Why is this transcoding?

[tedfroop21 86]

I don't see why this is trans-coding could you please tell me why. 

ffmpeg-transcode-b4460dc2-9545-47b1-b95d-4cc0fc36c237_1.txt

[Happy2Play 9780]

The media encoding level.

 

&TranscodeReasons=VideoLevelNotSupported,DirectPlayError

Client reports

&h264-level=51

While your Media is 

"Level":52

 

[rbjtech 5284]

In summary, it's a h264 4K/60fps video (requiring the highest h264 level 52) - a lot of hardware does not support this (incl yours, it only supports level 51 (4K/30fps),  most 4K at 60fps will use h265/hevc - the majority of hardware will support this without issues. 

Edited September 17, 2025 by rbjtech

[Luke 42077]

2 hours ago, tedfroop21 said:

I don't see why this is trans-coding could you please tell me why. 

ffmpeg-transcode-b4460dc2-9545-47b1-b95d-4cc0fc36c237_1.txt 38.58 kB · 4 downloads

Hi, did you explore the stats feature in the video player to learn why it was transcoding?

[tedfroop21 86]

10 hours ago, rbjtech said:

In summary, it's a h264 4K/60fps video (requiring the highest h264 level 52) - a lot of hardware does not support this (incl yours, it only supports level 51 (4K/30fps),  most 4K at 60fps will use h265/hevc - the majority of hardware will support this without issues. 

Thanks gentlemen.

 Since the one place they cheaped out was the wired network (10/100,  Wireless is a/b/g/n/ac) I suspect some internal limits were set  to avoid saturating the network connection.

 

[jamesgfwd@gmail.com 4]

I have noticed that h264 files are now transcoding today where they were not yesterday, I see there ate some changes to the interface as well so I believe this must be due to an update, since I do not have premier I cannot restore/rollback the update without potentially crashing emby altogether, ffmpeg just uses 100% of my CPU, I just changed all video file to h264 to eliminate this issue.

I do not know when the issue actually started as I was asleep when emby update so I am unsure which of the massive amount of log files to post so i have included the one at 11:59 and a bunch that are titled ffmpeg-transcode.

If anyone can help it would be preheated.

emby logs.zip

[Happy2Play 9780]

9 minutes ago, jamesgfwd@gmail.com said:

I have noticed that h264 files are now transcoding today where they were not yesterday, I see there ate some changes to the interface as well so I believe this must be due to an update, since I do not have premier I cannot restore/rollback the update without potentially crashing emby altogether, ffmpeg just uses 100% of my CPU, I just changed all video file to h264 to eliminate this issue.

I do not know when the issue actually started as I was asleep when emby update so I am unsure which of the massive amount of log files to post so i have included the one at 11:59 and a bunch that are titled ffmpeg-transcode.

If anyone can help it would be preheated.

emby logs.zip 857.84 kB · 0 downloads

Dev will probably have to comment but it is transcoding do to subtitles but seems odd for subrip.

Emby for iOS 2.2.41

&TranscodeReasons=SubtitleCodecNotSupported



00:55:50.281   Stream #0:2(eng): Subtitle: subrip (original)
00:55:50.281     Metadata:
00:55:50.281       title           : English
00:55:50.281       BPS             : 73
00:55:50.281       DURATION        : 00:44:33.360000000
00:55:50.281       NUMBER_OF_FRAMES: 726
00:55:50.281       NUMBER_OF_BYTES : 24486

 

[jamesgfwd@gmail.com 4]

I have also noticed the option to stop has been removed so even when I pause a video it still uses ffmpeg, I have to now go into Google home to stop streaming on the actual device, this was not the case even when transcoding HEVC.

[jamesgfwd@gmail.com 4]

4 minutes ago, Happy2Play said:

Dev will probably have to comment but it is transcoding do to subtitles but seems odd for subrip.

Emby for iOS 2.2.41

&TranscodeReasons=SubtitleCodecNotSupported



00:55:50.281   Stream #0:2(eng): Subtitle: subrip (original)
00:55:50.281     Metadata:
00:55:50.281       title           : English
00:55:50.281       BPS             : 73
00:55:50.281       DURATION        : 00:44:33.360000000
00:55:50.281       NUMBER_OF_FRAMES: 726
00:55:50.281       NUMBER_OF_BYTES : 24486

 

Thank you, but it does not explain why it was working yesterday, but not today, I am having so many issue with emby over the past several months.

[Happy2Play 9780]

1 minute ago, jamesgfwd@gmail.com said:

Thank you, but it does not explain why it was working yesterday, but not today, I am having so many issue with emby over the past several months.

Not sure what changed recently as I am on the beta app 2.2.42 that just updated. 

7 minutes ago, jamesgfwd@gmail.com said:

I have also noticed the option to stop has been removed

But have never seen a stop button as I have always used the back arrow at the top left.  On screen controls are skip back/forward and pause.

[jamesgfwd@gmail.com 4]

3 minutes ago, Happy2Play said:

Not sure what changed recently as I am on the beta app 2.2.42 that just updated. 

But have never seen a stop button as I have always used the back arrow at the top left.  On screen controls are skip back/forward and pause.

For me on IOS there used to be a top button, back pause play/stop skip, now it has a bunch of new stuff with the back play/pause and skip in the center of the screen.

I turned off subtitles in the preferences subtitles area, but they still continue to display so i have to urn them off for each show or movie, is there a different place to turn them off globally?

[Happy2Play 9780]

3 minutes ago, jamesgfwd@gmail.com said:

I turned off subtitles in the preferences subtitles area, but they still continue to display so i have to urn them off for each show or movie, is there a different place to turn them off globally?

No that is the global option,  User icon- App settings-Subtitles-Subtitle mode.

May have to Clear saved track selections and or disable Remember subtitle track selections on that page also.

[Neminem 1518]

Hmm guess this issue is wrongly placed ? 

I like the irony

IOS play / pause misplaced.

 

[jamesgfwd@gmail.com 4]

2 minutes ago, Happy2Play said:

No that is the global option,  User icon- App settings-Subtitles-Subtitle mode.

May have to Clear saved track selections and or disable Remember subtitle track selections on that page also.

I clear saved track selection, it looks like that did the trick although I kind of need them, another issue for a different post.

Thank you so much.