Intel Quick Sync and ServerWMC (live and recorded) transcoding problems

February 24, 2017

I have managed to get Intel QuickSync to successfully work on my ripped h264 m2ts movies but it fails on any WMC live or recorded TV. Turning off QSV restores functional transcoding but pegs my Intel NUC i3 server - win7x64. I'm using an HD Homerun Prime as a tuner. Video is HD 4000 (Ivy Bridge), supporting the Media SDK in hardware through version 1.11. I'm using the latest downloaded 64 bit ffmpeg and Emby 3.2.1.0.

From the log file, the QuickSync logs start with a large number of these errors:

[h264 @ 000000000043d020] SPS unavailable in decode_picture_timing
[h264 @ 000000000043d020] non-existing PPS 0 referenced
[h264 @ 000000000043d020] SPS unavailable in decode_picture_timing
[h264 @ 000000000043d020] non-existing PPS 0 referenced
[h264 @ 000000000043d020] decode_slice_header error
[h264 @ 000000000043d020] no frame!
[

These eventually stop then there is this:

Input #0, mpegts, from 'http://192.168.1.133:9180/serverwmc.stream/StreamRemuxFile?clientName=Emby%5eHOMESERVER2%5e29':
Duration: N/A, start: 1.333000, bitrate: N/A
Program 1
Stream #0:0[0x1100](eng): Audio: ac3 ([129][0][0][0] / 0x0081), 48000 Hz, 5.1(side), fltp, 384 kb/s
Stream #0:1[0x1011]: Video: h264 (High) ([27][0][0][0] / 0x001B), yuv420p(progressive), 1280x720 [sAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], Closed Captions, 59.94 fps, 59.94 tbr, 90k tbn, 119.88 tbc
Output #0, hls, to 'D:\Temp\transcoding-temp\99024ae6e42258c29ead36873b8801f5.m3u8':
Metadata:
encoder : Lavf57.66.102
Stream #0:0: Video: h264 (h264_qsv), nv12, 1280x720 [sAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], q=2-31, 3000 kb/s, 59.94 fps, 90k tbn, 59.94 tbc
Metadata:
encoder : Lavc57.81.100 h264_qsv
Side data:
cpb: bitrate max/min/avg: 3000000/0/3000000 buffer size: 6000000 vbv_delay: -1
Stream #0:1: Audio: aac (LC), 48000 Hz, 5.1, fltp, 384 kb/s
Metadata:
encoder : Lavc57.81.100 aac
Stream mapping:
Stream #0:1 -> #0:0 (h264 (h264_qsv) -> h264 (h264_qsv))
Stream #0:0 -> #0:1 (ac3 (native) -> aac (native))

And then an infinitely looping series of these errors:

[NULL @ 0000000003b5afc0] SPS unavailable in decode_picture_timing
[NULL @ 0000000003b5afc0] non-existing PPS 0 referenced
[h264_qsv @ 00000000032248a0] Decoding pixel format '(null)' is not supported
Error while decoding stream #0:1: Function not implemented

These go on until I kill the stream - no picture or audio ever.

Any thoughts as to how to get QSV working for live/recorded TV transcoding? On my ripped recordings it works great and recovers 50% of my CPU load.

February 24, 2017

Something else I noticed - I can successfully use ffmpeg to convert a WMC recording without error using QSV, but when I try and stream the same recording via Emby using QSV it fails. My test uses no switches except "-vcodec h264_qsv -q 5 -look_ahead 0" to output to mp4.

Here is what Emby did:

C:\Program Files\ffmpeg\ffmpeg.exe -c:v mpeg2_qsv -i "http://192.168.1.133:9180/serverwmc.stream/StreamRemuxFile?clientName=Emby%5eHOMESERVER2%5e31" -map_metadata -1 -map_chapters -1 -threads 0 -map 0:2 -map 0:0 -map -0:s -codec:v:0 h264_qsv -preset 7 -look_ahead 0 -b:v 8000000 -maxrate 8000000 -bufsize 16000000 -vsync -1 -profile:v high -level 4.1 -force_key_frames "expr:gte(t,n_forced*3)" -vf "yadif=0:-1:0" -flags -global_header -max_delay 5000000 -avoid_negative_ts disabled -start_at_zero -codec:a:0 aac -strict experimental -ac 6 -ab 384000 -af "adelay=1,aresample=async=1" -hls_time 3 -individual_header_trailer 0 -start_number 0 -hls_list_size 0 -hls_base_url "hls/6e6e299f96e97e88c003e67c307ec87d/" -y "D:\Temp\transcoding-temp\6e6e299f96e97e88c003e67c307ec87d.m3u8"

February 25, 2017

Hi, can you provide a complete transcoding log? thanks !

