Playback for certain files not working for certain users

[Max Overdrive 9]

I have two users connecting to my Emby Server through Fire Sticks. Both seem to be having issues playing videos that need to be transcoded. I've had both users lower the max bitrate settings on their client side which didn't seem to have any impact. I've attached both server and transcode logs from a video that wouldn't play for one user, as well as a screenshot of the video info in Emby.

Would someone be able to take a look and maybe give me any clue as to where this seems to be going wrong? Not sure if it's an issue with the video not transcoding properly or something on the client side.

Thanks in advance!

embyserver-63823507200.txt ffmpeg-transcode-b8fc2f71-dc9f-474f-bb52-afcf8ace6d2f_1.txt

[Luke 42080]

Hi.  Can you try sideloading our standard android app on the same device and see how that compares?

https://emby.media/emby-for-android.html

Thanks.

 

[Max Overdrive 9]

Will try that tomorrow and report back. Thanks Luke.

[Max Overdrive 9]

I had a chance to check with both users who are having this issue and confirmed that when using the Fire Stick, they are both using the Emby app loaded on the Fire Stick. I've attached the server log and transcode log for another user that is having the same issue with the same client (Emby app on Fire Stick).

In both users logs I notice there is a warning: Warning: The required encoding level (AvcLevel5) is greater than the maximum level supported by the client (AvcLevel41). Would this potentially be the issue (shot in the dark, not sure what this warning actually means).

I've also noticed that when playing other content, I'm getting message in the transcode logs that previous transcoding attempts have failed and it will now be using software transcoding. It is possible that hardware transcoding is just not working at all?

Thanks again for your help with this.

embyserver.txt ffmpeg-transcode-0901972a-7d95-48a9-a73d-d3af63a4193b_1.txt

[Luke 42080]

They’re running the Emby app from the store. 

Hi.  Can you try sideloading our standard android app on the same device and see how that compares?

https://emby.media/emby-for-android.html

Thanks.

 

[Max Overdrive 9]

Thanks Luke, I must've misread your original message. I've now walked through with the user and sideloaded the standard Android .apk onto the Fire Stick. It's an improvement, there are files that wouldn't play before that now do, but the original file in question in the transcode and server logs I provided still doesn't show any video and just plays audio (which is an improvement from the black screen and no audio from the Emby app from the store).

I've attached the logs while playing through the sideloaded app. I know ISP bandwidth is a challenge for this user, but trying to figure out if there's also an issue with transcoding particular videos. I can't seem to find a commonality between the files that won't play; some 4k files play, some HDR files play, the container also doesn't seem to be the problem. Just trying to narrow this down. The file in the provided logs is an example of one that won't play however.

embyserver.txt ffmpeg-transcode-5399be8e-672e-465f-af68-73fd6f963532_1.txt

[visproduction 315]

My guess would be the audio AC3 is causing an issue.  Try getting or making a copy with audio converted to AAC and see if that works.

I don't use transcoding, so I don't know the answers here.
1) When is AC3 allowed to skip Emby transcoding? 

2) Does your hardware conversion reencode the audio to AAC? 

3) Does Firestick accept AC3? https://swisscows.com/en/web?query=Firestick+AC3+audio+not+supported

4) Does you TV playback AC3?

 

[Luke 42080]

On 7/6/2023 at 12:39 AM, Max Overdrive said:

Thanks Luke, I must've misread your original message. I've now walked through with the user and sideloaded the standard Android .apk onto the Fire Stick. It's an improvement, there are files that wouldn't play before that now do, but the original file in question in the transcode and server logs I provided still doesn't show any video and just plays audio (which is an improvement from the black screen and no audio from the Emby app from the store).

I've attached the logs while playing through the sideloaded app. I know ISP bandwidth is a challenge for this user, but trying to figure out if there's also an issue with transcoding particular videos. I can't seem to find a commonality between the files that won't play; some 4k files play, some HDR files play, the container also doesn't seem to be the problem. Just trying to narrow this down. The file in the provided logs is an example of one that won't play however.

embyserver.txt 2.09 MB · 0 downloads ffmpeg-transcode-5399be8e-672e-465f-af68-73fd6f963532_1.txt 252.55 kB · 1 download

That's odd. As a test, if you disable hardware transcoding in server transcoding settings, does that make a difference?

[Max Overdrive 9]

Thanks @visproductionfor your suggestion. I'll maybe try a reencode to AAC and see if that helps. 

