Why can't I find MKV, ISO, and VOB's on my Windows Media Servers?

[TheTooleMan]

I found that the files stored on my PC running Vista Home Premium show up on “Media Servers” on the WDTV Live, while files stored on my XP PC show up on “Network Shares.” And, if I play my cards right, I can see the same folders in both places on WDTV Live.

What’s weird is how VOB, ISO, and MKV files can’t be found on the Media Server, while they are right there in the Network Share folders, and they play just fine.

When I select a folder containing one of these file types through the Media Server, WDTV says there is no media in the folder.

HELP! Where does this problem originate - with Windows Media Center, which controls the sharing in Vista and (more or less) XP, or in the WDTV Live? How can I get around it?

[GBlenn]

My Vista machine also turns upp as a Media Server and the reason is simply that Vista Home Premium also has Windows Media Center implemented, which is what is announcing itself as a Media Server. You should however also be able to see your Vista Machines network shares if there are any.

The MKV issue I have no answer to…

[TheTooleMan]

The network shares are a completely different set of problems, and come with the 5-minute disconnect written about in another topic that stays near the top of the forum.

There does seem to be something more to the “media server” designation than it being a network share with a fancy name. And I also cannot find folders with VOB files (DVD’s, in other words) through the media server. In fact, the folders containing those files don’t show up in the “folders” list at all.

[whattheheck]

When you connect to a Media Server you see what the server shows you - when you connect to a share you see what is there.

Most media servers seem to only show some files.

[TheTooleMan]

Can someone show us how to see VOB, IFO, and MKV files on PC’s running Windows Media Center?

[theone01]

What “Whattheheck” is said is absolutly true. 

 If you want to see and play all the file format supported by this player you should share your media drives/folders and access them through the “Shared Network” option and not through the “media server” option as some media servers, including the windows media center, only recognizes some video file format and not all video files.

[TheTooleMan]

theone01 wrote:

What “Whattheheck” is said is absolutly true. 

 

 If you want to see and play all the file format supported by this player you should share your media drives/folders and access them through the “Shared Network” option and not through the “media server” option as some media servers, including the windows media center, only recognizes some video file format and not all video files.

 

That would be hunky-dory if it wasn’t for the “shared network” PC’s disconnecting every four or five minutes. (See the HOT TOPIC about this issue with multiple pages of discussion. It’s always near the top.)

As far as progress on using “media server,” I was able to add DVD’s and MKV’s to the Media Center library, and can now see them listed on WDTV Live. But now, when I select the MKV’s to play them, I get the message “Unsupported format” instead. Apparently Windows Media Center is controlling the decoding of the video, and can’t handle this format?

I’m going to close this topic and create a new one that better defines my problem.

[Battleaxe]

Hey Tooleman, I am running windows vista media player and would like to get folders with vobs showing up in the videos/ folder section but even tho I add these folders to the watched area in library management it does not see vobs as media/video files. Is there a work around?  I would be happy to use the media server part of WD live to access files on my network apart from this limitation.

Regards

Russ