Problem playing 8K HEVC on certain Apps

[B08853 1]

The 8K HEVC video was recorded with a Samsung ZFold 4 - Will not play on Emby Theater, Android TV or Emby Web Player.

 

All testing done here is on a Gigabit LAN using Ubiquiti UDM Pro Router.

 

#1 Example - Playing video on Emby Server itself using the Emby Theater App

Video does not play - Emby Theater App Playback settings on Auto

Video and audio is very choppy - not watchable - Emby Theater App Playback settings to 360p

 

#2 Example - Playing video on LAN - on Android TV

Video does not play, just show a frozen picture and audio is very choppy - sometimes crashed the Emby App

 

#3 Example - Playing video on LAN - on Windows PC using Emby Theater

Video does not play and audio is very choppy - not watchable.

 

#4 Example - Playing on LAN - on the Samsung ZFold 4 using Android App

Video plays normally

 

#5 Example - Playing on the Emby Server itself - http://localhost:8096/web

Video plays normally

 

See attached photos.

 

Please advise.. I this a problem or a setting that I am missing?

 

[GrimReaper 4740]

That is high bitrate file, increase playback quality in your client apps to some numerical value higher than that bitrate (>=100 Mbps) so it'd DirectPlay (if you do have 8K display, else it'd have to be transcoded anyway), guess would be your server is not powerful enough to transcode those items in real-time, you can provide ffmpeg logs. 

Though that AndroidTV session Now Playing window looks odd. @Luke

Edited May 30, 2025 by GrimReaper

[B08853 1]

Here are the ffmpeg logs - using Android TV and Emby Theater on the Emby Server PC at 360p.

ffmpeg-transcode-6a8b0af8-5662-48b3-bb48-b6ad91ff56e7_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-4cd8179c-8000-4a46-af42-1332c09ed9f4_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-d865e00d-6e60-48a3-9c21-66f778a7f234_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-1c30f0d5-9554-4566-99d1-93068f653b8a_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-dee3e5eb-275f-4f7a-90ff-d5529d3000aa_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-4bfd3763-7b9f-41ac-a3d0-1ec7a2895709_1.txt

[GrimReaper 4740]

As stated:

4 hours ago, GrimReaper said:

guess would be your server is not powerful enough to transcode those items in real-time

Don't know what kind of a machine your server is (CPU+GPU (if any)), but as no HWA, transcoding is done in software only and your CPU is simply not up to the task (not surprising, as for 8K HEVC 80 Mbps file you'd need a really powerful one):

Quote

>>>>>> FindVideoEncoder - MediaType: h264, UseHardwareCodecs: True, HWA-Mode: Disabled
Info Checking: 'x264'
Info Check successful - selecting 'x264'

>>>>>> FindVideoDecoder - MediaType: hevc, UseHardwareCodecs: True, HWA-Mode: Disabled
Info Checking: 'Automatic software decoder'
Info Check successful - selecting 'Automatic software decoder'

