Remote-access Guide

plex live tv transcoder for remote access

by Mr. Logan Volkman Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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How to use Plex for transcoding?

Take your time to adjust the settings on all the Plex clients you choose. The 3 settings you need to adjust include Remote Quality, Online Quality, and Local Quality. As a mobile user, you can also adjust the settings for Remote Wi-Fi Streaming and Remote Network Streaming separately. That’s the transcoding settings for Plex.

Can I watch live TV on Plex Media Server?

There are some limitations when watching live TV currently: Live TV requires the ability to transcode the content, so you need to ensure you run Plex Media Server on a device capable of transcoding. (Some NAS Devices and Limitations may not be able to transcode.)

Can I record broadcasts with Plex DVR?

The ability to record broadcasts (e.g. DVR) is a premium feature and requires an active Plex Pass subscription. If you have a Plex DVR set up, not only can you watch it live on supported Plex apps, but you can also (with an active Plex Pass subscription) record content!

How do I adjust the Plex settings?

Take your time to adjust the settings on all the Plex clients you choose. The 3 settings you need to adjust include Remote Quality, Online Quality, and Local Quality. As a mobile user, you can also adjust the settings for Remote Wi-Fi Streaming and Remote Network Streaming separately.

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Do you need Plex Pass for remote access?

It's not true. All users can stream remotely providing you've configured your Plex Server correctly. Head to Settings > Remote Access > Enable Remote Access to set it up. In this regard, the Plex Pass is only useful if you're going to be in a place with no internet—it lets you save content directly onto your device.

What transcoder does Plex use?

Plex Transcoder: The original Plex Transcoder is based on FFMPEG — as is the new one.

How do I enable remote access on Plex?

To do so:Open Plex Web App and make sure you're signed in to your Plex account on the server under Settings > Server > General.Go to Settings > Server > Remote Access.If needed, toggle the Show Advanced button to ensure the appropriate options are visible.Enable the Manually specify public port checkbox.More items...•

How do I access Plex live TV?

How to Watch Live TVOpen the Program Guide and you'll see On Right Now content.Choose an item to watch and you'll see details.Hit the Play button to start playing that item live.During playback, you can hit the button at the bottom right to see other content currently airing, allowing you to quickly switch to it.

Why is Plex transcoder using so much CPU?

One of the most common reasons users will see this unexpected CPU usage is when they enable their Plex Media Server to generate video preview thumbnails. If you have the Generate video preview thumbnails (advanced) setting enabled, then your server will generate video preview thumbnails for new content.

What is transcoder default throttle buffer?

The default is 60 sec - this is the play time in advance a transcoded video is ready to be sent out (stored at transcoding dir).

How do I use my phone as a remote for Plex?

An Android, Windows Phone 8, BlackBerry or Java mobile device....Setup is quick and simple!Step 1: Install Vectir PC Server. ... Step 2: Install Vectir Mobile Client App. ... Step 3: Install Plex Remote Profile. ... Step 4: Connect and control Plex!

Does Plex require a static IP address?

A Public Static IP is not needed, largely because the AT&T "dynamic" address changes so infrequently that Plex will have no trouble tracking you down.

Is Plex remote access secure?

Plex has teamed up with Let's Encrypt to provide our users with high-quality secure certificates for your media servers, at no cost to you. There's no need to set up VPNs and no need to create and install your own certs. You can safely and securely connect to your media no matter where you are.

Can you watch live local TV on Plex?

You can stream these local channels to any device with a Plex app, including your phone, tablet, streaming stick, or smart TV. Any Plex user can add local TV to their server for free. But Plex Pass members get additional, extremely useful features.

What Live TV channels does Plex offer?

Plex also carries other forms of media, from on-demand movies and TV shows to live programming....Plex at a glance.Plex FreePlex PassPopular channelsComedy Dynamics, fubo Sports Network, ReutersIGN, EDGE Sport, The Bob Ross Channel, Kidoodle TV4 more rows

How can I watch Live TV for free?

