Changing mkv track header info result - unplayable

[electronicsguy]

Hello,
I am a new user to the forum though I've been using makemkv for some time now and must congratulate you on the excellent software!

I have a question. Its not directly related to makemkv but I figured some people here may be familiar with the issue.

I am able to create mkv from DVD and BD, no problems there. (windows 7 64-bit). I use either VLC or powerdvd for playback. Both the software playback correctly, though I feel the colors from powerdvd are better.

Now my question: makemkv names its audio tracks as "3/2+1" or "2/0". I wanted to rename them with more information like "main" or "commentary" or "narration". So I used mkvtoolnix and the mkvmerge GUI too and opened up the headers in that.

I can change the track names and save them correctly. Now vlc correctly shows the track names as per my renaming and also plays the mkv files correctly, just as before.

However, the problem is with powerdvd playback. Any mkv movie that played perfectly with powerdvd before is un-playable after modifying audio track names using mkvtoolnix tools.

Specifically I am using powerdvd v9 and v13. PDVD V9 simply crashes. PDVD V13 starts up, but says "playback of this media type is not supported" blah blah..

note: both the versions playback the unmodified raw-mkv perfectly, both with and without hardware acceleration and on my laptop screen or on TV using HDMI.

the problem seems to be directly related to the renamed audio tracks, but I cannot figure out how. Has anybody seen this before?

I renamed the tracks with and without spaces, like "main 3/2+1" or "main_3/2+1" or "commentary_2/0". But both result in the mkv being unplayable in PDVD.

note: the mkv still plays correctly in VLC.

[Chetwood]

PowerDVD sucks and always has. You don't need to rename using MKVToolnix's header editor. Just enable expert mode in MakeMKV and you can change the name of any track manually with the properties dropdown menu.

[electronicsguy]

Sure, that is a workaround, though not user friendly. makemkv does not show a preview of the disc video before we rip, so there's no way of knowing what the audio track represents. Atleast, I don't know of any way to know this pre-rip.

I know PDVD does suck on many fronts, but I still feel the picture rendering in PDVD is much better than VLC.

PowerDVD sucks and always has. You don't need to rename using MKVToolnix's header editor. Just enable expert mode in MakeMKV and you can change the name of any track manually with the properties dropdown menu.

[Wasabi]

Instead of using the header editor, try remuxing the entire file with the new names entered under "General track options".

[Chetwood]

Remuxing the whole file is more userfriendly than simply changing the name via header editor? On what planet?

[electronicsguy]

Hi,
sorry maybe you misunderstood what I said. I am not remuxing. I simply want to change the header and have it play correctly. Isn't that easiest?

What I was trying to say is - changing header within mkvmerge gui tools (which does not involve re-muxing) is practical since we already have the mkv file and know what each track is (atleast in VLC). but how do we name something within makemkv itself without knowing what the track is?

Remuxing the whole file is more userfriendly than simply changing the name via header editor? On what planet?

[Chetwood]

You don't which is why you open MakeMKV and any player software together and cycle through the streams in the player to identify and name accordingly in MakeMKV.

[electronicsguy]

Well that is a cumbersome workaround. I don't necessarily rip all the audio tracks that are there in the original disc, mostly english ones. Now there may be many other language tracks, plus commentary, narration, etc. Comparing every track before rip to the player version, (assuming the order remains intact) is not a user friendly option.

the easier option IMHO is what I mentioned - you rip what you need and then simply change header info in a tool. My only question to others who may have done this is - why is mkvmerge gui header tool (no remuxing involved) corrupting the headers?

You don't which is why you open MakeMKV and any player software together and cycle through the streams in the player to identify and name accordingly in MakeMKV.

[Smithcraft]

That really sounds like a question for the Matroska people and not the MakeMKV people.

I've never had any issue like this though.

SC

[electronicsguy]

Have you modifed track names post-rip and played back the video in a non-VLC player? if so, which one? and what s/w did you use to rename tracks?

That really sounds like a question for the Matroska people and not the MakeMKV people.

I've never had any issue like this though.

SC

[Chetwood]

the easier option IMHO is what I mentioned - you rip what you need and then simply change header info in a tool.

Right, and how do you know what you need if you don't know that one of the English tracks is in fact a narration track?

why is mkvmerge gui header tool (no remuxing involved) corrupting the headers?

Who says it is? I've changed headers with it and the files play just fine in VLC and on my WDTV.

[electronicsguy]

the easier option IMHO is what I mentioned - you rip what you need and then simply change header info in a tool.

Right, and how do you know what you need if you don't know that one of the English tracks is in fact a narration track?

Well I rip out all english tracks, none of the other language ones and then watch those in VLC and figure out what they are.

why is mkvmerge gui header tool (no remuxing involved) corrupting the headers?

Who says it is? I've changed headers with it and the files play just fine in VLC and on my WDTV.

if you bothered to read my original post, I mentioned that there is no problem playing them in VLC. its PDVD which gives a problem.

[Smithcraft]

A - Plex
B - mkvtoolnix

Have you modifed track names post-rip and played back the video in a non-VLC player? if so, which one? and what s/w did you use to rename tracks?

That really sounds like a question for the Matroska people and not the MakeMKV people.

I've never had any issue like this though.

SC

[Chetwood]

if you bothered to read my original post, I mentioned that there is no problem playing them in VLC. its PDVD which gives a problem.

If you bothered to read my original reply, I mentioned that PowerDVD sucks and alwas has. So, no, I doubt the mkvmerge gui header tool is corrupting headers.

[electronicsguy]

@Smithcraft.. thanks. I'll check plex out.

@Chetwood... thats your opinion and I respect it. However, if you had read my reply, I prefer PDVD's color output compared to VLC. anyways, I was only interested in hearing from people who may have used a non-VLC player. Yes VLC does sometimes play corrupted files, even though other players may not. I've seen that with corrupted .dat and .avi files.

thanks.

if you bothered to read my original post, I mentioned that there is no problem playing them in VLC. its PDVD which gives a problem.

If you bothered to read my original reply, I mentioned that PowerDVD sucks and alwas has. So, no, I doubt the mkvmerge gui header tool is corrupting headers.