This guide is designed to help users optimize their media libraries using AV1 encoding while efficiently managing GPU resources between Plex and Tdarr. By following this guide, you will learn how to reduce video file sizes, freeing up significant storage space, and how to automate GPU resource allocation to ensure Plex users experience smooth playback without interference from Tdarr processes.

Upgrading to Unraid 7.0 and Installing Required Plugins
- Installing Intel GPU TOP Plugin
- Installing GPU Statistics Plugin
AV1 Tdarr Flow
Tdarr Node Killer Script
Experimental: Running the Script on Other Operating Systems

Upgrading to Unraid 7.0 and Installing Required Plugins

Before setting up the AV1 Tdarr Flow or the Tdarr Node Killer Script, ensure that you are running Unraid 7.0 and have the necessary plugins installed to monitor and manage your Intel ARC GPU.

Installing Intel GPU TOP Plugin

The first plugin to install is the Intel GPU TOP by ich777. This plugin is essential for monitoring your Intel ARC GPU’s performance.

Plugin Developer: ich777
Installation: Available through the Unraid Community Applications
GitHub Repository: Intel GPU TOP by ich777

Installing GPU Statistics Plugin

Next, install the GPU Statistics plugin by b3rs3rk. This plugin provides detailed statistics on GPU usage, helping you verify that your Intel ARC GPU is working correctly.

Plugin Developer: b3rs3rk
Installation: Available through the Unraid Community Applications

With these plugins installed, you can monitor your Intel ARC GPU during transcoding and other tasks. Below are examples of what you can expect to see when your Intel ARC GPU is in use:

AV1 Tdarr Flow

What is the AV1 Flow?

The AV1 encoding flow is a process that converts video data into the AV1 format, known for its high efficiency and excellent compression. The flow involves:

Source: Your original video file.
Input Processing: Preparing the video by adjusting resolution, color space, and more.
Encoding: The AV1 encoder compresses the video data, making the file smaller without losing too much quality.
Output: The final, compressed AV1 video file is ready for streaming or storage.

Note: This flow should work on any operating system that has an Intel ARC GPU card. You just need to ensure that the ARC GPU is exposed in your Tdarr Docker container.

Setting Up the Tdarr Node Docker Container in Unraid

To ensure your Tdarr node is properly configured in Unraid, follow these steps:

Ensure Consistency in Naming: The template name and the node name should be the same. This is important because if you use the Tdarr Node Killer Script, you want this to also be the exact same name. This makes it easier to manage and avoid conflicts.
Use the Correct Repository: For the Tdarr node, use the following repository: ghcr.io/haveagitgat/tdarr_node. While you can enable the server node within the same container, it's generally a bad idea. If the Node Killer Script stops the server, it can take a long time to reload and rescan everything. It's better to disable the internal server node and deploy a separate node.
Add the Intel ARC GPU Card to the Template: You need to add the Intel ARC GPU card to the Tdarr node Docker container template for it to use the GPU effectively.

To do this, open up the Unraid command line and navigate to /dev/dri by typing:
```
cd /dev/dri
ls
```
You should see different render devices listed. Select the correct one for your GPU and input it in the Docker container setup as shown in the picture above.

By following these steps, you’ll deploy a proper Tdarr node container, ensuring it has access to the correct GPU.

Tdarr Node Killer Script

Overview

The Tdarr Node Killer Script is designed to manage your GPU resources between Plex and Tdarr efficiently. It ensures that when Plex starts transcoding, the Tdarr node using the same GPU is automatically stopped, preventing any conflicts.

Script Behavior

Monitoring Plex: The script continuously monitors Plex for any transcoding activity. When Plex starts transcoding, the script kills the Tdarr node using the same GPU.
Five-Minute Check Cycle: After stopping the Tdarr node, the script checks every 5 seconds for 5 minutes to see if Plex has finished transcoding.
- If no transcoding is detected during this time, the Tdarr node is restarted.
- If transcoding is detected at any point, the timer resets, and the script continues monitoring.

This setup allows you to put the GPU back to work when Plex is idle, while ensuring Plex users always get priority when transcoding is required.

