Jump to content

How do I configure audio pass through?


A8HTPC

Recommended Posts

A8HTPC

I have had time to play around with my ROKU lately and I notice with Hunger Games Catching Fire, Plex will direct play the video while MB transcodes even at the highest bitrate setting. There doesn't seem to be a direct play option unless its automatic. What I find interesting is that this movie only has 5.1 AC-3 audio, technically my TV only supports two channel though plex will direct play the movie with no transcoding. I know Roku bitstreams audio through HDMI, I just thought it only does that as long as the device supports the audio stream.

 

I have the Roku 2 hooked up via HDMI to my Panny Plasma.

 

What info would you need from me to help with this? I would rather use MediaBrowser

Edited by A8HTPC
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A8HTPC

Server Ver: 3.0.5366.22005

I have not updated server yet but I will do it now.

 

I attempted to play the movie twice so there are two transcode logs

 

Server Log - 10/5/2014 8:44 AM

Transcode Log 1 - 10/5/2014 8:34 AM

Transcode Log 2 - 10/5/2014 8:38 AM

 

Hunger Games Catching Fire MediaInfo Log

 

Is there a log from MB Roku that you need?

Edited by A8HTPC
Link to comment
Share on other sites

transcode 1 is because of the roku bitrate setting. transcode 2 isn't really a full transcode, it's just a container swap, which doesn't have any cpu impact.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A8HTPC

So its converting from MKV container to another? Why would it need to do this? It still eats up about 20-30% of my CPU. Not much but ffmpeg is still working. Im just curious if there is really a need for it since plex doesnt use any CPU, sits at idle (1-3%)

Edited by A8HTPC
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A8HTPC

ya....thats as far as I go. Im no software programmer. If I could figure it out on my own I wouldn't have asked the question

Edited by A8HTPC
Link to comment
Share on other sites

@@A8HTPC

 

I only have a roku3. My changes mainly give roku3 a few extra abilities which allow it to direct stream more content since its processor affords more support. Since you have a roku2 I need you to set your roku up in debugging mode. This way you can telnet into your roku and send it update zips. You don't need to be a programmer to help out. Once set up into debugging mode you need to get the zip file on the mediabrowser.roku branch on github. Copy this zip to your roku over the http interface it offers in debug mode. Now telnet your roku on port 8085. You will see rokus debug now. Now choose the problematic video and what reason does it give for transcoding?

 

Without having your video in my possession I can only make assumptions as to why its transcoding. You will need to show some roku debug from telnet and give us clues please. Once again, this doesn't involve any programming skill. It is a very simple and straight forward process.

 

http://sdkdocs.roku.com/display/sdkdoc/Developer+Guide#DeveloperGuide-70LoadingandRunningyourApplicationWalkthrough

 

This will explain how to get into debug/developer mode, how to side load the zip, and the telnet process.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

Edited by speechles
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A8HTPC

Thanks Speechles, I am glad to help any way I can, just need guidance. I'll try this out and give you the info I find.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi, I was having the same issue and found out that I didn't have the video quality setting high enough in the Roku app to avoid transcoding. 

 

In the MB Roku channel, head to the bottom and select preferences, then select Video Quality.  I changed mine to 20Mbps.

 

Also, following guides work perfectly with MB and Roku direct streaming if you want to make sure your files are optimized for the Roku.  They look great through MBC as well with these encoding specs.

 

ROKODING | Video Encoding for the Roku

 

All files using this encoding setup (i've tested 480P and 720P original settings) allow Roku to direct stream using MB.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kent, this isn't our first rodeo. I'm assuming he already has the roku bitrate maxed out. He stated Plex plays the video without transcoding, so what we need to know is why Mediabrowser on the roku does. It isn't necessary to transcode the video to a known quality which the roku loves without hassle, especially if its a downloaded video. I want to find edge cases where videos outside of specification still direct stream with other clients on roku. Then fix these edge cases so transcoding them isn't occurring for mediabrowser's roku client.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

Edited by speechles
Link to comment
Share on other sites

speechles, I'm with you.  I guess 20 years working in IT with a start at the help desk has taught me one thing, never assume the basics are covered. 

 

"And what do they say about assumption being the brother of all f*-ups?"

 

In any case, there are many lurkers in forums and google that I'm sure my post might help, now or in the future.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kent, it's all good but isn't necessary to derail this thread into converting video and encoding standards. Its pretty basic. Plex plays his video direct, Mediabrowser does not. Cut and dry. There isn't anyone who can reply besides A8HTPC with clues as to why. Anything else is basically like Luke says, just contributes to noise. So to stick on topic, I await A8HTPC's reply.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A8HTPC

 

 

"And what do they say about assumption being the brother of all f*-ups"

Happens to me in Auto Mechanics. We always say "Assumptions make an ass out of you and me"

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A8HTPC

Hi, I was having the same issue and found out that I didn't have the video quality setting high enough in the Roku app to avoid transcoding. 

 

In the MB Roku channel, head to the bottom and select preferences, then select Video Quality.  I changed mine to 20Mbps.

