Why isnt plex team dropping everything making hw transcoding 4K work for everyone?

CSTP · July 10, 2019, 3:47am

My specs that I have thoroughly tested on I spent four solid days with various people and it wont work. Even tried loading a new OS and fresh install of Plex.

Dell R710 Gen2, v6.6.0 BIOS dated Feb of 2019 from Dell support site, Virtualization Enabled in BIOS, SR-IOV Global setting enabled in BIOS, Dual Xeon 3.5GHz 5690 CPU’s and onboard video disabled, Windows 10 and Server 2016 (Both don’t work).

To address your Facebook post concern and why we haven’t come over here is because ultimately the software needs to be fixed. Based on my testing with the R710, it’s not hardware issue but a Plex software issue and there are allot of very technical and helpful “Windows” peeps in those groups So thought it would be worth a shot.

I am going to watch this thread and follow both of your discussions now as his issues are exactly the same as mine on Windows.

ChuckPa · July 10, 2019, 4:14am

TO ALL READING HERE.

Maybe you need to vent. I get that.

If you aren’t going to contribute in a positive way with Logs and metadata, please stay silent.
“Me too” means absolutely nothing and helps nobody

Patan32 · July 10, 2019, 6:49am

@ChuckPa

I have done the test and downloaded all the logs. I have also taken the captures of what happens when you choose different options in the client. I have notice if i choose convert automatically in plex the transcoder uses the GPU. If i choose anything else the transcoder dies and it doesn’t use the GPU and the video just buffers. Sorry i am not using P2000 but the K2200 also does the same thing as P2000. My P2000 is in another server and currently running.

I hope this helps and if you need anything else please reach out.

Plex Media Server Logs_2019-07-10_18-43-48.zip (895.2 KB)

Patan32 · July 10, 2019, 6:54am

@ChuckPa

This log is when Hardware transcode is off on the Plex GUI. Everything works smooth with no issues but uses lots of CPU with multiple transcode.

Plex Media Server Logs_2019-07-10_18-52-19.zip (931.2 KB)

ChuckPa · July 10, 2019, 3:35pm

Thanks for the log files. I will break this down in pieces and hopefully, with some additional information, a pattern will emerge.

The transcoder sequences I see are:

Nothing found (Plex Media Server.1.log)

Jul 10, 2019 18:36:58.262 [7540] DEBUG - Starting a transcode session 3atpde8kqtwu5073ihf1thyu at offset -1.0 (state=3)
Jul 10, 2019 18:36:58.265 [7540] DEBUG - TPU: hardware transcoding: enabled, but no hardware decode accelerator found
Jul 10, 2019 18:36:58.266 [7540] DEBUG - [Universal] Using local file path instead of URL: C:\Users\Administrator\Documents\Shooter\Season 1\Shooter - S01E01 - Point of Impact HDTV-720p.mkv
Jul 10, 2019 18:36:58.266 [7540] DEBUG - TPU: hardware transcoding: final decoder: , final encoder: 
Jul 10, 2019 18:36:58.269 [7540] DEBUG - Job running: EAE_ROOT='\\?\C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\Plex Media Server\Cache\Transcode\Sessions\EasyAudioEncoder' FFMPEG_EXTERNAL_LIBS='C\:\\Users\\Administrator\\AppData\\Local\\Plex\ Media\ Server\\Codecs\\21b5515-2321-windows-x86\\' X_PLEX_TOKEN='xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx' C:\Program Files (x86)\Plex\Plex Media Server\Plex Transcoder.exe -codec:0 h264 -codec:1 ac3 -ss 0 -noaccurate_seek -analyzeduration 20000000 -probesize 20000000 -i "C:\Users\Administrator\Documents\Shooter\Season 1\Shooter - S01E01 - Point of Impact HDTV-720p.mkv" -filter_complex "[0:1] aresample=async=1:ocl='stereo':osr=48000[0]" -map 0:0 -metadata:s:0 language=eng -codec:0 copy -map [0] -metadata:s:1 language=eng -codec:1 aac_mf -b:1 256k -f dash -min_seg_duration 5000000 -skip_to_segment 1 -time_delta 0.0625 -manifest_name http://127.0.0.1:32400/video/:/transcode/session/3atpde8kqtwu5073ihf1thyu/919e8981-fd2b-4a05-9152-a5c54a1c7a9a/manifest -avoid_negative_ts disabled -map_metadata -1 -map_chapters -1 dash -start_at_zero -copyts -vsync cfr -y -nostats -loglevel quiet -loglevel_plex error -progressurl http://127.0.0.1:32400/video/:/transcode/session/3atpde8kqtwu5073ihf1thyu/919e8981-fd2b-4a05-9152-a5c54a1c7a9a/progress

