www.makemkv.com

Not getting much help from WD, but have had a look at the mkv info for files that playback on my WD TV LS.

The info of the last file that plays on WD TV LS from the NAS: -

General
Unique ID : 299585056902543420318972019723375263362 (0xE161FBB2DC7B84AA2289B9FEF22CBE82)
Complete name : V:\01-MKV\ESSENTIAL_KILLING_2010\ESSENTIAL_KILLING_2010.mkv
Format : Matroska
Format version : Version 2
File size : 17.8 GiB
Duration : 1h 24mn
Overall bit rate : 30.1 Mbps
Encoded date : UTC 2011-12-12 15:19:00
Writing application : MakeMKV v1.6.8 win(x64-release)
Writing library : libmakemkv v1.6.8 (0.7.7/0.8.1) win(x64-release)

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L4.1
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames
Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC
Duration : 1h 24mn
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 27.5 Mbps
Nominal bit rate : 30.0 Mbps
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate : 24.000 fps
Standard : NTSC
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.552
Stream size : 16.2 GiB (91%)
Language : English
Default : Yes
Forced : No
Color primaries : BT.709-5, BT.1361, IEC 61966-2-4, SMPTE RP177
Transfer characteristics : BT.709-5, BT.1361
Matrix coefficients : BT.709-5, BT.1361, IEC 61966-2-4 709, SMPTE RP177

Audio #1
ID : 2
Format : DTS
Format/Info : Digital Theater Systems
Codec ID : A_DTS
Duration : 1h 24mn
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 1 510 Kbps
Channel(s) : 6 channels
Channel positions : Front: L C R, Side: L R, LFE
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth : 16 bits
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 913 MiB (5%)
Title : 3/2+1
Language : English
Default : Yes
Forced : No

Audio #2
ID : 3
Format : DTS
Format/Info : Digital Theater Systems
Codec ID : A_DTS
Duration : 1h 24mn
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 512 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth : 16 bits
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 310 MiB (2%)
Title : 2/0
Language : English
Default : No
Forced : No

Text
ID : 4
Format : PGS
Codec ID : S_HDMV/PGS
Codec ID/Info : The same subtitle format used on BDs/HD-DVDs
Language : English
Default : Yes
Forced : No

Menu
00:00:00.000 : en:Chapter 00
00:06:15.041 : en:Chapter 01
00:12:10.333 : en:Chapter 02
00:17:57.958 : en:Chapter 03
00:25:08.500 : en:Chapter 04
00:32:03.666 : en:Chapter 05
00:37:44.625 : en:Chapter 06
00:43:16.833 : en:Chapter 07
00:49:23.083 : en:Chapter 08
00:55:08.791 : en:Chapter 09
01:02:32.541 : en:Chapter 10
01:15:14.541 : en:Chapter 11

The info of the first file that does not play on WD TV LS from the NAS: -

General
Unique ID : 60214354797430965788899961404845901953 (0x2D4CDCE6ECC04974ABF38ECBCE56C881)
Complete name : V:\01-MKV\SOURCE_CODE_2011\SOURCE_CODE_2011.mkv
Format : Matroska
Format version : Version 2
File size : 19.3 GiB
Duration : 1h 33mn
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 29.7 Mbps
Encoded date : UTC 2011-12-21 10:23:48
Writing application : MakeMKV v1.6.16 win(x64-release)
Writing library : libmakemkv v1.6.16 (1.2.0/1.1.0) win(x64-release)

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L4.1
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames
Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC
Duration : 1h 33mn
Bit rate mode : Variable
Maximum bit rate : 35.0 Mbps
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate : 23.976 fps
Standard : NTSC
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Language : English
Default : Yes
Forced : No
Color primaries : BT.709-5, BT.1361, IEC 61966-2-4, SMPTE RP177
Transfer characteristics : BT.709-5, BT.1361
Matrix coefficients : BT.709-5, BT.1361, IEC 61966-2-4 709, SMPTE RP177

Audio #1
ID : 2
Format : DTS
Format/Info : Digital Theater Systems
Codec ID : A_DTS
Duration : 1h 33mn
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 1 510 Kbps
Channel(s) : 6 channels
Channel positions : Front: L C R, Side: L R, LFE
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth : 16 bits
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 1 007 MiB (5%)
Title : 3/2+1
Language : English
Default : Yes
Forced : No

