Stuttering playback

WD Legacy Products WD TV Live Streaming
1

Hi, I’m fairly new.  I have done a lot of reading (this site and others) and have seen lots of discussion about the issue I am experiencing, but i’m not sure I am understanding things properly so I’m hoping to clear things up here.

I have my movies on an external drive (2 TB My Passport).

The external drive is connected to my laptop via a docking station.

The docking station/laptop has a wired network connection.

The SMP has a wired network connection.

The SMP is connected to my HDTV via an HDMI cable.

I have shared the relevent folders of the external drive with my WD SMP (Gen3).

The SMP sees the folders and content.

I am using DVDFab to copy my DVD’s to the external drive, and I am selecting “movie only”.

The resulting product from DVDFab is a folder called “moviename” that contains a video_TS folder which in turn contains several .vob files along with a couple of IFO files and a couple of BUP files.  The “moviename” folder also contains an emply audio_TS folder.

If I play one of the .vob files on my laptop it works perfectly.

If I play the movie on the SMP it starts fine, then quickly begins to stutter as if it’s playing in slow motion.

The SMP plays AVI files and MKV files without any issues.

It seems to just be the .vob files contained in a video_TS folder that stutter.

It also appears to relate only (or at least predominantly) to

I don’t want to have to convert all my movies to AVI or MKV after copying them to the external drive – this is the primary reason I chose the WD SMP over Apple TV (didn’t want to have to undertake the time consuming and inconvenient process of converting everything to a different file type). 

From what I have read, others are having similar problems, but it doesn’t seem to be universal and i’m wondering what people are doing to make this work (ie. - simple process to copy your dvds to an external drive that is shared with the SMP, and watch them via the SMP).

Thanks in advance for any help/suggestions/tips.

2

Have you tried converting your DVDs to ISO files?  Many of us here prefer that method, as it is a good container for WDTV(entire DVD image is there – even a DVD clone could be burned from the info there) and a good container for further making MKV, m4v and other files for hardware other than the WD.

Notr sure why one today would want to make the kind of vob files you are making.  So, make an ISO file from a DVD of one of your “problem” videos and see how it goes.

I have a completely wired network for video viewing, and never have a problem with stuttering from my ISO files.  Same goes for if/when I view wirelessly.

3

Thanks very much. What program do you use to copy your dvds to ISO (do you know if dvdFab does this – I’m not sure what settings I would use)?

Thanks.

4

DVDFab does do this. To the right of the target box at the top of the DVDFab screen press the 2nd icon with the folded edge and blue circle in. Select OK in the pop up box. It carries on working when it becomes the free version.

5

I got stutter on video_TS folders too.  I was forced to convert to mkv as my only solution.  Assuming you are running WIndows, I am told that creating an NFS share works, but I think you need Windows Professional for NFS support (which I don’t have).

Actually, when you get used to handbrake, it’s not that difiicult a matter to queue up the folders and do a batch convert.

6

Great.  Ideally i will just use DVDFab to create an .ISO file instead of a TS-Video folder with .VOBs.  I’m trying that right now using the helpful instructions above.  I’ve read that sometime this will result in no ability to use chaptering on the resulting video.  If so, that’s too bad, but not a dealbreaker. 

Also good to know that Handbrake can be used to set up a queue for batch converting, if I decide to go that route.

Thanks for the helpful tips!

7

tdp23 wrote:
I don’t want to have to convert all my movies to AVI or MKV after copying them to the external drive

With the proper tools you could do it while copying to the external drive. DVDFab registered also rips straight to ISO.

8

tdp23 wrote:
Thanks very much. What program do you use to copy your dvds to ISO (do you know if dvdFab does this – I’m not sure what settings I would use)?

Thanks.

I think there are two favorite programs folks here use.  DVDFab is one mentioned already. 

I use AnyDVDHD for ripping (which can make ISOs from DVD or Blu-ray discs) , and it’s companion program CloneDVD2 for easily making the ISO file.  The UI for “Any” and “Clone” is friendly, straightforward, and the Any program is updated a couple of times each month which makes my lifetime subscription very useful.  They have a free program called VIrtual Clone Drive for easy mounting and playing of ISO files by Windows Media Player, blu-ray software, etc.