Not Found (Plex Media Server.log)

Jul 10, 2019 18:40:28.235 [9660] DEBUG - Starting a transcode session duzpr8h8baemsq0cp1hvtgwv at offset -1.0 (state=3)
Jul 10, 2019 18:40:28.238 [9660] DEBUG - TPU: hardware transcoding: enabled, but no hardware decode accelerator found
Jul 10, 2019 18:40:28.239 [9660] DEBUG - [Universal] Using local file path instead of URL: D:\TV Shows\2 Broke Girls\Season 1\2 Broke Girls - S01E01 - Pilot Bluray-720p.mkv
Jul 10, 2019 18:40:28.240 [9660] DEBUG - TPU: hardware transcoding: final decoder: , final encoder: 
Jul 10, 2019 18:40:28.242 [9660] DEBUG - Job running: EAE_ROOT='\\?\C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\Plex Media Server\Cache\Transcode\Sessions\EasyAudioEncoder' FFMPEG_EXTERNAL_LIBS='C\:\\Users\\Administrator\\AppData\\Local\\Plex\ Media\ Server\\Codecs\\2144ff1-2376-windows-x86\\' X_PLEX_TOKEN='xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx' C:\Program Files (x86)\Plex\Plex Media Server\Plex Transcoder.exe -codec:0 h264 -codec:1 dca -ss 0 -noaccurate_seek -analyzeduration 20000000 -probesize 20000000 -i "D:\TV Shows\2 Broke Girls\Season 1\2 Broke Girls - S01E01 - Pilot Bluray-720p.mkv" -filter_complex "[0:1] aresample=async=1:ocl='stereo':osr=48000[0]" -map 0:0 -metadata:s:0 language=eng -codec:0 copy -map [0] -metadata:s:1 language=eng -codec:1 aac_mf -b:1 256k -f dash -min_seg_duration 5000000 -skip_to_segment 1 -time_delta 0.0625 -manifest_name http://127.0.0.1:32400/video/:/transcode/session/duzpr8h8baemsq0cp1hvtgwv/7df50d19-1e45-43f5-bd4a-67dd72bcd461/manifest -avoid_negative_ts disabled -map_metadata -1 -map_chapters -1 dash -start_at_zero -copyts -vsync cfr -y -nostats -loglevel quiet -loglevel_plex error -progressurl http://127.0.0.1:32400/video/:/transcode/session/duzpr8h8baemsq0cp1hvtgwv/7df50d19-1e45-43f5-bd4a-67dd72bcd461/progress

