Lots of pausing and stoping both ATV and latest android

[80srule 22]

I have been seeing lots of pausing with movies and shows lately on both the ATV version beta 2.1.1. and the latest android version. But I saw it on my previous version too. It's very hit and miss as I dont see It all the time. 
Here are 2 log files and the server log. 

embyserver-14.txt

ffmpeg-transcode-1affb15e-57d0-4910-b83d-badaa09a4496_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-e3ca8ad8-7d63-4050-9801-bcd7e79d716e_1.txt embyserver-14.txt

[Lessaj 61]

Some of the video chunks are taking longer than 3 seconds to be delivered, even some of the post messages from clients indicating playing progress have long durations. Your server looks pretty busy, and I remember this is a seedbox.

For example:

2024-04-17 01:17:28.658 Info Server: http/1.1 Response 404 to host24. Time: 5915ms. GET http://emby_remote_ip:26936/emby/videos/7215324/original.mkv?DeviceId=ce13cf231505679f&MediaSourceId=eb1c344e8581a220146e8cd2ce19ab1b&PlaySessionId=230f3d827d704437aad5b7765a1e4c4a&api_key=x_secret25_x
2024-04-17 01:17:28.663 Info Server: http/1.1 Response 204 to host60. Time: 3117ms. POST http://emby_remote_ip:26936/emby/Sessions/Playing/Progress
2024-04-17 01:17:28.664 Info Server: http/1.1 Response 200 to host81. Time: 5540ms. GET http://emby_remote_ip:26936/emby/videos/6110734/hls1/main/56.ts?PlaySessionId=51a9c17505664ef18c571987e4c878df
2024-04-17 01:17:28.665 Info Server: http/1.1 Response 200 to host45. Time: 6496ms. GET http://emby_remote_ip:26936/emby/videos/7204970/hls1/main/1484.ts?PlaySessionId=8840e42e6f4445308faf7e216fb09c41
2024-04-17 01:17:28.666 Info Server: http/1.1 Response 204 to host32. Time: 5781ms. POST http://emby_remote_ip:26936/emby/Sessions/Playing/Progress
2024-04-17 01:17:28.666 Debug Server: http/1.1 Response 200 to host79. Time: 6565ms. GET http://emby_remote_ip:26936/emby/Users/e117a0db7849476fb14798c868ccdba9/Items/6281282?format=json
2024-04-17 01:17:28.666 Info Server: http/1.1 Response 200 to host48. Time: 5480ms. GET http://emby_remote_ip:26936/emby/videos/5821946/hls1/main/489.ts?PlaySessionId=3f8334e6f31f448d865e6ce83dbd3127
2024-04-17 01:17:28.667 Info Server: http/1.1 Response 204 to host24. Time: 4587ms. POST http://emby_remote_ip:26936/emby/Sessions/Playing/Progress
2024-04-17 01:17:28.667 Debug Server: http/1.1 Response 200 to host52. Time: 6915ms. GET http://emby_remote_ip:26936/emby/Shows/NextUp?Fields=PrimaryImageAspectRatio,DateCreated,CanDelete&UserId=afaa658a0d46472ea6f4620dd3dc0562&EnableTotalRecordCount=false&Limit=30&ImageTypeLimit=1&LegacyNextUp=true&format=json
2024-04-17 01:17:28.667 Info Server: http/1.1 Response 204 to host9. Time: 1284ms. POST http://emby_remote_ip:26936/emby/Sessions/Playing/Progress
2024-04-17 01:17:28.667 Info Server: http/1.1 Response 200 to host43. Time: 4768ms. GET http://emby_remote_ip:26936/emby/videos/6376254/hls1/main/524.ts?PlaySessionId=d339cd358b2647f5be46889f6aa7bd93
2024-04-17 01:17:28.669 Debug Server: http/1.1 Response 200 to host79. Time: 5770ms. GET http://emby_remote_ip:26936/emby/Users/e117a0db7849476fb14798c868ccdba9/Items/6281282?format=json

 

[80srule 22]

1 minute ago, Lessaj said:

Some of the video chunks are taking longer than 3 seconds to be delivered, even some of the post messages from clients indicating playing progress have long durations. Your server looks pretty busy, and I remember this is a seedbox.

