Remote Placeshifter No Audio

[Ghildebr]

I am having issues playing audio on remote clients of files that I have ripped from my Blu-Ray collection. I normally rip my Blu-Ray movies as a .mkv file. Internally (on the local LAN), I can play the file and I have audio. This works from a 9.1.8 Client, a 9.1.8 Placeshifter Client, and a Mi Box running the latest Android SageTV app. If I try and play this same file remotely by either a SageTV 9.1.8 Placeshifter Client or a Mi Box running the latest Android Client I get picture but no sound. The same two remote clients have no issues playing a DVD ripped as a .mp4. It has to be something in how I am ripping the files. Not sure why they would play internally but not externally. I don't believe that its bandwidth related because I can see from the Placeshifter client that I am constantly peaking over 4000 kbps and the video is flawless. Does anyone have any ideas where I have went wrong?

[trk2]

Just a guess but probably the blu-ray mkv files are using an audio format that placeshifter can't decode (DTS-MA, TrueHD etc...). The audio format in your DVD files are probably using AC3 which placeshifter can decode. Open up the files using VLC or MPC and report back the audio codec used (tools->codec information in VLC) in the files that work and the ones that don't.

[Ghildebr]

Here are the stats for The Last Jedi that won't play remotely and Downsizing that will play. They look to be the same audio codec "mp4a". They do however look to be different in in the channels. The Last Jedi is in 5.1 surround while Downsizing is in stereo. What I don't get is that they play with no problem internally (on the local LAN) but don't play remotely. I have been ripping my collection off and on for about 2 months so that I could get the movies into Sage. I only tested internally. Now I notice that all the HD rips don't work externally. I guess I should of thought to test that.

[Ghildebr]

As a test, I re-ripped The Last Jedi with 2 channel stereo sound. In that new .mkv file I now have sound remotely. What I don't understand is why does the 5.1 surround sound play internally but not externally? The fact that it does play internally has to mean that Sage supports the Codec's in in file. There is got to be a setting I am missing somewhere. Can someone verify that ports 31099, 31110, 8108, and 7818 are the only TCP firewall ports required for Sage Placeshifter to work remotely?

[Taddeusz]

I'm running my SageTV server via Docker on unRAID. It's the latest version. I don't usually use Placeshifter but I just tested my Rogue One Blu-ray rip which has 640kb 5.1ch Dolby Digital audio and it plays fine. To me it sounds like a problem with the sagetv transcoder.

[Ghildebr]

I would be happy to provide logs if someone could tell me what they needed.

[Taddeusz]

Your sagetv_0.txt log when you're attempting to play the file would be helpful.

[Ghildebr]

Here is the log file you requested. Prior to doing the test I stopped the SageTV Service then started it, just so thing would be clean. From a remote SageTV Placeshifter 9.1.8 client I started the movie. I watched it through about half of the scrolling lines at the beginning of The Last Jedi. I had no sound throughout the test. I had to zip the file to get it below the size needed to upload. Thanks for looking.

[Taddeusz]

I just recalled that I don't believe that's going to give any useful information. I see you starting to play it and stop it. It shows the file's format but that's about it. I believe there's something in the sagetv.properties file that needs set to show the transcoder debug information. I'll see if I can track down the name of that setting.

Is there a particular reason you have it converted to 5.1ch AAC or is that just how you got it? The file I tested was Dolby Digital AC3, so it may specifically be a problem with the multi-channel AAC. You may try converting it to AC3 (448kb/s is probably enough).

[Ghildebr]

I actually ripped it from my blu-ray. If I need to modify how I rip I just need to know what I need to do. Unfortunately that will mean that I have to completely re-rip all of the blu-ray's. I would prefer to have the rip as something that will give me surround sound so when I play back locally I get the full audio. Using AnyDVD HD and CloneBD to do the ripping.

[Taddeusz]

Originally Posted by Ghildebr

I actually ripped it from my blu-ray. If I need to modify how I rip I just need to know what I need to do. Unfortunately that will mean that I have to completely re-rip all of the blu-ray's. I would prefer to have the rip as something that will give me surround sound so when I play back locally I get the full audio. Using AnyDVD HD and CloneBD to do the ripping.

I've gone the free route. I personally use MakeMKV and then HandBrake to convert the audio if necessary. All from unRAID Docker containers.

I've never used CloneBD but I assume that's what is converting the audio from the original DTS-MA or Dolby TrueHD. I assume there's a way to set the destination audio format. You should tell it to convert to 5.1 AC3/Dolby Digital audio rather than 5.1 AAC.

[Ghildebr]

I will try tonight to re-rip and see if I can do it to Dolby Digital. I am sure its there somewhere. Just need to know the procedure so that everything works correctly.

[Taddeusz]

Originally Posted by Ghildebr

I will try tonight to re-rip and see if I can do it to Dolby Digital. I am sure its there somewhere. Just need to know the procedure so that everything works correctly.

I rip all of mine to 640kb/s AC3. We have an older surround sound receiver that's hooked up via optical SPDIF. That's the maximum quality audio that will go over optical that's also compatible with the TV in our bedroom since it can't decode DTS. So all audio has to be Dolby Digital.

[Tiki]

Originally Posted by Ghildebr

As a test, I re-ripped The Last Jedi with 2 channel stereo sound. In that new .mkv file I now have sound remotely. What I don't understand is why does the 5.1 surround sound play internally but not externally? The fact that it does play internally has to mean that Sage supports the Codec's in in file. There is got to be a setting I am missing somewhere. Can someone verify that ports 31099, 31110, 8108, and 7818 are the only TCP firewall ports required for Sage Placeshifter to work remotely?

I haven’t reviewed your logs and don’t use the mini-client or Placeshifter, but the Android Mini-Client, Placeshifter, and the HDx00 extenders are all built on the same mini-client code and all use the same protocol and logic to communicate with the Sage server. I believe the default behavior for all of them is to have the Server transcode everything when communicating over the WAN (remotely across the Internet). However, when you are on the LAN (local connection), the Mini Client is supposed to tell the server what formats it can handle and the server will then only transcode if it has to.

I’m guessing the shows are being transcoded and audio changed to stereo when you connect remotely.

There have been some threads in the past year or so where people discussed changing the logic for checking the bandwidth of the WAN link and deciding whether transcoding is really needed. I don’t recall if those changes were actually made and if they had the desired effect.

[Ghildebr]

I re-ripped the blu-ray last night using 5.1 AC3/Dolby Digital audio. This morning I tested remotely and behold things are working. I thank everyone for their assistance, especially Taddeusz who pointed me to what I need to look at. This is an amazing group of end users supporting a wonderful product.
Gary

[Taddeusz]

I'm glad to be of help.

If you go to SageTV's Github page at https://github.com/google/sagetv you can submit an issue for multi-channel AAC audio not working through remote Placeshifter.

[Ghildebr]

Ticket created.