Where does the Plex Plugin do transcoding by default?

  • I understand that Plex can be made to do transcoding to a disk drive or to RAM. I would like to use RAM exclusively, even if that means my buffer size will be limited.


    Is this the default on OMV?
    If not, what do I need to change my transcode directory to in order to make this happen on the plugin version of Plex?

  • Just a sec.. I get you the path.


    $PLEX_HOME/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/Cache/Transcode/Sessions/


    So that would be in OMV:


    /media/UJUID/plexmediaserver/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/Cache/Transcode/Sessions/

  • That's helpful, but I still don't know the answer to my question.


    It sounds like Plex is caching to disk. How can I scoot the transcoding cache into RAM on OMV? I did this on another NAS running Plex in Docker and it was super easy, but I don't know anything about OMV yet...still learning.

    • Offizieller Beitrag

    It sound like Plex is caching to disk


    Yes.


    How can I scoot the transcoding cache into RAM on OMV?


    Ask in the plex forums or wait for someone here that knows how to that. Or if you want use the docker image you say that does the same


    I did this on another NAS running Plex in Docker and it was super easy, but I don't know anything about OMV yet...still learning.


    OMV is just debian under the hood, there is no magic here.
    The plugin just installs plexmediaserver using a deb package made for debian wehezy, and is just a panel to start......and stop plex

  • Perfect! That's helpful as well. Now that I know the current Plex Cache directory, I can work backwards with my configured Docker image and try to figure this out. I'll report back if I make any headway, and in the meantime if someone already figured this out, please let me know!


    Thanks guys

  • One additional question: When Plex is using its default setup (saving cached transcodes to the HDD), is that path (/media/UJUID/plexmediaserver/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/Cache/Transcode/) on the OMV root drive with the plugin/OS, or on the drive where the rest of the Plex files are stored?


    Edit: Found this one by clicking through both directories. It looks like it is stored on the other (non-OS) drive; the one that you get to select during the Plex Plugin installation process.

  • Okay, I found some stuff that may be helpful for making sense of this situation. Other Plex users have reported speed increases from caching to RAM. See here.


    1. Debian can be easily made to run /tmp in RAM using tmpfs (which is already included in the OS). See here.
    2. The only problem is Plex doesn't remove the transcoded video until you have exited the video you're watching. So as you watch a film, the transcode files really begin to stack up. If you have 4GB of RAM and watch a 15GB Blu-Ray rip, Plex will crash in the middle of the film as /tmp fills up. This is explained in the link for #2 as well.
    3. By default, Debian empties /tmp each time the machine reboots. See answer here.
    4. The problem can be solved by either adding enough RAM to cache to /tmp like Plex normally does (16GB or more in the case of some Blu-Rays), or by using something to empty /tmp. The tmp directory may contain useful files that you don't want to delete at arbitrary intervals. Doing so may result in program or OS instability.



    TL;DR
    The easiest fix would be to transcode to /tmp and teach Plex to cleanup transcode files once they have been viewed, rather than at the end of a film. This probably isn't worth the trouble, though.

  • Ideally in your home you don't want your clients transcoding. You want them to direct stream and if they are not you should figure out why. Then fix it. I just had to take auto off for bitrate on an Emby client and put Max bitrate to 40 MPS and then the Emby server started to direct stream.

  • Everything has to be transcoded because PS3s are terrible clients, but they're already here so I'm using them.


    None-the-less, this was an interesting investigation. I'm going to just let Plex thrash my disk because it's a lot easier than moving forward with transcoding from RAM.

  • There are cheap ARM devices that make good clients for Plex or Emby. Transcoding will use a lot more resources, CPU, on your server.


    This!


    While i perfectly understand the need for experimenting and learning stuff, i also would recommend this approach. Get yourself a Raspberry Pi 2, a micro SD-Card and put rasplex on it. Your server won't have to transcode, and a Pi would need significantly less power than a ps3. You'll get direct streaming, choice of different skins, 24p playback and you can use your TVs remote via HDMI-CEC. Never been happier with such a small device. Completely replaced my HTPCs, which i used to run. And its fun to set it up, and see it run. I never turn mine off, it is tucked away behind the TV, and just works.

  • Someday soon, boys. I understand the advtanges of both options. I'm just out of power plugs behind my entertainment center and I'm out of HDMI inputs on my TV. Since we still play PS3 games (unfinished business there, since some games took a bit to come down in price after the switch to the new generation of consoles), I don't want to unhook it just yet, and it is SO frustrating to have to plug and unplug things each time you want to do something with your TV.


    I lived that life back in the 90s, but there's no excuse for it today. I won't go back!

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