Need help getting x264/mkv and XVid/avi to play in Vista Media Center

Spacy9

Spacy9

Scotch is my Lord and Savior
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I built my HTPC yesterday and I'm using Handbrake to encode my DVDs (Using AnyDVD and DVDShrink to rip them to start with).

I've installed all of the codecs I thought I needed to play back x264 in mkv format and XVid in avi format, both with AC3. And to confirm this both sets of videos play in Media Player Classic with surround and picture.

However, when I go to play them in Vista Media Center, some play with sound and picture and others play with sound but no picture. They were encoded the exact same way in Handbrake... I'm confused and it's driving me nuts.

Any ideas how to get them to play with video in Vista Media Center?
 
You have ffdshow and Haali installed? These are the only codecs you need. Look at the ffdshow audio settings for AC3 and DTS.

To get the MKV's to show in MCE you might have to add this reg key:

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.mkv]
"PerceivedType"="video"
"Content Type"="video/mkv"
 
danman said:
You have ffdshow and Haali installed? These are the only codecs you need. Look at the ffdshow audio settings for AC3 and DTS.

To get the MKV's to show in MCE you might have to add this reg key:

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.mkv]
"PerceivedType"="video"
"Content Type"="video/mkv"
Click to expand...

I've got ffdshow and Haali installed along with AC3filter for the AC3 and DTS. I'll give the reg entry a shot right now.
 
AC3filter probably isn't needed and is what is messing up your audio. Uninstall it and give it a shot.
 
just install these three things

for DD and DTS sound: AC3 Filter
for MCE and WMP association: Combined Community Codec
fot video: CoreAVC H.264 Video
 
I checked the registry and the entries were there already... Still no video. Audio sounds great though...

I'll try the next couple of suggestions.
 
mjz_5 said:
just install these three things

for DD and DTS sound: AC3 Filter
for MCE and WMP association: Combined Community Codec
fot video: CoreAVC H.264 Video
Click to expand...

Installing codec packs is how you mess up your PC. ffdshow takes care of the sound and H.264. Haali is used as the splitter for the MKV's.
 
danman said:
Installing codec packs is how you mess up your PC. ffdshow takes care of the sound and H.264. Haali is used as the splitter for the MKV's.
Click to expand...


Well I uninstalled ffdshow, haali, and ac3filter. I reinstalled ffdshow and haali only.

The really weird part is that Michael Clayton and Alient Vs. Hunter both work with AC3/x264/mkv but American Gangster, The Mexican, and Return of the Jedi don't. I've got several different versions of them with different kbps rates 1500,1750,and 2000 and they either all work or don't work for a movie.

Driving me nuts...:confused:
 
I just don't get this. I totally reinstalled Vista and the only codecs I've installed are Haali Splitter and FFDShow. And I still get the same thing. I've decided to reencode them on the Vista machine and see if that makes a difference...

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
 
Is it the x64 version of Vista MCE your using?
Do the files play correctly in Windows Media Player?


If it is the 64bit version, then remember that you need the 64bit directshow filters (codecs).

If the files play in WMP then they should in Vista MCE, however if you have 64bit version installed, then wmp normally defaults to the 32 bit version, MCE doesnt.
 
It the 32bit version of Vista.

They do play in Media Player Classic with no issues, just not in Vista Media Center.

The ones I encoded on the HTPC last night (Return of the Jedi and American Gangster) still don't play in Vista Media Center...
 
I haven't tried that yet. I will try during lunch.

Any suggestions if it doesn't work?

Is going to MCE2005 worth thinking about?
 
I have NEVER had any issues when using the KLite codec packs; whether 32 or x64.
 
danman said:
Installing codec packs is how you mess up your PC. ffdshow takes care of the sound and H.264. Haali is used as the splitter for the MKV's.
Click to expand...

yes the community packs do tend to over do it for me all i have is

ffdshow
xvid 1.3
ac3 and everythign i play works, but haven tried in media center or via my 360
 
Toytown said:
Do they play in windows media player though?
Click to expand...

Well, the x264 / mkv files don't even show up in Windows Media Player and the XVid / AVIs that do show up have no picture.... :confused:
 
Sooo.... They dont play period. Does VLC play them? Maybe you encoded them wrong. Are you sure you encoded the audio w/ the video?
 
danman said:
Sooo.... They dont play period. Does VLC play them? Maybe you encoded them wrong. Are you sure you encoded the audio w/ the video?
Click to expand...

