Transcode Ignores Config.xml Setting

[jeneral]

After reading older posts on this forum, I modified my config.xml to try to enable Quicksync:

<TranscodeArgs>-y -v 0 -i [SOURCE] -f mpegts -acodec libfaac -ar 48000 -ac 2 -ab 64k -s [RESOLUTION] -vcodec h264_qsv -b [BITRATE]

Doing some tests, I noticed high CPU usage. After looking at the logs, I notice my h264_qsv setting is ignored:

2018-05-25 10:55:29.510 [DEBUG][16] Default transcoder args: -y [SEEK] -i [SOURCE] -map_metadata -1 -threads 0 -ignore_unknown -map 0:v:0 -map 0:a:[AUDIO_STREAM] -map -0 -codec:v:0 libx264 -pix_fmt yuv420p -preset superfast -crf 23 -b:v [BITRATE] -maxrate [BITRATE] -bufsize [BUFSIZE] -vsync vfr -profile:v high -level 41 -force_key_frames "expr:gte(t,n_forced*3)" -s [RESOLUTION] [SUBTITLES] -flags -global_header -sc_threshold 0 -codec:a:0 aac -strict experimental -ac 2 -ab 128000 -af "adelay=1,aresample=async=1" -hls_time [SEGMENT_DURATION] -start_number 0 -hls_list_size [SEGMENT_COUNT] -y [TARGET]
2018-05-25 10:55:29.510 [DEBUG][16] Executing: C:\Program Files (x86)\NPVR\Other\ffmpeg.exe -y -i http://127.0.0.1:8866/live?channel=12&tr...cb8dae8afd -map_metadata -1 -threads 0 -ignore_unknown -map 0:v:0 -map 0:a:0 -map -0 -codec:v:0 libx264 -pix_fmt yuv420p -preset superfast -crf 23 -b:v 2000000 -maxrate 2000000 -bufsize 4000000 -vsync vfr -profile:v high -level 41 -force_key_frames "expr:gte(t,n_forced*3)" -s 1280x720 -flags -global_header -sc_threshold 0 -codec:a:0 aac -strict experimental -ac 2 -ab 128000 -af "adelay=1,aresample=async=1" -hls_time 3 -start_number 0 -hls_list_size 200 -y "C:\Users\Public\NPVR\web\temp\BeinSportsUSHD-c939fa8fb58f45a8a5624b772f81c6fb.m3u8"

Am I doing this correctly? Is the HW Acceleration for Transcoding setting somewhere else? My server has a Skylake Celeron G3900 that supports Quicksync. The OS is WHS 2011.

[sub]

If you're meaning to do this for the web/iOS/Android apps, the setting you need to change is <TranscodeHLS>default</TranscodeHLS>

The "default" setting is:

Code:

-y [SEEK] -i [SOURCE] -map_metadata -1 -threads 0 -ignore_unknown -map 0:v:0 -map 0:a:[AUDIO_STREAM] -map -0:s -codec:v:0 libx264 -pix_fmt yuv420p -preset superfast -crf 23 -b:v [BITRATE] -maxrate [BITRATE] -bufsize [BUFSIZE] -vsync vfr -profile:v high -level 41 -force_key_frames "expr:gte(t,n_forced*3)" -s [RESOLUTION] [SUBTITLES] -flags -global_header -sc_threshold 0 -codec:a:0 aac -strict experimental -ac 2 -ab 128000 -af "adelay=1,aresample=async=1" -hls_time [SEGMENT_DURATION] -start_number 0 -hls_list_size [SEGMENT_COUNT] -y [TARGET]

[jeneral]

Thanks for the reply. I think I understand what is happening. I ass-u-me-d that the <TranscodeArgs> field was what determined the encoding codec and thought that by changing libx264 to h264_qsv, I would get hardware encoding when viewing through my browser. Once I modified <TranscodeHLS> using modified 'default' settings, I saw the failed transcodes attempting to use h264_qsv. Sadly, it looks like a lot more parameters need to be changed to allow for hardware encodes. If anyone has figured it out, I'd appreciate a working setting. Otherwise, it will take a lot of trial and error on my part to figure out some working settings.

[sub]

I don't have a video chipset that can use h264_qsv, but you'd probably need to simplify to something like the following, then try replacing libx264 with your alternative hardware encoder.

Code:

-y [SEEK] -i [SOURCE] -map_metadata -1 -threads 0 -ignore_unknown -map 0:v:0 -map 0:a:[AUDIO_STREAM] -map -0:s -codec:v:0 libx264 -b:v [BITRATE] -maxrate [BITRATE] -bufsize [BUFSIZE] -s [RESOLUTION] [SUBTITLES] -codec:a:0 aac -strict experimental -ac 2 -ab 128000 -hls_time [SEGMENT_DURATION] -start_number 0 -hls_list_size [SEGMENT_COUNT] -y [TARGET]

[jeneral]

Thank you for the reply. I tried those settings but transcodes fail. I know Emby and other apps support hardware transcoding. Any plan to include it in NextPVR?

I'm surprised you don't have a Quicksync-supported chip. Most Intel processors in the past 6 years support Quicksync. In some cases, if using an external video card, there are hacks to enable it anyway.

[sub]

Thank you for the reply. I tried those settings but transcodes fail.

You'll just have to play around with the settings to a set that work well. You can do this experimenting outside of NextPVR, just from a command prompt. When you're happy the settings are working, you can feed them into the config.xml, with the various tags (like [SOURCE] etc), and you should be good to go.

I know Emby and other apps support hardware transcoding. Any plan to include it in NextPVR?

I'm surprised you don't have a Quicksync-supported chip. Most Intel processors in the past 6 years support Quicksync. In some cases, if using an external video card, there are hacks to enable it anyway.

It is on my to-do list. I did experiment with it in the past, but ffmpeg didn't seem to like my i7 processor (old one from back around 2011/2012)