SOLVED: Playback failed due to a fatal player error

[FatMax1492]

I'm new to Jellyfin. I've just installed it and added my libraries. I wanted to watch something but I got the above error. 

I looked on the forums and the posts 
there said I needed to configure hardware transcoding. I looked in the settings where the setup guide said I could configure it but unfortunately there's nothing of the sort there. 

I'm kinda lost now and I hope someone could help me out. 

Here are the logs: (I had some trouble uploading to the forums)  https://jumpshare.com/s/LHz8tyPgzccnlw6TFaPD

[Fate]

What CPU/GPU are you using?
Is this baremetal installled or docker?
What options have you checked in the playback/transcoding option menu?

Can't look at logs right now... any chance you can post them on pastebin?

[FatMax1492]

They're too fat for pastebin. It's 8 megabytes big and pastebin only allows for 500kb or so in filesize.

Hardware: Ryzen 5 2600x, GTX960 4G, 24gb ram
Running on windows 10

---

The playback menu looks like this https://imgur.com/a/qA2MVB9

I'm not at home rn but I have full access to the server through remote desktop

[FatMax1492]

I copypasted the last couple of lines

https://pastebin.com/cbd6tdt3

[FatMax1492]

Actually I may have figured out why. Jellyfin recommeds a 16/20 series GPU. Mine is two gens out of date..

[Fate]

weird it seems it cannot find ffmpeg....

I'm not too familiar with the windows installer... can you check if ffmpeg is in the correct path and accessible by jellyfin?

Your nvidia card should be fine according to this:
https://developer.nvidia.com/video-encod...matrix-new

Also even without your GPU your CPU is powerful, it should be able to handle 1-2 transcodes

[FatMax1492]

What's the path I need?

I have two versions of ffmpeg. I use the normal version for Navidrome and the occasional video editing. (It's stored on the desktop) The second version is the one that came with jellyfin.

There are ffmpeg files (ffmpeg.exe and ffprobe.exe) in C:\ProgramFiles\Jellyfin\Server.

They're the same files that also came with a seperate install I did of the files, as per the hardware transcoding guide. I didn't do anything with these apart from setting them on the desktop.

Not sure if it matters but I can play mp3 files just fine

[FatMax1492]

https://forum.jellyfin.org/t-solved-ffmp...#data-4264

This issue seems familiar to mine. Ffmpeg is also in the path it's supposed to be according to this thread.

I also have the dll files from the included SuperUser post.

https://imgur.com/a/hfKj0S1

[TheDreadPirate]

Jellyfin is almost certainly not using the correct ffmpeg.

Code:

[2024-08-08 11:35:01.850 +02:00] [ERR] [9] Jellyfin.Api.Middleware.ExceptionMiddleware: Error processing request. URL "GET" "/videos/c2d00ba0-8813-7170-4d93-2ee744aa4f62/live.m3u8".
System.ArgumentNullException: Value cannot be null. (Parameter '_mediaEncoder.EncoderPath')
   at System.ArgumentNullException.Throw(String paramName)
   at System.ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNull(Object argument, String paramName)
   at System.ArgumentException.ThrowNullOrEmptyException(String argument, String paramName)
   at System.ArgumentException.ThrowIfNullOrEmpty(String argument, String paramName)
   at MediaBrowser.MediaEncoding.Transcoding.TranscodeManager.StartFfMpeg(StreamState state, String outputPath, String commandLineArguments, Guid userId, TranscodingJobType transcodingJobType, CancellationTokenSource cancellationTokenSource, String workingDirectory)

This is saying it can't access ffmpeg. Which means when Jellyfin is calling "ffmpeg" it is getting the other ffmpeg you have on your system and Jellyfin doesn't have access to it.

I'm not entirely sure how to change this in newer versions of Jellyfin since we locked down changing the ffmpeg path due to security issues.

I think you'd have to modify C:\ProgramData\Jellyfin\Server\config\encoding.xml and provide the full path to ffmpeg.exe in the Jellyfin Program Files folder.

[theguymadmax]

Code:

2024-08-08 10:36:55.191 +02:00] [ERR] [8] MediaBrowser.MediaEncoding.Encoder.MediaEncoder: Error validating encoder
System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception (2): An error occurred trying to start process 'C:\Users\manue\Desktop\ffmpeg-master-latest-win64-gpl\bin' with working directory 'C:\Program Files\Jellyfin\Server'. The system cannot find the file specified.
  at System.Diagnostics.Process.StartWithCreateProcess(ProcessStartInfo startInfo)
  at MediaBrowser.MediaEncoding.Encoder.EncoderValidator.GetProcessOutput(String path, String arguments, Boolean readStdErr, String testKey)
  at MediaBrowser.MediaEncoding.Encoder.EncoderValidator.ValidateVersion()
[2024-08-08 10:36:55.230 +02:00] [WRN] [8] MediaBrowser.MediaEncoding.Encoder.MediaEncoder: FFmpeg: Failed version check: "C:\Users\manue\Desktop\ffmpeg-master-latest-win64-gpl\bin"
[2024-08-08 10:36:55.244 +02:00] [INF] [8] MediaBrowser.MediaEncoding.Encoder.MediaEncoder: FFmpeg: ""
[2024-08-08 10:36:55.246 +02:00] [INF] [8] Emby.Server.Implementations.ApplicationHost: ServerId: "5c654dbc5d8e4f6683f63ec54da2dac9"
[2024-08-08 10:36:55.247 +02:00] [INF] [8] Emby.Server.Implementations.ApplicationHost: Core startup complete

You need to remove the path (C:\Users\manue\Desktop\ffmpeg-master-latest-win64-gpl\bin) from your Environment Variables.

Steps:
1.       In the start menu or a run box type “sysdm.cpl” and open that up.
2.       Navigate to Advanced -> Environment Variables
3.       In User Variables- click path, then choose edit. If that directory is there, then delete it
4.       Do the same thing for the System Variables.
5.       Restart system.