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best video format for transcoding


HossHey

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Hello ,

I have a windows Emby server which is supposed to provide the video content to ios and android users (80% ios and 20% android).

ios user use Safari and android user use chrome to get access to server.

The PC that I`m using has the Intel Core i7 8th Gen with 16DDR4 and NVME SDD and no GPU.

My question is , what is the best Video format/codec to use to make the least transcoding and smooth play for both Safari and chrome users.

I already tried MKV/MP4 with H264 and AAC 5.1-AC3 audio codec. AAC is not working well with chrome and I had to convert it to AC3 and video pause randomly.

 

I would like to get your opinion to setup my Emby server and prepare my video content to make them easy for server.

Thank you.

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1 hour ago, HossHey said:

Hello ,

I have a windows Emby server which is supposed to provide the video content to ios and android users (80% ios and 20% android).

ios user use Safari and android user use chrome to get access to server.

The PC that I`m using has the Intel Core i7 8th Gen with 16DDR4 and NVME SDD and no GPU.

My question is , what is the best Video format/codec to use to make the least transcoding and smooth play for both Safari and chrome users.

I already tried MKV/MP4 with H264 and AAC 5.1-AC3 audio codec. AAC is not working well with chrome and I had to convert it to AC3 and video pause randomly.

 

I would like to get your opinion to setup my Emby server and prepare my video content to make them easy for server.

Thank you.

If you can get a GPU you'll have an easier time at it. I used a GTX 1060 6Gb and it seems to get the job done.

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@Sammy

Thank you for your recommendation, but I`m not able to add a GPU as I`m using special windows box.

What I`m trying to do is to pre-decode all the media I have to make it easy for server to distribute. as I said my user are mostly Safari browser and Android browser as a second group, the maximum online user will not exceed 8~10 and they are all using local network.

 

 

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Ronstang
2 hours ago, Sammy said:

It looks like your audio is the issue? Maybe downmix to stereo?

The Apple app can't handle 5.1?  I know the Android does because I don't compress my audio unless it's from a BR and DTS but I always maintain the 5.1 audio when available with all my recorded content and it all direct plays on my Android app on my phone and Android TVs....and that is with 10bit color too.

If Apple can't handle the 5.1 the easiest is to when you encode the files have ffmpeg make an AAC stereo track and have it set as the default that yet still include the 5.1 so those that can play the 5.1 have the choice.  I have found that when recorded content has both 2 channel and 6 channel audio that the 6 channel even sounds better just played on the TV or computer speakers.

I have switched to all HEVC and my settings make my files really small with high quality which really reduces the load on my server since everything direct plays on all my devices and all who I allow to connect and since the files are so small the slight disk usage to server them over the network is minimal.  The downside is you have to have a decent GPU to compress to HEVC with decent quality in a timely fashion.  I do not know the settings for Intel Graphics so I am not sure what it can and can't handle but it would be worth looing into as once the files are created they reduce your server load considerably.  I have had friends connect to me an leave a movie running and using Task Manager I can't even notice any resources being used since the files are so small and on hard drives nothing else is happening on.

 

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I like being able to watch solid quality on a large screen so I prefer to invest in the hardware to make that possible while still being able to transcode on the fly for other less capable or over the internet clients. What you're doing is fine if you're not concerned with PQ.

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Ronstang

I watch my content on a 65 inch Sony TV and the quality is actually amazing considering how much I have been able to compress my content....but most of my content is HDTV recordings, mostly cable movies like TCM so.  I have done a lot of comparison....like when I have a movie on BR and recorded and I keep switching back and forth to check the quality and I can't find a difference.  Then again mostly older movies so even watching them live on the TV isn't always the highest quality.  But on quality BR content it even looks better.

If  you watch anything streaming you are likely watching about a 1, maybe 2 gig HEVC file at best these days.  I can tell from the anomalies I see in some of the movies.  They are issues I had with HEVC when I started but have since tailored my settings to pretty much eliminate them.

I have way too much content to keep 100TB of hard drives around, not feasible when I like mostly classic movies.

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visproduction

For Chrome in Android, HEVC, I don't believe will play back with audio.  Playback might work if another player app is on the phone.  I think if users' just try to run the HEVC media in the Chrome browser it will not work with audio.  My setup immediately wants to encode to h.264 mp4 and AAC audio.  All of my use is browser or browser cast to TV, I encode everything to h.264 up from 900 kbps to 2500 kbps for 480P to 1080P and audio AAC Stereo remixed with the highest audio bit rate available.  This seems to play back fine on outbound 10 Mbps host speed for about 3 or 4 media at the same time.  Although I have not really tested it.   I would have liked to use HEVC.  I like the look of it better, but I think users have to install additional players on their hardware.  I have not gotten HEVC to playback just to browsers.  The exception was on older Safari and MS Edge browsers.  Does someone know a method to play back HEVC inside browsers without an add on 3rd party player?  Everything on my server never requires transcoding.  Hope that helps.

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@Sammy @Ronstang

Thank both of you,

The issue I observed was on MKV movie H264 with Audio AAC 5.1 when I play it with Android browser but at the same time android app and safari play them just fine

I can`t use Android app or ios app because I load Emby web page under another app to stream video content,my user only watch the content on either phone or tablet, so no concern about big display and super high quality.

what I would like to know is the easy codec for video and audio to digest by native ios/android player. I have no issue about compression rate or storage efficiency.

 Thank you again.

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@visproduction

Which browser you use for H264 AAC with no transcode? on what devices? and what container?

 

When I use MKV H264 on my android browser, emby shows direct play but it convert the container. same thing for ios safari.

 

 

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visproduction

Hoss, 

I use h.264 MPEG-4 AVC (part 10) avc1 video

AAC mp4a stereo audio 32 Bits per sample 32 AAC extensions SBR

in .mp4

Fixed bit rates.

That plays on any browser without transcoding.  You do have to match the bandwidth.  I would guess if your bit rate is above around 2800 kbps, the mobile connection might stutter and request a transcode from the server.  Also if you use variable rates, the media might run up to a high enough rate to kick in transcoding.  I avoid variable bit rates as well.

 I believe your android app can perhaps handle the HEVC h.265.  My use is to browsers only and no phone apps.  As far as I know, I do not have a way to play HEVC  h.265 direct with browser only.

Edited by visproduction
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