MKV PlaybackException

[HokiePerogi]

I have one MKV file that is causing me issues in v9. When I try to play it on my server or extenders, I get a sage.PlaybackException: ERROR (04,0x80004005): There was a problem rendering the video portion of the content for playback.

When I clear the dialog, Sage tunes to a live tv channel.

The file plays back fine on the server via VLC.

VLC reports the following Codec information for Stream 0 and 1:
Stream 0:
Type: Video
Codec: h264 - MPEG-4 AVC (part 10) (avc1)
Language: English
Resolution: 1920x1080
Frame rate: 23.976215
Decoded format: Planar 4:2:0 YUV

Stream 1:
Type: Audio
Codec: DTS Audio (dts)
Language: English
Channels: 3F2R/LFE
Sample rate: 48000 Hz
Bitrate: 1536 kb/s

I didn't see any reference in my Sage log file to the playing of this title.

How can I further debug?

I appreciate the help.

[Narflex]

Seeing a server log from when you try to play it on an extender would be the most useful thing.

[HokiePerogi]

Originally Posted by Narflex

Seeing a server log from when you try to play it on an extender would be the most useful thing.

Attached are the relevant logs lines.

Thanks for the help.

[Narflex]

My suspicion is that port 7818 is not open on your server and is blocked by a firewall. That's why the clients can't playback that file. Can you check to see if that's it?

[HokiePerogi]

Originally Posted by Narflex

My suspicion is that port 7818 is not open on your server and is blocked by a firewall. That's why the clients can't playback that file. Can you check to see if that's it?

Hmm. I explicitly configured my Windows Firewall to allow both TCP and UDP 7818 inbound.

I then tried the local client on my server (I run in service mode). I got the same result again. I've attached the client log this time.

Any other theories?

[Narflex]

OK, now it looks like it's probably something else. Does that MKV file play in VLC or other players? I know it detected it's format OK originally; but when it's trying to render it's not finding the audio or video streams at all.

[HokiePerogi]

Originally Posted by Narflex

OK, now it looks like it's probably something else. Does that MKV file play in VLC or other players? I know it detected it's format OK originally; but when it's trying to render it's not finding the audio or video streams at all.

Yes, it plays like a charm on VLC, both when played locally on the server (Windows) and over SMB to my iMac running VLC.

[stuckless]

I've seen this happen, myself, from time to time... I've never tracked it down, since it happens pretty rarely and I have very few mkv files... but, when it has happened, I've just remuxed the container from mkv to mp4 and that has fixed it for me.

ffmpeg -i LostInTranslation.mkv -vcodec copy -acodec copy LostInTranslation.mp4

When I've done it, I've just used the ffmpeg that ships with SageTV.

[HokiePerogi]

Originally Posted by stuckless

I've seen this happen, myself, from time to time... I've never tracked it down, since it happens pretty rarely and I have very few mkv files... but, when it has happened, I've just remuxed the container from mkv to mp4 and that has fixed it for me.

ffmpeg -i LostInTranslation.mkv -vcodec copy -acodec copy LostInTranslation.mp4

When I've done it, I've just used the ffmpeg that ships with SageTV.

Well, that partially worked. Thanks.

However, it only kept the first audio track in the mp4 which 7.1 DTS. I don't have a receiver on every one of my extenders so I need to either have it keep all the audio tracks in the new file, or have it use Stream 3 (ACC) when creating the mp4.

[Narflex]

If you use the '-map' flag for FFMPEG you can select the streams. More info on that here:

https://trac.ffmpeg.org/wiki/Map

[HokiePerogi]

Originally Posted by Narflex

If you use the '-map' flag for FFMPEG you can select the streams. More info on that here:

https://trac.ffmpeg.org/wiki/Map

Awesome. I was actually looking at that when you posted. I was able to get it to work and keep it in the MKV container. All I needed to do was remove the 0:5 stream (zho, ac3 audio) from the original .mkv.

Thanks for all the help.

[waynedunham]

Was this perchance something recorded off of Comcast/Xfinity? The reason I ask is that at least prior to V9 when I would get an unplayable recording I would use the SageTV built in conversion feature. Many times I would get a viewable recording but it would have the wrong audio track. Either the SAP, or many times the visually impaired track with things like "Two people sit at a desk near an open window" just under the main audio.

Now that I am using V9 I haven't run into any unviewable recordings, but have run into instances that default to the wrong audio track. Luckily I can just hit the "Audio" button on the SageTV Remote (using SageTV Hd Extenders for all viewing) and it will switch tracks. One or two hits on the Audio button will bring in the correct audio.

I guess what I'm basically saying is that Audio track issues are quite common on Comcast/Xfinity. I have looked at some of these files over the years in VLC and it usually reports some oddity in the audio tracks.

[HokiePerogi]

Originally Posted by waynedunham

Was this perchance something recorded off of Comcast/Xfinity? The reason I ask is that at least prior to V9 when I would get an unplayable recording I would use the SageTV built in conversion feature. Many times I would get a viewable recording but it would have the wrong audio track. Either the SAP, or many times the visually impaired track with things like "Two people sit at a desk near an open window" just under the main audio.

Now that I am using V9 I haven't run into any unviewable recordings, but have run into instances that default to the wrong audio track. Luckily I can just hit the "Audio" button on the SageTV Remote (using SageTV Hd Extenders for all viewing) and it will switch tracks. One of two hits on the Audio button will bring in the correct audio.

I guess what I"m basically saying is that Audio track issues are quite common on Comcast/Xfinity. I have looked at some of these files over the years in VLC and it usually reports some oddity in the audio tracks.

This was a bluray backup actually. We host a lot of au pairs in my house, as my wife works for an au pair company....any one in need of live-in childcare ? As such, I typically keep all the audio tracks and subs so that our house guests can watch movies too in their native language or at least with their native subtitles while they are staying with us.