February 25, 2017

Here it the log until it errors - this is a different one than I originally posted. The remainder of the file is identical to the repeating error block.

http://192.168.1.133:8096/emby/videos/5c1b1fbed320f03f4f307055c32eb422/live.m3u8?DeviceId=a0dc42860008ccb5aecf321782b5d45c&MediaSourceId=31&VideoCodec=h264&AudioCodec=aac,mp3&AudioStreamIndex=0&VideoBitrate=834398609&AudioBitrate=384000&Level=51&Profile=high&PlaySessionId=3b80fbc35cb141129541de1c0a751523&api_key=bd09ccbba6734dc8bc253648a60509ff&LiveStreamId=a17c75760a04e99b68cf766e11316e1c_b4dc767f31fd4807454a2676b13be5fd_31&CopyTimestamps=false&TranscodingMaxAudioChannels=6&EnableSubtitlesInManifest=false&RequireAvc=true

{"Protocol":"Http","Id":"31","Path":"http://192.168.1.133:9180/serverwmc.stream/StreamRemuxFile?clientName=Emby%5eHOMESERVER2%5e31","Type":"Default","Container":"mpegts","IsRemote":false,"ReadAtNativeFramerate":false,"SupportsTranscoding":true,"SupportsDirectStream":false,"SupportsDirectPlay":true,"IsInfiniteStream":false,"RequiresOpening":true,"RequiresClosing":true,"SupportsProbing":true,"LiveStreamId":"a17c75760a04e99b68cf766e11316e1c_b4dc767f31fd4807454a2676b13be5fd_31","MediaStreams":[{"Codec":"ac3","Language":"eng","TimeBase":"1/90000","CodecTimeBase":"1/48000","DisplayTitle":"EngDolby Digital 5.1","IsInterlaced":false,"ChannelLayout":"5.1","BitRate":384000,"Channels":6,"SampleRate":48000,"IsDefault":false,"IsForced":false,"Type":"Audio","Index":0,"IsExternal":false,"IsTextSubtitleStream":false,"SupportsExternalStream":false,"Level":0},{"Codec":"ac3","Language":"spa","TimeBase":"1/90000","CodecTimeBase":"1/48000","DisplayTitle":"Spa Dolby Digital stereo","IsInterlaced":false,"ChannelLayout":"stereo","BitRate":192000,"Channels":2,"SampleRate":48000,"IsDefault":false,"IsForced":false,"Type":"Audio","Index":1,"IsExternal":false,"IsTextSubtitleStream":false,"SupportsExternalStream":false,"Level":0},{"Codec":"mpeg2video","TimeBase":"1/90000","CodecTimeBase":"1001/30000","IsInterlaced":true,"BitRate":8000000,"RefFrames":1,"IsDefault":false,"IsForced":false,"Height":1080,"Width":1920,"AverageFrameRate":29.97003,"RealFrameRate":29.97003,"Profile":"Main","Type":"Video","AspectRatio":"16:9","Index":2,"IsExternal":false,"IsTextSubtitleStream":false,"SupportsExternalStream":false,"PixelFormat":"yuv420p","Level":4,"IsAnamorphic":false}],"PlayableStreamFileNames":[],"Formats":[],"Bitrate":8576000,"RequiredHttpHeaders":{},"DefaultAudioStreamIndex":0}