Best free live TV streaming servicesPluto TV—Most free live news, hundreds of free content channels.Tubi—50,000+ free shows and movies, free live news and sports channels.Sling Free—ABC News, CBS News, and Newsy plus dozens of free content channels.Roku Channel—Good variety of free content, free live news channels.More items...•

What GPU does Plex use?

If you are looking for a Plex Server GPU that can easily handle 1080p and even 4K streams, then the Nvidia Quadro P2200 is the most feasible option to go with. You can easily stream up to four 4K (68MBit) and 17 1080p (10MBit) streams on Quadro P2200 without any issue.

Why is Plex transcoding Hevc?

There is a very slow HEVC transcoding speed. Plex Media Server uses hardware acceleration to offload transcoding to GPUs with the purpose of getting a faster performance and lowering CPU usage. The new problem is that video quality may be compromised.

Does Plex use ffmpeg?

I know FFMPEG was originally the transcoder used by plex but now there's a universal transcoder that's in newer versions.

Does Plex transcode reduce quality?

Transcoder quality Prefer higher speed encoding – lower quality, but faster transcodes. Prefer higher quality encoding – higher quality, but slower transcodes.

Where is the button to see other content on TV?

During playback, you can hit the button at the bottom right to see other content currently airing, allowing you to quickly switch to it. Similarly on Android TV, you can browse the Program Guide and then Watch from the item preplay screen.

Can you watch live TV on an iPhone?

Watching live TV is super simple. When browsing the Program Guide in a supported app, if the item is currently airing, then you’ll have the option to Watch in addition to Record. The specifics can vary from app to app, but as an example, here’s how it works in iOS:

Can you watch Plex live on a Plex pass?

If you have a Plex DVR set up, not only can you watch it live on supported Plex apps, but you can also (with an active Plex Pass subscription) record content! So, now you can watch live TV on your lunch break, the commute to work, or while lying in bed where you don’t otherwise have a TV.

Does Plex Media Server support time shifting?

We’ll continue working to bring support to more apps as we move forward. Full Live TV support (including time shifting) requires Plex Media Server v 1.16.1 or newer and you must set up the DVR in your server.

Can you transcode live TV?

There are some limitations when watching live TV currently: Live TV requires the ability to transcode the content, so you need to ensure you run Plex Media Server on a device capable of transcoding. (Some NAS Devices and Limitations may not be able to transcode.)

Do you need a plex pass to record?

Tip!: You must have your compatible tuner & antenna connected to your Plex Media Server to be able to tune over-the-air broadcasts. The ability to record broadcasts (e.g. DVR) is a premium feature and requires an active Plex Pass subscription.

Can you close caption on Plex?

Closed-captioning or alternate audio channels are not currently supported for Live TV. Flinging or casting playback to another Plex app is not currently supported. You cannot initiate a recording of what you’re currently watching in the client.

Supported Versions

NOTE Upgrading Plex Media Server often breaks things and it takes us some time to figure out what needs to be fixed. It is suggested that you avoid upgrading your Plex server before checking here first.

Releases

For versions of Plex Media Server below version 1.1.0. use release 0.3.5.

Contributing

Bug fixes/reports and feature requests are welcome! Either submit a pull request or create a new issue. There is also a discussion board.

How Does it Work?

There have been quite a few projects attempting to load balance a Plex server, most of which involve proxying HTTP requests between multiple Plex Media Server ( PMS) installations. This project takes a different, and arguably easier approach that simply involves running the Plex New Transcoder on a remote host.

How is the Useful?

That depends. It may not be if you have a powerful PMS and/or very few simultaneous users/devices. If however you often see your main server being ground to halt because of the transcoder and you have access to additional computational capacity, this might be useful to you.

Help

Right now, things are pretty rough. Trying to figure out why something isn't working is difficult, but we're working on making this easier. Also, installation isn't easy and there are lots of places to make mistakes, we're working on that too.

Configuration

The configuration file is located in a file named ~/.prt.conf. It should be a valid JSON file and is created for you the first time you run prt install . Below is a list of some configuration options that can currently only be set by manually editing this file.

Why is my plex server transcoding?

this issue (remote streams transcoding) is an on going problem with plex, because the default client setting for remote streaming are set very low, and unless changed will almost always cause the server to transcode.