Ease of use: 

It is amazing how easy it is to use the two programs if one takes time to read the brief Help files!  I usually just clone the DVD in it’s entirety – saves time trying to customize, and for what purpose – to save a little disc space?  I like “no brainer” and simple, but also customizable if needed.

Both the Any and Fab programs cost a fairly hefty price, but if one has a large disc collection, it made sense to sign on for lifetime subscription and it’s been worth the initial outlay.  Check 'em out:  http://www.slysoft.com/en/

Search this forum and other places for more opinions about either of these programs. 

9

DVDFab can rip to iso forever without you paying anything and you get all the updates. Therefore its the best choice.

10

Thanks for all the tips.  I used DVDFab to copy a DVD to my external hard drive, with the output file being an ISO.  Easy once instructed.  Thanks for that.

Unfortunately I am experiencing stuttering with the ISO.  Sometimes it doesn’t stutter but has no sound.  I’m suspecting that the sound may actually be causing the stuttering.  Side note – when i power-on the SMP and see the WD logo, i get a pop-up message (appears to be from the TV set itself not the SMP) saying that there is an unsupported audio output detected.  The pop-up goes away, and there is no issue playing MKVs or AVIs.  Do I perhaps have the audio settings on the SMP wrong?  As noted in my original post, I am using an HDMI cable between the SMP and my TV.  The TV is a relatively new (3 years) Sharp LED.  No external speakers/receiver/amp – just the TV speakers.  The ISO file plays fine on my computer so it is not the file.  Everything is connected via wired connections, nothing using wireless.  Is there a specific audio/visual setting i should check/adjust? 

Thanks.

11

richUK wrote:
Therefore its the best choice.

I don’t know about best, it appears to write to a temp file on C first, unlike DVD Shrink.

12

richUK wrote:
DVDFab can rip to iso forever without you paying anything and you get all the updates. Therefore its the best choice.

    • *> * * *
      richUK wrote:
      DVDFab can rip to iso forever without you paying anything and you get all the updates. Therefore its the best choice.

Sounds good, but I recently went to the DVDFab website to look around, and it appeared they have a free (trial) version, and a pay-for-it version.  So, what’s the “whole story” on this.  Keeping a program like this updated sounds like a costly operation, so how can they have their free version be so good that folks won’t buy the paid for version?

13

  saying that there is an unsupported audio output detected.

I once made an ISO that had no audio – it was because it was saved in True HD, and the Live Plus could not play it, so had to encode again in ac3 .  Not saying this is the problem and solution, other than you may have to encode audio differently from the DVD you used to get playable audio.  Have you tried more than one DVD?  Need to do a few to see if there is a pattern here.

Yoy also need to make your copies exact copies of original.  If they are, they should be no different than the DVD, and if the DVD plays, the ISO should play.

14

mike27oct — www.dvdfab.com/free.htm There may be some 30 day trial elements included but after that you can still do the basic stuff.

Tech flaws — DVD shrink is out of date whereas DVDfab is kept updated even though it is a 2 part process to get to an iso.

15

Right, I was simply pointing out that the “best” solution would be able to do (write straight to ISO) what a free program could already do in 2004.

16

I agree. Its only the best choice because it is free, up to date and it can write an iso.

17

richUK wrote:
mike27oct — www.dvdfab.com/free.htm There may be some 30 day trial elements included but after that you can still do the basic stuff.

Rich,  There are lots of DVDfab products shown.  Which free one(s) in particular are you referring to?

18

http://www.dvdfab.com/hd-decrypter.htm

19

Rich:  again, thanks.  Got it – that the Decrypter is a free part of DVDFab, for as it says at the site, “It is one of the always free portions of DVDFab application.” 

So. last questions (hopefully) . . .

Since there are other free parts of DVDFab, should one download the complete trial version of DVDFab, or each of the free programs individually?  Or, download the Decrypter only, along with any other free portion of the complete program they want to use?

Seems that having the complete program installed on board might make it easier to get at the free portions without having to install and load them individually.  I would like to explore this program and compare it to AnyDVD, but don’t want to bloat my laptop with even more programs, unnecessarily.

20

The DVD Decrypter as that is all you really need.I believe it is a full program with trial components that last 30 days. The other free programs are more specialist and you would have to look into the actual need for them.
The DVD fab website looks like there is a lot on offer but actually most of the options download the same program. The DVD decrypter program is exactly the same as the normal trial and after 30 days only the decrypter bit remains working.