 

Also, following guides work perfectly with MB and Roku direct streaming if you want to make sure your files are optimized for the Roku.  They look great through MBC as well with these encoding specs.

 

ROKODING | Video Encoding for the Roku

 

All files using this encoding setup (i've tested 480P and 720P original settings) allow Roku to direct stream using MB.

 

This was my problem in the first transcode log. The second transcode log is after I set the video quality to 20MB/s ffmpeg still does something since its consuming 20-30% CPU. 

 

I'll play around with it now speechles

Edited by A8HTPC
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its converting the audio for some reason and remuxing it into an m3u8. But we need to identify at what juncture of the codes audio logic this happens and adjust that part. The debug logs roku offers via telnet do exactly that. The logic for that part can fail in several parts and cause the issue. But which part??

 

Also, since Plex plays the video can we safely assume the roku is set to 5.1 surround?

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

Edited by speechles
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A8HTPC

Hi Guys. Thank you again for stepping me through on how to help give you more info.

 

My Roku hooked up via HDMI and is setup for 2ch. Not surround. This is where I get a little confused cause I expected plex to transcode everything. But maybe cause its connected via HDMI it is bitstreaming the surround audio and the TV is doing the work? Hard to believe that part.

 

Roku 2720x

Software Ver 5.5 Build 428

 

In case it will help
Plex Log - For same movie

 

I cropped the portion of the log where it starts when I navigate into the Hunger Games collection. If you need all the other mumbojumbo let me know. I played the video for a little bit and stopped it.

Loading beginning of row 0, The Hunger Games Collection
Total initial grid load took: 46ms
Count loaded is now 2 out of 2
Loaded 2 elements in row 0, now have 2
Entered CreateScreenForItem
Calling createVideoSpringboardScreen
Primary image aspect ratio  0.6666667
Pushing screen 3 onto view controller stack - VideoSpringboardScreencda98fe4cbe7
644eef5ac3b4e8b76579
Getting metadata for Id cda98fe4cbe7644eef5ac3b4e8b76579
Media item container: mkv
Media item video codec: h264
Media item audio codec: ac3
Media item subtitles: invalid
Media item stereo codec: invalid
Media item surround codec: ac3
Secondary audio stream selected: false
videoCanDirectPlay: ac not aac/ac3/mp3
Setting video springboard screen content
Showing video springboard screen
Connection[87031828].info: accepted connection @192.168.0.14:49175
Request[3].info: POST '/mediabrowser/message/Ping'
Reply[31].info: Sent 162 [0-161/162]
Reply[31].info: source buf is empty
Reply[31].info: Sent-1 [0--2/0]
Connection[87031828].info: send reply peer closed @192.168.0.14:49175
Button command: play
Not sure what to do with breadcrumbs on screen type: Invalid
Pushing screen 4 onto view controller stack - Video Player
MediaPlayer::playVideo: Displaying video: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Getting metadata for Id cda98fe4cbe7644eef5ac3b4e8b76579
Media item container: mkv
Media item video codec: h264
Media item audio codec: ac3
Media item subtitles: invalid
Media item stereo codec: invalid
Media item surround codec: ac3
Secondary audio stream selected: false
videoCanDirectPlay: ac not aac/ac3/mp3
Setting PlayStart to 0
Starting to play transcoded video
MediaPlayer::playVideo::VideoScreenEvent::isStreamStarted: position -> 0
Message data -> roAssociativeArray
Downloaded segment 0 in 3?s (4774636 bytes, buffer is now 4774636/67108864
Downloaded segment 1 in 7?s (12757868 bytes, buffer is now 12757868/67108864
Downloaded segment 2 in 10?s (8970044 bytes, buffer is now 8970044/67108864
Downloaded segment 3 in 5?s (3976012 bytes, buffer is now 5053064/67108864
Downloaded segment 4 in 10?s (3955332 bytes, buffer is now 9008396/67108864
Downloaded segment 5 in 5?s (1596684 bytes, buffer is now 10605080/67108864
Downloaded segment 6 in 7?s (7349296 bytes, buffer is now 17954376/67108864
Downloaded segment 7 in 10?s (11057220 bytes, buffer is now 29011596/67108864
HLS Segment info: 27 msg: HLS segment info
Edited by A8HTPC
Link to comment
Share on other sites

there's too many changes there for my comfort level. i would get him a zip file for him to test. then if it works try to improve the fix to reduce it to just a couple lines of code changing

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fair enough, but that was more to.. Cough cough.. Mirror what Plex was doing..heh

 

As a test, @@A8HTPC try to run this:

Http://ereader.kiczek.com/roku.zip

 

Side load it the same, telnet debug, and does this play your video?

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A8HTPC

Hey I gave it a shot but got error "Install Failure: Compilation Failed." While in the Development Application Installer

 

I first removed the old installation

Edited by A8HTPC
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A8HTPC

Plex server and MB Server will both convert the audio. But it seems the roku can play a movie without transcoding using plex which means a little rescripting with MB app it should do the same

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...