Also thanks @Luke. I'll disable server transcoding and walk the user through playing the file again and see if that helps. 

[Luke 42080]

No, not server transcoding altogether, just hardware transcoding in server transcoding settings. Thanks.

[Max Overdrive 9]

Gotcha @Luke. Thanks for the clarification.

[Max Overdrive 9]

Some results to report on from today's tests. Disabling hardware transcoding didn't seem to help, the user reported the same black screen and video not playing.

I also walked through playing a copy of the same video from a different source with AAC encoded audio instead of AC3 audio (with hardware transcoding enabled) with the user having issues. It was certainly an improvement: video actually started to play for the first time but froze around every 20 seconds. Server and transcode logs attached from that test.

However, still not in a watchable state. Could this just be a bandwidth issue on the client side?

embyserver.txt ffmpeg-transcode-b26e0589-66eb-49ff-adec-7bb6b2402377_1.txt

Edited July 10, 2023 by Max Overdrive

[visproduction 315]

MO,

Your embyserver.txt line 439 seems to show the video size exceeds the allowed bitrate for your remote user.  Either increase the media bitrate for the remote user, if your hardware and network can allow this, or create a new original video in your library that has a smaller video encoding bitrate and possibly smaller video pixel size.

Quote

2023-07-10 00:27:17.132 Info App: User policy for Helen. EnablePlaybackRemuxing: True EnableVideoPlaybackTranscoding: True EnableAudioPlaybackTranscoding: True
2023-07-10 00:27:17.132 Info App: Bitrate exceeds DirectPlay limit: media bitrate: 6382811, max bitrate: 6300000
 

 

[ebr 16185]

8 hours ago, Max Overdrive said:

but froze around every 20 seconds. ... Could this just be a bandwidth issue on the client side?

Hi.  There could be bandwidth issues as well but, based on your log, your server is simply not able to transcode the item fast enough for smooth playback. 

[Max Overdrive 9]

Thanks @visproductionand @ebr. I just wanted to make sure there wasn't something obvious I was missing here - but if it's just a matter of the server not being able to keep up with the transcoding, that makes sense.

This answers the root cause question, thanks everyone for the responses. We can go ahead and close this one.

[Luke 42080]

1 hour ago, Max Overdrive said:

Thanks @visproductionand @ebr. I just wanted to make sure there wasn't something obvious I was missing here - but if it's just a matter of the server not being able to keep up with the transcoding, that makes sense.

This answers the root cause question, thanks everyone for the responses. We can go ahead and close this one.

That's what I see in your most recent example, but not in the first example. The first example seems to be performing fine. What exactly happened when they tried to play? Can you please get more details? Thanks.

Also I would reset any server transcoding settings back to default that I previously asked you to change.

[Max Overdrive 9]

In the first example, when the user tries to play the video, it's just a black screen, no video, no audio. Waiting 5 to 10 minutes doesn't seem to start the video either, it just hangs at the black screen. @Lukelet me know if there's any other specific information I can get from that user or specific use cases you want me to try out.

Settings have been reverted on the hardware transcoding side to 'Yes'.

[ebr 16185]

8 hours ago, Max Overdrive said:

Settings have been reverted on the hardware transcoding side to 'Yes'.

And did that get you back to the point where you are just getting a black screen at the client?  Can you post a new ffmpeg log from the setting being reverted?

[Max Overdrive 9]

Will try to get the user to recreate the original use case as soon as I can and report back

[Max Overdrive 9]

Apologies for the delay in getting back to you on this.

I asked the user to play the AAC version of this file again and there was a black screen and stuttering audio on the sideloaded version of the client. However, when trying to same file in the store version of the client, the file played completely fine for the first time.

Neither playback seemed to generate a transcoding log (so I guess the file just direct played both times?). I have attached the server log however.

embyserver.txt

[Luke 42080]

hi @Max Overdriveare you still having an issue with this?

[Max Overdrive 9]

Hi @Lukethanks for checking in and apologies for the delayed response. After a great deal of back and forth with the user, I determined they were using a quite old Fire Stick which didn't support 4K (I'm not honestly not even sure that it supported HEVC). In the end it looks like this was the lynchpin in a series of bottlenecks. I got them to upgrade to a newer Fire Stick that supported 4K and now everything direct plays for them without a hitch. Thanks again for your help.