BUG: Wrong file selected - unnecessary transcode

[legallink 187]

I've experienced recently where the server is transcoding unnecessarily, and skipping the pre-transcoded file.

 

I've attached logs and a screen shot of the most recent experience.

 

I have a transcode ffmpeg log, the server log, and a screen shot showing the different movie formats in the web gui.

 

Relevant Data:

 

On the Apple TV Emby App, started playing "Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year".  

 

Apple TV is hardwired to lan which server is also hard wired (so there is plenty of bandwidth).

 

There is both the original uncompressed file (mkv) and a compressed file (mp4) with selections specifically for the Apple TV.

 

Based on the server logs, it doesn't even appear to find/identify the MP4 file, only the MKV file.  All storage is local to the machine the server is on, no network attached drives or related, so file access should not be an issue.

 

Thoughts?

Transcode Log.txt

transcode server log.txt

[Luke 37247]

The video bitrate requested was very low, not enough to cover either of the two files and that's why transcoding happened.

[legallink 187]

@@Luke. But there is no reason for it to be so low. It's on auto bitrate, local wired lan connection (1gbps). So the client is requesting a low bit rate, not environment dependent.

Similarly, I'll show you one I am working on right now that has the same problem. I'll post later today.

Edited March 18, 2017 by legallink

[legallink 187]

Logs attached.  Transferring at 10mbps, but still transcoding.

 

I've attached the server log as well as the ffmpeg log.  The server log is large...I apologize in advance.  It was a busy morning!

Moana Log.txt

Moana Server Log.txt

[ebr 14959]

The original file is 30Mb/s.  So you'd have to set the app up to something over that (I can't remember what the options are).  I also can't remember if the Apple TV will support a bitrate that high.

 

Oh, wait - so you are saying there is also a lower bitrate version?  Is it recognized by the server?  Can you see it in the web app?

 

Has this ever worked with Apple TV?

[legallink 187]

Yes, there is a lower bitrate MP4. The server recognizes the file. I can see it in the web app. In this instance it is playing the mkv instead of the MP4. I'm not sure why it chooses the mkv and not the MP4.

 

And yes sometimes it chooses the correct file and sometimes it doesn't. I don't know how the logic goes.

[ebr 14959]

Can you show us the media info for both versions of Moana?

[Luke 37247]

I noticed in the log your setting was 10mbps and the file was 11.3mbps, so that would explain that.

[legallink 187]

@@ebr - attached are media info screenshots of both the mkv and the mp4 (they are the web page, but my laptop doesn't fit the media info for both on one screenshot).

 

Apologies, as perhaps this is going to ask for education of the user, but @@Luke I'm not seeing where the bitrate of 12mbps is.  I see 5.6mbps, and then add overhead for audio, but I don't see 12mbps.

The mkv is 30mbps, but I'm not even close to that, and that would transcode anyways due to both container and audio file.

[legallink 187]

any insights here on what I can do to make sure it doesn't transcode?  I'm attaching files, but what I'm seeing doesn't seem to match up with the responses, however I could be wrong.

 

I've attached a few more transcode logs. Perhaps there is something I am missing here.

transcode log.txt

transcode log 2.txt

transcode log 3.txt

[Happy2Play 8356]

Something does not appear right with your libraries to me.  In the attached images the media info shows one Path as local and the other as UNC. 

[Luke 37247]

server log?

[legallink 187]

Something does not appear right with your libraries to me.  In the attached images the media info shows one Path as local and the other as UNC. 

@@Happy2Play I'm not sure where that issue resides.  I added the UNC to the library folder, and not on a file basis.

[legallink 187]

server log?

@@Luke

 

Attached are server logs for the last few days.

server log 1.txt

server log 2.txt

[legallink 187]

@@Luke @@ebr

 

Is this something I'm doing wrong or something your looking into? I continually have Mkv files pulled and transcoded when MP4 files are available. And then transcoding is also happening for MP4's indicating bandwidth problems when there are none.

[legallink 187]

@@Luke and @ebr:

 

Here's another example, with the same file, but won't seem to direct play.  

 

transcode log as well attached.

 

The movie being played is "Moana".  There is an mp4 and an Mkv file saved.  Both are listed in the server log, but it says directstream false.

 

Here is some of the relevant log entries:

 

2017-04-04 12:08:40.8878 Info App: Profile: Unknown Profile, Path: \\LIVINGROOMHTPC\Movies 1\Movies\Moana\Moana.mkv, isEligibleForDirectPlay: False, isEligibleForDirectStream: False
2017-04-04 12:08:40.8878 Info App: Bitrate exceeds DirectPlay limit: media bitrate: 11320191, max bitrate: 8000000
2017-04-04 12:08:40.8878 Info App: Bitrate exceeds DirectStream limit: media bitrate: 11320191, max bitrate: 3926380
2017-04-04 12:08:40.8878 Info App: Profile: Unknown Profile, Path: E:\Movies\Moana\Moana.mp4, isEligibleForDirectPlay: False, isEligibleForDirectStream: False

 

If you could give me some indication of what I should be doing different, as I've tried to set up my library with respect to the wiki to avoid transcoding.

