Playback Error

[Astronut 5]

Hi, when I try to play a media file from my browser, I get "Playback Error. No compatible streams are currently available. Please try again later or contract your system administrator for details" This happens across different browsers and different devices. Log file is attached as well. Sometimes it goes away after multiple attempts but sometimes it persists.

embyserver.txt

[Luke 42078]

HI, was there an ffmpeg log? Please attach that as well. Thanks.

[Astronut 5]

This seems to be the right one.

ffmpeg-transcode-0c8ba56b-d2d7-4da6-befd-3b938b561244_1(1).txt

[Astronut 5]

Just happened again. 2 most recent logs

ffmpeg-transcode-0e525e27-9043-4af5-8af2-f8b1295fbed3_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-fc29d905-d88f-4822-a366-fa2c335b8581_1.txt

[Astronut 5]

Bumping. Plz help ;-;

[Astronut 5]

@Lukesorry if @ing isnt allowed but do you know what the solution could be? its like a 40% occurrence chance and its really screwing things up.

[Luke 42078]

Hi, have you updated to Emby server 4.8.7 and also tried chrome or edge for comparison purposes?

[Astronut 5]

On 5/19/2024 at 11:00 PM, Luke said:

Hi, have you updated to Emby server 4.8.7 and also tried chrome or edge for comparison purposes?

Updated and tried different browsers. Chrome, firefox, and safari all have it.

[Luke 42078]

Hi, are you still having an issue with this?

[Astronut 5]

On 5/31/2024 at 12:44 AM, Luke said:

Hi, are you still having an issue with this?

Hi Luke. Yes. I’ve began using Plex since it avoids the issue but I much prefer Emby. Is there any possible fix? 

[visproduction 315]

Perhaps 30+ subtitles in the media is part of the problem.  Is Emby transcoding trying to handle all these subtitles? Is there an Emby plugin that can help?   I have no idea, I never use media with 30 + subtitles.

I think the media is not really optimized for server playback.  Every commercial online media site optimizes the original media content for playback on their site.  I would guess that Plex also has some standards and adjusts their content and perhaps pulls out the subtitles. 

Subtitles can be removed by remuxing the media, without changing anything else and it's possible to do it with a ffmepg batch or other script and handle hundreds of media at once.  You can run the entire library or any subfolder filled with hundreds of media copies with the right batch or script and just click Enter.  Typically, such a remux might take all of 2 to 3 minutes per 2 hour 1080P media file.

I just remux using AVIDemux which gets rid of all subtitles.  If I want a subtitle, I can grab it using something like MKVToolNix and separately and make a .srt copy.

With Emby you are control of your master media.  Nothing is set to automatically change anything.  If you don't fix some media file issues like so many subtitles or timeline errors, then Emby has to try to resolve it everytime you call up the file.  This is not efficient.

I don't use transcoding at all.  Instead, I prepare each media to already playback optimized for web browsers. I never run into these issues.

Hope that makes some sense.

[Astronut 5]

6 hours ago, visproduction said:

Perhaps 30+ subtitles in the media is part of the problem.  Is Emby transcoding trying to handle all these subtitles? Is there an Emby plugin that can help?   I have no idea, I never use media with 30 + subtitles.

I think the media is not really optimized for server playback.  Every commercial online media site optimizes the original media content for playback on their site.  I would guess that Plex also has some standards and adjusts their content and perhaps pulls out the subtitles. 

Subtitles can be removed by remuxing the media, without changing anything else and it's possible to do it with a ffmepg batch or other script and handle hundreds of media at once.  You can run the entire library or any subfolder filled with hundreds of media copies with the right batch or script and just click Enter.  Typically, such a remux might take all of 2 to 3 minutes per 2 hour 1080P media file.

I just remux using AVIDemux which gets rid of all subtitles.  If I want a subtitle, I can grab it using something like MKVToolNix and separately and make a .srt copy.

With Emby you are control of your master media.  Nothing is set to automatically change anything.  If you don't fix some media file issues like so many subtitles or timeline errors, then Emby has to try to resolve it everytime you call up the file.  This is not efficient.

I don't use transcoding at all.  Instead, I prepare each media to already playback optimized for web browsers. I never run into these issues.

Hope that makes some sense.

It makes a lot of sense but unfortunately not what I'm looking to do. I just need stuff to work. I'm pretty unknowledgeable on what remux even means and just want to have a media file that plays from the get-go. I appreciate the advice however.

[Luke 42078]

Don’t you want a personal media server and not one puts your information into the cloud?

[pwhodges 2012]

10 hours ago, Astronut said:

I just need stuff to work. I'm pretty unknowledgeable on what remux even means and just want to have a media file that plays from the get-go.

Don't we all - but life isn't that easy.  To drive a car you have to learn, and you have to put the correct fuel in it.  So also with Emby

Not all media files are equal - it's not hard to learn this.  Emby tries very hard to play a huge range of technically varied files on a huge range of technically varying devices, and does a pretty good job in general.  But when it fails, you can give it a little help - or, I guess, you can complain rather than trying to help yourself.

If you want to get it fixed, the devs and the rest of the forum are here for you.

