Transcoding issues and MP4 conversion

[saintryan]

Hi,

My server is a HP proliant and it has some issues with transcoding some mkv's through plex. As a result I have decided to that I would like to still be able to download mkv's but convert them to MP4 to cut out the transcoding a play directly.

I have found this on github:
https://github.com/mdhiggins/sickbeard_mp4_automator/blob/master/README.md

It will apparently automate the conversion of mkv's for me once a file has been downloaded. Has anyone used this before?? If so please inform a total noob how I go about this please as it would probably save me a lot of stress. For example it says that python should be installed as a pre-req but I have no idea how to do that.

 

[styno]

Have you noticed the 'optimize' buttons within Plex's library? Basically you can run the transcode upfront so that direct play can be used when actually watching the content.

 

[saintryan]

Have you noticed the 'optimize' buttons within Plex's library? Basically you can run the transcode upfront so that direct play can be used when actually watching the content.

Ah thanks for this... it's bit cpu heavy on my server though :( yeah i running with a AMD Turion(tm) II Neo N40L Dual-Core Processor but i was hoping for a new option..

thanks though

 

[Kevin Horton]

Ah thanks for this... it's bit cpu heavy on my server though :( yeah i running with a AMD Turion(tm) II Neo N40L Dual-Core Processor but i was hoping for a new option..

You paid for that CPU power - why would you not want to use it?

 

[adrianwi]

I can't see how the CPU strain will be any different using Plex to optimise (e.g. create a file that can be Direct Played to the client i.e. not transcoded) or using a 3rd party solution. Both are pretty much doing the same thing, but you already have one installed and configured.

 

[saintryan]

You paid for that CPU power - why would you not want to use it?

I can't see how the CPU strain will be any different using Plex to optimise (e.g. create a file that can be Direct Played to the client i.e. not transcoded) or using a 3rd party solution. Both are pretty much doing the same thing, but you already have one installed and configured.

I suppose you are both right... i just thought that if I have to optimise every mkv file though it would be a strain eventually... Im running the mkv's through plex on a ps4 and yeah i know the ps4 has issues with mkv's but i have streamed some mkv's with no issues... i'm confused really...

For example i just watch batman begins which was an MKV AAC 5.1 and no transcoding in sight it was clearly a direct play.

 

[styno]

Transcoding can be triggered when the subtitles have to be 'injected' into the stream. You can test with/without external subs to see if that makes any difference. (Ex. .srt files)

 

[adrianwi]

I suppose you are both right... i just thought that if I have to optimise every mkv file though it would be a strain eventually... Im running the mkv's through plex on a ps4 and yeah i know the ps4 has issues with mkv's but i have streamed some mkv's with no issues... i'm confused really...

For example i just watch batman begins which was an MKV AAC 5.1 and no transcoding in sight it was clearly a direct play.

That's another +1 for using Plex then. MKV is just a container and it's the format of what's inside that's important. If you sent up Plex to optimise files for a particular client format (in your case the PS4) then it will only optimise files that aren't already in format that can be direct played, but at least in theory wouldn't touch files that were already in a optimal format. I gave up with my N54L about a year ago (and before the optimise functionality in Plex) as it just couldn't deal with anything over 720p that needed transcoding. It's still in use as a backup to my new FreeNAS server that will happily transcode multiple 1080p streams. Maybe it's time to consider a server upgrade;)

 

[saintryan]

That's another +1 for using Plex then. MKV is just a container and it's the format of what's inside that's important. If you sent up Plex to optimise files for a particular client format (in your case the PS4) then it will only optimise files that aren't already in format that can be direct played, but at least in theory wouldn't touch files that were already in a optimal format. I gave up with my N54L about a year ago (and before the optimise functionality in Plex) as it just couldn't deal with anything over 720p that needed transcoding. It's still in use as a backup to my new FreeNAS server that will happily transcode multiple 1080p streams. Maybe it's time to consider a server upgrade;)

Thanks. What did you upgrade to in the end just out or curiosity because I would love something small with little draw on power.

 

[adrianwi]

It's in my signature, although not sure it qualifies as either small or low power (probably twice the size of the N54L and uses about twice the power) but it's a great machine with lots of performance and storage.