[raymondo1]

ok i have been using this for ages now and its great.
but something in my setup has changed and now when i stream certain films i have converted with mkv2vob i just get static instead of audio
im using win 7. and my amp is connected optically and supports dts
these films definately played fine before.
any ideas? im not sure what's changed to cause this...
thanks

[Axum]

Are you still streaming using PS3MS ? It sounds like Windows 7 is trying to do something for itself when you're playing things back, if you know for definite that the same files worked before...?

I presume you've kept all your PS3 settings the same, i.e. you've followed the instructions when you click on the help link at the top of mkv2vob ?

[Uridium]

Check on PS3 (Triangle button while in video playback)volume is set to normal and audio settings are set to L+R

[PAPPACLART]

First off if using PS3media server you should not even need to convert MKV's to VOB's as PS3media server will transcode MKV's in realtime.

Also if you must use MKV2VOB, double check that you are converting DTS to AC3 as if you do not then a DTS soundtrack will not work on the PS3. You will get just a static sound.

Not sure if the above is the exact reason for you problem but worth checking.

Ryan

[Uridium]

Originally Posted by PAPPACLART

First off if using PS3media server you should not even need to convert MKV's to VOB's as PS3media server will transcode MKV's in realtime.

Also if you must use MKV2VOB, double check that you are converting DTS to AC3 as if you do not then a DTS soundtrack will not work on the PS3. You will get just a static sound.

Not sure if the above is the exact reason for you problem but worth checking.

Ryan

Sorry I disagree on both counts there

There are plenty of reasons not to transcode on the fly with PS3MS. If the backend PC isn't fast enough then MKV2VOB preconversions are still a valid option. Additionally ffwd/rwd work much more efficiently if your not transcoding.

I only transcode on the fly when i want to view an MKV with subs. the rest of the time i still pre-convert with MKV2VOB. This means i can use a low powered Media Server at the back end.

Yes Ps3MS will transcode MKV's on the fly but this option is not always the best for everyone.

Also MKV2VOB will apply the same PCM2.0 patch to DTS MKV's that PS3MS does so MKV's wirth DTs preconverted in MKV2VOB will playback DTS fine.

Click the "No sound?Static?" box at the top right corner of MKV2VOB and you will see mention of the audio settings i spoke of checking earlier.

[Axum]

Have to agree, i think you need to read the Media Guide before making incorrect statements like that.

You also need to pre-convert if you want AVCHD support.

Saying "DTS doesn't work", well, that's just plain wrong...

[PAPPACLART]

Sorry I disagree on both counts there

There are plenty of reasons not to transcode on the fly with PS3MS. If the backend PC isn't fast enough then MKV2VOB preconversions are still a valid option. Additionally ffwd/rwd work much more efficiently if your not transcoding.

I only transcode on the fly when i want to view an MKV with subs. the rest of the time i still pre-convert with MKV2VOB. This means i can use a low powered Media Server at the back end.

Yes Ps3MS will transcode MKV's on the fly but this option is not always the best for everyone.

Also MKV2VOB will apply the same PCM2.0 patch to DTS MKV's that PS3MS does so MKV's wirth DTs preconverted in MKV2VOB will playback DTS fine.

Click the "No sound?Static?" box at the top right corner of MKV2VOB and you will see mention of the audio settings i spoke of checking earlier.

Have to agree, i think you need to read the Media Guide before making incorrect statements like that.

Not really sure how I am wrong?

Our guy is using windows 7 so that would in most cases suggest that he is running a capable enough machine to transcode on the fly. Besides you can let PS3media server catch up with itself while transcoding, much like buffering on an internet video stream just pause etc. Saying that though, personally I still in some cases prefer TVersity.

As for DTS and the PS3, as far as I am aware unless watching a DVD/Blue-ray than a PS3 does not understand a ripped BR DTS soundtrack, and it needs converting/transcoding to another audio format that the PS3 understands. MKV2VOB will by default (if the 'always transcode dts' box is ticked) convert any DTS soundtrack to AC3.

Just try and watch a DTS movie without transcoding DTS via mkv2vob and what happens is you get a hissing sound.


