Unable play .mkv .mp4 files on bluray. How to convert to playable?

Forums › Home Theatre (incl HTPC) › Unable play .mkv .mp4 files on bluray. How to convert to playable?

ageorge

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Topic # 96863 5-Feb-2012 14:59

Hi I have a bunch of video files which are either mkv or mp4. Some play, some dont. Have read that the header should describe
H264/MPEG-4/AVC profile at Level 4.1 or below. EG 5.1 is not compliant.
Well the profile is 4.1 or below, but the header in errant files may be compressed which I understand breaks player compatibility.

Can anyone suggest preferably a Linux/Ubuntu remux method (not recode) and if so what settings are known to work?

I have tried mkvmerge with no success, but possibly wrong settings.
Thanks for any info.
Alistair.

Ragnor

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Reply # 577546 5-Feb-2012 15:05

Try Handbrake to transcode them to a format your player can play
http://handbrake.fr/details.php

ageorge

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Reply # 577549 5-Feb-2012 15:08

Ragnor: Try Handbrake to transcode them to a format your player can play
http://handbrake.fr/details.php

Yes, but some were encoded with handbrake. I really would prefer if it were possible to remux rather than recode as there are a lot of files and it would take ages to get them all recoded.
Al.

gehenna

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Reply # 577554 5-Feb-2012 15:14

Quicktime Pro 7 will let you remux easily.

semigeek

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Reply # 577566 5-Feb-2012 15:32

For future reference
http://www.makemkv.com/

Ragnor

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Reply # 577567 5-Feb-2012 15:34

ageorge:
Ragnor: Try Handbrake to transcode them to a format your player can play
http://handbrake.fr/details.php

Yes, but some were encoded with handbrake. I really would prefer if it were possible to remux rather than recode as there are a lot of files and it would take ages to get them all recoded.
Al.

Ah right didn't read that properly the first time, can you change the avc profile without re-encoding? Remuxing is usually about changing the container.

farcus

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Reply # 577582 5-Feb-2012 16:09

ageorge: Hi I have a bunch of video files which are either mkv or mp4. Some play, some dont. Have read that the header should describe
H264/MPEG-4/AVC profile at Level 4.1 or below. EG 5.1 is not compliant.
Well the profile is 4.1 or below, but the header in errant files may be compressed which I understand breaks player compatibility.

Can anyone suggest preferably a Linux/Ubuntu remux method (not recode) and if so what settings are known to work?

I have tried mkvmerge with no success, but possibly wrong settings.
Thanks for any info.
Alistair.

Avidemux may do what you want . . . although you may need to compile a version of 2.6 yourself (still in alpha) as it handles h264 much much better than the stable release 2.5

dontpanic42

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Reply # 577587 5-Feb-2012 16:29

mkvmerge has an MKV header editor. That might help somewhat.

Download mkvtoolnix and run mkvmerge GUI. File --> Header Editor

ageorge

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Reply # 577604 5-Feb-2012 17:33

dontpanic42: mkvmerge has an MKV header editor. That might help somewhat.

Download mkvtoolnix and run mkvmerge GUI. File --> Header Editor

Had done that earlier today and eventually after several unsuccessful remux's found what the problem was - the player.

Last week I had been using a Soniq player which was very good apart from a couple of small glitches and the inability to play all mkv mp4 so I returned it and got a more expensive replacement LG BD550, which was meant to be a superior player. The video hdmi out and audio are inferior to the Soniq, and it plays even less files than the Soniq, even though, unlike the Soniq (which has minimum spec claims) it makes claim to fame to playing all H264 files as long as the profile is Main @ 4.5 or less. These failing video files are within spec.
It also completely locks up with a non playable file requiring power lead removal and reinsertion.

Today I tried a Samsung bluray which I'd been repairing and after fixing, plugged it in and it plays EVERYTHING, with superior quality picture and sound to the LG. This is due to upscale conversion being better in Samsung and Soniq and the sound which is slightly muffled in the LG is possibly due to another conversion anomaly; noticeable on DVD playback.