Log.txt

Server Log.txt

[Luke 37247]

The max bitrate requested from the app is ...3926380

 

In this case, both the mkv and mp4 have higher bitrates then that, so I think this is all working as expected.

2017-04-04 12:08:40.8878 Info App: Profile: Unknown Profile, Path: \\LIVINGROOMHTPC\Movies 1\Movies\Moana\Moana.mkv, isEligibleForDirectPlay: False, isEligibleForDirectStream: False
2017-04-04 12:08:40.8878 Info App: Bitrate exceeds DirectStream limit: media bitrate: 11320191, max bitrate: 3926380

2017-04-04 12:08:40.8878 Info App: Profile: Unknown Profile, Path: E:\Movies\Moana\Moana.mp4, isEligibleForDirectPlay: False, isEligibleForDirectStream: False
2017-04-04 12:08:40.8878 Info App: Bitrate exceeds DirectStream limit: media bitrate: 11320191, max bitrate: 3926380

[legallink 187]

Thanks for the response @@Luke.  I think this is what doesn't make sense to me.

 

Environment is 1 GBPS hard wired lan direct from server to apple tv.  I have the client set to 60 mbps max, so I don't know why there is a bit rate limit of 3926380.  So, it is working as expected in that it is transcoding when there is a limit.  The question is, why is that the limit.

[Luke 37247]

Maybe at some point you set the quality either in settings or in the video player. If it is currently on Auto, then try setting a custom value that is appropriate.

[legallink 187]

@@Luke and @@ebr

 

I think either I'm very confused in how to setup access, I have a historical issue from previous versions of Emby, or the explanation provided is inaccurate (and the ones involving me doing something wrong are always highly possible).  I appreciate the notion of settings with respect to quality settings, and it while it appears that the app sets the quality settings to auto regardless of what I have set previously, whether auto or custom, there should be no bandwidth limitation unless I artificially limit it in custom or via user settings (which I haven't), as I have a direct 1gbps line from the server to my router and from my router to my apple tv.  If bandwidth is the limit there, then video play over ip protocol just isn't possible for 99.99% of users.

 

I think there is something more fundamental in either my setup (which I've followed the guide as precisely as possible, and it appears that this works on all other platforms) or how the application is making it's choices on how and which files to play a file, and whether to transcode or not.  The reason I say that is because, without changing anything else, I turned off the ability for the user to "transcode" media during playback in the admin, and it played the correct .mp4 file fine without transcoding, despite the server logs providing a "false" statement on whether something was available for directstream or directplay.

 

If you'd like to set up some testing parameters, I'm happy to do that, or I'll just accept that 50% of the time it will transcode when it shouldn't.  Either way, from my perspective the software's the best on the market, and I appreciate you can't get into every user's setup and troubleshoot their issues.  Thanks for the help so far.

Edited April 5, 2017 by legallink

[ebr 14959]

There definitely are flaws in our "auto" bandwidth determination that can cause a value lower than what you'd expect on a network.  We are thinking of just using the max instead of the auto test when we can determine that you are on a local LAN.

 

You are saying that you set the app to a fixed setting but it keeps resetting itself to Auto?

[legallink 187]

@@ebr

 

Yes, I've set it previously to a fixed setting, but every once in a while, I'll go in and check, and it will reset itself to auto.  This is the Apple TV app.

[ebr 14959]

@@ebr

 

Yes, I've set it previously to a fixed setting, but every once in a while, I'll go in and check, and it will reset itself to auto.  This is the Apple TV app.

 

@@corey - Have you ever seen this happen?

 

Can we then assume that that is the crux of this problem?  That the app is using the auto determination and that is why it is transcoding...

[legallink 187]

@@ebr

 

I don't know if this is the crux other than something inherently overriding in the code to be auto on each play.

 

I just did a test with 2 users, both set with the same 40mbps bandwidth cap. One has transcoding turned off in the admin interface and one doesn't.

 

The one with it turned off direct streamed the file. I then flipped to the user with it turned on, and it transcoded and @ 1.1 Mbps. There is something more fundamental going on in the trigger for when transcoding should take place and when a file can be direct streamed/played.

[Luke 37247]

When transcoding, the 40mbps setting is only intended to be a maximum value. It does not mean you will get 40mbps. The final output is a calculation based on the setting as well as the characteristics of the input video.