Unable to playback recordings with internal player

[csadoian 34]

After the roll out of the new Android TV app with the common screen layout, I find I cannot play recent recordings made by Emby using the internal player.  When I try to play them, I get the spinning circle for a few moments, then it returns to the play menu with no error message.   If I set Emby to use an EXTERNAL player (MX Player) I can play them.  Live TV is unaffected.

 

Looking back over my recordings, it appears that anything I recorded AFTER January 19th using Emby (and transcoded on the fly to MKV files) cannot be played on my Android TV box using the internal player.  They can be played on other devices, such as my Windows 7 computer using Emby Theater, as well as the prior versions of Emby for Android TV. 

 

I believe the January 19th date is when I upgraded my Emby Server to 3.2.7.  It was upgraded at a later date (not sure the exact date) to 3.3.1, which is what I am currently running.

 

The Android box I am using is one of the Smart TV boxes made in China.  This one is running Android 7.1.2, and is called a T95ZPLUS.  It is based on the Amlogic S912 and a Mali-T820 GPU.

 

Edit:  I should also mention I do not have any problems playing the recent recordings with the internal playing using my Samsung Tablet and Emby for Android Mobile.

server-63659731004.txt

Edited April 19, 2018 by csadoian

[Luke 37120]

Hi, try disabling the recording conversion feature. It will be removed with the next release of Emby Server, and replaced with a feature to convert after the recording has completed. thanks.

[ebr 14936]

Hi.  That conversion feature is going to be replaced in the next release of the server and I think that will solve these types of problems.

 

Thanks.

[csadoian 34]

Regardless of when the recording is converted (concurrently or after the fact), the fact remains the current Android TV app can't play the resulting .mkv file, while VLC and MX player have no trouble in doing so.

 

I assume a different method of converting is going to be used in the next version of Emby server that will fix the problem.  If you use the same method with ffmpeg I don't see how it will make a difference, other than the fact I will have to wait longer to watch a program that was just recorded (I assume in the next version the recording won't be available until after the post conversion is complete, if the user has selected that option)

 

By the way, I think post conversion is the right thing to do.  It will take a big load off the server, allowing the it to record more programs concurrently without bringing the machine to it's knees.  I've had that problem in the past when attempting to record multiple programs and watch programs live at the same time.

 

Thanks.

.

[ebr 14936]

Regardless of when the recording is converted (concurrently or after the fact), the fact remains the current Android TV app can't play the resulting .mkv file, while VLC and MX player have no trouble in doing so.

 

I don't think you can make that statement yet given that you haven't tested the new conversion feature.

 

The difference you are discounting is that there is always more complete information on a completed file than there is on a live stream.  Therefore, decisions about how something is converted (made by both us and ffmpeg) can be much better.