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Emby having problems with AVI files


Arkieboy72472

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Arkieboy72472

My Emby Server will not play AVI files on any device. I have played back the files on my PC to confirm they work. This does not happen to every AVI file I have, just some ones from an old TV show called COACH. The Audio is mp3, and maybe that is an issue?

 

Tell me what logs are needed, where I find them, and how to post them and I will.

 

This is the first thing I have come across that Emby will not play. I am very thankful as a "plexile" to have emby, but this one little issue is driving me crazy!

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Arkieboy72472

Here are some more files. I found 3 seasons of the show on a torrent in MKV format, so my fix for now will be to redownload everything in another format or just play it on PLEX for the time being.

ffmpeg log file arkieboy.txt

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ryandavidg

Instead of "downloading in a different format", have you considered using something like MKVToolnix to convert these files to MKV? It's just a remux not a reencode so it's quick and you aren't losing any quality. If I have problems with old AVI or MP4 files that's the first thing I do, and in most cases it fixes the problem.

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Arkieboy72472

No, I have not thought of that. I went ahead and downloaded the program while I have the other download going. What is the quick and easy way to do this (because the original files are probably VHS quality at best).

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ryandavidg

No, I have not thought of that. I went ahead and downloaded the program while I have the other download going. What is the quick and easy way to do this (because the original files are probably VHS quality at best).

 

- Start MKVToolnix

- Click on "add source file" at the bottom of the screen

- Untick any audio or sub tracks you don't need (useful if you've ripped a Bluray or DVD and ended up with audio tracks in other languages you don't need, you can also change default tracks using the drop-downs)

- Change the destination file details if required

- Click on "start multiplexing" at the bottom of the screen

 

Done. A very useful program which I use often, just note that it always outputs MKV files, whatever the input container.

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Arkieboy72472

How do I cut these video files down to size? The videos are around 200MB I think.

 

Also, I find it wierd that it isn't EVERY AVI file I have, but just some.

 

Anyhow, I will gladly upload a file IF I can figure out how.

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Arkieboy72472

Did a google search and figured it out (how to cut a video file with a free program) on my own!

 

 

"Error You aren't permitted to upload this kind of file"

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Arkieboy72472

can you provide a sample avi for testing? thanks.

 

Give me permissions, and I can cut as many samples or episodes as you like.

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Give me permissions, and I can cut as many samples or episodes as you like.

 

Hi.  Just zip it or use something like dropbox or google.

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Arkieboy72472

- Start MKVToolnix

- Click on "add source file" at the bottom of the screen

- Untick any audio or sub tracks you don't need (useful if you've ripped a Bluray or DVD and ended up with audio tracks in other languages you don't need, you can also change default tracks using the drop-downs)

- Change the destination file details if required

- Click on "start multiplexing" at the bottom of the screen

 

Done. A very useful program which I use often, just note that it always outputs MKV files, whatever the input container.

I tried that and it turned a folder's worth of files into just one file. That damn program is complicated. I need a ELI5 version of directions for converting a whole seasons worth of AVIs into a whole seasons worth of MKVs

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@@Waldonnis this is an interesting one because it occurs when trying to stream copy both the video and audio and output with hls.

 

I think the video stream needs to be transcoded but making this decision is a little tricky. What I'm leaning towards right now is not allowing h264 stream copy from an avi container when the AVC flag is NO. These kinds of blanket bans are always difficult though because inevitably someone will come out of the woodwork and complain about the transcoding.

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ryandavidg

I tried that and it turned a folder's worth of files into just one file. That damn program is complicated. I need a ELI5 version of directions for converting a whole seasons worth of AVIs into a whole seasons worth of MKVs

 

Yes, those instructions were for one file, which you could then test to see if it works on your server - as changing the container won't necessarily resolve playback issues, it's just worth trying in cases like this.

 

If you want to do lots of files, you can either:

- do them one by one using these same instructions, removing each source file entry in MKVToolnix after converting (right-click on the file in the file window and choose remove when you're done with it) then choosing the next one

 

- build them into a job queue (click on "add to job queue" instead of "start mutiplexing", then remove the file as above) then multiplex them all at once at the end

 

- A quick way to convert lots of files (in Windows) is to use a simple batch file to do them all at once using MKVMerge (which was installed as part of MKVToolnix). Simply copy the line below into notepad, then save in the directory with your avi files as CONVERTER.BAT (or anything .bat, just make sure it has the bat extension). If you did not install MKVToolnix in C:\Program Files then adjust that path first. Double click this bat file in windows explorer and it'll convert every AVI file in the directory. You can cut and paste the bat file to any other directory in future.

 

for %%a in (*.avi) do ("C:\Program Files\MKVtoolnix\mkvmerge.exe" -o "%%~na.mkv" "%%a")

 

Note that the above will place the MKV files in the same directory as the AVI source files. If you want them somewhere else then use this instead, where the D:\Movies\Converted can be replaced with whatever output directory you have set up for them.

 

for %%a in (*.avi) do ("C:\Program Files\MKVtoolnix\mkvmerge.exe" -o "D:\Movies\Converted\%%~na.mkv" "%%a")

 

 

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Arkieboy72472

What I have decided to do, and have yet to test, is to get the program Handbrake and just re-encode all of the first 3 seasons of Coach from AVI to MKV.

 

As long as I have VHS quality out of these older shows on my server, I am happy. As long as EMBY will play them, I am happy.

 

Long term, I will end up encoding everything I have that is AVI because it looks like the Roku and Emby doesn't like that format. Although this is one of the few things PLEX will do and not screw up, I am NOT going back to using that program. I have been phasing it out for a month or two and things went well until this issue showed up.

 

I found MKVmerge to damn complicated to use. The documentation is not user friendly. Handbrake is stupid simple.

 

I am willing to pay money and to go out of my way to make EMBY better because I am not going back to that other program.

 

I have a long road ahead re-encoding so much of my collection because these older, hard to find videos are usually encoded AVI and I have quite a bit. Hopefully as time goes on they will play better and without as much of an issue.

 

Thanks!

Edited by Arkieboy72472
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ryandavidg

It's your choice obviously, I'd just point out that reencoding takes a long time and you lose quality reencoding. If you are comfortable using Handbrake I'd honestly just give the method I suggested above a try which is easier than messing with encoding settings... it just produces a bat file you can paste in every folder with AVIs you need to convert - then all you do is double click the bat file to process them.

 

But I'll leave it there, hope everything works out ok.

 

If you do try the process I outlined above and have issues feel free to pm me if you need assistance.

Edited by ryandavidg
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Waldonnis

@@Waldonnis this is an interesting one because it occurs when trying to stream copy both the video and audio and output with hls.

 

I think the video stream needs to be transcoded but making this decision is a little tricky. What I'm leaning towards right now is not allowing h264 stream copy from an avi container when the AVC flag is NO. These kinds of blanket bans are always difficult though because inevitably someone will come out of the woodwork and complain about the transcoding.

 

I'll take a look at it.  I've had nothing but problems with AVI files that contain h.264 streams historically, so my initial inclination is the same as yours.

 

Ugh, this isn't helping matters:

[FRAME]
pkt_pts=N/A
pkt_pts_time=N/A
Edited by Waldonnis
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Yea I believe we used to never allow stream copy from avi but negative user feedback about transcoding forced us to adjust.

 

the frame data you mention is something we don't have though, but maybe you can spot something in the ffprobe output that could allow us to determine that a transcode is needed. t hanks.

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