Not found

Jul 10, 2019 18:40:35.426 [9276] DEBUG - Starting a transcode session kihp1lymmzldh5jwgei6nt2r at offset -1.0 (state=3)
Jul 10, 2019 18:40:35.426 [7080] DEBUG - Killing job.
Jul 10, 2019 18:40:35.428 [9276] DEBUG - TPU: hardware transcoding: enabled, but no hardware decode accelerator found
Jul 10, 2019 18:40:35.429 [9276] DEBUG - [Universal] Using local file path instead of URL: D:\TV Shows\2 Broke Girls\Season 1\2 Broke Girls - S01E01 - Pilot Bluray-720p.mkv
Jul 10, 2019 18:40:35.429 [9276] DEBUG - TPU: hardware transcoding: final decoder: , final encoder: 
Jul 10, 2019 18:40:35.431 [9276] DEBUG - Job running: EAE_ROOT='\\?\C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\Plex Media Server\Cache\Transcode\Sessions\EasyAudioEncoder' FFMPEG_EXTERNAL_LIBS='C\:\\Users\\Administrator\\AppData\\Local\\Plex\ Media\ Server\\Codecs\\2144ff1-2376-windows-x86\\' X_PLEX_TOKEN='xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx' C:\Program Files (x86)\Plex\Plex Media Server\Plex Transcoder.exe -codec:0 h264 -codec:1 dca -ss 0 -noaccurate_seek -analyzeduration 20000000 -probesize 20000000 -i "D:\TV Shows\2 Broke Girls\Season 1\2 Broke Girls - S01E01 - Pilot Bluray-720p.mkv" -filter_complex "[0:1] aresample=async=1:ocl='stereo':osr=48000[0]" -map 0:0 -metadata:s:0 language=eng -codec:0 copy -map [0] -metadata:s:1 language=eng -codec:1 aac_mf -b:1 256k -f dash -min_seg_duration 5000000 -skip_to_segment 1 -time_delta 0.0625 -manifest_name http://127.0.0.1:32400/video/:/transcode/session/kihp1lymmzldh5jwgei6nt2r/75e1580c-3e19-4bde-8cc2-4b54adbe0c8d/manifest -avoid_negative_ts disabled -map_metadata -1 -map_chapters -1 dash -start_at_zero -copyts -vsync cfr -y -nostats -loglevel quiet -loglevel_plex error -progressurl http://127.0.0.1:32400/video/:/transcode/session/kihp1lymmzldh5jwgei6nt2r/75e1580c-3e19-4bde-8cc2-4b54adbe0c8d/progress

Found

Jul 10, 2019 18:42:30.643 [9660] DEBUG - Starting a transcode session 2lu2t5rx5tctcuhb9baoyj4t at offset -1.0 (state=3)
Jul 10, 2019 18:42:30.646 [9660] DEBUG - TPU: hardware transcoding: using hardware decode accelerator dxva2
Jul 10, 2019 18:42:30.646 [9660] DEBUG - [Universal] Using local file path instead of URL: D:\TV Shows\2 Broke Girls\Season 1\2 Broke Girls - S01E01 - Pilot Bluray-720p.mkv
Jul 10, 2019 18:42:30.646 [9660] DEBUG - TPU: hardware transcoding: zero-copy support not present
Jul 10, 2019 18:42:30.647 [9660] DEBUG - TPU: hardware transcoding: final decoder: dxva2, final encoder: nvenc
Jul 10, 2019 18:42:30.649 [9660] DEBUG - Job running: EAE_ROOT='\\?\C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\Plex Media Server\Cache\Transcode\Sessions\EasyAudioEncoder' FFMPEG_EXTERNAL_LIBS='C\:\\Users\\Administrator\\AppData\\Local\\Plex\ Media\ Server\\Codecs\\2144ff1-2376-windows-x86\\' X_PLEX_TOKEN='xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx' C:\Program Files (x86)\Plex\Plex Media Server\Plex Transcoder.exe -codec:0 h264 -hwaccel:0 dxva2 -hwaccel_fallback_threshold:0 10 -codec:1 dca -analyzeduration 20000000 -probesize 20000000 -i "D:\TV Shows\2 Broke Girls\Season 1\2 Broke Girls - S01E01 - Pilot Bluray-720p.mkv" -filter_complex [0:0]scale=w=1280:h=720[0];[0]format=pix_fmts=nv12[1] -filter_complex "[0:1] aresample=async=1:ocl='stereo':osr=48000[2]" -map [1] -metadata:s:0 language=eng -codec:0 h264_nvenc -b:0 4662k -maxrate:0 6216k -bufsize:0 12432k -forced-idr:0 1 -r:0 23.975999999999999 -force_key_frames:0 expr:gte(t,0+n_forced*3) -map [2] -metadata:s:1 language=eng -codec:1 aac_mf -b:1 256k -f dash -min_seg_duration 3000000 -skip_to_segment 1 -time_delta 0.0625 -manifest_name http://127.0.0.1:32400/video/:/transcode/session/2lu2t5rx5tctcuhb9baoyj4t/e6f0b812-528c-47fa-b4e6-b46856dfe991/manifest -avoid_negative_ts disabled -map_metadata -1 -map_chapters -1 dash -start_at_zero -copyts -vsync cfr -y -nostats -loglevel quiet -loglevel_plex error -progressurl http://127.0.0.1:32400/video/:/transcode/session/2lu2t5rx5tctcuhb9baoyj4t/e6f0b812-528c-47fa-b4e6-b46856dfe991/progress

