Roku 3 Plays Directly an MKV File, There's Audio, No Video

[shpitz461 4]

Hi,

I have the following MKV file:

Video
ID                                       : 1
Format                                   : MPEG-4 Visual
Format profile                           : Simple@L3
Format settings, BVOP                    : 2
Format settings, QPel                    : No
Format settings, GMC                     : No warppoints
Format settings, Matrix                  : Default (H.263)
Codec ID                                 : V_MS/VFW/FOURCC / XVID
Codec ID/Hint                            : XviD
Duration                                 : 59mn 17s
Width                                    : 640 pixels
Height                                   : 352 pixels
Display aspect ratio                     : 16:9
Frame rate mode                          : Constant
Frame rate                               : 25.000 fps
Color space                              : YUV
Chroma subsampling                       : 4:2:0
Bit depth                                : 8 bits
Scan type                                : Progressive
Compression mode                         : Lossy
Writing library                          : XviD 0.0.09 (UTC 2003-03-25)
Default                                  : Yes
Forced                                   : No

Audio
ID                                       : 2
Format                                   : MPEG Audio
Format version                           : Version 1
Format profile                           : Layer 3
Mode                                     : Joint stereo
Codec ID                                 : A_MPEG/L3
Codec ID/Hint                            : MP3
Duration                                 : 59mn 17s
Bit rate mode                            : Variable
Channel(s)                               : 2 channels
Sampling rate                            : 48.0 KHz
Compression mode                         : Lossy
Default                                  : Yes
Forced                                   : No

It plays directly, there's no transcoding, and I only hear audio, there's no video. Other files play fine.

 

Any idea how to force transcoding? or what I'm doing wrong?

 

Thanks!

[Happy2Play 9780]

I would post a server log.  Since the file is H263 I would think it should be transcoding.

[shpitz461 4]

Sure, attached.

 

Also, I got Emby client v2.15 on the roku.

 

Other MKV files play fine, cause they transcode. I fail to understand why these specific files do not, i checked several and they contain an Xvid video track with mp3 audio.

server-63580444960.7z

Edited October 15, 2015 by shpitz461

[speechles 2055]

@@Luke

 

Is there any way to expose the CodecID of the video stream to the roku client? I dont see it being passed. I would've already attempted to fix this but without the server passing that you can't fix this issue.

 

For this AVI to play, it will direct stream. Copy the mpeg4 video and transcode the mp3 audio. This is usually OK, but the CodecID must be XVID or DIVX. It can't be "V_MS/VFW/FOURCC / XVID". So basically need to expose CodecID of the video stream please so that the roku client capabilities can know this and ask for a full transcode of both video and audio streams. Thanks.

Edited October 15, 2015 by speechles

[speechles 2055]

@@Luke

 

Here is our good friend @@EduardoSantos having the same issue.

http://emby.media/community/index.php?/topic/25119-playing-divx-video-streams-on-mkv-containers/?hl=v_ms&do=findComment&comment=244788

 

The divx4 is unsupported on the roku.

 

In an effort to solve this. Could it be this easy?

mpeg4Conditions.push({
        Condition: "NotEquals"
        Property: "CodecID"
        Value: "V_MS/VFW/FOURCC / DIVX"
        IsRequired: false    })

mpeg4Conditions.push({
        Condition: "NotEquals"
        Property: "CodecID"
        Value: "V_MS/VFW/FOURCC / XVID"
        IsRequired: false    })

Say this were included in the mkv section in capabilities. What is the name to use in property for "CodecID"? Could the server be made to respect this value and transcode if it isnt already? Edited October 17, 2015 by speechles

[shpitz461 4]

Speechles, is there a way to remux this and set a proper codec_id?

Edited October 17, 2015 by shpitz461

[speechles 2055]

http://yuenhoe.com/blog/2010/07/playing-v_msvfwfourcc-flv4-0x34564c46-mkv-files-on-linux/

 

Since the roku, is technically a linux device at heart causes the problem. The video codec you are using, is a microsoft proprietary variant of the mpeg4 spec. The rendering device must be windows to direct play. The roku isnt windows.

 

That codec is usually found in avi containers, finding it in mkv is uncommon today. It evolved from asf. So i would suggest if using .mkv as container using h.264 as your codec. Hopefully @@Luke notices this thread after enough mentions of his nick and gives his 2 cents worth on the subject.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

Edited October 17, 2015 by speechles

[Luke 42077]

can you supply the output of ffprobe for one of these? thanks.

[shpitz461 4]

Sure, attached.

topgear_s01e01.7z

topgear_s04e05.7z

[Luke 42077]

can you repeat using these args? substitute the {1} with the media path. thanks.

 -i {1} -threads 0 -v info -print_format json -show_streams -show_chapters -show_format 

[shpitz461 4]

I've used the following cmd:

ffprobe -i "e:\tv\Top Gear\Season 01 (2002)\Top Gear - 01x01.mkv" -threads 0 -v info -print_format json -show_streams -show_chapters -show_format > c:\temp\topgear_01_01.log

Attached is the output.

 

topgear_01_01.7z

topgear_04_01.7z

[Luke 42077]

and both of those files fail or just one?

[shpitz461 4]

I'm currently watching Season 4 of the show, and all files on the Roku from season 1-4 fail to play. They play fine on the web and on Emby Theatre, only the Roku 3 plays audio only, and the timestamp doesn't move.

[EduardoSantos 40]

I have the same problem here as mentioned on this thread.

 

I do understand this is a specific Roku scenario but to my understanding it would only occur on mkv container. If same streams would be packed onto an AVI, Emby would translate and I would get both audio and video.

 

Is the roku/divix/mkv problem related to the decision logic to translate?

[shpitz461 4]

Hi Luke, have you had a chance to look @ it?

 

Is my only option to remux all the episodes containing xvid in MKV?

[Luke 42077]

yes i've resolved these two examples for the next server release (not the quick bug fix update that's coming in a day or so).

[shpitz461 4]

Very cool!

 

Any idea which build I should expect this fix to be in? I'm currently running 3.0.5768.7 and I set updates to Beta level.

[Luke 42077]

it will be a few weeks most likely. you'll have to run dev to get it sooner but there's always a lot of experimental changes going on there, so you'll have to decide

 

http://emby.media/community/index.php?/user/2-luke/

 

if you do go dev then fyi you need to refresh the items first to get the new codec tag database field populated. it will display in the media info on the detail page.

[shpitz461 4]

I changed to Dev, and now I'm running 3.0.5780.25120.

 

Is the fix there already? or should I wait?

 

Thanks Luke!!

[Toonguy 5]

This may be related, but sometime last weekend (10/31) my player lost the ability to play any MKV that was longer than 10 minutes. It waits on the retrieval screen and eventually reboots (sometimes crashing the Roku). Running the latest Beta build on the server. MKV files play without issue on other devices (Emby Theater and Droid).

[shpitz461 4]

This issue is resolved, for the past week or so these files played fine on the Roku, thanks guys!

[Luke 42077]

Well done