No hardware transcoding?

Channels DVR Server
#1

Hi I’ve set up the DVR on my windows server (no VM) and it says only software transcoding.

OSLENOVO ThinkServer TS140
Windows Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter
6.3.9600 Build 9600
CPU
8 cores / Intel® Xeon® CPU E3-1246 v3 @ 3.50GHz
RAM23.80 GB
52.0% free

Any idea how to get hardware transcoding enabled? I checked for Intel driver updates and no updates available.

Second question - I get an error message saying firewall is blocked. I opened a rule for 8089 and that didn’t resolve the error. So I added the application under C:\ProgramData\ChannelsDVR\latest\channels-dvr.exe. Still no luck.

#2

I doubt Windows server 2012 supports Intel Quick Sync.

Why do you want to use HW transcoding anyway? You have a powerful cpu and SW transcoding looks way better.

#3

What is the exact message and which firewall are you using?

Please run an HWE test. Open PowerShell to run this command, then open the DVR log and copy/paste the new “HWE” entries that appear.

iwr -usebasicparsing -method post http://127.0.01:8089/hls/hwaccel

#4

Here’s the FW message:

The Windows firewall rule for Channels DVR is not enabled on all profiles.
Open Control Panel > System and Security > Windows Defender Firewall and then:
Click Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall
Click Change Settings
Find and check Channels DVR in the list
Click OK to update the firewall

PS results:

iwr -usebasicparsing -method post http://127.0.01:8089/hls/hwaccel

#5

I’m just trying to find a place to run channels where transcode happens > 1.x. I don’t care if it’s HW/SW. So far I’ve tried:

  1. ubuntu 14.04 on hyperv on this server using software - no go.
  2. qnap ts451-u running hardware decode. - close to 1.x, but still drops here and there.
  3. server 2012 no VM on same server as #1. no hardware transcode option. also ffmpeg crashes.
#6

Please provide the logs.

#7

Can you screencap what the firewall settings look like?

#8

2018/05/05 18:03:42 [HWE] Trying C:\ProgramData\ChannelsDVR\latest\ffmpeg.exe -hide_banner -nostats -loglevel warning -loglevel verbose -f lavfi -t 0.1 -i color=black:640x480 -c:v h264_amf -profile:v high -level 42 -b:v 400k -maxrate:v 600k -f null -y nul
2018/05/05 18:03:42 [HWE] Failure: exit status 3221225781
2018/05/05 18:03:42 [HWE] Trying C:\ProgramData\ChannelsDVR\latest\ffmpeg.exe -hide_banner -nostats -loglevel warning -loglevel verbose -f lavfi -t 0.1 -i color=black:640x480 -c:v h264_nvenc -profile:v high -level 42 -b:v 400k -maxrate:v 600k -f null -y nul
2018/05/05 18:03:42 [HWE] Failure: exit status 3221225781
2018/05/05 18:03:42 [HWE] Trying C:\ProgramData\ChannelsDVR\latest\ffmpeg.exe -hide_banner -nostats -loglevel warning -loglevel verbose -f lavfi -t 0.1 -i color=black:640x480 -c:v h264_mf -profile:v high -level 42 -b:v 400k -maxrate:v 600k -f null -y nul
2018/05/05 18:03:42 [HWE] Failure: exit status 3221225781
2018/05/05 18:03:42 [HWE] Trying C:\ProgramData\ChannelsDVR\latest\ffmpeg.exe -hide_banner -nostats -loglevel warning -loglevel verbose -f lavfi -t 0.1 -i color=black:640x480 -c:v h264_qsv -profile:v high -level 42 -b:v 400k -maxrate:v 600k -f null -y nul
2018/05/05 18:03:43 [HWE] Failure: exit status 3221225781
2018/05/05 18:03:43 [HWE] Trying C:\ProgramData\ChannelsDVR\latest\ffmpeg.exe -hide_banner -nostats -loglevel warning -loglevel verbose -f lavfi -t 0.1 -i color=black:640x480 -c:v h264_qsv -profile:v high -level 42 -b:v 400k -maxrate:v 600k -look_ahead 0 -f null -y nul
2018/05/05 18:03:43 [HWE] Failure: exit status 3221225781

#9

Hmm strange. Is software transcoding working? Can you watch anything using the web player?

#10

#11

No. ffmpeg crashes.

#12

I need a screencap of the Windows firewall settings.

Is the DVR installed as a service, or running in the system tray?

#13

Can you enable Windows Error Reporting and capture a crash report for ffmpeg:

First, you need to edit the registry to enable crash reports:

  • Run regedit.exe
  • Find HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting
  • Right click on “Windows Error Reporting”
  • Click New > Key
  • Rename the new key to “LocalDumps” (without the quotes) and hit enter

Then after the crash, open the start menu and type this, find the crash report and email to [email protected]

%LOCALAPPDATA%\CrashDumps

#14

It's running in tray with login at start, but I don't see it in services.msc.

#15

Try upgrading to the latest pre-release and see if ffmpeg works. Hold down shift key on the keyboard and click the “check for updates” button.

#16

That didn’t seem to work. I’ve decided to revert back to my VM and increase CPU count. Seems to work well in Ubuntu. I guess Server 2012 is not fully supported. Thanks for all your help.