Why is FFMpeg running?

[earthtorob 5]

I'm sure this has come up before but I can't find the thread.

 

FFMpeg runs on my server quite frequently.  And I do not know why.  I'm sure I have a button clicked somewhere that is telling Emby to run it but I have no idea where.

 

I don't have any sync jobs or backups set up as far as i know, and nothing is streaming.  What is FFMpeg doing?

[Luke 42078]

Hi there, we're sorry that you feel there is a problem. In order for us to best help you, please attach the emby server log. You can learn how to do that here:

 

https://emby.media/community/index.php?/topic/739-how-to-report-a-problem/

 

Thanks.

[earthtorob 5]

Oh damn I wish I could delete this thread.  My bad, I had MCEBuddy running as a service so I didn't notice it running and using Embys FFMpeg.

[Luke 42078]

No problem, thanks for the update. How does it use Emby's ffmpeg?

[earthtorob 5]

So...it turns out that Emby is encoding something.  

 

It looks like Emby runs FFmpeg for theme songs and to convert backdrops to FLV files to generate web pages.  (I think anyway)  Which isn't bad for me. I like to keep as much load off my server as possible.

 

I do wonder about this though:

 

2017-04-12 00:41:24.7500 Info HttpClient: HttpClientManager POST: http://192.168.10.247:2018/RenderingControl/46c1d6bc-0275-1294-d138-cd0763a7645a/control.xml

 

So even while I'm direct playing, is Emby monitoring the process?

 

Anyway, I started using Emby for library and user management.  You guys were right, it is much easier than managing libraries on several Kodi boxes, even if they all use the same Database.  Emby is terrific software for that.  And the PVR function allows me to take down my Myth Box.  

 

Any tips for taking some load off my box?

[earthtorob 5]

No problem, thanks for the update. How does it use Emby's ffmpeg?

 

When I installed MCEBuddy it didn't come with FFmpeg.  So I just pointed it at the version Emby was using.  I figure you guys will push out updates to that version when it's needed.

[legallink 187]

  

 

Any tips for taking some load off my box?

The best thing for taking load off your box is to make sure everything is in a format that will play by your end clients. Pre-transcoding takes the most load off.

[earthtorob 5]

The best thing for taking load off your box is to make sure everything is in a format that will play by your end clients. Pre-transcoding takes the most load off.

 

Thanks.  I transcode nothing.    My players are all Kodi.  Raspberry Pi 1 and Apple Tv.  The only time I have had any trouble is with HEVC codec.  My Pi doesn't have the hardware for decoding it so Kodi does it using software.  Which boggs down my Pi.  Its only happened once.  I just avoid that codec.

[ebr 16184]

Unless you have your media in exactly the right format, Apple TV will require at least re-muxing much of the time - which will involve ffmpeg.

[earthtorob 5]

Unless you have your media in exactly the right format, Apple TV will require at least re-muxing much of the time - which will involve ffmpeg.

 

 

I transcode NOTHING.  I run kodi.  Everything is direct play.

 

The only exception is one HEVC video I have.  The Raspberry has hardware decoders for most popular codecs.  Kodi can play pretty much whatever you throw at it.  Aside from some of Microsofts WMV and other proprietary codecs.

 

I use Emby as a very powerful file server.  It is great at managing tons of files and gathering meta-data on those files.  It can also manage hardware like my Tv tuner and control DLNA devices.  It's great software that does 90% of what Kodi can do and many things that Kodi can't do.

 

But the transcoding???  I just don't get it.   Why build a 8 core machine with 16 Gig of ram so that it can convert a video to an acceptable format for the built in processor of your $3,000 4K Tv?

 

Server: 10 year old junk dual core with 2Gig of ram and an bunch of disks

Tv:  $400 plasma from walmart

Player: $35 Raspberry with Kodi

 

And my video looks great.  Honestly the only reason I tried Emby was because it was getting to hard to manage all those users and libraries.  And all players I looked at used flash storage.  And flash is just too slow to load large libraries.  Emby centralizes all that for me.

 

I understand why a person might NEED to transcode.  But why would a person WANT to?