Docker Transcoding: Error setting VAAPI device handle: MFX_ERR_DEVICE_FAILED

[mdelsesto 1]

Hi

Having trouble with hardware transcoding. I did some basic troubleshooting, but haven't come up with much. I've attached the hardware detection log. Is there anything else you need from me?

Compose file:

  emby:
    container_name: emby
    devices:
     - /dev/dri:/dev/dri
    environment:
      - UID=1000
      - GID=1000
      - GIDLIST=107,44
      - TZ=America/New_York
    hostname: gallium
    image: emby/embyserver:latest
    ports:
      - 8920:8920
      - 8096:8096
    restart: unless-stopped
    volumes:
      - embyconfig:/config
      - embytv:/mnt/tv
      - embymovies:/mnt/movies
      - embyphotos:/mnt/photos
      - embyvideos:/mnt/videos
      - embytranscode:/transcode
      - embykids:/mnt/kids
      - embykidstv:/mnt/kids_tv
      - embyholiday:/mnt/holidays
      - embydocs:/mnt/docs

 

hardware_detection-63904673827.txt

Edited January 24 by mdelsesto
compose

[Luke 42077]

Hi, what exactly is the problem that you're having?

[mdelsesto 1]

The list of Hardware Encoders is empty on the Transcoding page and users report buffering when Hardware Encoding is enabled. It is strange because the Hardware Encoding "works" because I can see it in action, Emby doesn't fall back to Software Encoding, but the performance is degraded.

[mdelsesto 1]

Actually this might be a false alarm. I see the list of hardware encoders, i was troubleshooting why the user was having issues and then I saw that error but maybe it was not an issue after all? You don't think the error is an issue?

[Luke 42077]

4 hours ago, mdelsesto said:

Actually this might be a false alarm. I see the list of hardware encoders, i was troubleshooting why the user was having issues and then I saw that error but maybe it was not an issue after all? You don't think the error is an issue?

At this point I don't really know because I don't know exactly what the problem is.  Let's look at an example. Please attach the information requested in how to report a media playback issue. Thanks!

 

 

[mdelsesto 1]

Sorry about that thanks for your patience. In the hardware detection log I attached in the OP I see the following error about halfway through.

 "Error": {
                "Number": -17,
                "Message": "Error setting VAAPI device handle: MFX_ERR_DEVICE_FAILED"
            }
        },
        {
            "DeviceIndex": 1,
            "DeviceInfo": {

            },
            "Error": {
                "Number": -1,
                "Message": "No VA device found at index 1"
            }
        },
        {
            "DeviceIndex": 2,
            "DeviceInfo": {

            },
            "Error": {
                "Number": -1,
                "Message": "No VA device found at index 2"
            }
        },
        {
            "DeviceIndex": 3,
            "DeviceInfo": {

            },
            "Error": {
                "Number": -1,
                "Message": "No VA device found at index 

I attached the embyserver log here and notice the below error. I am passing UID 1000 in my compose file which matches the Debian user that owns my media files

2026-01-27 11:31:44.736 Debug TranscodingDiagnosticsCollectorLinux: TranscodingDiagnosticsCollectorLinux.GetProcessOutput: whoami: unknown uid 1000


2026-01-27 11:31:44.765 Debug TranscodingDiagnosticsCollectorLinux: TranscodingDiagnosticsCollectorLinux.GetProcessOutput: cat: can't open '/etc/os-release': No such file or directory

 

embyserver-63905110383.txt ffmpeg-transcode-e0749938-a50e-47b9-adc4-07d6bed5cef4_1.txt

[Luke 42077]

An error in the hardware detection log file does not mean there will be a problem in Emby Server. Are you having a problem there? That's what we should focus on.