For example:

2024-04-17 01:17:28.658 Info Server: http/1.1 Response 404 to host24. Time: 5915ms. GET http://emby_remote_ip:26936/emby/videos/7215324/original.mkv?DeviceId=ce13cf231505679f&MediaSourceId=eb1c344e8581a220146e8cd2ce19ab1b&PlaySessionId=230f3d827d704437aad5b7765a1e4c4a&api_key=x_secret25_x
2024-04-17 01:17:28.663 Info Server: http/1.1 Response 204 to host60. Time: 3117ms. POST http://emby_remote_ip:26936/emby/Sessions/Playing/Progress
2024-04-17 01:17:28.664 Info Server: http/1.1 Response 200 to host81. Time: 5540ms. GET http://emby_remote_ip:26936/emby/videos/6110734/hls1/main/56.ts?PlaySessionId=51a9c17505664ef18c571987e4c878df
2024-04-17 01:17:28.665 Info Server: http/1.1 Response 200 to host45. Time: 6496ms. GET http://emby_remote_ip:26936/emby/videos/7204970/hls1/main/1484.ts?PlaySessionId=8840e42e6f4445308faf7e216fb09c41
2024-04-17 01:17:28.666 Info Server: http/1.1 Response 204 to host32. Time: 5781ms. POST http://emby_remote_ip:26936/emby/Sessions/Playing/Progress
2024-04-17 01:17:28.666 Debug Server: http/1.1 Response 200 to host79. Time: 6565ms. GET http://emby_remote_ip:26936/emby/Users/e117a0db7849476fb14798c868ccdba9/Items/6281282?format=json
2024-04-17 01:17:28.666 Info Server: http/1.1 Response 200 to host48. Time: 5480ms. GET http://emby_remote_ip:26936/emby/videos/5821946/hls1/main/489.ts?PlaySessionId=3f8334e6f31f448d865e6ce83dbd3127
2024-04-17 01:17:28.667 Info Server: http/1.1 Response 204 to host24. Time: 4587ms. POST http://emby_remote_ip:26936/emby/Sessions/Playing/Progress
2024-04-17 01:17:28.667 Debug Server: http/1.1 Response 200 to host52. Time: 6915ms. GET http://emby_remote_ip:26936/emby/Shows/NextUp?Fields=PrimaryImageAspectRatio,DateCreated,CanDelete&UserId=afaa658a0d46472ea6f4620dd3dc0562&EnableTotalRecordCount=false&Limit=30&ImageTypeLimit=1&LegacyNextUp=true&format=json
2024-04-17 01:17:28.667 Info Server: http/1.1 Response 204 to host9. Time: 1284ms. POST http://emby_remote_ip:26936/emby/Sessions/Playing/Progress
2024-04-17 01:17:28.667 Info Server: http/1.1 Response 200 to host43. Time: 4768ms. GET http://emby_remote_ip:26936/emby/videos/6376254/hls1/main/524.ts?PlaySessionId=d339cd358b2647f5be46889f6aa7bd93
2024-04-17 01:17:28.669 Debug Server: http/1.1 Response 200 to host79. Time: 5770ms. GET http://emby_remote_ip:26936/emby/Users/e117a0db7849476fb14798c868ccdba9/Items/6281282?format=json

 

Yes it's a seedbed. But it's weird I have never had a problem up till just recently. I will message them. 

[Lessaj 61]

Something else you may want to look into is do you have transcoding throttling enabled? It looks like you're using ffmpeg 6.1.1 and not emby's ffmpeg so I don't know if that responds to throttling or not, especially since this is all software transcoding so the CPU is going full tilt doing the transcode and you may have multiple at the same time..

[80srule 22]

2 minutes ago, Lessaj said:

Something else you may want to look into is do you have transcoding throttling enabled? It looks like you're using ffmpeg 6.1.1 and not emby's ffmpeg so I don't know if that responds to throttling or not, especially since this is all software transcoding so the CPU is going full tilt doing the transcode and you may have multiple at the same time..

I dont know how to change the ffmpeg. I dont like transcoding at all and I dont know why it does it when I have way more speed then I need yet sometimes it wants to transcode. 

How would I get a newer ffmepg ?

[Lessaj 61]

The transcoding reason says ContainerBitrateExceedsLimit, if you have it set to Auto try moving it to a higher value manually.

I'm not familiar with getting emby's ffmpeg for that platform but it may not matter if you don't transcode.