If like me, you are going to mostly use your player for USB playback (media player function) - suggest take your USB drive with you to check the product you are buying is capable of everything thats claimed.

Philips blu ray claim to play everything - thats written on the box.

I wont trouble Mt Maunganui JBHifi with yet another product as this will be my 2nd return based on product not performing as specs. They have been spot on with previous business and their manager has been very helpful.
Kind regards,
Alistair.

dontpanic42

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Reply # 577607 5-Feb-2012 17:46

Samsung sure seem to have nailed codec playback/compatibility with pretty much all their recent product lines.

For example, I went into Noel Leeming not so long ago to test different TVs for USB video codec functionality, and the Samsung won hands down with ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING I threw at it.
In comparison, I recently bought a Panasonic DMP-BD75 Blu-ray player, and although it is very good with playing back most files I chuck at it, it does seem to struggle with things generated using mkvmerge.

This does have me thinking that mkvmerge might not be spitting out correctly standardised mkv files.

Another point, the Samsung TV (UA46D6000) which was subsequently purchased, also plays pretty much everything streamed to it via PS3 Media Server. A very impressive TV!!

1080p

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Reply # 577615 5-Feb-2012 18:32

ageorge:
dontpanic42: mkvmerge has an MKV header editor. That might help somewhat.

Download mkvtoolnix and run mkvmerge GUI. File --> Header Editor

Had done that earlier today and eventually after several unsuccessful remux's found what the problem was - the player.

Last week I had been using a Soniq player which was very good apart from a couple of small glitches and the inability to play all mkv mp4 so I returned it and got a more expensive replacement LG BD550, which was meant to be a superior player. The video hdmi out and audio are inferior to the Soniq, and it plays even less files than the Soniq, even though, unlike the Soniq (which has minimum spec claims) it makes claim to fame to playing all H264 files as long as the profile is Main @ 4.5 or less. These failing video files are within spec.
It also completely locks up with a non playable file requiring power lead removal and reinsertion.

Today I tried a Samsung bluray which I'd been repairing and after fixing, plugged it in and it plays EVERYTHING, with superior quality picture and sound to the LG. This is due to upscale conversion being better in Samsung and Soniq and the sound which is slightly muffled in the LG is possibly due to another conversion anomaly; noticeable on DVD playback.

If like me, you are going to mostly use your player for USB playback (media player function) - suggest take your USB drive with you to check the product you are buying is capable of everything thats claimed.

Philips blu ray claim to play everything - thats written on the box.

I wont trouble Mt Maunganui JBHifi with yet another product as this will be my 2nd return based on product not performing as specs. They have been spot on with previous business and their manager has been very helpful.
Kind regards,
Alistair.

I don't think the Philips products claim to play everything. Take a look at their site and it shows what formats it is capable of playing. Remember that h.264 is a standard, not a CODEC and files compressed with x264 and stored in MPEG-4 or Matroska containers will not play unless specified by the manufacturer. Any salesperson will tell you this in seconds.

Remuxing files encoded with the High@L5.1 will not change the fact that they are encoded beyond the capabilities of many players. You will need to re-encode the file to make it High@L4.1 compliant.

ageorge

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Reply # 577675 5-Feb-2012 22:08

/*I don't think the Philips products claim to play everything. Take a look at their site and it shows what formats it is capable of playing. Remember that h.264 is a standard, not a CODEC and files compressed with x264 and stored in MPEG-4 or Matroska containers will not play unless specified by the manufacturer. Any salesperson will tell you this in seconds.

Remuxing files encoded with the High@L5.1 will not change the fact that they are encoded beyond the capabilities of many players. You will need to re-encode the file to make it High@L4.1 compliant.
*/

There are methods to use remux with files that are 4.1 and below. None of these are the higher order of 5.1.
Cheers,
Al.