Audio #2
ID : 3
Format : PCM
Codec ID : A_PCM/INT/LIT
Duration : 1h 33mn
Bit rate mode : Constant
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth : 16 bits
Title : 2/0
Language : English
Default : No
Forced : No

Text
ID : 4
Format : PGS
Codec ID : S_HDMV/PGS
Codec ID/Info : The same subtitle format used on BDs/HD-DVDs
Language : English
Default : Yes
Forced : No

Menu
00:00:00.000 : en:Chapter 00
00:06:53.246 : en:Chapter 01
00:13:57.753 : en:Chapter 02
00:21:05.847 : en:Chapter 03
00:28:43.012 : en:Chapter 04
00:38:49.535 : en:Chapter 05
00:47:22.047 : en:Chapter 06
00:54:33.979 : en:Chapter 07
01:03:11.913 : en:Chapter 08
01:11:47.594 : en:Chapter 09
01:21:42.314 : en:Chapter 10
01:26:39.569 : en:Chapter 11

The info of the first file that does not play on WD TV LS from the NAS: -

Writing application : MakeMKV v1.6.16 win(x64-release)
Writing library : libmakemkv v1.6.16 (1.2.0/1.1.0) win(x64-release)

Mike is going to have to comment, but so far as I can see from the change log nothing was altered that would cause the files not to stream between 1.6.8 and 1.6.16.

Since last post I have tried: -

1. A local attached drive to WD TV LS - plays back all mkv's perfectly with added bonus of bluray title covers.
2. Using the WD TV LS to access the files on the NAS by network share rather than from the NAS as media server - all mkv's are playable, but become jittery as if the WD TV LS is not receiving info fast enough or is having trouble processing information.
3. Using the WD TV LS to stream mkvs from NAS as media server - only pre-MakeMKV v1.6.16 mkv's play, but playback perfectly without any jitters. All MakeMKV v1.6.16 onward mkv's are stated as not compatible format on WD TV LS.

It looks like the simplest solution would be to use a local drive, but defeats the main reason why I got the NAS in the first instance. Files typically transfer over my wired network at a rate of 4MB/s - 11MB/s. Does anyone have any ideas to solve the NAS streaming problem?

Except for PGS subs, MKVs work fine for me on the LIVE-S. Your problem might be related to this.

Can you test something?

Demux everything from a file made by 1.7.1, then remux all the streams into a new file with MKVmergeGUI.

Then test it.

If it's still broken, that'll rule out the new meta information that MakeMKV adds.

Thanks Chetwood and Crowfax for your posts.

Since my last post: -

1. I tried moving my NAS from my office to my lounge where my adsl router with 4 port switch is located (the NAS was originally plugged into a gigabit router and connected to the lounge router via 200Mbps homeplugs operating at approx. 150-175Mbps). The NAS is now connected directly to the router where the WD TV Live Stream was also plugged. All mkv files were now playable via network share with no problem (including subtitles, bit no bluray cover thumbnails), but previously "incompatible file format" mkv files still could not be played via the NAS as media server.

Guess this points to possible problems with the data transfer rates across the homeplugs, but would think there is adequate bandwidth at 150Mbps and the adsl router is only fast ethernet anyway where it is allowing the NAS to stream perfectly via network share.

I will need to eventually move my NAS back to my office as it is my file server. As such, I'm not sure if upgrading home plugs to 500Mbps ones or a new gigabit switch in my lounge will help.

2. Got rid of WD TV LS as its limitations were driving me barmy and probably looking at something like an acer revo r3700 for a more capable media player interface such as Plex or XBMC. You guys any experience of this mini pc's capability at playing back mkv's?

Cheers

I used to use a Revo (no idea what model number, it was one of the very first ones) for media playback. It ran OpenELEC which is a linux distribution created solely to run XBMC. I loved it, however I didn't bring it with me when I moved to the US.

It looks like the OpenELEC project is still going, and the Revo's they make now look great. I'm sure it'll be fine, XBMC is amazing.