What does transcoding mean in streaming?

whichever of those exceeds the limit of the server or the client for the file being streamed, or the client is not compatible with a certain container/codec, the server will transcode to make it compatible and/or fit within the quality/bandwidth limits of both server/client.

What causes transcoding?

in many cases, the default quality and bandwidth settings are what causes transcoding

Can you direct play a MKV?

If it’s mkv, it will not “direct play”. Now for audio, keep it change the FIRST audio on line 1 to aac. Always make the first one aac because that is the universal audio that is most widely accepted for devices. Now click “add” and add ac3 or e-ac3 , and change stereo to 5.1. This allows you to let your remote viewers watch your video as mp4 w/ aac ...

Can you stream 4k on mobile?

obviously you cannot direct stream full bitrate bluray or 4k’s over mobile, but if you have fiber+ upload speeds you could stream them to other high speed download clients (that can play back full bluray/4k).

Does server upload limit transcoding?

So in this case, there does not appear to be any server upload bw or quality settings to limit transcoding, in which case the client must be causing transcoding (either incompatible with container/vcodec/acodec, or client quality/bw settings).

Does a non-plex pass limit bandwidth?

for non plex pass your server does not limit bandwidth or quality, only your internet upload speed is the limit.

How to setup plex server?

First, check if your NAS or computer meets the requirements of the Plex Media Server. Proceed to download the Plex Media Server from Plex’s download page if it meets the requirements. Install it after downloading it and follow the onscreen wizard. Then complete the setup for the server as needed.

Why is a direct stream needed for plex?

While Transcoding is helpful whenever the Plex client couldn’t read an audio or video format, or can’t support the bitrate, resolution; the Direct Stream is useful when the Plex client can support both audio and video formats but cannot support the container format.

Is plex transcoding intensive?

Please note that the process of Plex transcoding is intensive on the CPU. It may give you buffering and stuttering problems. Ensure that you maximize the settings for transcoder quality, a maximum number of simultaneous transcode sessions, and x264 preset for background transcoding. This is important when the Plex server runs on a non-dedicated computer.

Can you use Plex on a computer?

With the Plex media server software installed on your computer, you can easily organize media. The Plex client program when installed on your mobile device allows you to quickly stream content from your computer. Mind you, you can use this tool for almost all media formats. But, it’s not all content that can be played directly ...

Does Plex have different settings?

All Plex applications come with different settings for Streaming Quality. That means you can have a different setup for your phone, streaming boxes, computer, and other platforms. Don’t also forget that the resolution and quality of any video played on your gadget.

What is plex media server?

The Plex Media Server is smart software that makes playing Movies, TV Shows and other media on your computer simple.

Does shield TV play ATSC?

not for Shield TV. it'll direct play ATSC broadcast TV, I know first hand. I don't know about other standards around the world.

Is the extend available in Australia?

Unfortunately, only the older version of the Connect is available in Australia, the Extend is not available and I can’t find any mention from HDHomeRun to say they’re bringing the Extend to Australia any time soon. So I have a WinTV QuadHD card

Is Channels transcoding slow?

Channels transcodes just as much but isnt nearly as slow or buggy.

Can the i5-4670K transcode?

Whilst the i5-4670K is 100% capable of handling several transcodes at once, it’s just not quite up to the task of a transcode to feed Live TV to the living room Apple TV, and also play PUBG, without dropping frames & audio in the transcoded Live TV stream.

Does Plex cut commercials?

Plex’s automatic commercial cutting for recorded TV is a bit hit-and-miss for me too, it cuts some commercial breaks but not all. I never have an issue with it going out of sync, though

Can you use Plex with Apple TV?

The fact that Channels can operate with a HDHomeRun Connect and Apple TV, with no transcoding device anywhere in that chain, seems to indicate that it should be possible for Plex to achieve the same thing.

What is the name of the binary that replaced the plex transcoder?

Plex Server will launch Plex Transcoder binary which was replaced by UnicornFFMPEG

What is unicorn transcoder?

The UnicornTranscoder project is an open source software, maintained by @drouarb and @Maxou44. If you want to support us, you can tip us on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/unicorntranscoder

Is libx264 optimized for x86?

