# Trouble Transcoding (Decoder error: 121) **URL:** \ **Category:** Plex Media Server\ **Tags:** server-unraid\ **Created:** [November 17, 2022, 11:40pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/trouble-transcoding-decoder-error-121/818988 "2022-11-17T23:40:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Italicize4786](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e480ec/32.png) [@Italicize4786](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Italicize4786)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2022, 11:40pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/trouble-transcoding-decoder-error-121/818988/1 "2022-11-17T23:40:52Z")
Plex has been incredible to use, but just the other day it all of the sudden started to error whenever a movie or tv show needed to be transocded. I’ve come to realize that this error shows up whenever I try to transcode media with an audio codec of TrueHD. I am not sure what’s going on, and I have tried various ways of fixing it, but to no avail. I have deleted and replaced the codec file. I’ve even completed deleted the container and re-downloaded it which was a huge pain, but nothing. Lastly I tried increasing the number of directories via these steps (link [here](https://forums.plex.tv/t/increase-the-number-of-directories-linux-can-monitor-notify/209156)). If there is another reason as to why this is happening I’m all ears. ![Screen Shot 2022-11-16 at 10.28.16 PM](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/4X/9/4/a/94a63e3cf1a8ac93ed70c6d8cf7fb1488bd201cc.png) ---
**Author:** ![ChuckPa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/chuckpa/32/79710_2.png) [@ChuckPa](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ChuckPa)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2022, 1:11am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/trouble-transcoding-decoder-error-121/818988/2 "2022-11-18T01:11:06Z")
I checked with Engineering. While the dolby code prints the error, it is harmless. It’s telling you the audio delay it encountered in the file is less than 1. Most audio delay values are positive greater than 1 but a value of zero is valid (albeit not often seen) ---
**Author:** ![Italicize4786](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e480ec/32.png) [@Italicize4786](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Italicize4786)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2022, 3:08am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/trouble-transcoding-decoder-error-121/818988/4 "2022-11-18T03:08:19Z")
So I’ve realized that I have a drive within my array that has an error. The media I’m watching that isn’t on that drive seems to work perfectly fine with the same audio codec. It looks like it’s my drive may be failing. I’ll swap it out with a healthy one and see if that fixes my issue! ---
**Author:** ![Italicize4786](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e480ec/32.png) [@Italicize4786](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Italicize4786)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2022, 3:29pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/trouble-transcoding-decoder-error-121/818988/5 "2022-11-18T15:29:55Z")
Update: I replaced my bad drive with a healthy one and it unfortunately still isn’t working. That same error will show up and then a minute later the audio goes and then the video completely stops playing. I’m not really sure what’s going on, but some insight would be really appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![ChuckPa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/chuckpa/32/79710_2.png) [@ChuckPa](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ChuckPa)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2022, 4:39pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/trouble-transcoding-decoder-error-121/818988/6 "2022-11-18T16:39:23Z")
I need to see the DEBUG log files ZIP which captures this. Can’t diagnose further without them. ---
**Author:** ![Italicize4786](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e480ec/32.png) [@Italicize4786](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Italicize4786)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2022, 4:49pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/trouble-transcoding-decoder-error-121/818988/10 "2022-11-18T16:49:04Z")
[Plex Media Server Logs\_2022-11-18\_08-48-20.zip](https://forums.plex.tv/uploads/short-url/rPZkJefn9Maha9IYtKb34MhJfyj.zip) (2.0 MB) Hopefully this is what you are looking for. ---