I am not trying to misslead anyone, just speaking up from my experience.

You also need to pre-convert if you want AVCHD support.

Need and Want are 2 different things

Saying "DTS doesn't work", well, that's just plain wrong...

Can you watch a movie either MKV or VOB without the DTS soundtrack either being pre - transcoded or transcoded on the fly?

[Uridium]

Originally Posted by PAPPACLART

Not really sure how I am wrong?

Our guy is using windows 7 so that would in most cases suggest that he is running a capable enough machine to transcode on the fly. Besides you can let PS3media server catch up with itself while transcoding, much like buffering on an internet video stream just pause etc. Saying that though, personally I still in some cases prefer TVersity.

As for DTS and the PS3, as far as I am aware unless watching a DVD/Blue-ray than a PS3 does not understand a ripped BR DTS soundtrack, and it needs converting/transcoding to another audio format that the PS3 understands. MKV2VOB will by default (if the 'always transcode dts' box is ticked) convert any DTS soundtrack to AC3.

Just try and watch a DTS movie without transcoding DTS via mkv2vob and what happens is you get a hissing sound.


I am not trying to misslead anyone, just speaking up from my experience.



Need and Want are 2 different things




Can you watch a movie either MKV or VOB without the DTS soundtrack either being pre - transcoded or transcoded on the fly?

I'm running win7 on a P4 2.6Ghz. isn't fast enough to Transcode on the fly. Plenty fast enough to run Win7.

Win7 will run well on machines far lower spec than this. Atom based netbooks as just one example that are way below the spec required by PS3MS for transcoding

The OP stated that they are files he has preconverted with MKV2VOB.

Now......MKV2VOB options....

In MKV2VOB if the "Always Transcode DTS to AC3" box isn't checked MKV2VOB WILL BY DEFAULT add a PCM2.0 'Header patch' to the DTS stream to fool the PS3 into receiving the DTS stream thinking it is recieving PCM2.0. This is EXACTLY the same method that PS3MS uses to stream DTS encoded MKV's. (In fact the MKV2VOB author discovered this first, it was highlighted to the author of PS3MS and he copied the method)

The problem the OP has reported has been posted on here many many times and I'd hazzard a guess that 99.9% of the time the resolution has been to check the audio settings on the PS3 due to the MKV's having been pre-converted with MKV2VOB and contain the DTS audio 'patch'.

This is the very reason MKV2VOb has the help text below

[Axum]

But regarding the DTS sound thing, you said to make sure the DTS > AC3 checkbox is checked otherwise it won't work, which is not the case, as outlined by Uridium above, presumably you haven't taken the necessary steps to make it work, i.e. clicking the helpful link that mkv2vob gives you.

[PAPPACLART]

Hello Guys, well....

I tried what you described and it worked. I unticked the ''transcode DTS'' and allowed MKV2VOB to patch the DTS soundtrack.

Is it true that this patch/tricking method came with a recent update of MKV2VOB as in the past I would only ever get static noise and on a few occasions after trying many other ways would only ever get ambient sounds like music and sound effects as if I was only perhaps getting the rear surround channels.

Also I remember months before I ever made sure I had DTS transcoding ticked - audio worked but sometimes when checking was only ever 2 channel PCM, all the other times it was dolby digital where DTS was obviously not present in the source MKV after conversion to VOB. When on the occasion after MKV to VOB conversion, when checking the PS3 it displayed 2 channel PCM and not Doldby Digital. What I did not actually check was if the sound was coming out of all of my speakers as at the time I assumed it was not as 2 channel PCM was displayed. Anyway as the PS3 did not display DTS as being the audio source and instead said PCM 2 channel made me also think DTS was not present and did not realise it was DTS but another name in-order to trick the PS3 .

After seeing the same thing today I set my amp to direct and not not use the amps DSP and yes sound was correctly coming out of all speakers despite the PS3 showing 2 channel PCM At the moment I have all of my 5 speakers at the front, as I am still yet to buy long enough cable to place them at the rear. (Thanks RS !!!) Should I of had my rear surround speakers behind me from the start I would have realised sooner that although the PS3 said PCM 2 channel I was infact getting sound to all speakers without processing with the amps DSP's.

