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[macdonjh]

I ripped a DVD using MakeMKV this evening.  I tried to play the files after ripping them and I received a message that  "MediaCenter has closed suddenly".  
   - I tried playing the file by hovering over the image in the Video -> Movies directory and clicking "play",
   - By clicking on the image to highlight it and clicking the "play" button at the top of the screen
   - by clicking the file in the Video -> Files directory and then clicking the "play" button at the top of the screen
all with the same result.  

I restarted my Mac Mini and tried again.  "MediaCenter has closed suddenly" again.  I tried playing a movie I ripped and then successfully played this weekend: "MediaCenter has closed suddenly".  

EDIT (4/27/16 20:16): I also deleted the files I ripped tonight and then tried to play the movie I ripped and successfully played this weekend and MC shut down again.

So now I have no access to any of the movies I've ripped.  What can I do?

[Arindelle]

just fishing here, but as you say you can't play stuff you already could before .... maybe there was an update that was incorrectly installed/partially corrupted? Happens sometimes when auto-update is on.

I'd go to the top of the board here and manually download the most current version, it might just self-correct itself. (21.0.66). Make sure you have an internet connection open when you are actually clicking on the downloaded file,  as it could also be linked to an update of video codecs too

[blgentry]

As far as I'm aware, MC for Mac doesn't do auto updates.  Maybe I'm just too fast and download new updates before MC notices?  But yes, the latest update is a good suggestion as a "just in case" measure.

I recall that the OP has been trying very hard to get multi-channel audio working via HDMI recently.  I wonder if any changes inside of MC or outside, regarding HDMI settings, might have changed MC's ability to play video?

Brian.

[macdonjh]

Yes, that's me, "surround-less in Mac-land". 

Thanks for the idea about the update.  I have not made any manual updates and I don't think my Mac auto-updates.  I know there are two updates in my "in-box" that I have been ignoring for months.  I was hoping to avoid re-installing again, but that is the first thing that came to mind.  OK, the second thing, swear words were first...

[macdonjh]

Interesting development: I tried playing music (16/44.1 redbook files) and was told by MC21 that the audio could not be played because the file was not compatible with my output encoding selection.  I was invited by MC21 to visit the DSP Studio and reconsider my digital output encoding option.  I did so: Player -> DSP Studio -> Output options and changed output encoding from Dolby Digital to none.  I had picked DD because I thought that perhaps this would allow DD files to be output to my pre/pro (but it hasn't).  I saved my change and am now listening to Vivaldi.

I also checked and I can now play movies again, too.  I find that strange because the movie I ripped a couple of days ago that lead to my discovering this issue has a DD 5.1 soundtrack.  So why did asking MC21 to output DD cause it to shut-down when asked to play a movie, or bring up an error message when asked to output redbook 16/44.1 stereo?

So now I'm back where I was this weekend: I can play music and movies in stereo, but still no surround sound.

[blgentry]

I find that strange because the movie I ripped a couple of days ago that lead to my discovering this issue has a DD 5.1 soundtrack.  So why did asking MC21 to output DD cause it to shut-down when asked to play a movie, or bring up an error message when asked to output redbook 16/44.1 stereo?

I'm not really sure.  That option is sort of unusual.  It's designed to take everything that MC processes and stick it into a Dolby Digital container, re-encoding everything on the fly.  This wouldn't be necessary just to play DD content.  MC decodes DD and sends it as PCM.  That option would have your DD5.1 soundtrack get decoded to 5.1 channel PCM, then *re-encoded* back to Dolby Digital and sent out via your sound output device.

Why does this option exist?  It's designed for sending multi-channel audio across interfaces that only support 2 channels, when you really, really want to send 5.1 channels.  Like optical digital connections for example.  Optical digital can't support PCM for 5.1 channels.  It does stereo PCM, but not 5.1 PCM.  So you tell MC to re-encode everything into a Dolby Digital stream and *then* it can be sent out over optical digital.  Of course this all requires your receiver to be able to decode the DD stream, so it can be played.

