MKVs play audio only

[btracy]

@fiteclub - I didn't realize you got a working file originally (my muxing failed error doesn't create anything). Sorry about the wild goose-chase.

@nitrobass24 - I agree it is somewhat ludicrous. I have never tried with the Echo to make .mkv files play properly but I used to have them 'working' on my xbox 360. The problem then (and I assume remains now but I don't know) is the extender would play the file just fine but I can't stop in the middle and resume play later and fast forward/reverse never worked. These of course work just fine on the HTPC itself and only are an issue on the Extender. In the end, the inability to stop/start/fast forward/rewind drove me nuts (I use it a lot) so I have an automatic job that converts any TV show .mkv I get with SABnzbd to .wtv format and injects all the metadata of the show into the file. This makes them work exactly as any .wtv file would. Once I made this step, I gave up on .mkv as a whole (for anything I want to watch on the extender anyway which does include a number of movies) as I really like having ALL of the extender features work properly. Again though, maybe there is an update or solution these days that didn't exist in the past for the old stop/start/ff/rewind issues on extenders with .mkv files that would make me rethink this decision but I have everything basically automated now so it takes no effort on my part.

[foxwood]

I have an automatic job that converts any TV show .mkv I get with SABnzbd to .wtv format and injects all the metadata of the show into the file.

As a matter of interest, what are you using to create the WTV files?

[btracy]

I have an automatic job that converts any TV show .mkv I get with SABnzbd to .wtv format and injects all the metadata of the show into the file.

As a matter of interest, what are you using to create the WTV files?

I use DVRMSToolbox. There is a built in profile called "Convert MKV TV Show to WTV" that will do exactly what it says. It expects the show to be in the format of <Show Name>.SxxExx.mkv so a SAB tv sort string setting of %sn.S%0sE%0e.%ext will automatically save files downloaded with the tv profile this way.

The base job if I remember just does the conversion (it does a lookup for the show against http://www.thetvdb.com for the metadata) and then you have your converted .wtv file. I modified the job so that it will do the conversion and then delete the .mkv file. Originally I had SAB drop all my .mkv files directly into the Recorded TV folder. The DVRMSToolbox File Watcher service/process already watches this folder for the commercial scanning/skipping that I do, so I added a condition editor that would trigger the conversion process every time a .mkv file was written to the Recorded TV folder. It worked great but the wife nixed that when the kids found Sparticus in the Recorded TV folder. Now I just write the .mkv files to a third folder and have File Watcher process that folder as well to do the conversion and then move kid safe items on my own.

If you end up testing it out and need help with something let me know. The current downloadable version has an issue with the thetvdb plug-in where it erroneously fails every so often when looking up the episode in the database. There is a fix for that with a new version of the Durrant.Plugins.TvDBMetaData plugin (get just the 1.1.0.0 version) from here: http://www.antepedia.com/detail/p/272801997.html

[foxwood]

Thanks - but I don't download enough content to warrant automating automating it - just the occassional missed episode.

I've never been comfortable with the kitchen sink approach of DVRMSToolbox - I'd prefer to do one thing at a time, and use standard methods for scheduling, especially on my HTPC. It's the same with commercial skipping - I want to do it manually on some shows, not automatically, especially at a 90% success rate, and especially on a Tuesday night at 10 PM when 4 shows are recording at the same time, and I don't want DVRMS toolbox to start hammering the box at the same time - I'm not going to be watching those shows tonight anyway, so just wait until 2AM before starting your analysis!

(Sorry, rant over!)

[Deuce911]

So is Ceton even working on this issue? I was in the BETA and this issue was brought up a while ago and still no fix. I know the firmware has come a long way but this needs to be addressed.

I have an InfiniTV PCIe, InfiniTV USB, 2 Echosand 3 Xbox360's and can't even watch most of my Library on the Echos. I can wait if the issue is being worked on but really no word on if it is even a priority.

I have tried all of the remuxing that people have suggested and got the files to work but they were so choppy they were ususable, I don't understand that if they play fine on the XBox360 why can't Ceton get the echo to play the file.

