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How do I know if I'm using direct play, streaming, or transcoding?


smidley
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Angelblue05

And it was transcoding .mov in Emby right?, not Direct streaming? It's just looking at the media info from the other thread....I don't get why it's not direct streaming....

Edited by Angelblue05
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cw-kid

Emby Server states Direct Streaming when "Playing" the .mov files remotely. Doesn't appear to be transcoding them anyways. 

 

Seems a bit odd as Kodi remotely has played every other format I have thrown at it! Other than transcoding DVD VIDEO_TS and Blu-ray ISO.

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Angelblue05
 

 

Hi

 

The problematic .MOV files all stated "Direct Streaming" when I looked in the dashboard.

 

Only a DVD VIDEO_TS rip and a Blu-ray ISO actually said "Transcoding"

 

I left his Kodi add-on settings as default, so its 100mbps. According to the mediainfo here the two SD .MOV files that weren't playing properly have the following bitrates:

 

Anastasia.mov

 

Overall bit rate mode                    : Variable
Overall bit rate                         : 1 593 Kbps
VIDEO:
Bit rate                                 : 1 460 Kbps
AUDIO:
Bit rate mode                            : Variable
Bit rate                                 : 126 Kbps
 
Aliens In the Attic.mov
Overall bit rate mode                    : Variable
Overall bit rate                         : 1 645 Kbps
VIDEO:
Bit rate                                 : 1 514 Kbps
AUDIO:
Bit rate mode                            : Variable
Bit rate                                 : 124 Kbps
 
Thanks

 

For reference.

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xnappo

@@Angelblue05 - when we request a stream we are currently putting a certain extension on it... Perhaps when the type is MOV Kodi is getting confused because of the extension?

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Angelblue05

I followed what was said here: https://github.com/MediaBrowser/MediaBrowser/wiki/Video-Streaming

 

There's no extension, because all that's required to use is: To direct stream a video file, simply use the static=true parameter.

I wonder what it tries to load it as when direct streaming. In Kodi logs, right it detects the path, Kodi will detect container, video encoding, etc...I wonder if it still sees it as a .mov

# Play with Direct Stream
playurl = "%s/mediabrowser/Videos/%s/stream?static=true" % (server, id)
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Angelblue05

I can upload one of these movies to my drop box if you guys want one?

Yes, if you can do this. I think it would be very useful. :)

 

@@cw-kid

I just have a feeling quicktime format doesn't mix well with what Emby does when it's direct streaming. From your machine on LAN, can you enable play from http instead of SMB in the add-on settings (this will reflect immediately, no need to restart). Do you also experience the same issue playing the .mov (It will force direct stream to happen via Emby)?

Edited by Angelblue05
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cw-kid

Next time I am at a remote location I will turn on all the debug logging and try to play one again..

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cw-kid

Yes, if you can do this. I think it would be very useful. :)

 

@@cw-kid

I just have a feeling quicktime format doesn't mix well with what Emby does when it's direct streaming. From your machine on LAN, can you enable play from http instead of SMB in the add-on settings (this will reflect immediately, no need to restart). Do you also experience the same issue playing the .mov (It will force direct stream to happen via Emby)?

Good idea let me try it.

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cw-kid

OK so I deleted the user name and password for network access in the add-on settings and I turned on HTTP instead of SMB, closed Kodi and reopened. I also turned on the debug logging in the add-on and in the Kodi system settings area. 

 

If I now play one of the .mov movies, its acting a bit differently to what I was seeing remotely where generally the movie would play for a few seconds and then pause.

 

Now the movie is stuttering badly and the video image is kinda skipping back and forth, its basically stuck on the movie studio intro bit and maybe after 50 seconds or so its then paused itself. 

 

Debug log file here, search for "Aliens In the Attic"

 

The .mov file is still uploading its about 1GB. 

 

Thanks. 

 

EDIT: I just double checked whilst playing this now and it still says Direct Streaming in the Emby dashboard. 

Edited by cw-kid
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cw-kid

I'd check it plays OK first in VLC or something.

 

Thanks.

Edited by cw-kid
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Angelblue05

Ok, Kodi detects it properly: video/quicktime...Maybe we can somehow force it with an extension to keep mov because it seems to switch to mp4.

 

@@cw-kid stay around I will make you try something out, ok? :)

Edited by Angelblue05
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Angelblue05

@@cw-kid

 

No worries then, I have the file now. I will keep testing over on my side and have something ready for your to test later :)

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Angelblue05

Edit: Ok, I tested the file on my side and no problem whatsoever. I get the same smooth playback with and without the fix (simply adding the file extension .mov to the direct stream url) I was attempting....lol...I'm a bit out of ideas now.... :/

Edited by Angelblue05
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cw-kid

Interesting! What OS are you running Kodi on? I've only tested this on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.

 

Will try the Apple Mac next and I haven't switched my main Linux OpenElec HTPCs to use the Emby add-on yet.

 

And the movie file is stored on the WHS 2011 file server.

Edited by cw-kid
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cw-kid

That is strange then, streaming from a NAS?

 

Is there some way to put the mov file locally on the windows 7 machine and add it to the Emby library? Maybe setup a folder share and add it to emby as a new movie folder source. Just guessing trying to think of things to rule out.

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Angelblue05

Not from NAS. My storage is connected to my htpc directly and imported in my Emby server as network shares (UNC). I'm not sure what could cause this. What I could do for now is make it use a different container such as mp4 or something for .mov extensions.... I do not know if it would improve the experience....

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cw-kid

Is that the 'fix' ? 

 

I renamed the .mov file to .mp4 and checked I could still play it OK in VLC. I then ran a library scan in Emby Server. Interesting looking at the title now in the web GUI that it now says "Embedded Image" and not "Video" as before where there were two Video sections in the Media Info.

 

55698ccbc219e_MP4MediaInfo.png

 

Before when it was a .mov it looked something like this one:

 

5566007a220f2_Embymov.png

 

It played in the Emby web GUI OK and said "Transcoding" in the Emby Server dashboard.

 

I then opened Kodi which is still configured for HTTP rather than SMB and played it again and now it is playing OK and is smooth. Emby Server reports it as "Direct Streaming".

 

So what does this tell us?

 

It rules out my file server and network streaming issues I think and points to an issue with Emby and .mov files no?

 

Thanks again!

 

 

 

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Angelblue05

I just think quicktime movies don't play nice without a 'quicktime' player. I don't know if in this case is due to the server or just the .mov format in general, etc...

 

I was not able to reproduce the stuttering/pause/lag with the .mov you shared... So it's hard to tell.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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cw-kid

I just tried playing the renamed .mov to .mp4 file remotely in Kodi and its still the same plays for a second and then pauses. 

 

Renaming it last night seemed to make in play OK with Kodi on the same LAN as Emby Server, but when the Kodi add-on was set to use HTTP rather than SMB.

 

But renaming it doesn't seem to have helped for remote Kodi clients.

 

All the .mov movies play perfectly fine in Kodi on the LAN when the Emby add-on is in SMB mode, they just don't play when its in HTTP mode etc.

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Angelblue05

@@cw-kid

 

Changing the container by simply changing the extension does not always do the trick... You need to re-encode the file to mp4 by using Handbrake or some similar software. You can also google convert mov to mp4 and see what people are suggesting. 

 

I will convert the file you shared for testing. I will let you know if I find anything. :)

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