**Author:** ![ChuckPa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/chuckpa/32/79710_2.png) [@ChuckPa](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ChuckPa)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2022, 5:16pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/trouble-transcoding-decoder-error-121/818988/11 "2022-11-18T17:16:19Z")
Think I found the problem 😉 ```auto Nov 18, 2022 08:45:45.115 [0x153715632b38] DEBUG - Completed: [127.0.0.1:42338] 200 POST /video/:/transcode/session/94BA0348-64DF-4DA4-AF15-63E166922B5B/65066d61-6088-4017-808a-c5cb593e0a49/progress/log?level=0&message=Error%20while%20decoding%20stream%20%230%3A1%3A%20No%20space%20left%20on%20device (9 live) 0ms 195 bytes (pipelined: 78852) (range: bytes=0-) Nov 18, 2022 08:45:45.115 [0x1537119afb38] DEBUG - Request: [127.0.0.1:42338 (Loopback)] POST /video/:/transcode/session/94BA0348-64DF-4DA4-AF15-63E166922B5B/65066d61-6088-4017-808a-c5cb593e0a49/progress/log?level=0&message=Error%20while%20decoding%20stream%20%230%3A1%3A%20No%20space%20left%20on%20device (9 live) #31955 Signed-in Token (ammonrose) (range: bytes=0-) Nov 18, 2022 08:45:45.115 [0x1537119afb38] ERROR - [Req#31955/Transcode/94BA0348-64DF-4DA4-AF15-63E166922B5B/65066d61-6088-4017-808a-c5cb593e0a49] Error while decoding stream #0:1: No space left on device Nov 18, 2022 08:45:45.115 [0x153715835b38] DEBUG - Completed: [127.0.0.1:42338] 200 POST /video/:/transcode/session/94BA0348-64DF-4DA4-AF15-63E166922B5B/65066d61-6088-4017-808a-c5cb593e0a49/progress/log?level=0&message=Error%20while%20decoding%20stream%20%230%3A1%3A%20No%20space%20left%20on%20device (9 live) 0ms 195 bytes (pipelined: 78853) (range: bytes=0-) Nov 18, 2022 08:45:45.115 [0x15370defbb38] DEBUG - Request: [127.0.0.1:42338 (Loopback)] POST /video/:/transcode/session/94BA0348-64DF-4DA4-AF15-63E166922B5B/65066d61-6088-4017-808a-c5cb593e0a49/progress/log?level=0&message=Error%20while%20decoding%20stream%20%230%3A1%3A%20No%20space%20left%20on%20device (9 live) #31956 Signed-in Token (ammonrose) (range: bytes=0-) Nov 18, 2022 08:45:45.115 [0x15370defbb38] ERROR - [Req#31956/Transcode/94BA0348-64DF-4DA4-AF15-63E166922B5B/65066d61-6088-4017-808a-c5cb593e0a49] Error while decoding stream #0:1: No space left on device Nov 18, 2022 08:45:45.115 [0x153715632b38] DEBUG - Completed: [127.0.0.1:42338] 200 POST /video/:/transcode/session/94BA0348-64DF-4DA4-AF15-63E166922B5B/65066d61-6088-4017-808a-c5cb593e0a49/progress/log?level=0&message=Error%20while%20decoding%20stream%20%230%3A1%3A%20No%20space%20left%20on%20device (9 live) 0ms 195 bytes (pipelined: 78854) (range: bytes=0-) Nov 18, 2022 08:45:45.115 [0x1537113a2b38] DEBUG - Request: [127.0.0.1:42338 (Loopback)] POST /video/:/transcode/session/94BA0348-64DF-4DA4-AF15-63E166922B5B/65066d61-6088-4017-808a-c5cb593e0a49/progress/log?level=0&message=Error%20while%20decoding%20stream%20%230%3A1%3A%20No%20space%20left%20on%20device (9 live) #31957 Signed-in Token (ammonrose) (range: bytes=0-) Nov 18, 2022 08:45:45.115 [0x1537113a2b38] ERROR - [Req#31957/Transcode/94BA0348-64DF-4DA4-AF15-63E166922B5B/65066d61-6088-4017-808a-c5cb593e0a49] Error while decoding stream #0:1: No space left on device Nov 18, 2022 08:45:45.115 [0x153715835b38] DEBUG - Completed: [127.0.0.1:42338] 200 POST /video/:/transcode/session/94BA0348-64DF-4DA4-AF15-63E166922B5B/65066d61-6088-4017-808a-c5cb593e0a49/progress/log?level=0&message=Error%20while%20decoding%20stream%20%230%3A1%3A%20No%20space%20left%20on%20device (9 live) 0ms 195 bytes (pipelined: 78855) (range: bytes=0-) Nov 18, 2022 08:45:45.115 [0x15370d8f2b38] DEBUG - Request: [127.0.0.1:42338 (Loopback)] POST /video/:/transcode/session/94BA0348-64DF-4DA4-AF15-63E166922B5B/65066d61-6088-4017-808a-c5cb593e0a49/progress/log?level=0&message=Error%20while%20decoding%20stream%20%230%3A1%3A%20No%20space%20left%20on%20device (9 live) #31958 Signed-in Token (ammonrose) (range: bytes=0-) Nov 18, 2022 08:45:45.115 [0x15370d8f2b38] ERROR - [Req#31958/Transcode/94BA0348-64DF-4DA4-AF15-63E166922B5B/65066d61-6088-4017-808a-c5cb593e0a49] Error while decoding stream #0:1: No space left on device Nov 18, 2022 08:45:45.115 [0x153715632b38] DEBUG - Completed: [127.0.0.1:42338] 200 POST /video/:/transcode/session/94BA0348-64DF-4DA4-AF15-63E166922B5B/65066d61-6088-4017-808a-c5cb593e0a49/progress/log?level=0&message=Error%20while%20decoding%20stream%20%230%3A1%3A%20No%20space%20left%20on%20device (9 live) 0ms 195 bytes (pipelined: 78856) (range: bytes=0-) ``` ---