Found

Jul 10, 2019 18:42:32.492 [9660] DEBUG - TPU: hardware transcoding: zero-copy support not present
Jul 10, 2019 18:42:32.493 [9660] DEBUG - TPU: hardware transcoding: final decoder: dxva2, final encoder: nvenc
Jul 10, 2019 18:42:32.495 [9660] DEBUG - Job running: EAE_ROOT='\\?\C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\Plex Media Server\Cache\Transcode\Sessions\EasyAudioEncoder' FFMPEG_EXTERNAL_LIBS='C\:\\Users\\Administrator\\AppData\\Local\\Plex\ Media\ Server\\Codecs\\2144ff1-2376-windows-x86\\' X_PLEX_TOKEN='xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx' C:\Program Files (x86)\Plex\Plex Media Server\Plex Transcoder.exe -codec:0 h264 -hwaccel:0 dxva2 -hwaccel_fallback_threshold:0 10 -codec:1 dca -ss 39 -analyzeduration 20000000 -probesize 20000000 -i "D:\TV Shows\2 Broke Girls\Season 1\2 Broke Girls - S01E01 - Pilot Bluray-720p.mkv" -filter_complex [0:0]scale=w=1280:h=720[0];[0]format=pix_fmts=nv12[1] -filter_complex "[0:1] aresample=async=1:ocl='stereo':osr=48000[2]" -map [1] -metadata:s:0 language=eng -codec:0 h264_nvenc -b:0 4662k -maxrate:0 6216k -bufsize:0 12432k -forced-idr:0 1 -r:0 23.975999999999999 -force_key_frames:0 expr:gte(t,39+n_forced*3) -map [2] -metadata:s:1 language=eng -codec:1 aac_mf -b:1 256k -f dash -min_seg_duration 3000000 -skip_to_segment 14 -time_delta 0.0625 -manifest_name http://127.0.0.1:32400/video/:/transcode/session/2lu2t5rx5tctcuhb9baoyj4t/326db6b8-7614-4600-b6c1-50efbe773460/manifest -avoid_negative_ts disabled -map_metadata -1 -map_chapters -1 dash -start_at_zero -copyts -y -nostats -loglevel quiet -loglevel_plex error -progressurl http://127.0.0.1:32400/video/:/transcode/session/2lu2t5rx5tctcuhb9baoyj4t/326db6b8-7614-4600-b6c1-50efbe773460/progress

