Can't get h264 subs on my USB Blu Ray player

[LuckyLyndy]

Not sure if this is the right thread.
I just bought a blu-ray player.
It plays my h264 files through the USB thumb drive, but does not carry through the
subs.
They play perfectly on the desktop computer.
Is there anyway, I can do something for the player to recognize or play the subs?
This is the US Best Buy Insignia player. No one knows if it is a re badged LG 370
or a DeSay player.
It was having some other problems, and Best Buy offered a newer firmware, which took away the playback of h264 files. Go figure.
I just don't want to change these files to Xvid.
If this thread post should be placed in another forum thread, please let me know.
Lyndon

[SeijiSensei]

It's very unlikely that a commercial player will support the ASS/SSA subtitles used in anime fansubs. They're not used in "legitimate" productions, so they tend to be ignored by most commercial hardware manufacturers. There are probably software converters that would enable you to preserve the H.264 codec and convert the subtitles from soft to hard.

[LuckyLyndy]

Enlighten me, sensei
A program or link to do this conversion to a soft to hard sub?
I just tried this:
it should play AVCHD. You could try tsMuxer, select the *.mkv, make sure the *.pgs (presentation graphics stream: subs) is there, and mux to AVCHD. Burn to a DVDR blank with ImgBurn.
And I can't pull anything from my mux.
Have not tried this stuff before.
Lyndon

[SeijiSensei]

I don't do this any more so I'm not up-to-date with the current alternatives. In the past I ran mencoder from the command line in Linux and converted to hardsubbed XviD. Now I have a computer connected directly to the television and play the H.264/AAC/MKV files directly.

I suggest you start by looking into Handbrake. You might also want to read this thread on alternatives to Handbrake for handling subs. This posting looks useful as well.

[chikorita157]

From my knowledge of using Handbrake on the Mac, it only hardsubs subs that are from DVD sources only and it doesn't support ASS or SSA fansubs, but Handbrake is a useful converter once you have the fansubs hardcoded to the video since it will encode it to the appropriate format for the device.

[LuckyLyndy]

Thanks, but I just threw another $130 on a Western Digital Media Player, which is supposed to transfer it all. I had heard of Handbrake as well. Just tired of the silly square dancing to play the higher definition
files. I may return the unit, though, as I am having second thoughts on it.
Lyndon

[chikorita157]

The best and easiest way is to buy a Playstation 3 and use PS3MediaServer, which pretty much transcode the video on the fly with all the subtitles, but any uPnP and DLNA devices can work using this device.... I haven't tried it myself since I don't really play any anime on the TV except the ones on licensed DVDs.

Don't think the Western Digital Media Player will work with uPnP, and you can only use SRT subs since they don't support ASS/SSA fansubs (it's easy to convert them by extracting them, converting them to SRT and remux the MKV, but you will lose the formatting).

[Lonestar9]

Originally Posted by chikorita157

The best and easiest way is to buy a Playstation 3 and use PS3MediaServer, which pretty much transcode the video on the fly with all the subtitles, but any uPnP and DLNA devices can work using this device.... I haven't tried it myself since I don't really play any anime on the TV except the ones on licensed DVDs.

Don't think the Western Digital Media Player will work with uPnP, and you can only use SRT subs since they don't support ASS/SSA fansubs (it's easy to convert them by extracting them, converting them to SRT and remux the MKV, but you will lose the formatting).

The PS3 mediaserver works really well with the XBOX360 as well. I've used it to watch many .mkv files on the 51" TV, no complaints so far.

[straferd]

Problem with xbox/ps3 + PMS is that the transcoding is done by your computer, so you will need a good computer for that.

Best way to play mkv files is actually to buy something like Popcorn Hour.

[chikorita157]

Originally Posted by straferd

Problem with xbox/ps3 + PMS is that the transcoding is done by your computer, so you will need a good computer for that.

Best way to play mkv files is actually to buy something like Popcorn Hour.

