Trouble Playing Certain mkv files

[Trent21]

This is when i'm trying to steam to my ps3
I use the sony playstation 3 profile it plays some mkv files but not others. I then switch it to sony playstation 3 compatible profile and the others that didn't work before work and the others that worked before don't.

also

When steaming to my WD-Live everything plays fine except avi file. what happens is it plays but the picture keeps pausing but the sound plays as per normal.

Please help...

[Paul]

MKV files are not supported by the PS3, so they'll be transcoded using either profile. The destination transcoding format is different between the two profiles, so that may be causing either transcoding issues or something else.

Can you please turn logging (see this thread: http://forum.conceiva.com/showthread...nostic-logging) and send logs of using both device profiles with files that are failing to play to support (at) conceiva (dot) com? We'll take a look to see whether there's something in the transcoding or elsewhere and work out a solution.

Do all AVI files fail on your WD TV Live or just a few? Can you please post FFmpeg information on one such file that fails (in Mezzmo right-click on the file and use the "Get FFmpeg Information" command).

[Trent21]

Hi Dennis,

Apologies for posting in two places on the forum. Using the WD-live, the video pauses while the sound still plays. While some play perfectly. I copied a couple that are failing and one that plays fine.
Hope this helps.

This file skips

fmpeg version git-N-30186-gd9d5603, Copyright (c) 2000-2011 the FFmpeg developers
built on May 25 2011 12:16:07 with gcc 4.4.2
configuration: --enable-memalign-hack --arch=x86 --target-os=mingw32 --cross-prefix=i686-mingw32- --enable-static --disable-shared --enable-zlib --disable-ffprobe --disable-ffplay --prefix=/media/windows/ffmpeg --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libx264 --enable-gpl --extra-libs='-lx264 -lpthread' --enable-runtime-cpudetect --pkg-config=pkg-config
libavutil 51. 2. 1 / 51. 2. 1
libavcodec 53. 6. 0 / 53. 6. 0
libavformat 53. 2. 0 / 53. 2. 0
libavdevice 53. 0. 0 / 53. 0. 0
libavfilter 2. 10. 0 / 2. 10. 0
libswscale 0. 14. 0 / 0. 14. 0
libpostproc 51. 2. 0 / 51. 2. 0
[mpeg4 @ 030c8b80] Invalid and inefficient vfw-avi packed B frames detected

Seems stream 0 codec frame rate differs from container frame rate: 23.98 (65535/2733) -> 23.98 (2997/125)
Input #0, avi, from 'G:\Pokemon Season 1-5\Pokemon Season 4\Pocket Monsters - 155 - Love, Totodile Style.avi':
Metadata:
encoder : VirtualDubMod 1.5.10.1 (build 2366/release)
Duration: 00:21:53.14, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 1119 kb/s
Stream #0.0: Video: mpeg4, yuv420p, 640x480 [PAR 1:1 DAR 4:3], 23.98 tbr, 23.98 tbn, 23.98 tbc
Stream #0.1: Audio: mp3, 48000 Hz, stereo, s16, 128 kb/s
At least one output file must be specified


---> DB Level Info: -99

This one skips aswell

ffmpeg version git-N-30186-gd9d5603, Copyright (c) 2000-2011 the FFmpeg developers
built on May 25 2011 12:16:07 with gcc 4.4.2
configuration: --enable-memalign-hack --arch=x86 --target-os=mingw32 --cross-prefix=i686-mingw32- --enable-static --disable-shared --enable-zlib --disable-ffprobe --disable-ffplay --prefix=/media/windows/ffmpeg --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libx264 --enable-gpl --extra-libs='-lx264 -lpthread' --enable-runtime-cpudetect --pkg-config=pkg-config
libavutil 51. 2. 1 / 51. 2. 1
libavcodec 53. 6. 0 / 53. 6. 0
libavformat 53. 2. 0 / 53. 2. 0
libavdevice 53. 0. 0 / 53. 0. 0
libavfilter 2. 10. 0 / 2. 10. 0
libswscale 0. 14. 0 / 0. 14. 0
libpostproc 51. 2. 0 / 51. 2. 0
[mpeg4 @ 014f8b80] Invalid and inefficient vfw-avi packed B frames detected

