Certain MKV files of a TV series do not play audio. Need help

TonyPh12345 wrote:

Yes, it is annoying.  The creator of MKVMerge knows that it’s pissing people off, but he doesn’t care.   Despite the fact that it only saves VERY LITTLE space, he insists on using that behavior by default instead of making it OPTIONAL.  He’s a religious zealot.   But, he does write one of THE most POPULAR, useful tools out there, so he “has the power.”

 

Well, actually, he might be a great programmer, but definetely a big **bleep**. With this totally useless feature, he rendered millions of players useless for unskilled people, so, only a total jerk can do such a thing…

Found some MKVs with header compression in the video - the WDTV requires a System Reset after attempting to play one of those babies.

WD seriously screwed up EOLing the first-gen WDTV, you bet’cha…there are a whole lot of people out there who will never purchase a WD product again, and probably be vocal about the lack of support to their friends, too.

I thought i had same issue with MKV files and tried all sorts but then found if i changed the sound option under settings video etc to stero not digital they worked.

as with evrything its always teh simple things :angry:

I have the same problem and also some files not running (audio and video).

Please WD, fix this problem and make available a new firmware to Gen1 and 2. Thank you.

WD has repeatedly said that there will be no Gen1 firmware updates.

When you’re encoding/muxing your file, why can’t you just turn off compression and not have the issue?  Why demand a fix?  Why generate an incompatible file when you’re capable of generating one that will play, and then complain that it is incompatible?

RoofingGuy wrote:> When you’re encoding/muxing your file, why can’t you just turn off compression and not have the issue?  Why demand a fix?

That’s right…instead of expecting WD to fix a clear error in their device firmware (compressed headers were part of the MKV specifications before the release of the first-gen machine), demand everyone who muxes any MKV file anywhere around the world should mux the file without header compression. So, as an example, if I shoot an HD of one of my daughter’s after-school activities, I should somehow be required to remove header compression just in case anyone who might ask for a copy also has a defective first-gen WDTV.

Seriously, that is the dumbest thing I’ve heard. While certainly WD has the right to allow the first-gen machines to be perpetually damaged (pushing previously-loyal customers like me to alternatives), suggesting that everyone all over the world cater to the damaged software of one set-top box is just plain silly.

You can certainly argue both sides of the “short EOL cycle” issue - clearly you and I come out on different sides. You can not argue that no one should use a legitimate part of the MKV specifications just because WD is too short-sighted to fix their software problem.

I have a Gen1.

Despite promising me “the next firmware…” several times, they just decided one day that it was too broken to bother fixing.  The header compression in Matroska isn’t the only unfixed bug, or even the worst… it’s merely the latest to show up.

Yes, that EOL decision bothers me.  Especially since I’d only had mine for a few months when the decision was made. (Why it was still on store shelves is a separate issue altogether.)

But once they made that decision, and they’ve stopped working on it, no amount of crying is going to force them to take pity on anyone.

I made 2 “bad” files.  Once I knew the problem, I know how to not make any more bad ones.  Now that I know, I can just keep doing what I’m doing, and they’ll play fine.  Without holding my breath waiting for WD to fix it.  It was a minor inconvenience at best, to me.  And, for that matter, even someone with hundreds of illegal downloads (which won’t all have compressed headers anyways), could have had all their bad files fixed by now, while they sit and wait… and wait… and wait… and wait…  Not that they should be downloading illegally in the first place, but again that’s a separate matter entirely.

And, after all… people who hung onto their Gen1 have shown WD (whether they meant to show this, or not), that they’re willing to accept its limitations, and are not just going to rush out and buy the newest thing WD has to offer.  So why would they reverse the EOL decision?

What’s the consumer threat?  “If you don’t fix this 2-year old device, I won’t buy a brand new, better one (thus obviating the need for fixing the old one)”?  Yeah, that will really have them shaking in their boots.  You already didn’t run out and buy a newer, better one… you’re not telling them anything new.

Would it be nice if they fixed it?  Yes.

Is it going to happen?  Nope.

So, I just do the best I can within those limitations.

I have perfect control over the media I make for the device.  If pirate copies don’t work, I can see why WD doesn’t consider that high on the agenda.  What’s the official company line? “We want to un-EOL the Gen1 so that people who download movies illegally can continue to use it with the newest pirates, along with legal users.”  Ya, that’s going to go over real well in legal circles.

CharlieSummers wrote:

I should somehow be required to remove header compression just in case anyone who might ask for a copy also has a defective first-gen WDTV.

 

I’m not quite sure how you pulled this out of your fourth point of contact, from what I said.

You are in no way required to remove header compression in a video you’re making.  If someone later on couldn’t play the file, they could always take the 30 seconds to make it playable.  Or you could take the 30 seconds and do it for them.

I mean, there are bigger format issues, that aren’t even “bugs”.  Some of the popular cameras use non-supported codecs in a supported container.  Any users of those cameras have to spend hours re-encoding each file, as opposed to the seconds a re-mux takes.  Yes, the room for codec support isn’t limitless, like it is with a PC, but a few more “common” unsupported codecs aren’t going to get supported either, even if there is “room” in the firmware to expand support.

The Gen1 device is EOL.  It will not see firmware updates.  WD has been reiterating that fact for about 6 months.  No updates… either to fix bugs, or to add functionality/expand capabilities.

And since they’re not going to fix it, it’s just far easier in my mind to not make files you KNOW won’t work and then whine to WD… when it takes zero extra effort, when you’re first creating it, to make the file so it will work.  Especially when the whining will just fall on deaf ears.  Same thing with DTS.  Why rip the DTS track only from a DVD you’re backing up, knowing the Gen1 won’t support DTS, and then complain that it won’t play, when you could have just ripped the AC-3 track instead and have a perfectly working file?

RoofingGuy wrote:

 

And since they’re not going to fix it, it’s just far easier in my mind to not make files you KNOW won’t work and then whine to WD

(*sigh*) Seriously, this is a complete waste of time; you incorrectly assume everyone who buys a WDTV will be encoding/muxing all of their own files and never use anything someone else encodes.(On the non-pirated front, just last week I mailed out to some friends MKV files of an HD video I shot of a presentation. I used header compression. You don’t like it? Tough.) You are welcomed to enjoy your life with your defective unit, while I’ll enjoy mine with a device that plays everything I’ve thrown at it thus far without complaint (and even downmixes to stereo audio on DTS-only files). Don’t bother showing sympathy for those poor souls who don’t understand how to remux the files and who would find the idea of running mkvmerge intimidating to the point of terror, those who mistakenly believed WD when they said the device could handle the MKV specifications and would be a simple plug-and-play for the technically-challenged. And yes, WD was intentionally and knowingly selling this device to people who pirate television and films on the Internet as well as those of us with HD cameras and huge collections of DVDs we want to consolidate onto hard drives, pretending otherwise is a joke.

Me, I’m not whining, I voted with my wallet and took my money elsewhere, as I detailed on my blog. I strongly and loudly advise others to do the same. WD can have those of you willing to be screwed by the next short-life-cycle device, while the smart money flows elsewhere. But don’t suggest those non-technical folks who bought that device shouldn’t whine to WD…they should. Loudly. And then buy something from another company.

Knock yourself out and have the last word. I’m finished arguing about this.

Add the file that will not work to MKV merge and remux don’t change anything. This will realign the headers