PS3 plays some AVI, but not other AVI files. WHY?

I have been reading through pages and pages of forum entries but I can’t seem to find anyone that has this issue.

I have added all my video files to my new WD My Book Live.  I used my MAC desk top to move the files. All are AVI files. I can see them on my PS3, but only about a tenth of them actually play. There is no commonality between the files that work and the files that don’t. I have shortened all of the file names and I have watched them through a thumb drive on the PS3, so I know the files are fine.

What’s going on? I’m not very computer literate so if anyone knows what I’m doing wrong here they are really going to have to dumb down their answer.

Thanks in advance.

try renaming one that doesn’t work, to something simple like testvideo.avi.

I think some people here had success but just renaming/forcing a re-scan.

Sorry for the late reply, I have been away for work and this is the first chance I have had to review the reply.

I actually sort of figured it out, but again I can’t understand the reason why. I had folders called Movies, Tv Series, Cartoons etc. I noticed that most of the files that were working came from the Movies folder. So I moved all of the files that wouldn’t work from the other folders into the Movies folder. Hey presto, they worked? I have no idea why that would make any difference at all, but it did. I guess its one of the weird quirks like the fact you have to shorten the file names.

I did try what you suggested too, but it didn’t make any difference.

It is painfull that I have to move the files around whenever I want to watch anything, so if anyone has any otehr suggestion I’d love to have a go.

Again thanks in advance

Maybe it’s an issue with the length of the entire path? Try making a folder called “a” and putting one of the videos in there… than try making a folder called “aaaaaaaaaaaaa” and see if it plays…