Ok seems I have an issue with jerky playback but only when panning across the screen, happens on the start logos (20th Century, Warner Bros etc too). I would appear from a few tests that its only on NTSC files (I’m in the UK using PAL).
Is it likely to be a WDTV setup problem or the TV, all play ok on the PC?
Also have a problem on a few files with no sound with AC-3 audio on some AVI files
Thanks 
How are you playing your files – from a local hard drive, or across a network (and, if a network, wired or wireless)?
And posting info on one of the files (like with mediainfo) would be helpful).
Playing from a USB connected local drive Mike
Here’s the info on the Jerky one & below is the info on the one with no sound - both play ok on the PC
We can’t see any images you post here until a mod approves, so it’s better to cut and paste the text.
And I don’t understand the context of your second question – how are you creating these files in the first place?
Sorry Mike it was the res of the Media info jpeg - text below, again first one is the jerky playback & second one is the no sound, both play fine on the PC
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media
Codec ID : isom
File size : 1.46 GiB
Duration : 1h 46mn
Overall bit rate : 1 971 Kbps
Encoded date : UTC 2010-07-11 02:56:18
Tagged date : UTC 2010-07-11 02:56:18
Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L4.1
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 8 frames
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 1h 46mn
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 1 760 Kbps
Maximum bit rate : 15.5 Mbps
Width : 1 280 pixels
Height : 528 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 2.40:1
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 23.976 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.109
Stream size : 1.30 GiB (89%)
Title : Clash Of The Titans By 3Li
Writing library : x264 core 98 r1649 c54c47d
Encoding settings : cabac=1 / ref=8 / deblock=1:-3:-3 / analyse=0x3:0x113 / me=umh / subme=9 / psy=1 / psy_rd=0.02:0.00 / mixed_ref=1 / me_range=32 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=2 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=0 / chroma_qp_offset=-1 / threads=3 / sliced_threads=0 / slices=2 / nr=0 / decimate=0 / interlaced=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=6 / b_pyramid=2 / b_adapt=2 / b_bias=0 / direct=1 / weightb=1 / weightp=2 / keyint=250 / keyint_min=25 / scenecut=42 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=42 / rc=2pass / mbtree=1 / bitrate=1760 / ratetol=1.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=10 / qpmax=51 / qpstep=4 / cplxblur=20.0 / qblur=0.5 / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=1:1.00
Encoded date : UTC 2010-07-10 04:02:32
Tagged date : UTC 2010-07-11 02:56:51
Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format version : Version 4
Format profile : LC
Format settings, SBR : No
Codec ID : 40
Duration : 1h 46mn
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 208 Kbps
Maximum bit rate : 225 Kbps
Channel(s) : 6 channels
Channel positions : Front: L C R, Side: L R, LFE
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Stream size : 158 MiB (11%)
Title : Clash Of The Titans
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2010-07-11 02:56:41
Tagged date : UTC 2010-07-11 02:56:51
Format : AVI
Format/Info : Audio Video Interleave
File size : 808 MiB
Duration : 1h 38mn
Overall bit rate : 1 145 Kbps
Writing application : VirtualDubMod 1.5.4.1 (build 2178/release)
Writing library : VirtualDubMod build 2178/release
Video
ID : 0
Format : MPEG-4 Visual
Format profile : Simple@L3
Format settings, BVOP : Yes
Format settings, QPel : No
Format settings, GMC : No warppoints
Format settings, Matrix : Custom
Codec ID : XVID
Codec ID/Hint : XviD
Duration : 1h 38mn
Bit rate : 754 Kbps
Width : 608 pixels
Height : 272 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 2.25:1
Frame rate : 25.000 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.182
Stream size : 532 MiB (66%)
Writing library : XviD 1.0.3 (UTC 2004-12-20)
Audio
ID : 1
Format : AC-3
Format/Info : Audio Coding 3
Mode extension : CM (complete main)
Codec ID : 2000
Duration : 1h 38mn
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 384 Kbps
Channel(s) : 6 channels
Channel positions : Front: L C R, Side: L R, LFE
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth : 16 bits
Stream size : 271 MiB (34%)
Alignment : Aligned on interleaves
Interleave, duration : 96 ms (2.40 video frames)
Interleave, preload duration : 96 ms
Language : English
In the case of the first file I’m a little stumped. While the bit rate is definitely high enough to cause issues playing over net shares, playing from a locally attached drive should be no issue. Reframes is 8, which *may* be an issue (going over 6 is insane) so whatever you are using to encode that file with you might try with a lower number and see if that helps (in Handbrake I use the High Profile preset, which sets reframes to 3).
The second file has a very odd codec – while it’s AC3, the codec ID is reporting “2000” (we would expect to see A_AC3 there) and I don’t understand anything about Virtual Dub mod (the writing application) so I can’t tell you what’s wrong, but if I were you I’d use a more mainstream program for your encodes (again, Handbrake). If you use Handbrake you can just passthrough the AC3 track.
