Setting up Intel Arc Pro B50 for Plex Transcoding inside LXC (Without SR-IOV)

D

devedse

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Aug 20, 2023
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Hey all,

I just got my new MinisForum MS-A2 with an Intel Arc Pro B50 which I'd like to setup for Plex Transcoding.

I currently run a cluster of 2x N100 nodes and the new MS-A2.

Previously I simply passed the /dev/dri/renderD128 into the LXC container which allows Plex to use it to Transcode on the N100.
I then migrated the LXC container to my new MS-A2 where the /dev/dri/renderD128 is the B50. In Plex\Settings\Transcoder the card then shows up:
1760535482332.png

However when doing a transcode it seems to fallback to CPU rather then GPU.

I wanted to ask if someone else has been able to get this to work yet?

P.s. I did also see Wendell's research into getting SR-IOV working for the B50, but I'd rather wait for all drivers to be a bit more stable until I'll follow that path. From what I heard was that with SR-IOV, people also had issues with Transcoding on Plex on the B50.
 
Here's some logs I found in the plex container. It seems it's not able to open the hardware device:

Code: 
Oct 15, 2025 14:12:56.752 [135476236794680] DEBUG - [Req#1f30a/Transcode] Streaming Resource: Calculated bandwidth of 21270kbps exceeds bandwidth limit. Changing decision parameters provided by client to fit bandwidth limit of 20000kbps
Oct 15, 2025 14:12:56.752 [135476236794680] DEBUG - [Req#1f30a/Transcode] Streaming Resource: Determining preferred transcode encoders through transcode only decision.
Oct 15, 2025 14:12:56.752 [135476236794680] DEBUG - [Req#1f30a/Transcode] Codecs: testing hevc (decoder) with hwdevice vaapi
Oct 15, 2025 14:12:56.753 [135476236794680] DEBUG - [Req#1f30a/Transcode] Codecs: hardware transcoding: testing API vaapi for device '/dev/dri/renderD128' (Intel Battlemage G21 [Intel Graphics])
Oct 15, 2025 14:12:56.753 [135476236794680] ERROR - [Req#1f30a/Transcode] [FFMPEG] - libva: /config/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/Cache/va-dri-linux-x86_64/iHD_drv_video.so init failed
Oct 15, 2025 14:12:56.753 [135476236794680] ERROR - [Req#1f30a/Transcode] [FFMPEG] - Failed to initialise VAAPI connection: 18 (invalid parameter).
Oct 15, 2025 14:12:56.753 [135476236794680] DEBUG - [Req#1f30a/Transcode] Codecs: hardware transcoding: opening hw device failed - probably not supported by this system, error: I/O error
Oct 15, 2025 14:12:56.753 [135476236794680] DEBUG - [Req#1f30a/Transcode] Could not create hardware context for hevc
Oct 15, 2025 14:12:56.753 [135476236794680] DEBUG - [Req#1f30a/Transcode] Codecs: testing hevc (decoder) with hwdevice vaapi
Oct 15, 2025 14:12:56.753 [135476236794680] DEBUG - [Req#1f30a/Transcode] Codecs: hardware transcoding: testing API vaapi for device '/dev/dri/renderD128' (Intel Battlemage G21 [Intel Graphics])
Oct 15, 2025 14:12:56.753 [135476236794680] ERROR - [Req#1f30a/Transcode] [FFMPEG] - libva: /config/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/Cache/va-dri-linux-x86_64/iHD_drv_video.so init failed
Oct 15, 2025 14:12:56.753 [135476236794680] ERROR - [Req#1f30a/Transcode] [FFMPEG] - Failed to initialise VAAPI connection: 18 (invalid parameter).
Oct 15, 2025 14:12:56.753 [135476236794680] DEBUG - [Req#1f30a/Transcode] Codecs: hardware transcoding: opening hw device failed - probably not supported by this system, error: I/O error
Oct 15, 2025 14:12:56.753 [135476236794680] DEBUG - [Req#1f30a/Transcode] Could not create hardware context for hevc
Oct 15, 2025 14:12:56.753 [135476236794680] DEBUG - [Req#1f30a/Transcode] Streaming Resource: Reducing playback quality for 19047kbps stream bitrate: video resolution to 1920x1080, audio channels to 2, quality to 85
Oct 15, 2025 14:12:56.753 [135476236794680] DEBUG - [Req#1f30a/Transcode] Codecs: testing hevc (decoder) with hwdevice vaapi
Oct 15, 2025 14:12:56.753 [135476236794680] DEBUG - [Req#1f30a/Transcode] Codecs: hardware transcoding: testing API vaapi for device '/dev/dri/renderD128' (Intel Battlemage G21 [Intel Graphics])
Oct 15, 2025 14:12:56.753 [135476236794680] ERROR - [Req#1f30a/Transcode] [FFMPEG] - libva: /config/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/Cache/va-dri-linux-x86_64/iHD_drv_video.so init failed
Oct 15, 2025 14:12:56.753 [135476236794680] ERROR - [Req#1f30a/Transcode] [FFMPEG] - Failed to initialise VAAPI connection: 18 (invalid parameter).
Oct 15, 2025 14:12:56.754 [135476236794680] DEBUG - [Req#1f30a/Transcode] Codecs: hardware transcoding: opening hw device failed - probably not supported by this system, error: I/O error
Oct 15, 2025 14:12:56.754 [135476236794680] DEBUG - [Req#1f30a/Transcode] Could not create hardware context for hevc
Oct 15, 2025 14:12:56.754 [135476236794680] DEBUG - [Req#1f30a/Transcode] MDE: Selected protocol dash; container: mp4
Oct 15, 2025 14:12:56.754 [135476236794680] DEBUG - [Req#1f30a/Transcode] MDE: analyzing media item 1210
Oct 15, 2025 14:12:56.754 [135476236794680] DEBUG - [Req#1f30a/Transcode] MDE: MyFunnyHomeMadeVideo: Direct Play is disabled
Oct 15, 2025 14:12:56.754 [135476236794680] DEBUG - [Req#1f30a/Transcode] MDE: MyFunnyHomeMadeVideo: media must be transcoded in order to use the dash protocol
Oct 15, 2025 14:12:56.754 [135476236794680] DEBUG - [Req#1f30a/Transcode] MDE: MyFunnyHomeMadeVideo: no direct play video profile exists for http/mkv/hevc
Oct 15, 2025 14:12:56.754 [135476236794680] DEBUG - [Req#1f30a/Transcode] MDE: MyFunnyHomeMadeVideo: no direct play video profile exists for http/mkv/hevc/truehd
Oct 15, 2025 14:12:56.754 [135476236794680] DEBUG - [Req#1f30a/Transcode] MDE: MyFunnyHomeMadeVideo: no direct play video profile exists for http/mkv/hevc/ac3
 