**Author:** ![Italicize4786](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e480ec/32.png) [@Italicize4786](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Italicize4786)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2022, 5:18pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/trouble-transcoding-decoder-error-121/818988/12 "2022-11-18T17:18:57Z")
I’ll be honest. This may as well be another language because I have no idea what any of it means 😂 Could you elaborate for me to help me understand? Also, thank you for your help, I really appreciate it! ---
**Author:** ![ChuckPa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/chuckpa/32/79710_2.png) [@ChuckPa](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ChuckPa)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2022, 5:21pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/trouble-transcoding-decoder-error-121/818988/13 "2022-11-18T17:21:18Z")
What’s happening here, 1. The audio and video are being read from the file. 2. A transcode is needed. 3. PMS is sending a POST message (a ‘do this’ command) to the transcoder. 4. It tries to write the block of audio to the disk (Because it’s Dolby) 5. The disk is reporting full. Dolby uses `/tmp` Is the `/tmp` (filesystem it’s on) full ? ---
**Author:** ![Italicize4786](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e480ec/32.png) [@Italicize4786](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Italicize4786)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2022, 5:25pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/trouble-transcoding-decoder-error-121/818988/14 "2022-11-18T17:25:59Z")
I looked into the tmp folder and I don’t see how it could be full. It has some files in there that are only Byte sized, and it says I still have 302GB free. I feel like we’re so close to figuring this out! ---
**Author:** ![Italicize4786](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e480ec/32.png) [@Italicize4786](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Italicize4786)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2022, 5:31pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/trouble-transcoding-decoder-error-121/818988/15 "2022-11-18T17:31:04Z")
Should I delete whatever is in the /tmp folder and see if that solves it? ---
**Author:** ![ChuckPa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/chuckpa/32/79710_2.png) [@ChuckPa](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ChuckPa)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2022, 5:32pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/trouble-transcoding-decoder-error-121/818988/16 "2022-11-18T17:32:16Z")
I don’t know what’s in your /tmp directory. On my system, deleting everything in /tmp would be a problem. go look in your /tmp. what do you see? what does “df -h” show? ---
**Author:** ![Italicize4786](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e480ec/32.png) [@Italicize4786](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Italicize4786)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2022, 5:39pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/trouble-transcoding-decoder-error-121/818988/17 "2022-11-18T17:39:06Z")
![df -h](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/4X/a/8/f/a8f4e0370ceae2054670848238defdff5f5c3fac.png) ![tmp (1)](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/4X/0/8/0/080936040477fb1a3608aa49094a749a7d9e0632.png) ![tmp (2)](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/4X/1/6/b/16b1b152a5f9ed7b268784b6cbda777e6d987e42.png) ![tmp (3)](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/4X/f/e/b/feb748c0582e0966cc8dc77fc21beb5b7dd98f40.png) Here’s what I am seeing. /tmp → pms folder → EasyAudioEncoder → The folders saying “Convert to Dolby Digital…” are all empty. ---
**Author:** ![Italicize4786](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e480ec/32.png) [@Italicize4786](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Italicize4786)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2022, 5:47pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/trouble-transcoding-decoder-error-121/818988/18 "2022-11-18T17:47:12Z")
I found another /tmp folder that I think is most likely being used because in my Plex container I have the file path as just /tmp which is what this folder contains: ![tmp (4)](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/4X/9/8/3/983c313d0f3db4ffd84e4a7ba1b3daa647663cc5.png) However, it also isn’t full. Only KB of info exist on it with plenty of free space. ---
