Video playback pixelations and audio dropouts when Emby Server service is running / updating

[Rendboell 3]

On my Windows 10 system, the Emby Server service is interfering with VLC and MPC-HC video playback, resulting in video pixelations and audio dropouts.

It concerns playback of Blu-ray, WMC recordings and Live TV (maybe also other formats, which I have not tried).

I detect the interference by looking at Windows Task Manager while playing movies, and it happens every 3-4 minutes, when the Emby Server service is running / updating and going high on CPU usage (from 0% to 1-2%).

If I close the Emby Server, the problem is gone.

I am not quite sure when the problem has started, as I have not played movies for a while.

The problem is with VLC and MPC-HC (Madvr), but not with Hauppauge WinTV 10 and WMC (Windows Media Center).

Windows 10, Emby Server, VLC and MPC-HC are all updated to latest versions.

Hardware: Asus z-97 deluxe motherboard, Intel Core i7-4790K processor, Intel HD Graphics 4600, RME Fireface 800 soundcard.

Emby Server logs are attached.

embyserver-63743686306.txt embyserver-63743673601.txt

Edited December 16, 2020 by Rendboell

[Abobader 2941]

Hello Rendboell,

Please wait for someone from staff support or our members to reply to you.

It's recommended to provide more info, as it explain in this thread:

How to Report a Problem

Thank you.

Emby Team

[Carlo 4329]

58 minutes ago, Rendboell said:

I am not quite sure when the problem has started, as I have not played movies for a while.

The problem is with VLC and MPC-HC (Madvr), but not with Hauppauge WinTV 10 and WMC (Windows Media Center).

Hi, What do all those apps have to do with Emby? Why use those apps when you have Emby?

Edited December 16, 2020 by cayars

[Rendboell 3]

Hi cayars,

I think people use a lot of different apps for various use cases, and they might not use Emby if it is interfering with other apps.

For years I have been using Emby Server with Windows Media Center, which integrates with MPC-HC.

MPC-HC with Madvr and Asio plugins has the best video and audio quality.

Best regards,

Rendboell

[Carlo 4329]

Understood about that app uses, but I guess I'm wondering how we can help with this, since we only control support the Emby software?

[speechles 1917]

Have you pulled up the Resource Monitor and investigated what it is? It is under the performance tab of your task manager. Then a link to it is down at the bottom.

Perhaps Emby isn't consuming more resources than before but your hardware is slowly dying and access to the drives is slower? Is it perhaps that updates to your other softwares have increase the load they put on the CPU which leaves very little room for Emby to run inside without causing the problem?

Have you identified some area of concern where Emby is shown consuming more resources than it should and dragging your machine down which will cause the other programs running on said machine to experience difficulties?

We can make conjecture and say it isn't Emby. Emby is just doing what it always has. Then you can show us where we need to investigate.

The best place to start to check is the Resource Monitor

[Carlo 4329]

Well said speechles.  Could also be GPU related as well if Emby is using the GPU and you play back video in other software using the GPU.  So many possibilities without investigating!.