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[stevemac]

Hi.  
Have recently started experimenting with DLNA.  Getting there but need some help

Media Server Details
-------------------
Win 7 x64
MC 17.0.155

DLNA Config
-----------
Audio - Convert unsupported formats: Encoder is Uncompressed
Video - Convert unsupported formats: MPEG-2 PAL 720
Advanced - DLNA checked, DLNA Extra checked, Log File Requests checked

File formats
-----------
Movies stored as VIDEO_TS (via AnyDVD & My Movie Collection)
TV Episodes stored as .MKV (via AnyDVD & then MakeMKV).  the conversion to MKV was done to have individual episodes & obtain metadata from TVDB.
Audio as .M4A (originally imported via iTunes).

WD TV Live Details
------------------
Firmware 1.08.17
Network is wired


All files play on the PC
Movies and music play on the WD TV Live
MKV files play without audio. The WD TV Live indicates there's no audio track (& subtitles are off)
Looking at a sample MKV on the PC, the audio path shows the source is 48kHz 32bit 2 channel from source AC3

I have tried changing the DLNA setting for conversion. (off, always etc & cannot fix the issue)  

Any ideas on how to get the MKV Audio track to work across DLNA?


thanks,

Steve

[stevemac]

Kept tinkering with this.  Have managed to get the audio track, but only by updating the DLNA profile for Video to always convert with encoder MPEG2/DVD/PAL stream with MPEG2 Audio.

Looking at the WD unit it is supposed to support Dolby which I thought was AC3.  If anyone has manged to get this to work without encoding would you please share your settings

thanks,

Steve

[stevemac]

Some further testing..

I copied one of the .mkv files to a USB key.  Inserted the key in the WD TV Live, it was recogised and the file played correctly.  Both video & audio OK.  The WD unit shows the audio track as Dolby Digital.  I don't know if MC has a problem with what it's sending to the WD, or if the WD isn't working correctly when getting the file from the MC.

Any thoughts as to next steps?

thanks,

Steve

[stevemac]

Selected the Windows Media Server on the WD TV Live device and the MKV file plays correctly (both video & audio OK.  Audio is displayed as Dolby Digital).  As a summary
- Exactly the same file on the PC (file, path)
- Same WD TV live unit, the only difference being the media server selected
- Same data network
- WD TV unit plays file correctly when Windows Media Server is selected, however there is no audio track when the MC DLNA profile is selected

Whilst I don't know if Windows is doing any encoding / transcoding I suspect I've got something incorrectly configured in MC or there's a problem with MC. 

I'll try capturing some MC logs in the next couple of days.  Any other thoughts?

Steve

[bob]

Does the mkv contain DTS as well as AC3?
If you look at the compression field in MC for the video file, what are the codecs (I assume the compression field shows the container as MKV)?

[csimon]

i've just had exactly the same problem.  MKVs created straightforwardly with MakeMKV, no audio track via DLNA from PlugPlayer to WD TV Live, but works when delivering the same file form a Synology media server and using the WD TV as a player rather than renderer.

[bob]

i've just had exactly the same problem.  MKVs created straightforwardly with MakeMKV, no audio track via DLNA from PlugPlayer to WD TV Live, but works when delivering the same file form a Synology media server and using the WD TV as a player rather than renderer.

Thanks for letting us know that you're pushing as opposed to pulling it.
How about that compression field?

[csimon]

Compression: mkvvideo (video: MPEG-2 Video, audio: AC3)

MC v. 17.0.160

DLNA settings

Video conversion: Never convert
DLNA, DLNA Extra

Playing from PlugPlayer to WDTV (i.e. using WDTV as renderer): No audio channel
Playing from WDTV (i.e. using WDTV as player): sometimes No audio channel, other times Unable to play the select file. Please see the User Manual for a list of supported file formats.

Using Synology NAS as a DLNA server:

Playing from PlugPlayer to WDTV (i.e. using WDTV as renderer): Plays OK
Playing from WDTV (i.e. using WDTV as player): Plays OK


In DLNA settings, I have audio set to always convert (Uncompressed - L16 - no header) - does this apply to the audio in a video file too?

[bob]

Compression: mkvvideo (video: MPEG-2 Video, audio: AC3)

MC v. 17.0.160

DLNA settings

Video conversion: Never convert
DLNA, DLNA Extra

Playing from PlugPlayer to WDTV (i.e. using WDTV as renderer): No audio channel
Playing from WDTV (i.e. using WDTV as player): sometimes No audio channel, other times Unable to play the select file. Please see the User Manual for a list of supported file formats.

Using Synology NAS as a DLNA server:

Playing from PlugPlayer to WDTV (i.e. using WDTV as renderer): Plays OK
Playing from WDTV (i.e. using WDTV as player): Plays OK


In DLNA settings, I have audio set to always convert (Uncompressed - L16 - no header) - does this apply to the audio in a video file too?

Thanks for the data. The audio conversion doesn't apply to the audio of video tracks.
My mkv's are not mpeg2 video so that probably explains why I can't see what you are seeing.
It's probably the DLNA flags.
It's also possible that you can get it to work by unchecking DLNA and DLNAExtra which would make the server UPnP only and then the WD would have to rely upon the mimetype and not factor in the DLNA flags.

[stevemac]

hi Bob,

Sorry about the delay

The Compression field in MC has mkv video (video: MPEG-2 Video, audio: AC3).  There is only the AC3 audio track, no DTS.

