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AV1 Drawbacks

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Admin9705 edited this page Aug 12, 2024 · 5 revisions

Understanding the Drawbacks of AV1 Encoding in Plex and Tdarr Workflows

While AV1 encoding offers significant benefits in terms of compression efficiency and storage savings, it’s important to understand some potential drawbacks, especially when converting AV1 files to H.264 for older or unsupported devices. This can affect playback compatibility, system performance, and network bandwidth.

1. Compatibility Issues with Older Devices

Not all devices support AV1 playback natively, especially older ones like smartphones, smart TVs, and media players. If a device can’t decode AV1, Plex might need to transcode the video to H.264, which can lead to some challenges.

Impact of Transcoding

When Plex transcodes an AV1 file to H.264:

  • Increased GPU Load: Transcoding puts more strain on your GPU, especially if multiple streams need transcoding at once. This can lead to higher power consumption and potential overheating.
  • Larger File Size: AV1 is much more efficient than H.264, so when Plex transcodes a 2 Mbps AV1 file to H.264, it might need to stream it at 4-6 Mbps or more. This means the file being sent to the client is up to three times larger, which can strain your network.

Example for Multiple Users

This isn't a big deal if you’re just using Plex locally or have a few users. However, if you have 10+ users streaming simultaneously, especially with something like a 4K AV1 file being transcoded to 4K H.264, the bandwidth demand can skyrocket. For example:

  • AV1 Stream: 4K video at 15 Mbps.
  • H.264 Transcode: Might require 30-45 Mbps.

If you have 10 users streaming at once, that’s 300-450 Mbps just for those streams. If your internet upload speed is 50 Mbps, that’s a problem. Your network can’t handle that many users at those speeds, leading to buffering and playback issues.

2. Higher CPU/GPU Utilization

AV1 is efficient, but it requires more computational power to encode and decode compared to older formats like H.264. This can be an issue in a few scenarios:

  • Real-Time Transcoding: If your server needs to transcode AV1 to H.264 in real time, it can put a lot of stress on both your CPU and GPU. This might slow down other tasks or lead to performance drops.
  • Batch Encoding: Encoding large libraries to AV1 takes longer and uses more resources, so be prepared for longer processing times.

3. Limited Support for Hardware Acceleration

Not all hardware supports AV1 encoding and decoding. Newer GPUs, like Intel ARC and some NVIDIA/AMD models, can handle AV1, but older ones can’t. Without hardware acceleration:

  • Increased CPU Load: Your CPU will have to pick up the slack, which can slow down your system.
  • Performance Issues: If you’re using older hardware, encoding or decoding AV1 might not work well, or it might not work at all.

4. Network Bandwidth and Storage Considerations

AV1 saves space, but there are trade-offs:

  • Increased Streaming Bandwidth: Transcoding AV1 to H.264 can increase the amount of data being streamed, especially if the resulting file is much larger.
  • Storage Impact: If you need to keep multiple versions of the same video (e.g., AV1, H.264), it could offset the storage savings AV1 provides.

Conclusion

While AV1 encoding is great for saving storage space and reducing file sizes, it’s essential to understand these potential drawbacks. Compatibility issues, increased load on your GPU/CPU, and the impact on your network bandwidth, especially with multiple users, are key factors to consider. By being aware of these trade-offs, you can better decide when and how to use AV1 in your media server setup.

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