Problem playing certain files on Emby App for Roku

[wtfaremypants 0]

I have been using Emby for a couple years now and haven't had any major issues. Until this week. When playing certain files through the Emby app on Roku, I get an error: "There was an error processing the request. Please try again later." Trying later doesn't change the result.

 

The file is an .mkv and I have played other mkv files before and after this message has started displaying on these particular files. I can play the files through the Emby web app no problem and I can also play the raw file in Windows, so I don't think the file is damaged or corrupted at all, just that Emby on Roku won't play them.

 

I did a quick parse of some of the logs but I didn't know specifically what I was looking for, so I didn't find anything that stood out to me.

 

Both the Emby app and Roku are up to date. I even tried re-encoding one of the files to a slightly different format and got the same error, yet the Emby app on Roku is able to create thumbnails and chapters for each of the files.

 

So here are the questions:

1. Is this a "known issue"?

2. Is there someone that can point me to a specific logfile and/or entry in the logs that I can look at that might shed some light on the error (since the on-screen error is so useless)?

3. Is this perhaps a problem with some specific encoding that only occurs on certain video files?

 

If you need any additional info, please just let me know, I have to fix this annoying issue so my wife can watch her shows...

 

 

 

[wtfaremypants 0]

Oh, and thanks in advance to any and all help!

[Happy2Play 8281]

What screen are you seeing this error on?  What content type, sounds like TV?.

[wtfaremypants 0]

What screen are you seeing this error on?  What content type, sounds like TV?.

Only see the error when playing the files on Emby for Roku app. It's a video file (.mkv) and yes, its a TV show.

[Happy2Play 8281]

Only see the error when playing the files on Emby for Roku app. It's a video file (.mkv) and yes, its a TV show.

But what screen?  Home screen, Latest items, Series, Episode details?

[wtfaremypants 0]

When I select the TV folder and click the file, then click play. Not sure what that screen is called.

[Luke 37058]

Hi there, can we look at an example of the playback error? Please attach the information requested in how to report a media playback issue. thanks !

[wtfaremypants 0]

As I posted, there's nothing in the logs that I can find to indicate any issues at the exact time or for that exact file. That's why I was asking for clarification of the log structure. The logs are almost entirely INFO level "normal" entries. The ones that reference ERROR have nothing to do with the time or file displaying the error on my Roku. I looked through embyserver and various ffmpeg-transcode and ffmpeg-remux logs before and after I reproduced the error by trying to play the file.

 

I don't like bothering support for problems I can attempt to solve on my own, hence I was asking questions about the obscure error message and where more info might be found in the logs but it seems the logs aren't very useful either unless Emby has obfuscated important error logging. Is this the case? Is there documentation somewhere I can access that details how the logs are managed specifically and what non-standard info in the logs I should be looking for?

[wtfaremypants 0]

I should have also mentioned that I looked at the following info:

1. The github wiki for log entries - nothing relevant or useful

2. The github wiki for Roku - I confirmed the video and audio formats these specific files are encoded in are supported by the transcode facility of the Emby app (H264/AAC 160 bitrate/AC3)

[Luke 37058]

If we're direct playing then it is the Roku video player having difficulty with the files.

 

Unfortunately we run into this occasionally, where Roku will have trouble with files that would appear that they should work just fine. What did you use to encode them with?

[ebr 14910]

Hi.  That particular error message doesn't sound like a playback error.

 

Can you provide a screen shot?

[wtfaremypants 0]

I found what I thought might be the problem: the audio encoding for Roku supports AAC *BUT* only when encoded in Stereo or AC3-passthru. So looking just at the audio encoding method (AAC) isn't enough. It has to be Stereo or AC3-passthru (which it wasn't).

 

I re-encoded and tested and the file still won't play even though it captures video stills for the thumbnail and chapters. This tells me it might be audio related, but beyond the info in the wiki, and given no useful error message on the screen or in the logs, I still need some guidance. I've attached a screenshot of the error message that displays on the screen.

 

Also of note: these files aren't displayed in the "Show" filter, only in "Folders" and "Episodes" for some reason.

 

[wtfaremypants 0]

I used HandBrake to re-encode the video the first try, and the audio the second try. I just realized that HandBrake has a "Roku" set of presets so I'm trying that now and I'll let you know if that works.

[Luke 37058]

That would be great, thanks.

[wtfaremypants 0]

The Roku encoding presets on Handbrake also does not work. Everything is the same: error message on screen is the same, but I can still play the file normally in Windows or on the Emby web app.

[Luke 37058]

Can you please attach the emby server log from this time? Thanks.

[Happy2Play 8281]

I found what I thought might be the problem: the audio encoding for Roku supports AAC *BUT* only when encoded in Stereo or AC3-passthru. So looking just at the audio encoding method (AAC) isn't enough. It has to be Stereo or AC3-passthru (which it wasn't).

 

I re-encoded and tested and the file still won't play even though it captures video stills for the thumbnail and chapters. This tells me it might be audio related, but beyond the info in the wiki, and given no useful error message on the screen or in the logs, I still need some guidance. I've attached a screenshot of the error message that displays on the screen.

 

Also of note: these files aren't displayed in the "Show" filter, only in "Folders" and "Episodes" for some reason.

 

 

 

So these would be unidentified items?

 

How do you get to these items?

[wtfaremypants 0]

Happy2Play: As I mentioned in a previous post, its in the TV section but you need to change the filter to Episodes or Folders. These items don't appear in the default "Shows" filter.

[ebr 14910]

Yeah, the error you are seeing is not related to playback really.  That is a general API request failure.  Can you please attach the server log as Luke requested?

[wtfaremypants 0]

Log attached.

embyserver-63711769263.txt

[Luke 37058]

Did you try to play on Roku during the time of this log? Unless I'm missing it I don't see any Roku activity.

[wtfaremypants 0]

We use Roku every day. Logs don't appear to be generated on a daily basis, so there are multiples every day. Here's the one just before that one:

 

 

embyserver-63711765938.txt

[ebr 14910]

In order for us to find this issue, we'll need you to actually cause the problem and then post the log from that time and tell us when the problem occurred.

 

Thanks.

[wtfaremypants 0]

Or...you could just tell me/document how the logs work properly and I can do it myself. You've said that its likely an API issue, but not how to find that evidence in the logs. As I mentioned previously: I parsed the logs looking for "ERROR" level logging and found none that referenced the issue/file I've enumerated. There's a vague on-screen error, but, as far as I can see, there is no corresponding log entry.

[ebr 14910]

It is very likely something you won't be able to spot but, if you can reproduce the problem and provide us with the log and the time when the problem occurred, we may be able to.

 

Thanks.