Well, I tried reencoding a couple of them that didn't work and I'm sure I had x264/mkv/AC3 for one test and XVid/avi/AC3 for the others and still get the same results.

The weird part is that some play and some don't and they were done the exact same way... (Alien Vs. Hunter, Michael Clayton, and The Invasion all work - Return of the Jedi, American Gangster, and The Mexican don't work. The last three don't work even after I have reencoded them in both x264/mkvAC3 and XVid/avi/AC3.

They do ALL work on my gaming machine that has XP Media Center so I'm sure that they are encoded right. Just something with Vista is what I'm guessing since I have never used it before.

Is there a format that is supported right out of the box in Vista that I could try to encode them in?
 
If they all work in XP Media center then the videos are encoded correctly. the fact that they do not play in windows media player on vista, means you do not have the correct splitters/directshow filters installed to decode them.

If you install FFDSHOW it should be able to decode all the videos. I have had problems before with ac3filter whereby the first frame of the video only will show and the audio will play perfectly. But changing to the ac3decoder which comes with FFDSHOW fixed this.

If the videos are encoded the same way they should use the same filters and view correctly. If you only get audio or video, then try opening it in windows media player, click file-> properties and see what filters its trying to use. Other than that you could also use graphedit to see whats going on.

Its definetely not a vista issue, but an issue with the codecs/splitters you have installed.
 
danman said:
Installing codec packs is how you mess up your PC. ffdshow takes care of the sound and H.264. Haali is used as the splitter for the MKV's.
Click to expand...

combined community codec is pretty much just ffshow + haali :rolleyes:
 
Well I was getting ready to scrap Vista so I thought what the heck and installed Vista Codec Pack and now all of the XVid/AC3/AVIs work but the x264 still don't... I think I'm just going to be happy with the XVids for now and worry about the x264 later - file size is pretty close anyway.
 
Just check in FFDshow (that comes with the vista codec package) that H264 decoding is actually enabled. Its possible that its disabled and its waiting to use a different codec.

To do so from the startmenu click VistaCodecs->Video Decoder Configuration, then it should open ffdshow, make sure the codecs option is selected and right at the top it should have H.264/AVC, under the decoder tab make sure that this is libavcodec and not disabled.

If it is selected and the videos do not work, then it must be another filter trying to load it. Graphedit would tell you, whats trying to happen.
 
vischo said:
I have NEVER had any issues when using the KLite codec packs; whether 32 or x64.
Click to expand...

I used to use that, I envy you. It caused nothing but problems with me and any computer I put it on. Crashed with avi's for some reason.
 
NeilFarted said:
is there any chance this might be related to a video driver?
Click to expand...

I'll find out tomorrow. I'm using the Intel G35 on board graphics right now which keep resetting the resolution to 800X600 from 1920X1080 every time I switch inputs on my Denon 3808 receiver. That is a known driver issue with the Intel right now with no given fix date. So I bought an ATI 2600PRO to throw in there but won't have time to test till tomorrow. I'll let you know if the MKVs magically start showing video.
 
i dont know if your end result is to use the Media Center Completly but VLC has never had a issue playing any of the Files for me, on my Media PC including x264(.mkv)
 
Download a program called mkv2vob. It will convert everything over to a .vob file for you and you can play it once done. It is freeware and was produced on Doom9.org
 
Spacy9 said:
I'll find out tomorrow. I'm using the Intel G35 on board graphics right now which keep resetting the resolution to 800X600 from 1920X1080 every time I switch inputs on my Denon 3808 receiver. That is a known driver issue with the Intel right now with no given fix date. So I bought an ATI 2600PRO to throw in there but won't have time to test till tomorrow. I'll let you know if the MKVs magically start showing video.
Click to expand...

Another way to test would be to download Zoomplayer (shareware) and try playing your file from there. If you right click while it's playing (or trying to play), there's a "Filter Properties" selection. It will show which codecs are being used (or not being used possibly).

I have Vista installed on my HTPC and MKV's work in media center with CoreAVC and AC3Filter.
 
coreAVC and ac3 filter is all I have ever used and it works fine on my Vista setup. Looks great and performs well.
 
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