unable to play .mp4 files

[johnsonx42]

I recently re-installed both my desktop PC and GB-PVR HTPC with Windows 7 Pro.

I can't get .mp4 files to play from within GB-PVR, but they play fine in windows media player.

The files were created in Nero Digital format using Nero Recode.

The only codec I've installed beyond what comes with Windows 7 is AC3Filter needed for the audio on US broadcast HD channels. I have NOT installed Nero on either computer, Windows seems to know how to play these files without anything extra installed.

I'm trying to avoid any willy-nilly installation of decoders/filters/etc.

The logs appear to show that GB-PVR and/or Windows fails to build a complete graph when playing .mp4 files. .mpg files play back fine.

I thought the rule was that for these sorts of files GB-PVR just asks Windows to play the file, so if WMP can do it then GB-PVR should do it too?

Any guidance would be most appreciated.

[johnsonx42]

update: I decided to give ffdshow beta7 a try, no help there.

oh, just for clarity, when I say .mp4 files won't play, I mean I can select them in Video Library, but all that happens is the screen goes blank for a moment, then returns to the video library.

[sub]

I thought the rule was that for these sorts of files GB-PVR just asks Windows to play the file, so if WMP can do it then GB-PVR should do it too?

That use to be the true, but recent versions of WMP often come up with graphs different to what Windows will give to a 3rd party application.

To see what you'd get in GB-PVR, download and run GraphEdit, and select the 'render media file' menu option, then select your file. Chances are it'll be unable to render the file, giving you an empty graph like that seen in the GB-PVR log file.

Another possibility is it'll generate a graph with ffdshow, and because "pvrx2.exe" isnt in ffdshows whitelist of applications, it wont use ffdshow when you try from GB-PVR. Viewing the ffdshow settings and adding pvrx2.exe fixes this one.

[hoborg]

You can try SAF, link below.
I am using it to play h.264 MP4 from my Samsung camcorder using DXVA.

[johnsonx42]

That use to be the true, but recent versions of WMP often come up with graphs different to what Windows will give to a 3rd party application.

To see what you'd get in GB-PVR, download and run GraphEdit, and select the 'render media file' menu option, then select your file. Chances are it'll be unable to render the file, giving you an empty graph like that seen in the GB-PVR log file.

Another possibility is it'll generate a graph with ffdshow, and because "pvrx2.exe" isnt in ffdshows whitelist of applications, it wont use ffdshow when you try from GB-PVR. Viewing the ffdshow settings and adding pvrx2.exe fixes this one.

Yes, I see. When I try to render it with GraphEdit, I get "Could not construct a graph from this file", etc. etc..

I thought I installed ffdshow with the whitelist option disabled, but I'll recheck. I think I need something more than just ffdshow though, it seems like it's a source filter and/or splitter I'm missing.

Maybe it's time to give SAF a try.

[johnsonx42]

SAF does of course work for playing the .mp4 files, but it also takes over playing ALL files including DVR-MS files. I'm VERY happy with the Microsoft DTV-DVD decoder for my regular TV playback, I don't really even want to try anything else. Due to the DVR-MS bug in the GB-PVR Flow Status filter I have to select 'System Default' for the playback decoders in GB-PVR config. How can I make the Microsoft decoder the System Default again while still allowing the SAF bits to play other files?

edit: ok, I see how to do it. If I set the merit in FFDShow config to "Unlikely" and reboot, it lets the Microsoft filter play DVR-MS, but still plays .mp4 with the MPC-HC decoder. I've just been testing all of this on my desktop PC, now I'll try it on the GB-PVR box.

[johnsonx42]

Ok, that all worked. The SAF installer changed my video renderer to EVR which I can't use, but it all worked fine after putting it back to VMR9 FSE in GB-PVR Config. Audio decoding is still defaulting to FFDShow even after putting it's merit to "Unlikely", but that's OK. If I really want AC3Filter to be used I can probably just re-install it or fiddle with it's config. I'm a lot less picky about the audio decoder.

Thanks Hoborg & Sub.

[hoborg]

Ok, that all worked. The SAF installer changed my video renderer to EVR which I can't use, but it all worked fine after putting it back to VMR9 FSE in GB-PVR Config. Audio decoding is still defaulting to FFDShow even after putting it's merit to "Unlikely", but that's OK. If I really want AC3Filter to be used I can probably just re-install it or fiddle with it's config. I'm a lot less picky about the audio decoder.

Thanks Hoborg & Sub.

Can i ask what GPU do you have?

[pBS]

you just needed a splitter...
i use the mpchc mp4, flv, and mkv splitters to play all those formats no problem...
the 1.2x ver mpeg splitter for m2ts and mpeg files when gb splitter not necessary..
never had a problem playing anything yet...his splitters are top notch..

[johnsonx42]

Can i ask what GPU do you have?

I have a Radeon HD4550. It's not that EVR doesn't work, it works wonderfully. But it doesn't support any <AspectRatioMode> with a negative number, which I need in my setup.

I have a 4:3 TV, but receive lots of 16:9 HD channels; in turn those channels often broadcast a 4:3 frame pillarboxed into the 16:9 frame. Without a negative aspect ratio setting, those shows appear in a box in the middle of the screen, which looks ridiculous. Also, even most 16:9 shows here largely waste the extra area of the screen beyond the standard 4:3 frame, so there's little benefit in seeing the full 16:9 frame.