C:\Program Files\ffmpeg\ffmpeg.exe -c:v mpeg2_qsv -i "http://192.168.1.133:9180/serverwmc.stream/StreamRemuxFile?clientName=Emby%5eHOMESERVER2%5e31"-map_metadata -1 -map_chapters -1 -threads 0 -map 0:2 -map 0:0 -map -0:s -codec:v:0 h264_qsv -preset 7 -look_ahead 0 -b:v 8000000 -maxrate 8000000 -bufsize 16000000 -vsync -1 -profile:v high -level 4.1 -force_key_frames "expr:gte(t,n_forced*3)" -vf "yadif=0:-1:0" -flags -global_header -max_delay 5000000 -avoid_negative_ts disabled -start_at_zero -codec:a:0 aac -strict experimental -ac 6 -ab 384000 -af "adelay=1,aresample=async=1" -hls_time 3 -individual_header_trailer 0 -start_number 0 -hls_list_size 0 -hls_base_url "hls/6e6e299f96e97e88c003e67c307ec87d/" -y "D:\Temp\transcoding-temp\6e6e299f96e97e88c003e67c307ec87d.m3u8"

built with gcc 5.4.0 (GCC)

configuration: --enable-gpl --enable-version3 --enable-cuda --enable-cuvid --enable-d3d11va --enable-dxva2 --enable-libmfx --enable-nvenc --enable-avisynth --enable-bzlib --enable-fontconfig --enable-frei0r --enable-gnutls --enable-iconv --enable-libass --enable-libbluray --enable-libbs2b --enable-libcaca --enable-libfreetype --enable-libgme --enable-libgsm --enable-libilbc --enable-libmodplug --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libopenh264 --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopus --enable-librtmp --enable-libsnappy --enable-libsoxr --enable-libspeex --enable-libtheora --enable-libtwolame --enable-libvidstab --enable-libvo-amrwbenc --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libwavpack --enable-libwebp --enable-libx264 --enable-libx265 --enable-libxavs --enable-libxvid --enable-libzimg --enable-lzma --enable-zlib

libavutil 55. 47.100 / 55. 47.100

libavcodec 57. 81.100 / 57. 81.100

libavformat 57. 66.102 / 57. 66.102

libavdevice 57. 2.100 / 57. 2.100

libavfilter 6. 73.100 / 6. 73.100

libswscale 4. 3.101 / 4. 3.101

libswresample 2. 4.100 / 2. 4.100

libpostproc 54. 2.100 / 54. 2.100

[mpeg2video @ 000000000030f0a0] Invalid frame dimensions 0x0.

Last message repeated 2 times

[mpegts @ 000000000068b000] DTS 232470 < 235530 out of order

[mpeg2video @ 000000000030f0a0] Invalid frame dimensions 0x0.

Input #0, mpegts, from 'http://192.168.1.133:9180/serverwmc.stream/StreamRemuxFile?clientName=Emby%5eHOMESERVER2%5e31':

Duration: N/A, start: 1.800000, bitrate: N/A

Program 1

Stream #0:0[0x1100](eng): Audio: ac3 ([129][0][0][0] / 0x0081), 48000 Hz, 5.1(side), fltp, 384 kb/s

Stream #0:1[0x1101](spa): Audio: ac3 ([129][0][0][0] / 0x0081), 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp, 192 kb/s

Stream #0:2[0x1011]: Video: mpeg2video (Main) ([2][0][0][0] / 0x0002), yuv420p(tv, bt709, top first), 1920x1080 [sAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], Closed Captions, 29.97 fps, 29.97 tbr, 90k tbn, 59.94 tbc

Output #0, hls, to 'D:\Temp\transcoding-temp\6e6e299f96e97e88c003e67c307ec87d.m3u8':

Metadata:

encoder : Lavf57.66.102

Stream #0:0: Video: h264 (h264_qsv), nv12, 1920x1080 [sAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], q=2-31, 8000 kb/s, 29.97 fps, 90k tbn, 29.97 tbc

Metadata:

encoder : Lavc57.81.100 h264_qsv

Side data:

cpb: bitrate max/min/avg: 8000000/0/8000000 buffer size: 16000000 vbv_delay: -1

Stream #0:1: Audio: aac (LC), 48000 Hz, 5.1, fltp, 384 kb/s

Metadata:

encoder : Lavc57.81.100 aac

Stream mapping:

Stream #0:2 -> #0:0 (mpeg2video (mpeg2_qsv) -> h264 (h264_qsv))

Stream #0:0 -> #0:1 (ac3 (native) -> aac (native))

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