Can we get an update please?

[btracy]

Thanks - but I don't download enough content to warrant automating automating it - just the occassional missed episode.

I've never been comfortable with the kitchen sink approach of DVRMSToolbox - I'd prefer to do one thing at a time, and use standard methods for scheduling, especially on my HTPC. It's the same with commercial skipping - I want to do it manually on some shows, not automatically, especially at a 90% success rate, and especially on a Tuesday night at 10 PM when 4 shows are recording at the same time, and I don't want DVRMS toolbox to start hammering the box at the same time - I'm not going to be watching those shows tonight anyway, so just wait until 2AM before starting your analysis!

(Sorry, rant over!)

Yeah DVRMS isn't for everyone. It actually has very fine control and it is easy to delay processing til late at night or just to have one thread at a time running but the interface isn't that intuitive so it can seem more difficult than it really is. I don't delay mine however as I can be doing live scanning while recording 4 shows with no issues on the box. I don't know if you were usince ShowAnalyzer or Comskip at a 90% success rate (assuming that means how well it finds commercials) but the current version of comskip is way, way above that for accuracy.

For whatever reason, I don't have issues with my remuxed files but I would prefer to never have to convert them if at all possible (but ff/rw/stop/resume would have to work for me as well).

[Bill]

On my setup, i can watch all my mkvs flawlessly. The only thing that doesn't work is FF/RW, but the skip works great. I'm using shark007 codec pack (with 64bit addon) using his recommended settings. Almost all my files are 720p MKV files. I'm currently watching a 1.1GB 720p MKV episode right now, no stuttering or lag and fast startup.

[richard1980]

I've lost count of how many times it has been stated that MKV is not a codec, thus no codecs or codec packs are necessary to open MKV files. MKV is just a container. The only thing you need to open an MKV file is a splitter (such as Haali Media Splitter). Shark's codec pack includes an MKV splitter, but the rest of the codec pack is not needed unless the system does not already have the necessary codecs to decode the underlying audio and video streams contained within the MKV file. In most cases, you'll find that your system already includes the codecs necessary to play the underlying audio and video streams. The only thing missing is the splitter.

[lazyelm]

I am having an interesting issue. I can get the MKV files to play on the ceton but the issue i have is that it will play 5-10 frames with audio and video, then freeze for a few seconds, then play another 10 or so very fast. This just happens over and over.

[fiteclub]

I've lost count of how many times it has been stated that MKV is not a codec, thus no codecs or codec packs are necessary to open MKV files. MKV is just a container. The only thing you need to open an MKV file is a splitter (such as Haali Media Splitter). Shark's codec pack includes an MKV splitter, but the rest of the codec pack is not needed unless the system does not already have the necessary codecs to decode the underlying audio and video streams contained within the MKV file. In most cases, you'll find that your system already includes the codecs necessary to play the underlying audio and video streams. The only thing missing is the splitter.

Understood; however, please explain why MKVs plays perfectly fine on my HTPC in WMC (so I obviously have the splitter) but do not play correctly on the Echo? I typically get audio but only a black screen for video. BTW, these are not HBR files.

[Dkeyguy1]

One thing I don't see mentioned here, is when you're using the Shark007 packs, to go to the MKV tab and under Playback, select use Gabest's splitter.
If running 64 bit Windows you must do this on x64 Shark package for Media Center playback. Prior to doing this most MKVs played fine in Media Center,
now all play there and all work on echo. Please note that I'm running NO OTHER than Shark007 and no registry hacks have been made for this issue.

[richard1980]

I've lost count of how many times it has been stated that MKV is not a codec, thus no codecs or codec packs are necessary to open MKV files. MKV is just a container. The only thing you need to open an MKV file is a splitter (such as Haali Media Splitter). Shark's codec pack includes an MKV splitter, but the rest of the codec pack is not needed unless the system does not already have the necessary codecs to decode the underlying audio and video streams contained within the MKV file. In most cases, you'll find that your system already includes the codecs necessary to play the underlying audio and video streams. The only thing missing is the splitter.

