Would a new HDHomerun speed things up?

[Guest asrequested]

Post your transcode logs. It may be that the playback device doesn't support something in the stream. This will cause the server to transcode it to allow it be used. That will show in the logs. That it's direct streaming is suggestive of the audio not being supported.

[bcm00re 18]

Isn't that what I attached earlier in post #11? And I was assuming it was direct steaming but maybe it was direct playing -- it just said "Direct" in the status window on my Roku when I play a previously record show (that was recorded via the hardware transcode output of the Extend).

[Guest asrequested]

New logs are always appreciated as something may have changed. A transcode log will tell us what's happening. If it's direct playing, there won't be a transcode log. There may also be a remux log instead of transcode log.

[bcm00re 18]

Okay, I'll grab some new logs in the next couple days and post them.

[blade005 172]

Isn't that what I attached earlier in post #11? And I was assuming it was direct steaming but maybe it was direct playing -- it just said "Direct" in the status window on my Roku when I play a previously record show (that was recorded via the hardware transcode output of the Extend).

@bcm00re 

 

FYI.

I have HDHomeRun Connect devices and recently moved from a Roku 3 external device to a TCL Roku 4K TV. Previously on the Roku 3 any Live TV or playback of Recorded TV thru the Emby Roku app had to be transcoded. Roku 3 could not direct play the MPEG2 Video or AC-3 Audio. Live TV channel startup that would require transcoding would take between 10-20 seconds.  Moving to the TCL Roku 4K TV now allows for Live TV and Recorded TV to DIRECT STREAM thru the Emby Roku app. It is DIRECT STREAMING because the AC-3 audio has to be converted. Live TV channel startup is now between 3-5 seconds.

[Luke 37116]

Only the Roku TV supports the mpegts container, so even with HDHR trancoding there will still be some conversion required on the part of emby server. What I think is happening here is that in order to avoid a double conversion, we are attempting to just get the raw native stream so that it only has to be converted once by emby server.

 

It should be possible to use HDHR transcoding to h264 and then just have Emby Server swap containers, but now the stream will be getting processed twice which I don't think would actually help it start any quicker.

 

There may be other things in the app we can do.

[bcm00re 18]

@@blade005

The difference between the Connect and the Extend is that the Extend has built-in hardware transcoding that converts the OTA signal from MPEG2 to MPEG4 which is what the Roku can play. As I said before, the hardware encoded output from the Extend that is recorded will play back on the Roku without transcoding. But for some reason live TV doesn't work the same way. Hopefully we can determine why and find a way to fix it.

[bcm00re 18]

@@Luke

When Emby Server records the hardware transcoded stream (from the Extend) does it change the container?

[Luke 37116]

depends on whether or not you enable the recording conversion feature. if not then no, it's just the raw stream.

[bcm00re 18]

What selection is that exactly? And wouldn't that be taking the raw stream and encoding it (like with Live TV)? Or when recording can Emby change the container without encoding (the Extend's transcode output)? I ask because I think can tell, based on the resolution of the recording, that Emby is using the Extend's hardware transcoded output (and not encoding the raw stream) on the recording.

Edited October 30, 2017 by bcm00re

[Luke 37116]

It is under live tv settings -> Automatically convert recordings to a streaming friendly format

[bcm00re 18]

Thanks. So when recording Emby can change the container without re-encoding (the Extend's transcoded output)?

[Luke 37116]

No, if you uncheck that box, nothing gets changed during the recording process.

[Guest asrequested]

The sever no long has a remux only option. But it wouldn't make a difference. Your device is already doing that. But it isn't converting the audio. That's why I asked for your transcode logs. We need to see specifically what is happening and why. Then we give you a definitive answer.

[bcm00re 18]

I did some testing tonight. I recorded short clips of Late Night with Seth Meyers both with and without the "Automatically convert recordings to a streaming friendly format" option checked. For both clips I can see that Emby is using the Extend's hardware encoded video. On the not-checked clip, I see that the container is mpegts and the audio is AC-3 5.1. On the checked clip, the container is mkv and the audio is LC 5.1. When I play the not-checked clip (on my Roku Premiere) the status shows 'Eng Dolby 5.1' for audio and 'Trans' (indicating it is transcoding -- but logs indicate it's only remuxing). When I play the checked clip, it shows 'Und AAC 5.1' for Audio and 'Direct'. But in both cases, the clip starts playing about 5 seconds after I hit play -- so that considerably faster than the about 15 seconds it takes to tune the same channel with Live TV.

 

See attached Logs.

LiveTV_transcode.txt

Recording_remux.txt

Edited November 1, 2017 by bcm00re

[Luke 37116]

Right well static video file playback is going to be a lot faster than live tv playback. Try jumping on the Roku beta in case you might see any difference:

 

https://emby.media/community/index.php?/topic/8001-emby-for-roku-channel/

 

Thanks.

 

 

@@ebr

[bcm00re 18]

It seems like Live TV could also use the Extend's hardware transcoded video (like Emby does when recording) and just remux the audio to get a faster picture for Live TV.

[bcm00re 18]

I think I am already using the Beta -- that what the icon on Roku says at least.  When I look deeper it shows Version 3.0 and Build 52.

[bcm00re 18]

FYI, I can get live TV playback using my Extend on my Panasonic TV (using DLNA) much faster than I get live TV using my Extend with Emby and Roku. I believe that is because my Panny is actually using the Extend's hardware encoded output whereas Emby is bypassing it and doing the transcode on its Server.

[Luke 37116]

I understand but as what's been pointed out earlier, your panasonic supports the mpegts container whereas roku does not.

[bcm00re 18]

True but with Emby I get the same results when playing a mpegts and a mkv container for a recorded show -- and unlike how Emby handles Live TV, they both actually use the Extend's hardware transcode video output.

[Luke 37116]

And I already said earlier that playing a completed and static video file is not the same as playing a live stream.

[bcm00re 18]

I guess I don't understand why Emby can use the Extend's transcoded video output when recording but cannot (or perhaps just does not) use the Extend's output for Live TV. I thought that it would and that's why you suggested I purchase it earlier in this thread.

[bcm00re 18]

I'm willing to be a guinea pig to help make Emby better in this area. I would think that waiting 15-20 seconds to tune/change channels would be a big distractor for a considerable amount of potential users.

Edited November 1, 2017 by bcm00re

[bcm00re 18]

So is just not at all possible for Emby to use the HDHR Extend's hardware transcoded video for Live TV (like Emby does when making recordings)?

 

If that is the case, then perhaps Emby might at least offer (in the future of course) the ability to setup tuner preferences so I can designate my Extend for recordings and/or setup my old HDHR tuner for Live TV. That way my Extend doesn't get tied up doing Live TV where it's ability to hardware transcode is wasted by Emby.