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High ffmpeg CPU usage

PostPosted: Thu Sep 23, 2021 11:02 pm
by Limon
Hello,

I have a question regarding High ffmpeg CPU usage.

My Configuration: mobdro kodi

Intel i7 920 2.67Ghz - 16GB RAM
Windows 7 64-bit OS SP1
Serviio 1.4.1.2
ffmpeg (ffmpeg-20140919-git-33c752b-win64)
Movies MKV (H264) format

I have Sony SMP-N100 - which requires Transcoding (ffmpeg) when streaming
I am testing out ROKU 3 (4200x) - which supports DLNA MKV (H264)

I have noted that when streaming to the ROKU using Serviio:

1) High ffmpeg CPU usage (98+%) regardless of whether I enable / disable "Transcoding". I did not expect any need for "Transcoding".
2) I had read up in the forum about the high ffmpeg CPU usage and followed the suggestion to download the latest ffmpeg (64-bit) but problem not resolved: still high CPU usage
3) Continued High ffmpeg CPU usage even when I stop Streaming the Video. Only way is to End the ffmpeg process (Ending Serviio process does not kill the ffmpeg process)

I streamed to the ROKU using a different DLNA server:
1) Minimal CPU usage (less than 10% peak) and the DLNA server does not report any Transcoding going on.

I MUCH Prefer using Serviio.

Am I configuring something wrong?

Re: High ffmpeg CPU usage

PostPosted: Sat Sep 25, 2021 1:22 am
by atc98092
When Serviio is first installed and the library locations configured, FFMPEG is used to read each file briefly to determine its makeup and to assist with generating metadata from online libraries. This CPU usage might continue for some time, depending on the number of files in your library. But it should settle down after that.

I just checked the CPU on my test server, and FFMPEG is not running, and CPU is at idle. I did install a new hard drive last weekend and moved about 300 movies from one server to the other. I can't say how long FFMPEG was active, as it wasn't something I was watching.

So, let's look a little deeper. Your Roku 3 is an older player, but quite capable for the time. But all Roku devices have limited codec and container support, so transcoding might be doing more than you think. What Roku profile are you using for your device in the Serviio console? If you're using the one that Serviio assigns by default, you're using the wrong one. You should use "Roku 1080 Media Player (2016+)" for your Roku 3. The default Roku profile is designed for older players than yours, that can't handle bitrates over about 18 Mbps.

Do you have "Enable burned-in subtitles" checked in the Serviio console? If you do, then it's transcoding even if you have it disabled. That's the only way to burn in the subs.

If your media can be played by the Roku without transcoding, your CPU load should be almost nothing during streaming. If the video is supported but the audio requires transcoding (such as DTS or lossless codecs), the CPU load is a bit higher, but still not too bad. Video transcoding will max out the CPU, regardless of the codec being transcoded and the target codec. But in my experience, the computer is still perfectly usable for other tasks. It doesn't seem to bog the computer down. But that is assuming a reasonably powerful PC, and yours certain fits that description.

My first streaming players were the Sony SNP-N200, and depending on the media it might not need transcoding either. It all comes down to what you're trying to stream.