To my knowledge, this is an issue with Plex not updating their transcoding to support Battlemage. There are some Plex forum posts about this and a special version for Plex that one of the devs was working on adding support too but I tried that in a docker container and it still did not work for my Arc B580. I think Jellyfin may have support for it but I am not willing to switch to Jellyfin just to get transcoding to work when I am a sole user of my Plex server. I think I saw some people got it to work in Windows. But currently Plex's transcoding is really far behind and there are some other reasons why updating it is more work to update than it otherwise would be they had said.

Does the Intel Arc Pro B50 fit in the MS-A2 though? Its a two slot card, so if you have the case of the MS-A2 removed, would you be able to measure how much of the card still sticks out of the top of the MS-A2? I have 3 nodes and would like to put B50's in them for SR-IOV but not sure if I have enough room or not within the 3D printed rackmount chassis' that I printed for them.
 
@ZombieLurker it doesn't fit, but I 3d printed a case with an hood that allows to fit that thing in. You do need to leave the PCIE Bracket off the card, else it won't fit.

But since it's all a bit hacky I decided to not share the STL's yet.

Regarding transcoding on the B50, I really can't find any information on any progress being made. I wish I could track the progress somewhere.

1762297780756.jpeg
 
did you try
Code: 
chmod -R 777 /dev/dri/*
on the pve host?
i have emby and this works with my AMD Ryzen 7 5700G with Radeon Graphics
 
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