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Plex Transcode

post #1 of 12
12/27/12 at 5:12am
Thread Starter 
Hey guys, I posted this on another person's thread, and thought better of hijacking...

My new server... is running Plex server on Win 7, (setting up for a new copy WHS in the next couple days), but does not transcode, either .mkv files, or ripped .wma lossless music to my network.
The server is new to my setup, and am only now starting to mess around with ripping my library to the drives. I have started with Make MKV, and added a couple movies, with limited success.
Star Trek ('09) did not succeed at all, with the exception of a couple deleted/altered scenes. Expendables 2, did some weird stuff, movie is there, but added subtitles...Avengers, worked, but added 3-4 different files, one of which, is the movie.
Devices are:
2 Laptops running Plex Client.......Windows 7
1 Desktop running Plex Client.......Windows 7
Kindle HD running Plex app
Samsung TV running Plex app

Avengers works on all, except the Kindle
none of the other rips work
none of the devices can play the lossless music, or a small library of iTunes music
How do I know if Plex is transcoding?



I have been wading through the PLEX thread. with no similar answers.


anybody got any thoughts?

Oh, I have also previously tried Serviio, for the music portion only. (The server, and the movie rips were not in play yet...)
Edited by kevin g. - 12/27/12 at 5:17am
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post #2 of 12
12/27/12 at 5:56am
How exactly are you using makemkv? Are you just telling it to rip everything? If you want to use it in conjunction with Plex, you probably just want to rip the main movie. Or do you really want all the extra features and deleted scenes? I'm not sure how Plex handles multiple video files for one movie.

If you want to just rip the main movie with makemkv, 9 times out 10 you can just select the longest track. You can also tell makemkv to only rip the forced subtitles.

I believe the clients on your laptops will only transcode if you tell them to. There's a good chance the files will need to be transcoded for the Kindle. I'm not as sure for the Samsung TV. One way to tell if Plex is transcoding is to check the CPU usage on your server. If there's no transcoding, Plex will hardly use any CPU at all. If it is transcoding, you'll see a process called "Plex transcoder" (or something like that) using a ton of CPU.

Also, exactly what type of files are your lossless music files? Apple lossless? FLAC?
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post #3 of 12
12/27/12 at 7:19am
There's just not enough information to say what's going on. If you're using the Plex desktop/media center client, and not playing, it's either the server or your file. The PMS is what does the transcode. The desktop client, by default, is set to do direct file playback. The media player for Plex can do MKVs.

Somewhere in the windows/system directtory, I think, are the Plex Logs. You may want to look at the main one. It may give you an idea. Of course, have you tried playing any of your MKVs on the machine that made the MKV; I'm assume the MakeMKV output is on the same machine that the MakeMKV is on.

Also, MakeMKV has it's own decrypter, but not every movie works. Those that don't, MakeMKV works on and at some point will.

Kindle, I assuming you're using the Android Plex client. Make sure to sign into your Plex account (MyPlex). You may need to open a port for it to work as well.

I assuming you've actually added your media your plex libraries and let it update for the content. Personally, I think you've just got bad files.
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post #4 of 12
12/27/12 at 2:27pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by lockdown571 View Post

How exactly are you using makemkv? Are you just telling it to rip everything? If you want to use it in conjunction with Plex, you probably just want to rip the main movie. Or do you really want all the extra features and deleted scenes? I'm not sure how Plex handles multiple video files for one movie.
If you want to just rip the main movie with makemkv, 9 times out 10 you can just select the longest track. You can also tell makemkv to only rip the forced subtitles.
I believe the clients on your laptops will only transcode if you tell them to. There's a good chance the files will need to be transcoded for the Kindle. I'm not as sure for the Samsung TV. One way to tell if Plex is transcoding is to check the CPU usage on your server. If there's no transcoding, Plex will hardly use any CPU at all. If it is transcoding, you'll see a process called "Plex transcoder" (or something like that) using a ton of CPU.
Also, exactly what type of files are your lossless music files? Apple lossless? FLAC?

The server is headless, and no optical drive, so all rips are done on my PC upstairs, and ripped to a folder, created on the server drive.
Unchecking the Items I don't want. (I usually look for the largest file, and the audio track.)
With Expendables, I must have selected a rip with the subtitles in it.
Not sure how I tell the client to force the transcode? Music, as mentioned is .wma lossless...
Quote:
There's just not enough information to say what's going on. If you're using the Plex desktop/media center client, and not playing, it's either the server or your file. The PMS is what does the transcode. The desktop client, by default, is set to do direct file playback. The media player for Plex can do MKVs.

Somewhere in the windows/system directtory, I think, are the Plex Logs. You may want to look at the main one. It may give you an idea. Of course, have you tried playing any of your MKVs on the machine that made the MKV; I'm assume the MakeMKV output is on the same machine that the MakeMKV is on.

Also, MakeMKV has it's own decrypter, but not every movie works. Those that don't, MakeMKV works on and at some point will.

Kindle, I assuming you're using the Android Plex client. Make sure to sign into your Plex account (MyPlex). You may need to open a port for it to work as well.

I assuming you've actually added your media your plex libraries and let it update for the content. Personally, I think you've just got bad files.