Seems stream 0 codec frame rate differs from container frame rate: 23.98 (65535/2733) -> 23.98 (2997/125)
Input #0, avi, from 'G:\Pokemon Season 1-5\Pokemon Season 1\pokemon_indigo_league_-_003_-_ash_catches_a_pokemon[861bb07b][uc-pichus].avi':
Metadata:
encoder : VirtualDubMod 1.5.10.1 (build 2366/release)
Duration: 00:23:44.71, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 1034 kb/s
Stream #0.0: Video: mpeg4, yuv420p, 640x480 [PAR 1:1 DAR 4:3], 23.98 tbr, 23.98 tbn, 23.98 tbc
Stream #0.1: Audio: mp3, 48000 Hz, stereo, s16, 128 kb/s
At least one output file must be specified


---> DB Level Info: -99



This file works

ffmpeg version git-N-30186-gd9d5603, Copyright (c) 2000-2011 the FFmpeg developers
built on May 25 2011 12:16:07 with gcc 4.4.2
configuration: --enable-memalign-hack --arch=x86 --target-os=mingw32 --cross-prefix=i686-mingw32- --enable-static --disable-shared --enable-zlib --disable-ffprobe --disable-ffplay --prefix=/media/windows/ffmpeg --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libx264 --enable-gpl --extra-libs='-lx264 -lpthread' --enable-runtime-cpudetect --pkg-config=pkg-config
libavutil 51. 2. 1 / 51. 2. 1
libavcodec 53. 6. 0 / 53. 6. 0
libavformat 53. 2. 0 / 53. 2. 0
libavdevice 53. 0. 0 / 53. 0. 0
libavfilter 2. 10. 0 / 2. 10. 0
libswscale 0. 14. 0 / 0. 14. 0
libpostproc 51. 2. 0 / 51. 2. 0
[mp3 @ 01329660] Header missing

Seems stream 0 codec frame rate differs from container frame rate: 23.98 (65535/2733) -> 23.98 (2997/125)
Input #0, avi, from 'G:\Pokemon Season 1-5\Pokemon Season 3\Pocket Monsters - 105 - Misty Meets Her Match!.avi':
Metadata:
encoder : VirtualDubMod 1.5.4.1 (build 2066/release)
Duration: 00:21:50.81, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 1117 kb/s
Stream #0.0: Video: mpeg4, yuv420p, 640x480 [PAR 1:1 DAR 4:3], 23.98 tbr, 23.98 tbn, 23.98 tbc
Stream #0.1: Audio: mp3, 48000 Hz, stereo, s16, 128 kb/s
At least one output file must be specified


---> DB Level Info: -99

[Paul]

Hi,

Thanks for the info. It looks like the only difference is the encoder's version and since we deliver these files natively to the WD TV, I'd say that the encoding could be broken in that. If you try copying that AVI that doesn't play to a USB and try to play it directly using the WD TV, does it play?

[Trent21]

Hi,

no the picture still skips while the audio is fine. how can I fix this?

[Paul]

I can only really suggest re-transcoding those files manually using some software.

To transcode them using Mezzmo you could modify the WD TV device profile to make all AVI files transcode, for example (of course that'll put a lot of pressure on your CPU). Let me know if you'd like to try that.

Another option is to get them from a different source, if you downloaded them from somewhere, possibly with another encoding.

It's just the way these files are encoded, which makes them break the decoder on the WD TV.

[Trent21]

ok,

Can we try transcoding using mezzmo? whats the minimum cpu for this? i have a core 2 duo 3.0 ghz

[Paul]

Those files should be handled by your CPU, since they're below 720p.

To do that:

1) locate WDTVLive.prf on your system (it'll be in a folder as per this thread: http://forum.conceiva.com/showthread...ofiles-located)
2) remove read-only protection from it
3) open it using Notepad
4) find this container:

        <avcontainer id="avi" name="avi" encode="0" mimetype="video/avi">
                <video>
                        <format id="mpeg4" encode="0" codec="mpeg4">
                        </format>
                </video>
                <video>
                        <format id="msmpeg4" encode="0" >
                        </format>
                </video>
                <audio>
                        <format id="mp3" encode="0" codec="mp3">
                        </format>
                </audio>
                <audio>
                        <format id="ac3" encode="0" >
                        </format>
                </audio>
        </avcontainer>

5) place comments ("<!-- and -->") around it or delete it completely
6) save the file and restart the server

This time when you go to those files (or actually any AVI files), they should all be transcoded.

Please let me know how that goes.

[Trent21]

Mate your a legend!

[Paul]

Thanks Hopefully it fixes the issue!