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How can I Force Emby Server to transcode on Android Mobile


sstahl

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How can I Force Emby Server to transcode on Android Mobile to have consistent smooth video playback. I am running Emby Windows Server 3.1.20 with latest Emby Android Mobile on my Samsung Galaxy S6 latest OS. Have a HD Home Run Prime Tuner with Hardware Encoding enabled on Xfinity Cable Service. I have found that the Samsung Galaxy S6 and also my Samsung Tablet can not play video smoothly in Direct Play mode, except on local LAN with plenty of BW. No matter how good my Internet Service is on the Server(25 Mbps upload speed from speedtest) and the Client, I have never had Direct Play work with-out video freezing. On Version 3.0.8500 if I set Bitrate to 3 Mbps on Android Client, it would force transcoding. However the latest realease does direct play no matter what I do. Changing bitrate or forcing subtitles does force it to transcode. Any suggestions?

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MSattler

Want to make a correction on my last statement. Changing bitrate or forcing subtitles does not force it to transcode? 

 

 

Changing the bitrate should force it to transcode, as long as the bitrate is lower than the bitrate of the content you are trying to play.

 

For instance, if you set the bit rate on the player to 3Mbps, then any content that has a bit rate higher than that, would transcode.  But if you had some content that was 2.5Mbps, then it would try to direct play first.

 

There is actually a Feature Request being looked at right now, which would allow you to set a bit rate limit per device.  This would ensure that device would never get a bit rate higher than what is set, which would be a great way to force it to transcode. 

 

https://emby.media/community/index.php?/topic/31207-max-straming-rate-per-user/

 

 

-Marcus

Edited by MSattler
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Unfortunetly I am still having issues. On all HD Home Run Prime channels via your direct interface it does Direct Play unless I lower bitrate to 480P at 420kbps in Android Mobile Client on Samsung S6. If I for example play FOX Sports North HD channel 863 on Comcast via HD HomeRun Prime it does Direct Play at 480P 720kbps and higher. What is interesting is if I record  and playback later, then it will transcode. The recorded file is 1280 x 720 at 25000kbps data rate and total bitrate of 25384kbps 59 frames/second and is a .ts file. I don't have the convert recordings check box checked. 

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@@sstahl, did you try changing the in-app bitrate setting? that will force it to transcode if the bitrate is higher than the setting.

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Yes, I had to lower the bitrate setting to 480P at 420kbps in Android Mobile Client on Samsung S6. However, I know that is way lower than the actual  which is 1280 x 720 at 25000kbps data rate and total bitrate of 25384kbps 59 frames/second and is a .ts file. Assuming a recording of same channel and content is the same as Live TV. I could send you a txt log file to look at. 

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Attached is server log file of Android Mobile Samsung S6 doing Live TV for Fox North HD Xfinity via HD Home Run Prime. The source looks like it is 720p. Does it indicate what the original bitrate is? I would sure think the original is higher than 420kbps. Note, I am only having this issue on my Samsung S6 & Tablet. My Roku, iphone IOS, and Web apps are forcing  transcode at 3 Mbps and also higher bitrates with same channel and content. 

server-63619029896.txt

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@@sstahl from the android app, if you click your user icon in the top right, then click Playback settings. Then scroll down to max streaming bitrate. what does it say?

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Luke, it was set at 3 Mbps. I have set it to Auto and played around with higher and lower bitrates as well. In the past it worked well  from 1.5 Mbps to 3 Mbps with good quality and smooth playback but it was transcoding on Emby Windows Server version ending with 8500. However, after upgrading on both the current Windows server version and android app, it now will Direct Play but is buffering and freezing, unless I higher lower bitrate to 480P at 420kbps and than it transcodes but the quality is poor. 

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Well it depends on the bitrate of the source content. If the setting is higher than the bitrate of the video you are trying to play, it may not transcode.

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