I would assume that Star Trek from '09 would have MKV support?
I have not signed the Kindle in to myPlex account. I will try that.
All libraries are current.
I have not added the feature that lets me stream from anywhere. I am only trying to stream on my local network, for now.
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post #5 of 12
12/27/12 at 4:14pm
Unless the subtitles are burned into the movie, you should be able to turn them off in the Plex client.

Apparently Plex does not support lossless WMA.

I have ripped the Start Trek (2009) blu-ray myself with makemkv just fine. The only time makemkv ever fails for me is if the disk is physically damaged.

There's nothing you do to add the remote streaming feature. Once you're signed into your myplex account, you can access your files locally or remotely. Technically you can add a server manually instead of using myplex, but it's just easier using myplex IMO.
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post #6 of 12
12/27/12 at 4:58pm
Thread Starter 
That is disturbing, I was hoping it would transcode the music to play on other devices. My early ripping experience was in WMP, so I just kept ripping everything in the same format. Funny, that article says that it is based on XBMC, and that they won't play due to failures of ffdshow decoding .wma...and xbmc on an original xbox plays my library just fine.

Star Trek is standard dvd,. I watched it fail trying to rip twice. I assumed some encryption was better than others. I will try again and note the "error" messages in MakeMKV.

There is a place in MyPlex to add, or "publish" your server...I have not done that.

I forgot to mention that WMC does not recognize my .mkv's either. I have downloaded Shark 007 codecs
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post #7 of 12
12/28/12 at 7:51am
I'm thinking you may have a bad install of MakeMKV if it's not ripping your DVD, and assuming it's not a damaged or some weird knock off. My earlier statement was for blu rays. That's an ever evolving system. You can get AnyDVD HD, but it's possible to cause problems with rips; I personally haven't had them yet.

WMC does not play MKV natively. You need to the add codecs for it, which Shark 007 or K Lite can do.

MyPlex is used everywhere in Plex. It makes things easier, but you may still need to open ports. Check you firewall logs. I would still check the Plex logs too. They've made it a lot easier to use compared to before. I've been using Roku and Android client since the beta or private channel days, where you did need to manually enter the server IPs or DNS. Right now, I'm running the beta Plex Home Theater desktop client and PMS.
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post #8 of 12
12/30/12 at 8:24pm
Thread Starter 
Well...good or bad, I installed WHS 2011 on the server this weekend. I am not so sure I am as happy with it as running Win 7, with MCE and all shares set up. I guess I am just not used to it yet. I don't have very much storage yet, either. I have a TON of reading to do. I have re-installed PLEX Server. re-mapped all my drive shares,and added Shark codecs to all clients. (not sure if I should add Shark to the server?) All movies show up in MCE, and play nicely, (Except Star Trek) My Samsung D, with PLEX app...actually plays everything, including Dark Knight Rises, just added. Thanks for all the help, guys. I guess a little research and some patience goes a long way.
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post #9 of 12
1/2/13 at 6:43am
Ripping anything but main movie is a headache not worth the effort IMO
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post #10 of 12
1/2/13 at 10:59am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mfusick View Post

Ripping anything but main movie is a headache not worth the effort IMO

IMHO you are 100% correct plusI don't have time to watch more than the main movie.
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post #11 of 12
1/4/13 at 5:41pm
Thread Starter 
Pretty much ripping just the Title, with 5.1...and that's it.
I have tried Star Trek again...and PLEX will not play it. It is scrambled, and garbled, and crashes PLEX. (via PC...I have not tried other devices) It plays fine when I go to the file location and just click. It automatically opens WMP viewer and plays...which is fine, but I am wondering what it is with this movie.

Here is how it transferred:
Quote:
MakeMKV v1.7.10 win(x64-release) started
Using direct disc access mode
Calculated BUP offset for VTS #0 does not match one in IFO header.
Calculated BUP offset for VTS #3 does not match one in IFO header.
Calculated BUP offset for VTS #4 does not match one in IFO header.
Calculated BUP offset for VTS #6 does not match one in IFO header.
Calculated BUP offset for VTS #7 does not match one in IFO header.
Calculated BUP offset for VTS #8 does not match one in IFO header.
Calculated BUP offset for VTS #10 does not match one in IFO header.
Calculated BUP offset for VTS #11 does not match one in IFO header.
Calculated BUP offset for VTS #13 does not match one in IFO header.
Calculated BUP offset for VTS #14 does not match one in IFO header.
Calculated BUP offset for VTS #16 does not match one in IFO header.
CellWalk algorithm failed (structure protection is too tough?), trying CellTrim algorithm
Cells 1-8 were removed from title start
Title #20 was added (31 cell(s), 2:06:26)
CellWalk algorithm failed (structure protection is too tough?), trying CellTrim algorithm
CellTrim algorithm failed since title has only 2 chapters
Title #28 (0:19:37) was skipped due to navigation error
CellWalk algorithm failed (structure protection is too tough?), trying CellTrim algorithm
CellTrim algorithm failed since title has only 2 chapters
Title #47 (0:06:28) was skipped due to navigation error
CellWalk algorithm failed (structure protection is too tough?), trying CellTrim algorithm
Fake cells occupy 28% of the title - assuming fake title
CellWalk algorithm failed (structure protection is too tough?), trying CellTrim algorithm
Fake cells occupy 28% of the title - assuming fake title
Operation successfully completed
Saving 1 titles into directory /SERV/Movies
1 titles saved
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post #12 of 12
1/5/13 at 7:52am
Sounds like issue with video file.
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