Emby not respecting bit-rate limits.

[Mkilbride 86]

So I've been having this issue for awhile. I have 18Mbps upload, so I set my out of network maximum bit-rate to 14.5Mbps.  Despite this, Emby responds is weird ways. It will transcode a 9000Kbps 1080p movie to like 3.5Mbps when streaming it to a friend, it will say bit-rate limit exceeded, despite the fact it should not be. When I check the transcode log, it even says, bit-rate limit 14,500Kbps.

 

Then there is this other issue. My friend attempted to stream a 4K Video file with a bit-rate of 64Mbps from me to their TV. It direct played for some reason, instead of transcoding. Obviously my 18Mbps connection could not support this. No matter what option she selected, it kept attempting to direct play. Even selecting the 1080p option in the quality setting did not stop it.  What is even weirder, is that I have transcode logs for some reason. Despite it direct playing. I attached a few logs.

ffmpeg-transcode-4c83f52a-32d4-482a-b524-21d5658dac84_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-cc9cac02-f902-4759-9328-e36b3e8ae7e0_1.txt

 

Watching in real time, I saw it going from "Transcoding due to bit-rate limit" to Direct Play, and then it started non-stop buffering for her because obviously I can't supply that bit-rate.

 

 

ffmpeg-transcode-22e7a1a0-5904-4d3e-a004-8724419d0768_1.txt

Edited February 17, 2022 by Mkilbride

[Luke 42078]

Hi, in all of these examples the app is requesting a bitrate well below your server-side upper limit. What this means is the user has configured a quality setting even lower, so that is the limit being exceeded.

When you configure your limit server-side, you're not setting the user's quality setting, you're setting your own upper limit. The user will also set theirs, and the end result is something fits within both.

[Mkilbride 86]

Alright. So why isn't there a server wide option? It even describe s it as such it says *all clients outside of network*, makes one think that means other users, not just your own. An option for a universal would be good.

 

Also, my friend didn't select any quality setting until I told her, and even then it tried to direct play despite the request to transcode.

[Luke 42078]

It is system wide for all out of network users, but it's an upper limit, not a specific quality value.

[Mkilbride 86]

Ok, but it's not being applied then.  Because my friend is across the country, so out of network, yet it wants to direct play a 4k remux at full bit rate.

[ebr 16184]

2 hours ago, Mkilbride said:

Ok, but it's not being applied then.  Because my friend is across the country, so out of network, yet it wants to direct play a 4k remux at full bit rate.

Hi.  It is being applied but it is an upper limit, not a lower one.

The user probably has their app set to "Auto" which tests the connection and then chooses a safe speed based on that test.  You can try having them select a higher bitrate in the app but it is quite likely that will produce buffering or stuttering.

[Luke 42078]

3 hours ago, Mkilbride said:

Ok, but it's not being applied then.  Because my friend is across the country, so out of network, yet it wants to direct play a 4k remux at full bit rate.

Why do you think it wants to do that?

[Mkilbride 86]

I don't know, why does it? I set a bit-rate limit for Out of Network devices to 14Mbps. The file has a bit-rate of 64Mbps. Should it not automatically transcode it to a lower bit-rate? That's how it works for many other files. 

 

Why is a 4.5mbps bit-rate file remuxed for "exceeding bit-rate", when my cap is 14.5?

 

 

As the description says itself - it should limit ALL out of Network devices to 14.5Mbps, and it says it will transcode videos on the fly to a lower bit-rate.

 

But it's not.

Edited February 17, 2022 by Mkilbride

[Luke 42078]

Yes if does and it looks that way from your logs.. Why do you think otherwise?

[Mkilbride 86]

Because it is direct playing a 64Mbps file to my friend...and it stutters like mad because my upload isn't strong enough to deliver that.

[ebr 16184]

12 minutes ago, Mkilbride said:

Because it is direct playing a 64Mbps file to my friend...and it stutters like mad because my upload isn't strong enough to deliver that.

Hi. Can we see the log of that happening?

Have you restricted any of the remuxing or transcoding options in this user's settings?

[Mkilbride 86]

No, they're set to default. As for logs of that happening...I attached them already and you said they looked normal. That said, on my mobile and home network I just attempted to play a 4K video. It plays the audio for me, but no video. I have a S21, so it should support anything. Infact it did used to work.  Something similar is likely happening to my friend.

 

Here's my log of just a black screen, but audio, when I tried to limit it. All 1080p files play perfectly. But 4K > 1080p and transcode = black screen, but audio.

 

ffmpeg-transcode-36c17c0f-baef-4e59-b142-bc7465ebc503_1.txt

 

 

EDIT* I Managed to get it to work randomly, but now having the buffering issues like my friend had.

 

Here is that log

 

 

ffmpeg-transcode-916317f7-2272-43e2-9cf9-0f3690840d6e_1.txt

Edited February 17, 2022 by Mkilbride

[ebr 16184]

14 minutes ago, Mkilbride said:

As for logs of that happening...I attached them already and you said they looked normal

You attached ffmpeg logs.  All of those sessions are transcoding to a bitrate within your limit.

Can you have the user play the item that is direct playing and stuttering for about 20 seconds and then  follow the instructions to send a log from the app?