Most computers come with fast Core2 Duo Processors, so it shouldn't be a problem, unless it's something like a Netbook.... then no, it won't be able to handle it.

Never tried a Popcorn Hour, but those look somewhat expensive... I still wonder, how well does it handle ASS/SSA MKV Fansubs or does it fully support it.

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by chikorita157

Never tried a Popcorn Hour, but those look somewhat expensive... I still wonder, how well does it handle ASS/SSA MKV Fansubs or does it fully support it.

http://www.networkedmediatank.com/sh...495&pid=302818

[LuckyLyndy]

Thanks, guys.
I've heard of Popcorn Hour, and now Seagate has their version of a media player, and
Patriot (of memory) has their version as well. I have been working on building a HTPC with two 1T hard drives, and just bought Windows7 JUST for the built in Media Center.

Not much good to report. Got the new Western Digital Media Player Live 2, and plugged it in.
It played my first MkV file with subs just dandy. Then I put in "Yoake Mae Yori Ruri Iro Na -Crescent Love", and it wouldn't play them, claiming it couldn't handle Vorbis. Good grief, and they were in AVI format. And they did play on my Phillips 5990 just fine. So I ran that whole batch through AVI Recomp, and then it played, but that defeats the purpose of this
$120 USD box.
Next, I use an AVer Media M780 tuner card in my desktop computer. It records in MPEG-2 format, and does a good job of both recording and playback on the computer. But when I transferred the files to a portable hard drive, and to the WD Media Player, it only played the video, and no audio.
I hear you guys with the PS3's and 360's, but I'm not a gamer.
Thanks for the ideas,
Lyndon

[Dist]

Originally Posted by chikorita157

The best and easiest way is to buy a Playstation 3 and use PS3MediaServer, which pretty much transcode the video on the fly with all the subtitles, but any uPnP and DLNA devices can work using this device.... I haven't tried it myself since I don't really play any anime on the TV except the ones on licensed DVDs.

Don't think the Western Digital Media Player will work with uPnP, and you can only use SRT subs since they don't support ASS/SSA fansubs (it's easy to convert them by extracting them, converting them to SRT and remux the MKV, but you will lose the formatting).

Im gonna hijack this thread since there's conversation about PS3 Media Server ... Just need a quick explanation or fix for this ... I got PS3 recently, and I also have the media server. I also have CCCP installed and all files play perfectly on my PC.

However, over half of the anime I try to stream will either : Be shown as Corrupted Data, has no Audio or the most common : Has no subs. For example, all HorribleSubs releases have no subs at all when streamed.

Also sometimes the subs are displayed fine ( Newest example would be Himatsubushi's Kiddy Grade-And release ), but after the OP or around there it starts stuttering so bad that 1 frame is displayed per like 5 seconds ..

My PC can run Crysis and other high end games on good graphics so it's not CPU or whatever related :S.

[chikorita157]

Originally Posted by LuckyLyndy

Thanks, guys.
I've heard of Popcorn Hour, and now Seagate has their version of a media player, and
Patriot (of memory) has their version as well. I have been working on building a HTPC with two 1T hard drives, and just bought Windows7 JUST for the built in Media Center.

Not much good to report. Got the new Western Digital Media Player Live 2, and plugged it in.
It played my first MkV file with subs just dandy. Then I put in "Yoake Mae Yori Ruri Iro Na -Crescent Love", and it wouldn't play them, claiming it couldn't handle Vorbis. Good grief, and they were in AVI format. And they did play on my Phillips 5990 just fine. So I ran that whole batch through AVI Recomp, and then it played, but that defeats the purpose of this
$120 USD box.
Next, I use an AVer Media M780 tuner card in my desktop computer. It records in MPEG-2 format, and does a good job of both recording and playback on the computer. But when I transferred the files to a portable hard drive, and to the WD Media Player, it only played the video, and no audio.
I hear you guys with the PS3's and 360's, but I'm not a gamer.
Thanks for the ideas,
Lyndon

That is pretty much a good idea since most of these files won't play on other devices without re-encoding... Plugging your laptop into the TV does the same effect, although it's clumsy.

