UHD and HD multiple version question.

[jdazzle44 7]

I’ve been testing out my Emby server running on OMV5 with docker and a custom PC with an i7-8700k with different clients locally and over the internet to see how to best optimize my server for me and users outside my network.

I decided it’s optimal to keep HD copies of my UHD movies to avoid transcoding even tho qvc can handle a few streams, it just doesn’t look as good as the native HD versions. 

In the process of testing clients locally, I notice that my Amazon fire stick will automatically direct play the HD version of a movie if I choose a lower bitrate than what the UHD version specify. This doesn’t happen on any of my other clients. My ROKU tv, ROKU steaming stick, iPhone, MacBook nor Emby theater on my windows PC. They all transcode the UHD version to HD instead of just direct playing the HD version just like the Amazon fire stick does. 

Any reasons to why this happens?

 

[ebr 16178]

Hi.  So it is working as you expect on the Fire?

[jdazzle44 7]

1 hour ago, ebr said:

Hi.  So it is working as you expect on the Fire?

Yes it’s working as expected only on the Fire. 

[ebr 16178]

Okay, so can you please provide details of an example that isn't working including exactly which app/platform that is?  Thanks.

How to Report a Problem

 

[jdazzle44 7]

1 hour ago, ebr said:

Okay, so can you please provide details of an example that isn't working including exactly which app/platform that is?  Thanks.

How to Report a Problem

 

Lets limit this to two platforms(4k Roku Tv and 4k Fire Stick). The movie I'm testing has a UHD bitrate of 25Mbps and a HD bitrate of 8Mbps. 

If I select the UHD version of the movie with any of the platform bitrate set to 25Mbps or more than it direct plays it with the exception of audio remux which isn't of a concern.

Now if I change the bitrate to 20Mbps while the movie is playing, My Roku Tv transcode the UHD version to HD while the Fire Stick just switches to the HD version and direct plays it since the HD bitrate is less than the selected 20Mbps.

I have attached pictures of both platform stats for nerds and also the logs. Interestingly, there is no log for when I originally direct play the UHD version on the Fire Stick which makes sense since there is no transcoding required but there is a log once I change the bitrate to 20Mbps.

ffmpeg-remux-41e50a46-d027-4daf-b49c-a930e0bfc91b_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-d38c040f-ac36-4ddd-a2d0-a3ec674e0249_1.txt ffmpeg-remux-c9d8d624-566a-4fee-bb26-8406600c1383_1.txt

[Luke 42078]

@jdazzle44 version selection happens prior to playback, not during, so changing the quality setting while playing will not change the media version being played.

Does that help clear this up? If you set the quality setting prior to starting playback, then you should see the result that you want.

[Luke 42078]

To set the quality setting prior to playback, you can do this in the app's playback settings. Please let us know if this helps. Thanks.

[jdazzle44 7]

1 hour ago, Luke said:

@jdazzle44 version selection happens prior to playback, not during, so changing the quality setting while playing will not change the media version being played.

Does that help clear this up? If you set the quality setting prior to starting playback, then you should see the result that you want.

I get that that’s how it works. What’s I’m trying to say is that it actually changed the version on the fire stick during playback when selecting a lower quality. 

[jdazzle44 7]

1 hour ago, Luke said:

To set the quality setting prior to playback, you can do this in the app's playback settings. Please let us know if this helps. Thanks.

I should’ve stated that this works. I’m just curious as to why on the fire stick it works during playback. 

[ebr 16178]

11 hours ago, jdazzle44 said:

I should’ve stated that this works. I’m just curious as to why on the fire stick it works during playback. 

Technically, its a bug.  Consider if your two versions were a directors cut and a normal cut but at different qualities.  Changing qualities while playing the directors cut should not switch you to the normal one.

[jdazzle44 7]

1 hour ago, ebr said:

Technically, its a bug.  Consider if your two versions were a directors cut and a normal cut but at different qualities.  Changing qualities while playing the directors cut should not switch you to the normal one.

That make sense. Thank's for the explanation.