Found

Jul 10, 2019 18:42:39.016 [6492] DEBUG - Starting a transcode session 2lu2t5rx5tctcuhb9baoyj4t at offset 69.0 (state=3)
Jul 10, 2019 18:42:39.018 [6492] DEBUG - TPU: hardware transcoding: using hardware decode accelerator dxva2
Jul 10, 2019 18:42:39.019 [6492] DEBUG - [Universal] Using local file path instead of URL: D:\TV Shows\2 Broke Girls\Season 1\2 Broke Girls - S01E01 - Pilot Bluray-720p.mkv
Jul 10, 2019 18:42:39.019 [6492] DEBUG - TPU: hardware transcoding: zero-copy support not present
Jul 10, 2019 18:42:39.020 [6492] DEBUG - TPU: hardware transcoding: final decoder: dxva2, final encoder: nvenc
Jul 10, 2019 18:42:39.021 [7124] DEBUG - Auth: authenticated user 1 as Patan32
Jul 10, 2019 18:42:39.021 [8532] DEBUG - Request: [::ffff:127.0.0.1:51627 (Loopback)] GET /status/sessions (13 live) GZIP Signed-in Token (Patan32)
Jul 10, 2019 18:42:39.022 [6492] DEBUG - Job running: EAE_ROOT='\\?\C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\Plex Media Server\Cache\Transcode\Sessions\EasyAudioEncoder' FFMPEG_EXTERNAL_LIBS='C\:\\Users\\Administrator\\AppData\\Local\\Plex\ Media\ Server\\Codecs\\2144ff1-2376-windows-x86\\' X_PLEX_TOKEN='xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx' C:\Program Files (x86)\Plex\Plex Media Server\Plex Transcoder.exe -codec:0 h264 -hwaccel:0 dxva2 -hwaccel_fallback_threshold:0 10 -codec:1 dca -ss 69.015999000000022 -analyzeduration 20000000 -probesize 20000000 -i "D:\TV Shows\2 Broke Girls\Season 1\2 Broke Girls - S01E01 - Pilot Bluray-720p.mkv" -filter_complex [0:0]scale=w=1280:h=720[0];[0]format=pix_fmts=nv12[1];[1]select=gte(t\,68.985651)[2] -filter_complex "[0:1] aresample=async=1:ocl='stereo':osr=48000[3]" -map [2] -metadata:s:0 language=eng -codec:0 h264_nvenc -b:0 4662k -maxrate:0 6216k -bufsize:0 12432k -forced-idr:0 1 -r:0 23.975999999999999 -force_key_frames:0 expr:gte(t,69+n_forced*3) -map [3] -metadata:s:1 language=eng -codec:1 aac_mf -b:1 256k -bsf:1 framedrop=count=1 -f dash -min_seg_duration 3000000 -skip_to_segment 24 -time_delta 0.0625 -manifest_name http://127.0.0.1:32400/video/:/transcode/session/2lu2t5rx5tctcuhb9baoyj4t/58e21abf-5a58-4cc9-a10d-90eb0d654144/manifest -avoid_negative_ts disabled -map_metadata -1 -map_chapters -1 dash -start_at_zero -copyts -y -nostats -loglevel quiet -loglevel_plex error -progressurl http://127.0.0.1:32400/video/:/transcode/session/2lu2t5rx5tctcuhb9baoyj4t/58e21abf-5a58-4cc9-a10d-90eb0d654144/progress

From this point forward, through EOF, Found.

ChuckPa · July 10, 2019, 3:46pm

I do not know microsoft provisions resources.
I do know that nVidia places limits on certain GPU models. Some only allow 2 active transcodes. Attempts to activate a 3rd result in “Not Found” (no resources available)

Yes, Using a GPU takes a lot of resources.
From what I’m seeing,

Microsoft is utilizing its DXVA2 decoder in the hardware
Plex is using the nvenc encoder

Because Plex doesn’t have nvidia GPU decoding yet, this makes (unforunately) perfect sense. Microsoft is backfilling the decode requirement.

Speaking to the lack of decode, on Linux, we can pretty easily patch around the lack of decoding. While not supportable, it does work.

Patan32 · July 10, 2019, 7:01pm

@ChuckPa

I am using K2200 here which is fully unlocked. I am only playing one transcoded video here and not multiple.

Quadro K2200 Maxwell (1st Gen) GM107 D 1 1 1 Unrestricted YES YES YES NO NO NO NO NO

The card card is unrestricted and no limit. The only thing this card can’t do is H265 video. I am not playing H265 video in the test as log shows also. Where from here? I don’t want to move to Linux. Can you forward this information to your engineers that look after Windows so they can contact me. I can understand you only do Linux and that’s totally fine. I need help here.

From the screenshots you can clearly see that something is wrong with the transcoder and once you choose “Convert Automatically” it transcode.

If Plex doesn’t have GPU decoding it should fall back to Windows Software decoding and this is stated by plex and clearly doesn’t work. Poor design and coding? If it’s falling back correctly why is the video buffering and not continuing as normal?

I need some good answers and i am happy to do more tests as required.

ChuckPa · July 10, 2019, 7:22pm

I don’t know what this means but “ok”

As for what to forward, I looked in the list of what the known problems are.