I still wonder if MCE on 7 supports these files as they would in WMP... they should... Also, XMC and Boxee pretty much does the same thing on a HTPC.

[GHDpro]

Originally Posted by LuckyLyndy

It played my first MkV file with subs just dandy. Then I put in "Yoake Mae Yori Ruri Iro Na -Crescent Love", and it wouldn't play them, claiming it couldn't handle Vorbis. Good grief, and they were in AVI format. And they did play on my Phillips 5990 just fine. So I ran that whole batch through AVI Recomp, and then it played, but that defeats the purpose of this
$120 USD box.

If you have trouble with Vorbis (or AAC, or AC3) audio in AVI files, try converting the file(s) with MKV Merge, which is part of MKVToolnix (Google it).

MKV Merge (GUI version) can convert AVI/OGM etc to MKV in a few seconds (it does not re-encode anything, it merely repackages the video & audio tracks into a MKV container).

Based on some Googling, the WD Live box will probably support Vorbis audio (with the latest firmware) as long as it's in a MKV container.

Edit: or maybe not. But with MKV Merge and MKV Extract (GUI version) it should be easy to convert to MKV, extract the Vorbis audio, convert to MP3, then merge MP3 audio back into the MKV file. It's still a bit of work though...

Originally Posted by chikorita157

I still wonder if MCE on 7 supports these files as they would in WMP... they should... Also, XMC and Boxee pretty much does the same thing on a HTPC.

For best support for fansubs in an Media Center-like application, try MediaPortal. I've been using that for years and haven't really found any files that wouldn't play. Conveniently it also supports chapters in MKV files, for easy skipping of OP and ED. (If you have Windows 7, be sure to pick the 1.1 beta as it has Win7 support)

[straferd]

Originally Posted by chikorita157

Most computers come with fast Core2 Duo Processors, so it shouldn't be a problem, unless it's something like a Netbook.... then no, it won't be able to handle it.

Never tried a Popcorn Hour, but those look somewhat expensive... I still wonder, how well does it handle ASS/SSA MKV Fansubs or does it fully support it.

Only time I've had problems with subs is when its been a dual audio .mkv file for some reason.

Other than that I have had no problem with subs (and it handles audio switch without a problem).

It's also awesome if you need to fast forward or rewind, which I think is impossible with PMS?

I have Popcorn Hour A-110, shouldn't cost more than 200 euros.

[Dextro]

Originally Posted by GHDpro

If you have trouble with Vorbis (or AAC, or AC3) audio in AVI files, try converting the file(s) with MKV Merge, which is part of MKVToolnix (Google it).

MKV Merge (GUI version) can convert AVI/OGM etc to MKV in a few seconds (it does not re-encode anything, it merely repackages the video & audio tracks into a MKV container).

Based on some Googling, the WD Live box will probably support Vorbis audio (with the latest firmware) as long as it's in a MKV container.

Edit: or maybe not. But with MKV Merge and MKV Extract (GUI version) it should be easy to convert to MKV, extract the Vorbis audio, convert to MP3, then merge MP3 audio back into the MKV file. It's still a bit of work though...



For best support for fansubs in an Media Center-like application, try MediaPortal. I've been using that for years and haven't really found any files that wouldn't play. Conveniently it also supports chapters in MKV files, for easy skipping of OP and ED. (If you have Windows 7, be sure to pick the 1.1 beta as it has Win7 support)

If you're sure the device supports AC3 you can use this: http://audioconverter.heartware.dk/Tutorial/

I'm trying it now to convert some DTS files to AC3 since my 1st gen WDTV doesn't downsample DTS and my 5.1 setup doesn't support DTS pass-through via any digital means (optical, hdmi)