I suspect that it doesn't work for you because MC still can't "see" your receiver and it doesn't think that DD will be accepted.

Correct me if I'm wrong, you can't play 5.1 from ANY source via HDMI right? (VLC, Mac DVD player, etc)  So it's not really an MC specific problem, but rather a Mac + HDMI + AVR problem?

Good luck in any case.

Brian.

[macdonjh]

Brian,

I can play 5.1 audio with my universal player through the same pre-pro I have the Mac connected to.  The pre-pro is supposed to be able to detect what algorithm is coming to it and automatically pick between Dolby Digital, Pro-logic, etc...

I think you've answered this for me before: If I rip a DVD using MakeMKV and keep both a stereo and DD 5.1 audio soundtrack can I use MC21 to choose between the two available audio files?  Or is that a job for a different video player?

Off to visit the Apple store this weekend to see if they can help support what they build.  I'm going to take the Mac Mini with me so I can show them exactly what I've tried.

[blgentry]

I can play 5.1 audio with my universal player through the same pre-pro I have the Mac connected to.

I'm asking only about the Mac.  Do any audio/video programs on the Mac play 5.1 audio for you?  VLC is a good one to try.

I think you've answered this for me before: If I rip a DVD using MakeMKV and keep both a stereo and DD 5.1 audio soundtrack can I use MC21 to choose between the two available audio files?  Or is that a job for a different video player?

I don't remember answering, so if I'm repeating myself it's news to me! 

You can definitely select between 2 or more audio tracks in a single video file using MC.  From the windowed standard view interface just do:
Player > Display Options > Streams > (select the audio track here)

Though it's probably way more convenient to do it from full screen mode:
<right click on the screen> Streams > (select audio track here)

Brian.

[macdonjh]

Thanks, Brian, I found it.  Answers other questions for me, too, like where can I skip to different chapters on a DVD?  It there a place within MC to add titles to the DVD/ BD chapters, rather than simply having them called "Chapter 1, Chapter 2..."?

[macdonjh]

New question (a little knowledge is dangerous): I've also found the information shown in the Audio Path.  If I'm playing an audio file saved as 96kHz/24 bit that MC confirms is a 96/24 input, why is MC telling me it's being output as 48/32?  I didn't know there was 32 bit output.  Within DSP Studio, I've specified "no change" for any sample rates 96k and less. 

Actually, that's another question: I specify "no change" to sample rates, but when I open DSP Studio I sometimes find those selections have been changed back to default 48kHz.  Any reason for that?

[blgentry]

New question (a little knowledge is dangerous): I've also found the information shown in the Audio Path.  If I'm playing an audio file saved as 96kHz/24 bit that MC confirms is a 96/24 input, why is MC telling me it's being output as 48/32?  I didn't know there was 32 bit output. 

Don't be concerned about the 32 bit thing.  As far as I know, this is just the way that MC communicates with the driver.  There won't be any changes made to the audio stream.  At the most, the data will get padded from 24 bit to 32 bit with zeros.  Then the DAC will strip the zeros back off, bringing it back down to 24 bit.

Within DSP Studio, I've specified "no change" for any sample rates 96k and less.

Do you have more than one zone in MC?  Or just "player"?  If you have more than one zone, DSP Studio operates per zone.  Make sure you have clicked on the appropriate zone before checking and changing DSP Studio.

If it's outputting 48kHz, it's because DSP Studio's Output Format is configured to output 48kHz.  Double check and see how it's set.

Actually, that's another question: I specify "no change" to sample rates, but when I open DSP Studio I sometimes find those selections have been changed back to default 48kHz.  Any reason for that?

I've had this happen a number of times, but it usually seemed to correspond to when I've disconnected an audio device from my Mac and MC was started without seeing that audio device.  Then, MC reverted to some set of defaults in DSP Studio and I had to change it back.  I'm unsure about the exact mechanisms, but I've seen this happen... but only a few times.

Brian.