One thing which has confused me, the little DTS light on my amp now lights up? How come this happens is the PS3 Phat can not Bitstream?


As for the OP, I guess I incorrectly assumed that anyone with Winsows 7 would mostly have a good spec PC. At home we have 4 computers, all running on my network, one is a Sempron processor, and yes it will struggle if transocding MKV in realtime via PS3 media Server but if you pause the movie at start, go make a cup of tea and have a smoke it seems to do the trick. My own PC has a core 2 duo E6300 @ 1.86mhz which is my main media PC and does not seem to have troubles. it is 3 or so years old now so certainly not high end by todays standards.


Thanks guys and sorry for being

[Uridium]

Originally Posted by PAPPACLART

Hello Guys, well....


One thing which has confused me, the little DTS light on my amp now lights up? How come this happens is the PS3 Phat can not Bitstream?


.

All PS3's can bitstream SD DTS and DD5.1 it's the newer TrueHD and DTS-MA they can't bitstream.

Only the slim can bitstream TrueHd and DTS-MA

[PAPPACLART]

Originally Posted by Uridium

All PS3's can bitstream SD DTS and DD5.1 it's the newer TrueHD and DTS-MA they can't bitstream.

Only the slim can bitstream TrueHd and DTS-MA

ahh ok, shows how many BR's/DVD's I have spun in my PS3 otherwise I would have seen it sooner

[raymondo1]

lol i didnt expect such a long thread
i cycled thru the audio settings again and it worked (left right etc)
no idea why it had stopped and when i clicked it was set to the right option.
anyway its fiked im happy.
thanks for your help
for the record im no fan of transcoding, being a total purist :-)

[Uridium]

Originally Posted by raymondo1

for the record im no fan of transcoding, being a total purist :-)

Thing is for the most part MKV2VOB and PS3MS both do things near identically...They just take a different approach to it.

MKV2VOB giving you a remuxed/transcoded end file
PS3MS giving you a remuxed/transcoded stream only on the fly.

The method's and tools they use are pretty much the same though.

[Axum]

Originally Posted by raymondo1

for the record im no fan of transcoding, being a total purist :-)

If that's the case, why are you running anything through mkv2vob ? You shouldn't be bothering with mkv's that are already in an "altered state" in their original form...

[Uridium]

Originally Posted by Axum

If that's the case, why are you running anything through mkv2vob ? You shouldn't be bothering with mkv's that are already in an "altered state" in their original form...

[raymondo1]

Originally Posted by Uridium

i only use 720p files, afaik they are not transcoded. simply repacked.

so im better off running them thru mkv2vob rather than than direct stream with ps3ms

so my purity is retained lol

[Axum]

Oh ok, i see, you're a 720p purist then

Even then, i'm sure to end up as an mkv in the first place something has happened to them, that was my original point...e.g. 1080p mkv (average 12GB) vs 1080p AVCHD (average 25GB).

[raymondo1]

Originally Posted by Axum

Oh ok, i see, you're a 720p purist then

Even then, i'm sure to end up as an mkv in the first place something has happened to them, that was my original point...e.g. 1080p mkv (average 12GB) vs 1080p AVCHD (average 25GB).

yes of course i know that - its the best possible approach for my source material.

my 200mbps homeplugs dont stream 1080p very well and mkv2vob has to transcode 1080 anyway.

so, given my source, my approach is the purest i can manage.

ideally i would have everything in full 1080p uncompressed of course.

now my home audio system has no such compromises.

no mp3 for me.

[Axum]

Not all 1080p's need transcoding....

But i see your situation, and with that you are indeed making the best use of what's available.

[Uridium]

Originally Posted by raymondo1

now my home audio system has no such compromises.

no mp3 for me.

Lossless FLAC for me

(transcoded to Lossless PCM by PS3MS )

[raymondo1]

Originally Posted by Uridium

Lossless FLAC for me

(transcoded to Lossless PCM by PS3MS )

yes i only just realised that ps3ms will do this, i presumed it transcoded flac

sweet , i shall have to try it