[80srule 22]

1 minute ago, Lessaj said:

The transcoding reason says ContainerBitrateExceedsLimit, if you have it set to Auto try moving it to a higher value manually.

I'm not familiar with getting emby's ffmpeg for that platform but it may not matter if you don't transcode.

I dont see any option in the server other then hardware yes or no. 

[Lessaj 61]

No on the client side you would change it.

[80srule 22]

Just now, Lessaj said:

No on the client side you would change it.

You mean on the app? 

[Lessaj 61]

Yes, under Playback.

[80srule 22]

19 minutes ago, Lessaj said:

Yes, under Playback.

OK it was set to auto I changed it to the max value. I dont know why it started transcoding lately it didn't need to before.

[Luke 37084]

35 minutes ago, 80srule said:

OK it was set to auto I changed it to the max value. I dont know why it started transcoding lately it didn't need to before.

Hi, did you check the stats feature in the video player to learn why it was transcoding?

[80srule 22]

13 minutes ago, Luke said:

Hi, did you check the stats feature in the video player to learn why it was transcoding?

No how do you do that? DO you mean the stats for nerds? I have looked at it but I didn't see a reasoning behind why transcoding

Edited April 17 by 80srule

[Luke 37084]

22 minutes ago, 80srule said:

No how do you do that? DO you mean the stats for nerds? I have looked at it but I didn't see a reasoning behind why transcoding

Yes, it will contain the reason for transcoding, as will the server dashboard during that time.

[80srule 22]

Reducing bitrate due to quality setting 
What does that mean? Does that mean the auto setting in the app that needs changing? 

[Lessaj 61]

Yes auto could use some work to better determine what the speed should be set to but something you could try is adding your IP to LAN networks, or you can go with subnet notation /8 /16 or /24 depending on how specific you want to get. It looks like your source address starts with 72 so you could add 72.0.0.0/8 and it would treat that as a LAN network and that may affect how auto is handled so that you don't need to adjust the bitrate on the client device.

[Happy2Play 8289]

I guess a question for the devs would "ffmpeg version 6.1.1 Copyright (c) 2000-2023 the FFmpeg developers" be a factor? @Luke

Edited April 17 by Happy2Play

[Luke 37084]

1 hour ago, Happy2Play said:

I guess a question for the devs would "ffmpeg version 6.1.1 Copyright (c) 2000-2023 the FFmpeg developers" be a factor? @Luke

It’s certainly creating an unknown factor.

[80srule 22]

1 minute ago, Luke said:

It’s certainly creating an unknown factor.

How can I set up a different version?

[Luke 37084]

I think we had this discussion right. You’re on whatbox or seedbox and they don’t want to package our custom ffmpeg build.

[80srule 22]

11 minutes ago, Luke said:

I think we had this discussion right. You’re on whatbox or seedbox and they don’t want to package our custom ffmpeg build.

oh I thought ffmpeg was separate of emby. they have instructions for loading ffmepg on the seedbox

[80srule 22]

They say I just would install the same way just use the link given by Emby rather then the one that they give. 

[Lessaj 61]

I don't think ffmpeg is strictly the thing to focus on here, unless of course because that version doesn't respond to throttling that it's creating a resource contention. In the example log lines I pasted into the topic the responses were all logged at basically the same time, and I find it highly unlikely that all of those requests would be completed at the same time if there wasn't something being bottlenecked, for example at the network layer where all the responses are delivered to the server at basically the same time because they were being held in a packet queue. I'm not necessarily suggesting it is at that layer, just an example possibility. I was definitely surprised to see long durations for client reporting play progress, normally that's a few ms at most.

[80srule 22]

So how do I fix the bottle neck? Maybe my Rclone command is wrong allowing to much traffic? I assume it’s because the server thought everybody needed to be transcoded. What is weird as it won’t do it during the day but in the evening when I’ve got several people watching that’s when it wants to trans code. Which it shouldn’t have the need to the servers got more than enough speed.  But I did make everyone change the app to max rather then auto. I did too so I’ll see how that does tonight. 

[Lessaj 61]

Yes see how direct playing compares, and try to check the server dashboard if there are any transcoded streams and the reasons why. If it's transcoding just the audio that is a very lightweight process by comparison to video transcoding, especially since it's software transcoding, and wouldn't consider that to be an issue.