Server Plugin: Transcoding Tests

[neik 837]

As I am planning on getting LiveTV more integrated into my Emby Server I did try this using MPEG2 and compared to the results with HEVC/H264 the (performance) results are quite disappointing using HW transcoding.

With HW transcoding (Quicksync -> Quicksync) I only got 1,3x (~32fps) while using Software only I got like 6,5x (~135fps).

Hardware is a i5-8250U.

The results look a bit odd to me, I would expect HW transcoding to be much faster than SW but I might just be wrong on that assumption.
Any hint is appreciated.

MPEG2_Test_Software.zip MPEG2_Test_HW.zip

[neik 837]

@softworkz, any idea of what could be happening in my example above?

[softworkz 3335]

Sorry, just forgot about that one. Will look at it tomorrow.

[softworkz 3335]

On 11/13/2022 at 3:56 PM, neik said:

As I am planning on getting LiveTV more integrated into my Emby Server I did try this using MPEG2 and compared to the results with HEVC/H264 the (performance) results are quite disappointing using HW transcoding.

With HW transcoding (Quicksync -> Quicksync) I only got 1,3x (~32fps) while using Software only I got like 6,5x (~135fps).

Hardware is a i5-8250U.

The results look a bit odd to me, I would expect HW transcoding to be much faster than SW but I might just be wrong on that assumption.
Any hint is appreciated.

It's not unusual that SW-SW transcoding can be faster in some cases, but the 1.2x really seems to be a bit odd.

Your graphics drivers are outdated. Please install the latest: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/19344/intel-graphics-windows-dch-drivers.html

Then you can do a run with a wider range of selections (like an H264 file and all of the HWA combinations selected).

PS: The .etra file is the only file you need to post. It has everything included already (it's a zip).

[neik 837]

4 hours ago, softworkz said:

Your graphics drivers are outdated. Please install the latest: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/19344/intel-graphics-windows-dch-drivers.html

This unfortunately didn't work as I am getting an error message (see attachment) although my CPU seems to be supported on their page.
FWIW I'm on a Matebook X Pro model 2019 or 2020 and the last time I checked on Huawei's site I have the latest drivers they provide.
The ones from Intel directly don't seem to work.

4 hours ago, softworkz said:

Then you can do a run with a wider range of selections (like an H264 file and all of the HWA combinations selected).

I can do that again.
The last time I tested I was getting some decent results, it was something like 150fps which should be round about 6x

IntelGFX.log IntelGFX.log

[softworkz 3335]

2 hours ago, neik said:

This unfortunately didn't work as I am getting an error message (see attachment) although my CPU seems to be supported on their page.
FWIW I'm on a Matebook X Pro model 2019 or 2020 and the last time I checked on Huawei's site I have the latest drivers they provide.
The ones from Intel directly don't seem to work.

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000056629/graphics.html

[softworkz 3335]

New version 4.8.0.16 released

I've updated the first post

 

[neik 837]

On 11/20/2022 at 3:29 AM, softworkz said:

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000056629/graphics.html

Thank you!

Now I'm on driver 31.xx and the results look way better - attached the etra file.

Execution on 2022-11-21 0918h.etra

[Thuzad 42]

Hello,

I tried to test your plugin but I can't get it to work it always returns this error:

The list of codec configurations is empty. Please update and save your transcoding configuration!

[
"Test Log",
"Info: Bitrate exceeds DirectPlay limit: media bitrate: 7980875, max bitrate: 1000000",
"Info: Bitrate exceeds DirectStream limit: media bitrate: 7980875, max bitrate: 1000000",
"Error: Error during sync transcoding\nMediaBrowser.Model.Plugins.UI.EmbyUserException: The list of codec configurations is empty. Please update and save your transcoding configuration!\n at Emby.Server.MediaEncoding.Tests.ServerTranscodingTestManager.ApplyHwAccelerationCodecs(VideoMediaTypes sourceCodec, TestHwaccels decoderHwaccel, TestHwaccels encoderHwaccel, String& statusMessage)\n at Emby.TranscodingTestPlugin.Operation.Transcode.SingleTestRunExecutor.RunTranscode(ExecutionRun executionRun, String outputRoot, SessionInfo sessionInfo, TestImageExtraction imageExtraction, CancellationToken cancellationToken)"
]

I can send you the server logs privately if you wish.

 

[softworkz 3335]

Sorry, I haven't come to fix this.

On 10/5/2022 at 5:43 AM, softworkz said:

Please go to "Transcoding" and choose "Yes" for hw acceleration and Save.

If it still doesn't work after this, go to "Transcoding" again, choose "Advanced", make a single checkbox change and Save.

[Thuzad 42]

No worries thank you I had not found even with a search. 

I have another problem, is it possible to add a parameter to force the test even if sessions are open? Basically even if I don't have a stream (which is not the case in my screen) I can't launch the test. I have to restart my server to be able to launch the test.

[softworkz 3335]

41 minutes ago, Thuzad said:

I have another problem, is it possible to add a parameter to force the test even if sessions are open?

The purpose of this restriction is to make test results reliable and consistent and repeatable. When such results get posted I want to be able to rely on the fact that nothing else has happened in Emby Server while those tests were run. I should not be needed to carefully look through the server log to see whether something else has been happening.
Something else is not only other active streams. When other clients are connected, this causes entries in the server log, especially when debug logging is on.  With such entries in the logs ,  one would need to determine for each log line where it comes from.

