Browser play in iOS 13.4 HEVC MP4

[vector991 0]

Not sure if it’s something with the new upgrade to iOS 13.4 a day ago or Emby server 4.4.0.40.

 

Before upgrades I had no problems playing HEVC MP4s in the browser. Note: I have to encode the files with video tag ‘hvc1’ rather than ‘hev1’.

 

No files play now and no errors in embyserver.txt. This is with direct play, no transcode or mux. The web interface doesn’t pop up playback error or anything. Just sits with the first frame showing and doesn’t continue. It’s sending progress 204 response to server every 10s. No errors or anything.

 

This is not using the iOS app so sorry if it’s in wrong forum.

[Luke 37057]

Try clicking on the video player so that the controls show up. Then click the play button.

[vector991 0]

Lol I did that. The controls now don’t come up at all. Actually sometimes it does and I press play button and same thing... black screen or frozen first frame. I have been using the web app flawlessly for months until now and I’m leaning toward the iOS update. I think it was playing on 4.0.4.40 but very close timing for update so not sure. Also running the Linux build on Ubuntu.

[Luke 37057]

In iOS 13.4 the web app can no longer auto play, that means you have to click play twice - first to start the video player, then you have to click the play button in the video player itself. It's a little clunky and we'll need to adjust by keeping the controls visible until you click it to start playing.

 

The iOS app will be much more seamless.

[vector991 0]

Yup I know you have to click play first and then when the video player comes up paused. You then click play again. I have been using the web app for months on iOS daily flawlessly. I’m quite technical hence figured out the video tag thing hvc1 for mp4s on iOS is the thing that makes all my HEVC mp4s playing for months no problem. (FFmpeg implementation via mpegts from emby server unfortunately doesn’t support the tag so the transmux option to mp4 container doesn’t work!)

 

An interesting thing is when I drag the slider to further in the video, the frame comes up but sits there again after pressing play button.

[Luke 37057]

 

 

(FFmpeg implementation via mpegts from emby server unfortunately doesn’t support the tag so the transmux option to mp4 container doesn’t work!)

Hi, actually it does. If you use your convert feature to convert to mp4, it will write the hvc1 tag into the file.

[vector991 0]

But that’s not the on the fly container transmux direct play right? I get black screen with only sound. Looked into the ffmpeg source and saw that with mpeg-ts when direct playing doesn’t have hvc1 available tag, otherwise it’d be a quick fix if I’m right. So I convert all my videos before adding to emby as mp4s with tag and they all work amazing via web app... until recently.

 

It seems to now work one in like many tries. I downgraded emby to 4.3 and also upgraded to 4.5 beta. Getting the same behaviour. Wifi is consistent at 20+ mbit so I don’t think it’s that as most my transcodes are 4-5 mbit. Only thing else changed recently is an update to OpenVPN as I’m connected remotely.

[Luke 37057]

If they're direct playing then changing the server version won't have any impact. It must be due to a change in the browser following an iOS update. Yes perhaps in the future we can look into writing the hvc1 tag on the fly to preserve the direct play. In the meantime our conversion feature can help you do it ahead of time.