Not sure if the following is useful.  It was obtained using MediaInfo.

General
Unique ID                                : 254420030725997628217763839702864220049 (0xBF6783FBEAFAD727EAA731853BD3CF91)
Complete name                            : Y:\TV\XXXXSxxExx.mkv
Format                                   : Matroska
Format version                           : Version 2
File size                                : 1.71 GiB
Duration                                 : 47mn 11s
Overall bit rate mode                    : Variable
Overall bit rate                         : 5 197 Kbps
Encoded date                             : UTC 2012-05-21 13:01:52
Writing application                      : MakeMKV v1.7.4 win(x64-release)
Writing library                          : libmakemkv v1.7.4 (1.2.0/1.1.0) win(x64-release)

Video
ID                                       : 1
Format                                   : MPEG Video
Format version                           : Version 2
Format profile                           : Main@Main
Format settings, BVOP                    : No
Format settings, Matrix                  : Default
Codec ID                                 : V_MPEG2
Codec ID/Info                            : MPEG 1 or 2 Video
Duration                                 : 47mn 11s
Bit rate mode                            : Variable
Bit rate                                 : 4 870 Kbps
Maximum bit rate                         : 8 500 Kbps
Width                                    : 720 pixels
Height                                   : 576 pixels
Display aspect ratio                     : 16:9
Frame rate                               : 25.000 fps
Standard                                 : PAL
Color space                              : YUV
Chroma subsampling                       : 4:2:0
Bit depth                                : 8 bits
Scan type                                : Interlaced
Scan order                               : Top Field First
Compression mode                         : Lossy
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)                       : 0.470
Stream size                              : 1.60 GiB (94%)
Language                                 : English
Default                                  : No
Forced                                   : No
Color primaries                          : BT.470-2 System B, BT.470-2 System G
Transfer characteristics                 : BT.470-2 System B, BT.470-2 System G
Matrix coefficients                      : BT.470-2 System B, BT.470-2 System G

Audio
ID                                       : 2
Format                                   : AC-3
Format/Info                              : Audio Coding 3
Mode extension                           : CM (complete main)
Format settings, Endianness              : Big
Codec ID                                 : A_AC3
Duration                                 : 47mn 11s
Bit rate mode                            : Constant
Bit rate                                 : 224 Kbps
Channel(s)                               : 2 channels
Channel positions                        : Front: L R
Sampling rate                            : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth                                : 16 bits
Compression mode                         : Lossy
Stream size                              : 75.6 MiB (4%)
Title                                    : 2/0
Language                                 : English
Default                                  : Yes
Forced                                   : No

Text
ID                                       : 3
Format                                   : VobSub
Codec ID                                 : S_VOBSUB
Codec ID/Info                            : The same subtitle format used on DVDs
Language                                 : English
Default                                  : Yes
Forced                                   : No

Menu
00:00:00.000                             : en:Chapter 01
00:10:11.920                             : en:Chapter 02
00:21:01.840                             : en:Chapter 03
00:30:26.680                             : en:Chapter 04
00:46:33.080                             : en:Chapter 05

I'll turn off DLNA and DLNA extra & advise outcome.

I've been looking at other forums regarding the WD TV Live and no audio.  They reference a problem with "header removal compression" used by MKV that the WD unit cannot handle.  I'm not sure if MakeMKV uses this compression or not.  Will be doing some more testing.

Thanks,

Steve

[stevemac]

Hi Bob,

Confirming when DLNA & DLNA Extra are turned off the MKV files play correctly.  The WD TV Live unit gets the Dolby Digital audio track & subtitles work

Also checked to ensure music & movies play OK

thanks,

Steve

[bob]

Hi Bob,

Confirming when DLNA & DLNA Extra are turned off the MKV files play correctly.  The WD TV Live unit gets the Dolby Digital audio track & subtitles work

Also checked to ensure music & movies play OK

thanks,

Steve

Thanks for the feedback Steve. I assume your subtitles are embeded in the mkv?

[bob]

Found a bug in the unconverted mkv content directory. Will be fixed in a build >= 17.0.165.

[stevemac]

hi Bob,

Installed 17.0.165, enabled DLNA & DLNA Extra in the server profile, set video to never convert.  The MKV files play correctly on the WD TV Live unit.

Thanks for your help.  I'm impressed by the short timeframe between reporting the issue, identifying the fault & releasing a fix into Production.

Cheers,

Steve

[JimH]

Thanks for your help.  I'm impressed by the short timeframe between reporting the issue, identifying the fault & releasing a fix into Production.

Thank you.  Bob couldn't do it without your help.  Thanks for the report.

[frequentlistener]

 Hi everyone, I have a WD TV LIVE HD with the 1.06.43_V firmware, not playing any audio on mkv files with Dolby Digital 48 kHz audio track, not on AV out, not on optical, not on HDMI

 I only have audio on AV Out and Optical if the audio track is AAC

 Do you know if there is another firmware version that fixes this? Or any other workaround?

 Thank you

[stevemac]

I haven't used a WD TV Live for many years but think I still have one.  Will check on the weekend and report back

[stevemac]

Sorry about the delay.
Found the WD TV Live and after a lot more looking found the remote!

It is not the HD version.  It identifies as WD TV Live Streaming Media Player
Firmware version 2.02.32

Will test with AC3  / Dolby Digital and report back, but do not think my findings will mean much