Quote

App: Emby Windows 2.234.2.0
EMBY-08853HP

11:06:23.968 elapsed=00:00:00.10 frame= 1 fps=0.0 q=0.0 size=N/A time=00:00:00.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed= 0x
11:06:24.339 elapsed=00:00:00.63 frame= 4 fps=0.0 q=0.0 size=N/A time=00:00:00.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed= 0x
11:06:24.976 elapsed=00:00:01.28 frame= 8 fps=6.2 q=0.0 size=N/A time=00:00:00.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed= 0x
11:06:25.611 elapsed=00:00:01.92 frame= 12 fps=6.2 q=0.0 size=N/A time=00:00:00.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed= 0x
11:06:26.243 elapsed=00:00:02.54 frame= 16 fps=6.3 q=0.0 size=N/A time=00:00:00.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed= 0x
11:06:26.922 elapsed=00:00:03.19 frame= 20 fps=6.3 q=0.0 size=N/A time=00:00:01.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.314x
11:06:27.406 elapsed=00:00:03.71 frame= 23 fps=6.2 q=0.0 size=N/A time=00:00:01.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.27x
11:06:27.820 elapsed=00:00:04.21 frame= 31 fps=7.3 q=28.0 size=N/A time=00:00:01.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.238x
11:06:28.500 elapsed=00:00:04.80 frame= 37 fps=7.7 q=28.0 size=N/A time=00:00:01.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.209x
11:06:28.960 elapsed=00:00:05.42 frame= 40 fps=7.4 q=28.0 size=N/A time=00:00:01.02 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.189x
11:06:29.727 elapsed=00:00:06.03 frame= 45 fps=7.5 q=28.0 size=N/A time=00:00:02.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.332x
11:06:30.209 elapsed=00:00:06.65 frame= 49 fps=7.4 q=28.0 size=N/A time=00:00:02.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.301x
11:06:30.992 elapsed=00:00:07.30 frame= 60 fps=8.2 q=28.0 size=N/A time=00:00:02.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.275x
11:06:31.639 elapsed=00:00:07.94 frame= 64 fps=8.1 q=28.0 size=N/A time=00:00:02.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.252x
11:06:32.157 elapsed=00:00:08.45 frame= 67 fps=7.9 q=28.0 size=N/A time=00:00:03.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.356x
11:06:32.812 elapsed=00:00:09.11 frame= 71 fps=7.8 q=28.0 size=N/A time=00:00:03.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.33x
11:06:33.189 elapsed=00:00:09.62 frame= 78 fps=8.1 q=28.0 size=N/A time=00:00:03.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.312x
11:06:33.947 elapsed=00:00:10.25 frame= 85 fps=8.3 q=28.0 size=N/A time=00:00:03.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.293x
11:06:34.404 elapsed=00:00:10.86 frame= 88 fps=8.1 q=25.0 size=N/A time=00:00:03.02 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.279x
11:06:35.172 elapsed=00:00:11.48 frame= 93 fps=8.1 q=28.0 size=N/A time=00:00:03.98 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.347x
11:06:35.763 elapsed=00:00:12.05 frame= 96 fps=8.0 q=28.0 size=N/A time=00:00:03.98 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.331x

Quote

App: AndroidTv 2.1.23g
Desk TV

10:57:04.201 elapsed=00:00:00.10 frame= 1 fps=0.0 q=0.0 size=N/A time=00:00:00.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed= 0x
10:57:04.508 elapsed=00:00:00.66 frame= 4 fps=0.0 q=0.0 size=N/A time=00:00:00.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed= 0x
10:57:05.106 elapsed=00:00:01.26 frame= 8 fps=6.3 q=0.0 size=N/A time=00:00:00.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed= 0x
10:57:05.694 elapsed=00:00:01.85 frame= 12 fps=6.5 q=0.0 size=N/A time=00:00:00.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed= 0x
10:57:06.498 elapsed=00:00:02.46 frame= 16 fps=6.5 q=0.0 size=N/A time=00:00:00.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed= 0x
10:57:06.846 elapsed=00:00:02.97 frame= 19 fps=6.4 q=0.0 size=N/A time=00:00:01.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.337x
10:57:07.521 elapsed=00:00:03.64 frame= 23 fps=6.3 q=0.0 size=N/A time=00:00:01.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.275x
10:57:07.925 elapsed=00:00:04.15 frame= 27 fps=6.5 q=28.0 size=N/A time=00:00:01.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.241x
10:57:08.505 elapsed=00:00:04.76 frame= 32 fps=6.7 q=28.0 size=N/A time=00:00:01.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.211x
10:57:09.115 elapsed=00:00:05.37 frame= 37 fps=6.9 q=28.0 size=N/A time=00:00:01.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.187x
10:57:09.902 elapsed=00:00:06.04 frame= 42 fps=6.9 q=28.0 size=N/A time=00:00:02.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.331x
10:57:10.426 elapsed=00:00:06.57 frame= 45 fps=6.8 q=28.0 size=N/A time=00:00:02.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.305x
10:57:10.928 elapsed=00:00:07.08 frame= 48 fps=6.8 q=28.0 size=N/A time=00:00:02.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.283x
10:57:11.508 elapsed=00:00:07.66 frame= 53 fps=6.9 q=28.0 size=N/A time=00:00:02.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.262x
10:57:12.209 elapsed=00:00:08.35 frame= 58 fps=6.9 q=28.0 size=N/A time=00:00:02.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.24x
10:57:12.914 elapsed=00:00:08.94 frame= 62 fps=6.9 q=28.0 size=N/A time=00:00:02.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.224x
10:57:13.282 elapsed=00:00:09.59 frame= 64 fps=6.7 q=28.0 size=N/A time=00:00:02.02 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.211x
10:57:13.998 elapsed=00:00:10.15 frame= 69 fps=6.8 q=28.0 size=N/A time=00:00:03.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.296x
10:57:14.559 elapsed=00:00:10.81 frame= 73 fps=6.7 q=28.0 size=N/A time=00:00:03.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.278x
10:57:15.106 elapsed=00:00:11.36 frame= 79 fps=7.0 q=28.0 size=N/A time=00:00:03.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.265x
10:57:15.735 elapsed=00:00:11.92 frame= 83 fps=7.0 q=28.0 size=N/A time=00:00:03.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.252x
10:57:16.441 elapsed=00:00:12.58 frame= 88 fps=7.0 q=25.0 size=N/A time=00:00:03.00 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.239x
10:57:17.119 elapsed=00:00:13.26 frame= 92 fps=6.9 q=28.0 size=N/A time=00:00:03.98 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.301x
10:57:17.668 elapsed=00:00:13.78 frame= 95 fps=6.9 q=28.0 size=N/A time=00:00:03.98 bitrate=N/A throttle=off speed=0.289x

