How to play m2t files on HD extender

[johnnytyler]

Hi, I was reading multiple threads on how to convert m2t (blu-ray) files to mkv container and using this to play on Sage clients but from my reading there has been no luck with playing this on the HD extender. Is this true?

1. If not can people please list how they had played these files on the HD extender
2. what softeware they have used to re-encode m2t to MKV which has worked for the extender.
3. What audio they have been able to pass thru (either AC3 or DTS-HD)


thanks

[tmiranda]

False. I've had a lot of success playing H.264, VC1, and MPEG2 blu-ray rips on the HD100.

There are two HD muxing programs you may need, tsremux and tsmuxer (I may have the names wrong, there are two programs with very similar names). One will completely demux into elementary streams and the other has DTS to AC3 conversion capabilities. I always use AC3 audio because I do not have a DTS capable receiver. Here is what I do.

1. If the blu-ray has DTS audio use tsremux to remux the .m2ts to .ts with AC3 audio. If the blu-ray has AC3 audio skip this step.

2. demux the .m2ts (or .ts) into elmentary streams using tsmuxer.

3. use mkvmerge to put video and AC3 audio into .mkv container. Make sure you specify the proper frame rate for H.264 files or the audio will be out of sync.

4. move to Sage import directory and enjoy.

I'm away from my primary computer and can't confirm the names of the two HD remux programs so somebody please correct me if I am wrong.

[Slipshod]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

False. I've had a lot of success playing H.264, VC1, and MPEG2 blu-ray rips on the HD100.

Can you give me a brief sample of titles that worked?

I'm away from my primary computer and can't confirm the names of the two HD remux programs so somebody please correct me if I am wrong.

You got the names right. I've been using TSmuxer to demux R5000 files.

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by Slipshod

Can you give me a brief sample of titles that worked?

Cars, Harry Potter 5, SWAT. One is H.264, one is VC1 and one is MPEG. All from blu-ray sources.

One of the initial problems I was having was network related, I was streaming from a NAS, through a GB Switch, to a 100 MB router to the HD100. I had to put the HD100, the NAS and the Sage server all on the same GB switch to get things to work properly. I also had to replace an old 100 MB hub with a new switch.

[bialio]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

Cars, Harry Potter 5, SWAT. One is H.264, one is VC1 and one is MPEG. All from blu-ray sources.

One of the initial problems I was having was network related, I was streaming from a NAS, through a GB Switch, to a 100 MB router to the HD100. I had to put the HD100, the NAS and the Sage server all on the same GB switch to get things to work properly. I also had to replace an old 100 MB hub with a new switch.

Have you had any luck with a VC1 encode from an HD-DVD source?

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

1. If the blu-ray has DTS audio use tsremux to remux the .m2ts to .ts with AC3 audio. If the blu-ray has AC3 audio skip this step.

Just curious, are you converting DTS because you're not outputting to a DTS-capable processor?

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by stanger89

Just curious, are you converting DTS because you're not outputting to a DTS-capable processor?

Yes. I use the TV for all audio (over HDMI) and it does not support DTS. I hear the HD100 will pass through the DTS but I have nothing to test it with.

[Slipshod]

Been trying to do this with Spiderman3 and it's not working smoothly. When the video plays back it's very uneven in speed, but if I pause it and wait for it to fill the buffer (activity light stops) and play it will play smooth for longer before stuttering again. Going to have to experiment with HD and network configuration... <sigh>

I have all gigabit switches in the network and can get 37MB/sec from the server onto a client PC. Gonna have to install wireshark on the WHS and do some TCP analysis.

[bialio]

I'm playing around with my EVO -> SageFriendlyContainer effort, and I seem to be getting closer. I've got a .MKV and a .TS with identical streams in it - untouched VC1 from the EVO, and an AC3 audio track that I down converted from DD+.

The MKV plays on the HD100, but the video is BAD. Lots of heavy pixelation and lots of big green blocks. However, when I try to play it on my full client (which can play HD-DVD without breaking a sweat) - I get a Sage error ("there was a problem rendering the video").

What does Sage need in order to handle a MKV with VC1 in it?

btl.

[Motofreak75]

I already submitted a few mkv with vc1 with Ac3 and dts tracks @46.5 mbit bitrate files and I get the same issues.

The email reply back is,

"I have sent this to the developers to look into working on the extender. "


&

"Thanks, we can repro the problem. We're looking into it."

so only time will tell when they update or release any new software

[bialio]

Glad I'm not the only one.

So to clarify a previous question, what does a Sage Client need in order to play back MKV with VC1 video? I don't have anything other than Sage / NVidia Drivers / Power DVD 7 on my client, so if it needs more stuff installed to make a MKV watchable - what?

[Motofreak75]

are you using Power DVD 7 Ultra ? because Power DVD 7 (standard version & deluxe) does not supports VC1

http://www.powerdvd-ultra.com-http.com/comparison.html#

Can you play the mkv file using any other mediaplayer because if so, then you need to change "always_use_dshow_player=true" and this will force sage to use the decoders that you have install. Just make sure the merits is setup.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by bialio

Glad I'm not the only one.

So to clarify a previous question, what does a Sage Client need in order to play back MKV with VC1 video? I don't have anything other than Sage / NVidia Drivers / Power DVD 7 on my client, so if it needs more stuff installed to make a MKV watchable - what?

Have an MKV splitter installed? Will it play in WMP?

[bialio]

I do not have Haali installed on the client. So that plus making sure Cyberlink decoders have higher merit than the nvidia ones in Directshow will probably do the trick.....

[Slipshod]

Originally Posted by bialio

The MKV plays on the HD100, but the video is BAD. Lots of heavy pixelation and lots of big green blocks.

Yeah, had the same thing happen when I was trying to get some of the sequences out of the Blu-Ray HQV benchmark disk to play. It's VC-1 as well.

[tmiranda]

You've probably checked already, but make sure the extender has the latest firmware. I had all kinds of stuttering with the original firmware.

[Slipshod]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

You've probably checked already, but make sure the extender has the latest firmware. I had all kinds of stuttering with the original firmware.

Yeah, I upgraded them immediately after unboxing them. I'll double-check my network first.

[gveres]

Originally Posted by Slipshod

You got the names right. I've been using TSmuxer to demux R5000 files.

why do you use TSmuxer on your R5000 recordings? What benefit do you get from doing that?

Thanks - I just recently got an R5000 and I am having issues with some recordings where the HD100 will get out of sync when it skips commercials. If I skip back 7 seconds it gets back in sync. I also have tried converting to h.264 but the audio gets out of sync by a fraction of a second.

Thanks
Greg

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by Slipshod

Yeah, I upgraded them immediately after unboxing them. I'll double-check my network first.

When did you unbox them? I received mine in the original shipment and upgraded them at that time. That firmware caused stuttering problems. I had to update to the latest firmware (dated April I believe).

[Slipshod]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

When did you unbox them? I received mine in the original shipment and upgraded them at that time. That firmware caused stuttering problems. I had to update to the latest firmware (dated April I believe).

I was in the second shipment. The latest version in the firmware thread matches what I'm running...