I also don't want to see users posting  something like "yesterday all tests passed but today some of them failed" or multiple users comparing their results in terms of performance where I would need to look into each log whether a test was run in parallel to other activity. 

Sure will you say "okay but it's just for me and I don't even want to post the results" which I understand of course. But once such kind of option would exist, users WILL activate it and will have forgotten about it after 10s.

Getting predictable results under controlled conditions is one of the major benefits of this and restarting the server before running any tests is exactly the right thing to do (at an earlier stage it was even planned to enforce a server restart before running tests).

Edited December 1, 2022 by softworkz

[Thuzad 42]

Thank you for this very complete and clear answer. I understand and agree with your opinion.

Indeed this option can become a real problem for the analysis and the results.

My goal here was to be able to launch the test to see if everything was working well, to then be able to perform a real test with a restart. But indeed this option is not a good idea.

I just thought of another request. I have a daily restart of my Emby server and I would like to run the tests afterwards. Is there an API entry or a scheduled task that I could schedule? 

[softworkz 3335]

39 minutes ago, Thuzad said:

I just thought of another request. I have a daily restart of my Emby server and I would like to run the tests afterwards. Is there an API entry or a scheduled task that I could schedule? 

Not yet, but this is planned as we want to be able to run automated tests for each beta build on different systems which need to start unattended in some way.

I'll post here once such mechanism will be in place!

[Biofects 4]

Just found this, what an  awesome tool to have, I so wanted to use it but on ubuntu when creating the test I do not have any option screens. as well I ha to download the sunflower.mp4 from https://mirror.clarkson.edu/blender/demo/movies/BBB/

I also see it is not using the Vulkan hardware for my tests as that is my selected transcoding for emby

Version 4.8.0.37 beta
 

I have attached some screenshots for review
 

embyserver-63820455870.txt

[Luke 37070]

8 minutes ago, Biofects said:

Just found this, what an  awesome tool to have, I so wanted to use it but on ubuntu when creating the test I do not have any option screens. as well I ha to download the sunflower.mp4 from https://mirror.clarkson.edu/blender/demo/movies/BBB/

I also see it is not using the Vulkan hardware for my tests as that is my selected transcoding for emby

Version 4.8.0.37 beta
 

I have attached some screenshots for review
 

embyserver-63820455870.txt 203.7 kB · 0 downloads

HI, yes there's an issue with the plugin on the beta channel that we need to look at . Thanks.

[Biofects 4]

3 minutes ago, Luke said:

HI, yes there's an issue with the plugin on the beta channel that we need to look at . Thanks.

Thanks @LukeIll keep an eye out for patch 

[Capt.Insano 3]

I am running Emby beta in the official docker.

Version 4.8.0.47 beta

 

I manually downloaded and added the missing bbb test video that fails to download but still when I go to run any of the transcoding tests, nothing happens, see screen recording attached.

 

Any info you require to help diagnose?

 

 

 

[softworkz 3335]

14 minutes ago, Capt.Insano said:

I manually downloaded and added the missing bbb test video that fails to download but still when I go to run any of the transcoding tests, nothing happens, see screen recording attached.

When it didn't automatically download the test videos, then I would suspect that the user account under which Emby Server is running might not have write permission to the folders you have specified in the settings.

 

14 minutes ago, Capt.Insano said:

Any info you require to help diagnose?

The Emby Server log.

[Capt.Insano 3]

1 hour ago, softworkz said:

When it didn't automatically download the test videos, then I would suspect that the user account under which Emby Server is running might not have write permission to the folders you have specified in the settings.

The user defo has the correct permissions and the other videos downloaded properly. The bbb video "bbb_sunflower_2160p_30fps_normal.mp4" did not download as it is no longer hosted at the url the plugin points to. I found it else where and added it to the correct folder.

 

1 hour ago, softworkz said:

The Emby Server log.

Attached.

 

Thanks a million for any help

 

embyserver.txt

[softworkz 3335]

1 hour ago, Capt.Insano said:

The user defo has the correct permissions and the other videos downloaded properly. The bbb video "bbb_sunflower_2160p_30fps_normal.mp4" did not download as it is no longer hosted at the url the plugin points to. I found it else where and added it to the correct folder.

Oh, thanks, I wasn't aware of that. I'll need to update the plugin to download from elsewhere.

1 hour ago, Capt.Insano said:

2 hours ago, softworkz said:

The Emby Server log.

Attached.

The log spans just a period of 20s. It doesn't seem to cover the issue you're seeing.

[Capt.Insano 3]

19 minutes ago, softworkz said:

The log spans just a period of 20s. It doesn't seem to cover the issue you're seeing.

 

I had restarted the server and tried the transcoding test straight after reboot that is why it was such a short log.

 

Below is a screen recording and logs of another attempt.

 

Again I restarted the server 1st.

embyserver (new).txt

[Capt.Insano 3]

Anything else I should be doing to debug this? 

 

Thanks for any help. 

[softworkz 3335]

Hi, I could reproduce it. Seems to be a general issue. Please give me a few days then I'll be able to tell a bit more (when and how it will be fixed).

Thanks a lot for reporting!

[Capt.Insano 3]

On 01/10/2023 at 10:25, softworkz said:

Hi, I could reproduce it. Seems to be a general issue. Please give me a few days then I'll be able to tell a bit more (when and how it will be fixed).

Thanks a lot for reporting!

Just checking up, any update on this issue?