=1920 height=1080) Audio=(id=31353 decision=transcode bitrate=768 encoder=aac_at channels=6 rate=48000))))
Jan 31, 2020 22:17:26.804 [0x70000aceb000] DEBUG - Completed: [192.168.1.100:36941] 200 GET /video/:/transcode/universal/decision?hasMDE=1&path=%2Flibrary%2Fmetadata%2F16975&mediaIndex=0&partIndex=0&protocol=dash&fastSeek=1&directPlay=0&directStream=1&subtitleSize=100&audioBoost=100&location=lan&directStreamAudio=1&mediaBufferSize=40960&session=wc50zmpbxxpzei8xttpqczdm&subtitles=burn&Accept-Language=fr (11 live) GZIP 39ms 1689 bytes (pipelined: 17)

I know its too late now, but smart tvs are just not very flexible clients (limited in bandwidth/audio compatiblity/bitrate limits/codec compatibilites/etc).

for 4k + hd audio (truehd/atmos), shield is the only one.

if you don’t care about hd audio, roku/appletv make popular streaming devices.

some people like fire devices, but my experiences with them were horrible (not just plex).

2 Likes
3

Thanks for the answer.

Subtitles are of course disabled!

Everything worked perfectly fine for about six months!

Made a mistake on server version: 1.18.5.2309

4

I do have the last Shield as well as the last Apple TV but the image quality is better with the app of the TV system as the upscale is directly done by the TV, not by the box…

5

It actually seems that Plex doesn’t support any more remux files.

Remux videos with non-remux audio are supported but remux videos with remux audio are not supported any more and are transcoded even when only the audio needs to be transcoded…

What’s happening?

6

Tried on my Shield TV to confirm that the files were working with direct play on it… So the problem definitely comes from the Samsung TV App… But I tried some files that I played a few days ago and were working without any problem and are requesting transcoding now…

7

My house is full of Samsung TVs and it’s the same, if the audio is ac3 it’s fine, but now if the audio is any form of DTS it now transcodes audio and video, before the update just the audio would transcode.

I just don’t get this app, they upgrade and break things, why ?

1 Like
8

Just tested a standard definition freeview channel which I recorded with a hdhomerun in Plex, that’s still the same, transcodes, reported that issue before Christmas.

Do they actually test stuff before they release it ?

9

I have just tried this on a TV that has been off for a while, it is running version 4.15.2, that works fine, just transcodes the audio as expected, so it’s the Samsung app updated that’s the problem.

Out of interest, I then upgraded to 4.19.2 and guess what, it transcodes audio and video, fix this please !!!

10

Oh and one last thing, this now means I can’t play 4k at all unless you convert the audio track to ac3 first, as my Nas does not have the cpu to transcode 4k video !!!

11

So it definitely comes from Plex… Please fix it :slight_smile:

12

Can someone acknowledge this please ?

13

Here is an image of two TV’s in our home, both Samsungs, one supports DTS the other doesn’t. It’s the same file going to two different Tv’s, both Tvs on 4.19.2 yet you can see to transcodes both the audio and video on the tv that doesn’t support DTS ? It never use to do this.

plex transcode2
plex transcode2725×385 60.4 KB

14

Samsung dropped DTS support for 2019 models.

15

I know that, but the point I am making is, it should only transcode the audio not the video,

The point of the screenshot is to prove the video format is fine.

16

Do you have subtitles set to automatic? The latest round of clients seems to interpret this as having subtitles on.

17

Yes, but that movie has none, there is no setting to actually turn them off, plus it doesn’t explain why that TV needs the audio transcoding but the server is also doing the video, if you change the audio to pcm stereo it doesn’t transcode the video, it must be a bug somewhere.

plex 3

18

I always disable subtitles… Plus there are even no subtitles on the last videos I tried! The problem definitely comes from Plex…

19

So I have chopped the first 2mins off this file to upload so you guys can figure out what is going on, strangely I noticed my Big Bang rips seem to work fine, even though the files look exactly the same, I believe your find this problem related to the other 4k thread, something on this version is making the video transcode when it shouldn’t.

https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/0UJ9o7IUSgtZaIgT8dmxs_kcg#test_works

https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/0FZ9KoPIHMQH-vxp6Pa4ldf5A#test_not_working

20

Come on guys, this is important, most of my blu-ray rips transcode since the update, can you look at the files ASAP and fix the issue.