Paul

[Astronut 5]

17 hours ago, Luke said:

Don’t you want a personal media server and not one puts your information into the cloud?

I do but I rent a server from a place that doesn't allow admin access. I can't install remux stuff. I can avoid downloading certain file types but I can't convert anything that I do download.

[Astronut 5]

9 hours ago, pwhodges said:

Don't we all - but life isn't that easy.  To drive a car you have to learn, and you have to put the correct fuel in it.  So also with Emby

Not all media files are equal - it's not hard to learn this.  Emby tries very hard to play a huge range of technically varied files on a huge range of technically varying devices, and does a pretty good job in general.  But when it fails, you can give it a little help - or, I guess, you can complain rather than trying to help yourself.

If you want to get it fixed, the devs and the rest of the forum are here for you.

Paul

I do want to get it fixed but unfortunately cannot install any programs or scripts that can remux. No admin access on my server

Looking more into it, I have some scripts available, ffmpeg is one of them which is what visproduction mentioned. No clue how to use it correctly though.

[Lessaj 467]

The errors in your logs basically indicate an issue outputting the temp files created for transcoding. Have you verified the path exists, with the correct permissions, and has sufficient space for transcoding? /config/transcoding-temp would be the path, it would then create a random temporary folder under that path and output the files there.

Quote

22:02:24.962 [segment @ 0x10ef540] Opening '/config/transcoding-temp/A5AC9A/A5AC9A.m3u8.tmp' for writing
22:02:24.962 [segment @ 0x10ef540] Failed to open segment list '/config/transcoding-temp/A5AC9A/A5AC9A.m3u8'
22:02:24.962 [segment @ 0x10ef540] failed to rename file /config/transcoding-temp/A5AC9A/A5AC9A_733.ts.tmp to /config/transcoding-temp/A5AC9A/A5AC9A_733.ts: No such file or directory

 

Edited June 9, 2024 by Lessaj

[Astronut 5]

23 minutes ago, Lessaj said:

The errors in your logs basically indicate an issue outputting the temp files created for transcoding. Have you verified the path exists, with the correct permissions, and has sufficient space for transcoding? /config/transcoding-temp would be the path, it would then create a random temporary folder under that path and output the files there.

 

I went into /config and didn't see a transcoding-temp folder. I made one. Will see if that resolves it.

[Astronut 5]

5 minutes ago, Astronut said:

I went into /config and didn't see a transcoding-temp folder. I made one. Will see if that resolves it.

Nope ran into the issue immediately. I then tried a 2nd time and it worked. If it was a file permission thing then it would fail all the time, I thought. I don't know why it fails sometimes.

[Lessaj 467]

I'm assuming this is a docker container given the paths, it may be best to have a separate folder for it, but for now that should help or at least get to a different error for a different clue if there's some other kind of issue which I'm hoping there isn't. Let us know how it goes.

[Astronut 5]

6 minutes ago, Lessaj said:

I'm assuming this is a docker container given the paths, it may be best to have a separate folder for it, but for now that should help or at least get to a different error for a different clue if there's some other kind of issue which I'm hoping there isn't. Let us know how it goes.

This is a server I rent from a service. I ran into the issue immediately sadly I tried a second time and it worked despite me changing nothing. Which makes me think its not a permissions issue since those are usually "broken until fixed". Not sure what it could be that makes it intermittently not work.

[Lessaj 467]

I'm surprised that the transcoding-temp folder would not have existed when you looked, it should always exist. Okay well since you're remote from your server another thing you could try is changing your playback bitrate from auto to something higher because it's defaulting to 4 Mbps, which is part of the reason it even needs to transcode in the first place. You can try the highest option, or the max speed of your internet connection if it's lower than the maximum.

[Astronut 5]

1 hour ago, Lessaj said:

I'm surprised that the transcoding-temp folder would not have existed when you looked, it should always exist. Okay well since you're remote from your server another thing you could try is changing your playback bitrate from auto to something higher because it's defaulting to 4 Mbps, which is part of the reason it even needs to transcode in the first place. You can try the highest option, or the max speed of your internet connection if it's lower than the maximum.

I am 1000% certain this error only happens on browser. I have never had this on mobile or TV. Does that help at all? My mobile internet is much worse than my PCs.

[Lessaj 467]

The browser is more likely to require transcoding, a bit less so with hardware acceleration enabled to support HEVC, but I'm only mentioning it because I saw in your logs. Is it better with a higher bitrate selected?

Quote

TranscodeReasons=ContainerBitrateExceedsLimit

Quote

2024-05-15 20:15:28.825 Info App: Bitrate exceeds DirectPlay limit: media bitrate: 9321358, max bitrate: 4000002
2024-05-15 20:15:28.825 Info App: Bitrate exceeds DirectStream limit: media bitrate: 9321358, max bitrate: 4000002

 

[Astronut 5]

1 hour ago, Lessaj said:

The browser is more likely to require transcoding, a bit less so with hardware acceleration enabled to support HEVC, but I'm only mentioning it because I saw in your logs. Is it better with a higher bitrate selected?

 

Initially looks good? But its intermittent so I don't want to say anything just yet. I set it to 1080p -30mbps. I will test over the next few days and see.