Best quality Codec or Software to play MKV Files from Emby Classic?

[Lag1791 1]

Hardware:

HTPC – AMD A-10 7800 APU, 16GB DD3-2400 ram, AS Rock Fatality Killer MB

Server – Unraid 28 TBytes

Software:

Window 7, using window media center interface to use Netflix and Emby Classic

Currently save all my Blue-rays as ISO’s mounted and played with Total Media Theater 5 (143build).

 

               Very long time Media Browser user here. I currently decided to convert all my 300 Blue Ray ISO’s and 200 DVD files to MKV format using MakeMKV. As you can see by my server size I am less worried about space and more about ease of use. Seems harder and harder to mount and get everything to play nice together. Plus streaming is easier, ETC….. . It just makes sense to move to MKV.

 

              My issue now is Picture quality. With TMT5 and BR ISO’s I am very happy with the picture quality. Contrast is excellent and detail is nice. For MKV, I have been using a codec called CORE AVC with Haali Media Splitter so the TV shows I download (MKV format) play seamlessly in Window Media Center. The thing is the contrast and picture quality is not as good as TMT5 but I’m not as picky about TV shows I download cause allot of them are over compressed anyway. Using TMT5 for MKV works OK. It is not as seamless as using the CoreAVC codec but the picture quality is definitely better. The playback does not seem as smooth.

            

            So I decided to try another external player. VLC was my 1^st choice. I set it up as an external player in Emby Classic config. And the picture and playback was excellent IMO. I had one major issue with it. When I pressed stop on the video, the video would stop. Then I would have to get out my keyboard/mouse to close the program to go back to Emby. Where TMT5 and the CoreAVC Codec both went back automatically when I pressed stop and return (back button) on my remote.

So, my questions are, Is there any way to make VLC integrate better with Emby Classic? If not are there any better quality MKV players out there that do integrate nicely with Emby Classic? Any suggestions for setup would greatly be appreciated.

Thank you

Larry G

[JeremyFr79 228]

I would recommend sticking with WMC native player, using LAV codecs, make sure it's set to use hardware decoding, and also make sure it's set for the right color spaces for your display (this is a HUGE issue with pc based video playback) which will take care of your contrast issues etc.

[Lag1791 1]

Thank you, I will try lav filters.

[JeremyFr79 228]

like I said, the key, is getting color space correct. Luckily you have an AMD that makes things a bit easier, but if you need help I can post up screenshots from my config to give you an idea.

[Lag1791 1]

Lots of people seem to like MPC-HC with Lav filters. I think I will try this setup.

[Lag1791 1]

Screen shot would help a lot. Thank you.

[Lag1791 1]

Color space is set the same as what is listed in CCC vga driver software, color pixel format?

 

I have it set to YCBCR 4:4:4 pixel format

Edited June 2, 2015 by Lag1791

[JeremyFr79 228]

Color space is set the same as what is listed in CCC vga driver software, color pixel format?

 

I have it set to YCBCR 4:4:4 pixel format

If you're using a TV as your display this should be 4:2:2 in most cases, if it's 10 bit capable (very very very few are) then you could use 4:4:4, but this is aside from the color space settings in the codec itself.  I fought with this for months in my calibrated theater room with a projector.  While PC's are great they actually don't do Video as well as we think they do

[JeremyFr79 228]

http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=168400

 

The above link is one of many threads you'll find out there in regards to the absolute nightmare it is getting everything to render exactly right for video playback.......

[AdrianW 1058]

I'm using MPC-HC with MadVR as an external player for Emby Classic (or Emby WMC as it seems to be called now). It works great, and is relatively easy to get it to automatically switch refresh rates to match the content.

[Lag1791 1]

I'm using MPC-HC with MadVR as an external player for Emby Classic (or Emby WMC as it seems to be called now). It works great, and is relatively easy to get it to automatically switch refresh rates to match the content.

I did a lot of reading about that setup. I think I will give it a try. There is a good setup guide on avsforums. Do you use reclock too or do you get smooth playback. My TV is a 4 year old Samsung 46"LCD that supports 24fps.

 

One other thing I liked is the TMT file switch to lav audio decoder (dtsdecoderdll) to decode dts-hd. This is good for me because my old receiver has hdmi but does not decode any bitstream.

[AdrianW 1058]

Do you use reclock too or do you get smooth playback. 

 

No need to use reclock. MadVR has refresh rate changing - check the guide.

[Lag1791 1]

Wow, have to say so far so good. Really good! Couldn't sleep after my night shift so I went home and set up MPC-HC and MadVr. Took me about an hour to setup with the help of several guides and I'm getting a real nice quality picture with seamless integration with Emby Classic. Few more tweeks and setup for auto switching and then I will be a happy camper.

Edited June 2, 2015 by Lag1791

[Lag1791 1]

Now just have to convert 495 movies into mkv.