Thanks Mike, I do use Handbrake when encoding myself but these two were downloaded as is - its only a problem on a few files so maybe I’ll just try to download them again.
You don’t think the jerky issue is anything to do with it being NTSC then? Strange that they both play ok on the PC which would seem to point to a compatibility problem with either the WDTV or the TV itself?
No, I don’t think it’s an NTSC issue – like I say, the reframes number is suspiciously high (and we’ve seen similar issues with high reframe files).
I can’t advise you on files you don’t create yourself – we are stepping into illegal areas there (there are no commercial sources I know that would have such encoding) and we can’t condone piracy.
I understand this Mike but I actually own just about all the DVD’s for downloaded films as nearly all of them are the kids ones so I didn’t see this as piracy just that it was quicker to download them than covert 150 films mate!
Ok some are a little contentious in that I only have the video’s but…
Anyway ok no worries
Trust me – it will be FAR better to convert the DVDs you have than rely upon some downloaded file that was done by who knows what. The sad fact is that most people out there don’t understand what they are doing when they try encoding a DVD, and that’s why you see such weird things as these high reframes.
While Handbrake CAN be slow on a slow machine (on my i7 it’s lightning fast, working far faster than any download could be) you can always queue them up to work overnight or while you’re at work (since your computer doesn’t do anything else while you sleep or work :>). In the long run you’ll get better quality, it will be more reliable, and you won’t have any issues with the MPAA folks coming at you (and they will – they are actually encouraged by recent court cases).
Just my 2p…
My kids have amassed, with my help, a blinkin huge collection of DVD’s. Well it’s huge as far as I’m concerned… probably only 60 or 70 dvd’s really :smileyvery-happy:
but anyway… I had to go through the task of converting them to xvid for use on the xbox, which the first time of asking wasn’t too bad as the discs were bought over a period of a few years… but when the hard drive in the xbox died I had the task of re-converting the whole lot… what a nightmare! But it is worth it. I think I used autogk at the time, but there’s better apps now, handbrake and staxrip to name just a couple. And you’re going to get quality compatible files that you know are just going to work.
As for the contentious nature of some of your files… I’ve had the same discussion with myself regarding whether it’s ok to obtain a BluRay HD rip of a film when I only own the DVD… I came to the conclusion that it’s not really ok - I’ve not paid for all those extra pixels! Also a high quality DVD Rip is usually perfectly fine anyway! Especially for kids films; if there’s a film I want to see in HD I’ll buy the bluray, as I have done with Spiderman and will be doing with x-men. Hmmm even though I’ve no way of playing the blurays yet! 
Given your knowledge and abilities, I’d recommend you just buy a blu-ray drive for your PC and rip the blu-rays you have to play them on whatever.
That’s what I do – nearly all the movies on my Live are blu-ray rips (with the original discs in my attic for the most part). The quality is superb, even on my 9’ HD screen.
Yep, that’s what I’ll be doing.
9’ screen!? Just 40" here… but that’s big enough for me.
Out of interest what do you use to rip them? Just handbrake?
I use AnyDVD HD – IMHO the gold standard of ripping programs.
Yes it costs a little money, but the lifetime support is worth it. And I’ve never found anything it couldn’t handle.
In Handbrake I use the High Profile preset, change the output type to mkv, and passthrough either AC3 or DTS audio. The resultant files are indistinguisable from the original discs (however, some folks say that using RF 20 is overkill, and suggest 22 for HD sources. With a smaller screen like you have that might be perfectly fine).
lol Well when I recently bought a Blu ray DVD I couldn’t tell the difference which says alot about my eyesight!! 
Yes I think I’ll just rip the ones I have myself then, just means ripping using DVDFab or DVDshrink & then Handbrake, wouldn’t be so bad if you could just rip from the DVD directly to mkv!
Thanks for all the info though
I use MakeMKV. Just started to encode Handbrake for high bitrate MKV files (ie Blu Ray). DVD (and some blu rays don’t require Handbrake.
Junks wrote:, just means ripping using DVDFab or DVDshrink & then Handbrake, wouldn’t be so bad if you could just rip from the DVD directly to mkv
I don’t know how those work, but using AnyDVD doesn’t require an extra step – you can rip directly from the DVD (with AnyDVD running in the background all copy protection is removed).
However, I much prefer ripping to the hard drive so I can queue up ten or 12 movies to do overnight.
Oooo, just noticed on the Handbrake forum that you can get the WIndows version to decrypt your DVDs directly now. Here’s the relevent thread:
http://forum.handbrake.fr/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=16670#p78021
Now, this *might* not work for blu-rays (I have no idea) but at least you could encode your DVDs directly from Handbrake without any other decrypter programs (I still recommend using AnyDVD HD, though, but that’s just me).