All this is already listed and also listed as top things being fixed in the next update of the transcoder.

I’ve reported several places in the Linux threads that the current state of that effort is going back and forth from regression testing ↔ fixes.

This is happening because FFMPEG is only a part of the transcoder. Everything integrated from the upstream had to be integrated with the core code by hand. It’s both complex and detail rich.

In summary, Windows and Linux are essentially in the same position; waiting for the transcoder update. The difference being, there is a way to work around it in Linux but not windows.

I will take all this information and again verify it’s listed but my first read through the list and this these results looked like it’s all listed.

Patan32 · July 10, 2019, 7:43pm

@ChuckPa

This was copy and pasted from the Nvidia matrix. Just trying to prove that the card doesn’t have any limits.

At this stage, you and I can’t do much then?

ChuckPa · July 10, 2019, 7:46pm

No, I’m sorry but we have to wait. I looked at the testing which is ongoing. To me, it looks like it is really close. I’m not seeing major failing/faults like I did initially. It is looking like just the finer, odd-use cases which regression testing is expected to find.

what that might mean to “when” is anyone’s guess. I have no input into Engineering releasing it to us. I suspect however, we’ll see a public forum testing thread before it becomes mainstream.

timnsena · July 11, 2019, 4:16am

Will this also solve the issue of the K2200 only being used if 720p is chosen? I’m running Plex in a W7 Xen VM with the K2200 directly passed through on the pci bus. Everything else works (other programs using the card, and not at the same time as plex is running) but this and the problem described above both occur for me in Plex. Oh, and ‘remove commercials’ doesn’t work at all via Plex (the recordings just hang), but still works fine with MCEBuddy running on the same VM. Thanks.

ChuckPa · July 11, 2019, 6:02am

I don’t know what is included in the update/upgrade so much more than knowing the HW decoding side is getting a lot of attention is pretty much pure speculation on my part.

I am in Support and happen to handle Packaging for the Linux products. That’s it , sorry.

Patan32 · July 11, 2019, 7:54am

Maybe tag Windows Engineers so they understand our issues. No point Linux Support Engineer trying to help with Windows when he can be no help.

ChuckPa · July 11, 2019, 3:57pm

Please let me be perfectly clear.

I understand the issues
People are asking for answers that are OS-independent (means it doesn’t matter if Win or Linux)
I am not a WIndows developer. I’ve done GPU-based Linux work for 14 years. The problem is the same.

This is the important part

I do not have visibility into Engineering scheduling
I am not part of the transcoding team meetings
I follow, as best I can, the QA-Engineering communication as they perform their “Regression testing <-> Correct issues” cycle.

No amount of tagging people is going to make work get done any faster.

As I stated above, If there are other issues not demonstrated with Log files & metadata, Other than the ones shown above, Add them.

If folks want to be certain something is fixed, Demonstrate & Document the problem quantitatively.

timnsena · July 12, 2019, 12:19am

Thanks, good to know it’s being worked on.

lostcowboy · August 16, 2019, 8:34am

Hi, I don’t have a plex pass which means I can’t test HW transcoding on my RTX 2080 Ti gpu I do manual HW transcoding using Xmedia Recode, which uses FFmpeg. The good thing about FFmpeg is about two years ago Nvidia had their programmers work with the FFmpeg programmers to make sure it could take full advantage of Nvidia’s GPU’s. FFmpeg is able to decode video on the GPU, FFmpeg is able to encode video on the GPU. But the best part is FFmpeg is able to decode and encode on the GPU with out having the data go to ram memory. Now FFmpeg has been able to do this for at least two years, because I have been using Xmedia Recode for two years. NVIDIA FFmpeg Transcoding Guide July 24, 2019 this is their latest blog on it.

Maybe the Plex trancoder programmers need to invite the Nvidia programmers to help them. Especially as Nvidia has been promoting Plex as a software that uses FFmpeg on Nvidia

system · November 14, 2019, 8:34am

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Why isnt plex team dropping everything making hw transcoding 4K work for everyone?

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