Understood; however, please explain why MKVs plays perfectly fine on my HTPC in WMC (so I obviously have the splitter) but do not play correctly on the Echo? I typically get audio but only a black screen for video. BTW, these are not HBR files.

I must have missed this. I don't have an Echo, so I don't know for sure what is causing your issue, but my guess is the underlying audio codec is supported on the Echo, but not the underlying video codec. Try opening the file with something like MediaInfo and observe the underlying codecs, then compare against the Echo specifications.

From http://cetoncorp.com/product-support/echo-faq/:

If your Windows Media Center PC has been configured to handle the MKV container, and the codecs within the container are also supported by the Echo, it should be possible to play that content back on the Echo.

[fiteclub]

I've lost count of how many times it has been stated that MKV is not a codec, thus no codecs or codec packs are necessary to open MKV files. MKV is just a container. The only thing you need to open an MKV file is a splitter (such as Haali Media Splitter). Shark's codec pack includes an MKV splitter, but the rest of the codec pack is not needed unless the system does not already have the necessary codecs to decode the underlying audio and video streams contained within the MKV file. In most cases, you'll find that your system already includes the codecs necessary to play the underlying audio and video streams. The only thing missing is the splitter.

Understood; however, please explain why MKVs plays perfectly fine on my HTPC in WMC (so I obviously have the splitter) but do not play correctly on the Echo? I typically get audio but only a black screen for video. BTW, these are not HBR files.

I must have missed this. I don't have an Echo, so I don't know for sure what is causing your issue, but my guess is the underlying audio codec is supported on the Echo, but not the underlying video codec. Try opening the file with something like MediaInfo and observe the underlying codecs, then compare against the Echo specifications.

From http://cetoncorp.com/product-support/echo-faq/:

If your Windows Media Center PC has been configured to handle the MKV container, and the codecs within the container are also supported by the Echo, it should be possible to play that content back on the Echo.

Well, if you look at post #16 in this thread, you will see the Mediainfo output for an MKV file that only plays audio on the Echo. As far as I can tell it meets the criteria of being compatible with Echo supported codecs; i.e. H.264. So something else is going on.

[fiteclub]

@innesst

Do you have the file data before and after the mux? I am curious to see exactly what the differences are in the file. Additionally the .m2ts container is handled native by Windows and Media Foundation, once a splitter is involved in the process other things could actually be happening behind the scenes even if we do support everything. Extenders aren't passed the information the same way that they are played back on your PC. I can't go into the process as to what is actually happen but trust me a lot goes on.

Then you (Ceton) need to change your FAQ about MKV support. It really seems to suggest that if the audio and video codecs of the file within the mkv container are supported by the Echo then it will play. (as long as there is a splitter for MKV on the HTPC). Here you seem to suggest that this is not always the case.

[richard1980]

Well, if you look at post #16 in this thread, you will see the Mediainfo output for an MKV file that only plays audio on the Echo. As far as I can tell it meets the criteria of being compatible with Echo supported codecs; i.e. H.264. So something else is going on.

I didn't see that...it's been a while since I read anything in the thread. You are correct that the codec you are trying to use is supported by the Echo, so obviously I was partially wrong. I say partially because I think the logic behind my guess is correct. You get a black screen because the Echo's decoder is not able to decode the video. I don't know why...maybe it has something to do with the data that hmmurdock posted, maybe it's something else. Either way, it's very clear that something is causing the Echo to not decode the video, so clearly Ceton's claimed support is not 100% accurate.

[Skyflier]

I was getting only audio when playing mkv's on my Ceton. The Shark007 Codec pack resolved the issue.
I installed both the 32 bit codec pack, then the 64 bit pack.
Everything should be left to default, except:

Within the 64 Bit Application Settings Program, under MKV, Shark007 has added Ceton Echo Support.
Select the Ceton Echo Extender support (rather than the "Support Common Extenders").
Restart your Echo.
Enjoy playing all of your MKV's!

It worked great for me.
I'm donating to Shark007 for a job well done.
Hope you do too!