**Author:** ![Italicize4786](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e480ec/32.png) [@Italicize4786](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Italicize4786)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2022, 5:59pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/trouble-transcoding-decoder-error-121/818988/19 "2022-11-18T17:59:06Z")
Here’s df -h input into my Plex container. The other one I sent was from my actual server. ![df -h plex container](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/4X/3/4/b/34bb8d5473f05d90030ab5760c65f33ad2ec9f2f.png) ---
**Author:** ![ChuckPa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/chuckpa/32/79710_2.png) [@ChuckPa](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ChuckPa)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2022, 6:17pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/trouble-transcoding-decoder-error-121/818988/20 "2022-11-18T18:17:42Z")
Thanks. I must apologize. I forgot about the inotify table. Do you have a lot of music or photos? Of specific importance here - 1. Do you use a lot of directories for all of your media (movies, episodes, music, photos) ?? 2. While newer linux kernels have default table size of 65536 directories, the previous generation of kernels had a default size of 8192. This is significant when using Dolby EAE because the transcoder requires 2 notify slots to talk to it. If your notify table is full, there’s nothing left to allocate to the EAE/Transcode session. As it tries to do this, it will also say “no space left on device”. You can also see this message at PMS start if the table fills when it completes loading the Notify table. ---
**Author:** ![Italicize4786](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e480ec/32.png) [@Italicize4786](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Italicize4786)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2022, 6:26pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/trouble-transcoding-decoder-error-121/818988/21 "2022-11-18T18:26:31Z")
So I did adjust that yesterday to 32768 as I was following the instructions from another of your posts. Do I need to increase it to 65536? As far as music and/or photos, I barely have any. Zero photos, and I’d say a couple hundred of songs. ![total entries](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/4X/5/7/f/57f4218c02c76fcd0e9c3e4be2f7ea0d91b85e2d.png) ---
**Author:** ![ChuckPa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/chuckpa/32/79710_2.png) [@ChuckPa](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ChuckPa)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2022, 7:43pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/trouble-transcoding-decoder-error-121/818988/22 "2022-11-18T19:43:37Z")
No, you don’t need to increase. I would like you to stop Plex. I would like you to go into the “Codecs” directory and delete everything you see **except** the `.device_id` file. This is your server’s license file. Now start PMS and try playing again. You’ll notice a momentary longer startup time on the first one while PMS downloads the new codecs it needs. ---
**Author:** ![Italicize4786](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e480ec/32.png) [@Italicize4786](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Italicize4786)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2022, 8:04pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/trouble-transcoding-decoder-error-121/818988/23 "2022-11-18T20:04:31Z")
I deleted the files in the “Codecs” directory except for .device\_id (Plex was stopped prior to this), then I started Plex back up and it still errored with the same errors. ---
**Author:** ![Italicize4786](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e480ec/32.png) [@Italicize4786](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Italicize4786)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2022, 8:08pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/trouble-transcoding-decoder-error-121/818988/24 "2022-11-18T20:08:54Z")
I did increase it to 65536 just to see if that would help and it didn’t. [Next page](https://forums.plex.tv/t/trouble-transcoding-decoder-error-121/818988.md?page=2)