Step-by-Step Implementation for Unraid

Tdarr Node Running, No Plex Transcoding

Explanation: The Tdarr node is running, and Plex is not currently transcoding any videos. This means Tdarr is using the GPU resources for video processing tasks.
Script Monitoring for Plex Transcoding

Explanation: The script continuously checks if Plex is transcoding. At this point, no transcoding is detected, so Tdarr continues using the GPU.
Plex User Starts Transcoding

Explanation: A Plex user starts watching a video, causing Plex to begin transcoding. This might happen if the video is in a format like AV1, H.264, or H.265, which requires transcoding for older devices or specific user settings.
Script Detects Plex Transcoding, Stops Tdarr Node

Explanation: The script detects that Plex is transcoding and stops the Tdarr node. This action frees up the Intel ARC GPU so that Plex can use it exclusively for transcoding.
Tdarr Node Is Stopped

Explanation: Inside Tdarr, you can see that the node has been stopped by the script. This ensures that Plex has full access to the GPU for efficient transcoding.
Tdarr Node Dead

Explanation: The Tdarr node is completely stopped, ensuring that Plex has exclusive access to the GPU.

Script Behavior After Plex Transcoding Stops

The script doesn't immediately restart the Tdarr node after Plex stops transcoding. Instead, it checks every 5 seconds for 5 minutes to ensure that Plex isn't going to start transcoding again. This prevents the Tdarr node from constantly stopping and starting, which could be inefficient.

Countdown Before Restarting Tdarr Node

Explanation: The script is counting down, checking every 5 seconds to see if Plex starts transcoding again. If Plex does start, the timer resets, ensuring that the Tdarr node stays off as long as Plex needs the GPU.
Tdarr Node Restarted After 5 Minutes

Explanation: After 5 minutes with no Plex transcoding detected, the script restarts the Tdarr node. The process then continues to check if Plex starts transcoding, so the node can be stopped again if needed.
Tdarr Node Coming Back Online

Explanation: Inside Tdarr, you can see that the node is coming back online after being restarted by the script.
Tdarr Node Fully Online

Explanation: The Tdarr node is now fully operational and visible on the dashboard. The script will continue to monitor Plex and manage the node as needed.

Experimental: Running the Script on Other Operating Systems

While this script is designed to work seamlessly on Unraid, it can technically work on any operating system that supports Docker and systemd services. The steps provided below can be adapted for use on systems like Ubuntu, CentOS, or any other Linux distribution that uses systemd.

Step-by-Step Implementation for Other OSes

Save the Script: Save your Tdarr Node Killer Script as tdarr_node_killer.sh in /usr/local/bin/.
```
sudo nano /usr/local/bin/tdarr_node_killer.sh
```
Set the Proper Permissions:

Ensure that the script has the correct permissions to execute. Use the following commands:
```
sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/tdarr_node_killer.sh
sudo chown root:root /usr/local/bin/tdarr_node_killer.sh
```
Create a Service File: Create a service file for the script:
```
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/tdarr_node_killer.service
```

Add the Following Content:

[Unit]
Description=Tdarr Node Killer Script
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
ExecStart=/bin/bash /usr/local/bin/tdarr_node_killer.sh
Restart=on-failure

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Reload Systemd:
```
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
```

Start and Enable the Service:

sudo systemctl start tdarr_node_killer.service
sudo systemctl enable tdarr_node_killer.service

By following these steps, the script will run automatically on startup and ensure that it stays active in the background, managing your GPU resources efficiently.

Data Savings with AV1 Encoding

Running this setup with three ARC GPUs has shown significant data savings over two weeks. With AV1 encoding, a savings of 37TB was achieved, covering only 10-15% of the library.

Explanation: AV1 encoding can drastically reduce storage needs. For example, a 300TB library could be reduced to 75-100TB, making it an efficient solution for large media libraries.

Summary

The Tdarr Node Killer Script is designed to intelligently manage GPU resources between Plex and Tdarr. By monitoring Plex transcoding activity and controlling the Tdarr node, the script ensures that your Intel ARC GPU is used efficiently. This guide provides a visual walkthrough of the process, making it easy for beginners to understand how the script works and how to configure it for their own use.

README.md Unescape Escape

AV1 | Tdarr Setup and/or Node Killer (Optional) | Unraid Plugin - Guide

Purpose

Table of Contents