jhs39 13 Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 I'm having a problem where I can't get my Mkv files to play on the Embry Roku app. I have to either remux the video files and change them to mp4 or watch them using PlayOn. Is there a way to get Embry to play Mkv files? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy2Play 8270 Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Please provide app version number? What happens when you try to play a mkv? Could you post a server log when you tried to play a mkv. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhs39 13 Posted April 23, 2015 Author Share Posted April 23, 2015 When I try to play an Mkv file on Embry Roku app it simply doesn't open. I'll get the retrieving bar for a second then it goes back to the screen where you hit play. Emby Roku version is 2.04. Embry computer server version is 3.0.5588.1. server 042315.rtf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhs39 13 Posted April 23, 2015 Author Share Posted April 23, 2015 Anyone else having the same problem or have any ideas? It's kind of embarassing when friends come over to watch movies and nothing they want to watch will open in Embry because it won't currently play my Mkv files. It's also a bad commercial for Embry when people see that it fails to work over and over and over. Earlier in April or in late March there was a server update that killed Mkv compatibility but multiple users had the same problem and it was fixed in an update. Now I'm not only having the same problem but I've noticed it across at least the last two server releases. AT&T Uverse swapped out my vanilla modem that I used with my own Linksys router last Saturday and replaced it with an all-in-one unit called the Arris MVG510. Since mp4 and avi files play fine and I'm only having problems with mkvs I don't think that has any bearing on the problem but I'm not a techie so I thought I should mention it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke 37045 Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 See http://emby.media/community/index.php?/topic/16251-how-to-obtain-a-log-from-the-media-browser-roku-client/ Also, make sure to provide all of the information requested here: http://emby.media/community/index.php?/topic/790-how-to-report-a-problem/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhs39 13 Posted April 23, 2015 Author Share Posted April 23, 2015 I would need to hire an I.T. person to do all that--even trying to follow all of the steps concerning sideloading Embry onto the Roku device I honestly just get confused and lost. Maybe somebody else with more technical knowledge and skill will have the same issue and be able to provide the information you need to identify the problem. All I can tell you is that Embry used to play mkv files and now it does not and 90% of my video files are mkv which means I can watch virtually nothing without remuxing the files or using PlayOn instead. MediaCentre does the exact same thing so the problem is with the server. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBers 6768 Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 Which Roku do you have? Is it connected to your network via wireless or wired? Which version of the app do you have installed? What is the BitRate setting on the app set to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhs39 13 Posted April 24, 2015 Author Share Posted April 24, 2015 I have a Roku 3 which is wired to my router. I am using version 2.04 of the Embry app. The bit rate is currently set at 30Mbps but I experimented with lowering it down to 3.2Mbps to see if I could open the problem mkv files and it didn't make any difference--they still wouldn't open but they all play perfectly in PlayOn so I don't think the issue is bad video files. I tried turning off the firewall in my modem/router unit but that didn't make any difference either. I experienced the same problem with the files in the unofficial Roku app (Media Centre) so I think the issue is with the computer server rather than the Roku app. I don't really understand why Embry is so much more touchy about what it will and won't play than PlayOn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speechles 1917 Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 (edited) ̶e̶m̶b̶r̶y̶ emby uses ffmpeg. You likely lack the codecs required for ffmpeg to demux the MKV container into playable streams. I use the same at&t/uverse with the arris/nvg510 and experience none of your issues. So that is a red herring. Edited April 24, 2015 by speechles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhs39 13 Posted April 24, 2015 Author Share Posted April 24, 2015 I thought Embry's codecs were self-contained. I can add codecs that Embry will use? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speechles 1917 Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 I thought Emby's codecs were self-contained. I can add codecs that Emby will use? First off. I corrected your quote above. There is no "R" in emby. Constantly referencing it that way is like mispronouncing your last name. After so many times, you have to correct the person directly rather than indirectly. As to your issue at hand, the codecs, get MKV to cooperate, you must first uninstall every codec you presently have installed. Go into installed programs, anything saying its codec stuff. Uninstall. Now you have three choices: 1) You can try lav-filters. This plays nice most of the time: https://code.google.com/p/lavfilters/ ...or... 2) Alot of people use shark007 codecs: http://shark007.net/ ...or... 3) Use your own codec-packs but keep in mind they may not work for every situation, specifically MKV's. Let the buyer beware. Caveat emptor. The best choice is 1, this works for almost any. Those with issues using 1, uninstall lav, and try 2. You are now a jedi master. May the force be with you, always. C'mon episode 7, get here now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhs39 13 Posted April 24, 2015 Author Share Posted April 24, 2015 Emby is a completely arbitrary name that has not been in use for very long. I'm sorry that you found my adding an 'R' into the name so irritating. I installed K-lite codec pack just before I got your message. Would you recommend that I uninstall K-lite codec pack and install lav-filters instead? I'm also confused because I previously had a version of K-lite installed on my computer and one of the Media Browser admins said Media Browser did not use any codecs from external codec packs and whether K-lite was installed or not would make no difference where Media Browser was concerned. Does manually installing codecs actually effect Emby? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speechles 1917 Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 Here's what the internet has to say about k-lite codec packs: "I'd suspect that if I put it to the test I'd find that K-Lite, for example, had done more damage (as measured by crash reports) than some notable percentage of actual outright malware.""At one point 7 of the top 10 crashes in multimedia on Windows lead squarely to problems induced by K-Lite.""...the fact remains that they (K-Lite) have been one of the most toxic projects ever released for Windows in any form." This would be the worst choice you could make. You want to uninstall k-lite codec packs as soon as you've installed them. Most come with hidden spyware/trojans/rootkits you have to purposely uncheck in the installer or they automagically install. This also causes the issue because k-lite is incomplete. I'm betting your MKV files cant be demuxed on your pc into streams. Therefore emby cannot tell how to handle them, do they direct stream? transcode? It assumes when it cannot tell that it should transcode. Not having a splitter for MKV leads to same scenario. So yes, uninstall k-lite codec packs. Read my above post. Install Lav-filters ... OR... Install shark007 Do not install both.. this will confuse your system. Play-on isn't affected because its using its own splitters/codecs contained within its source-code rather than relying on the open-source ffmpeg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBers 6768 Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 You don't need any codecs installed if you're playing your MKVs on a Roku. Ffmpeg will convert on the fly depending on the end client. I play 1080p MKVs without any issue on my Now TV (old Roku LT). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speechles 1917 Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 (edited) CBers, but before we get there. Emby has to ffprobe the file, to obtain certain values to use in reference to the rokus capabilities. If you lack an mkv splitter, lets say, and you are on windows 7, mkv will fail. This is because it lacks a splitter for the container. So in effect, you do need it for emby to recognize the file enough that the roku will play it directly. Lav-filters or shark007 are the most popular choices for a pack, that includes a proper mkv splitter. Edited April 24, 2015 by speechles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke 37045 Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 You guys are doing a great job helping him but I will just say that there is no dependency on system or installed codecs. They don't matter to ffmpeg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhs39 13 Posted April 24, 2015 Author Share Posted April 24, 2015 I never had any problems that I know of caused by K-lite but I will take your advice and uninstall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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