Implementation of libx264 on other platform than x86_64 is not well optimized, you can see a performance gap.

Can a transcoder serve a request?

The transcoder shouldn't serve the request directly , a reverse proxy such as nginx should be setup in front to install a SSL certificate.

What is plex media server?

The Plex Media Server is smart software that makes playing Movies, TV Shows and other media on your computer simple.

Does mobile sync work on Plex?

Mobile sync on android has worked intermittently for the entire time I've had Plex. It's be YEARS and it's never been fixed. Currently, the result I get from trying to sync any file is "There is an error with this item." Thanks, very descriptive.

Does plex server reboot?

Truthfully, as often as plex server gets updated, it reboots quite often. So this may just be some sort of crash within the McStreamy/Transcoder system that is common once the server has had significant uptime. But that's just conjecture on my part, so ignore my rambling.

How to enable hardware transcoding in Plex?

Hardware transcoding can be enabled on the Plex server if your server has the necessary hardware. To enable hardware acceleration, use the following steps:

What is Plex hardware transcoding?

When Plex first became available, the CPU did all the video processing. If a client was not able to play a specific video codec, Plex would have the CPU transcode the video.

What does hw mean in plex?

When a video is being transcoded on the Plex server, you will see Transcode (hw) in the Plex activity monitor. If the (hw) value is not beside the word Transcode, then the server isn't using hardware transcoding.

What session does Plex run in?

Running Plex as a service on Windows. Windows run in session 0, which doesn't have access to the graphics card.

Where is the wrench link in Plex?

Click the Settings - the wrench - link in the upper-right corner of the Plex server page.

How many videos can you encode on a GeForce card?

Windows and Linux servers using NVIDIA GeForce cards are limited to 2 encoding videos at a time. This is a limitation from NVIDIA.

Can you transcode video with a graphics card?

This would reduce the CPU usage significantly. Graphics cards have powerful processors that can easily transcode videos.

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Supported Versions

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NOTE Upgrading Plex Media Serveroften breaks things and it takes us some time to figure out what needs to be fixed. It is suggested that you avoid upgrading your Plex server before checking here first. The latest confirmed working version of Plex Media Serveris: If you try a newer version and encounter an issue, please report it.
See more on github.com

Releases

  • For versions of Plex Media Server below version 1.1.0. use release 0.3.5. For versions of Plex Media Server below version 1.0, use release 0.2.2. For the newest version of Plex Media Server, use the main branch or the newest release.
See more on github.com

Contributing

  • Bug fixes/reports and feature requests are welcome! Either submit a pull request or create a new issue. There is also a discussion board.
See more on github.com

How Does It Work?

  • There have been quite a few projects attempting to load balance a Plex server,most of which involve proxying HTTP requests between multiplePlex Media Server (PMS) installations. This project takes a different, andarguably easier approach that simply involves running the Plex New Transcoderon a remote host. In this setup there is only ever one PMS i...
See more on github.com

How Is The Useful?

  • That depends. It may not be if you have a powerful PMS and/or very fewsimultaneous users/devices. If however you often see your main server beingground to halt because of the transcoder andyou have access to additionalcomputational capacity, this might be useful to you. This approach also makes it possible, in theory, to take advantage of scalablecomputing via ser…
See more on github.com

Help

  • Right now, things are pretty rough. Trying to figure out why something isn'tworking is difficult, but we're working on making this easier. Also,installation isn't easy and there are lots of places to make mistakes, we'reworking on that too.
See more on github.com

Configuration

  • The configuration file is located in a file named ~/.prt.conf. It should be avalid JSON file and is created for you the first time you run prt install.Below is a list of some configuration options that can currently only be setby manually editing this file. servers_script This option can be used to specify the path to an executable that will return alist of currently available transcode slavenode…
See more on github.com

Contributors

  1. Weston Nielson (Owner) - wnielson@github
  2. Andy Livingstone - liviynz@github
See more on github.com

Donations

  • Some people have ask about how to dontate, so if you want to buy me a beer here are some links. Cheers!
See more on github.com

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