With speeds up to 0.3x max, no real-time transcoding is even remotely  possible (you need >=1.0x as an absolute minimum). 

You can either:

1) Upgrade server machine (CPU/iGPU/dGPU) or replace it for/use a more powerful machine as your server, subscribe to Premiere so you'd get HWA

or

2) Pre-convert media to a format that'll DirectPlay on your clients (you can use Emby's Convert feature) 

 

Edited May 30, 2025 by GrimReaper

[Happy2Play 9780]

Is 80Mbps the client max I would assume you have to manually apply the highest quality setting in the client as I don't believe any are defaulted that high.

&VideoBitrate=79743984&AudioBitrate=256016
&TranscodeReasons=ContainerBitrateExceedsLimit

But yes as Grim mentioned this hardware isn't really capable of transcoding this media.

Did you set the client this low? 

Emby Windows 2.234.2.0

&VideoBitrate=272000&AudioBitrate=128000

 

Edited May 30, 2025 by Happy2Play

[GrimReaper 4740]

1 minute ago, Happy2Play said:

Is 80Mbps the client max I would assume you have to manually apply the highest quality setting in the client

Suggested previously:

4 hours ago, GrimReaper said:

increase playback quality in your client apps to some numerical value higher than that bitrate (>=100 Mbps) so it'd DirectPlay (if you do have 8K display, else it'd have to be transcoded anyway)

Wild guess would be no 8K displays attached to those clients. 

[B08853 1]

Thank you for your help. 

The PC is a Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-9700 CPU @ 3.00GHz   3.00 GHz - 24.0 GB - Windows 11 Pro

I have Emby Premier - After enabling Hardware acceleration.

The Windows Emby Theater now plays the video on the Emby Server.

The Windows Emby Theater on a LAN PC plays the video.

The Emby Web plays the video.

But the Android TV does not play the video. It behaves the ssame.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

 

[B08853 1]

I am have successfully converted the file using the Emby Convert Feature - I wasn't aware of this feature

The video now plays on Android TV

Thank you @GrimReaper & @Happy2Play

Any other suggestions or comments are welcome - Thank you again..

 

[B08853 1]

How can I get the video to convert to 4K?

[Luke 42078]

On 5/31/2025 at 1:05 AM, B08853 said:

How can I get the video to convert to 4K?

Hi, do you mean convert ahead of time, or during playback?