MPEG-Transport Stream (.TS) Codec problem

Get answers about sharing MediaMonkey for Windows 4 with different devices.

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MabelVanA
Posts: 33
Joined: Tue Oct 10, 2017 8:54 am

MPEG-Transport Stream (.TS) Codec problem

Post by MabelVanA »

I hope someone can help with a problem which seems to have to do with Codecs. I run MM-Gold on a Windows10 computer, where I have many video files. I want to use this computer as DNLA server, so I can play the video files on Android smartphones, via Chromecast etc. For some file types (e.g. .mp4) this works fine, but my main interest here is a collection of MPEG (.mpg) files and there I have a problem.
MM for Android shows, for one second, an error: 'Server inaccessable'. At the same time, MM on the Windows 'server' shows an errormessage 'MM can not decode this file format' and suggests to go look for the Codec. I thought this a bit odd, but purchased the Codec pack and installed it 'for all users' (no errors; MM shows it is correctly installed). But it makes no difference, the error persists.

Yet, the fact that .mp4 files play correctly proves, i.m.h.o., that it indeed has to do with Codecs - but what? Here is some additional info which may be relevant or not.
- On the Windows computer itself MM plays the .mpg files without problem. (Which suggests to me that the Codecs to read the file are installed.)
- VLC-player for Android has the same problem when using MM DNLA server. However, with VLC I can also access the shares on my windows computer directly, without a DNLA server. That way, the files play fine on my phone, suggesting that on my phone, too, the required Codecs are installed.
(But that's no solution since this way I can not 'cast' the video to my big screen, using ChromeCast, since this requires, I think, a DNLA server.)
- VLC kindly informs me of the contents of the video files, which, I think, are in a MP2 container: video and audio use MPEG 1/2; various subtitle streams use Teletext.

Since I bought and setup the whole system mainly for the purpose of playing these video's through DNLA I would be very grateful for any help.
Mabel
PS: it took me a while to get to the heart of the problem as described because of what I think may be a bug (or omission) in MM; I posted this in a reply on the posting from @eggburger d.d. dec. 30.
Lowlander
Posts: 56465
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 5:53 pm
Location: MediaMonkey 5

Re: Codec problem

Post by Lowlander »

MediaMonkey 5 can cast via Chromecast, so if your client is a Chromecast you can do this with MediaMonkey 5: viewtopic.php?f=30&t=86639&sd=d

What conversion rules have you set? MPEG2 requires a License for its use so it can be shaky on implementation (Roku used to not support this).
MabelVanA
Posts: 33
Joined: Tue Oct 10, 2017 8:54 am

Re: Codec problem

Post by MabelVanA »

@Lowlander: thanks. Yet: 1) casting is not the problem. As I described the problem occurs BEFORE that. I only mentioned it (perhaps unwisely) to clarify why I need a DNLA server instead of simply using VLC for Android. And anyway, casting works fine with MM 4.1.30.
2) A licensing problem? The last patents expired feb. 2018! And why, then, can I play these files on both my windows computer and my smartphone, provided I don't use DNLA?
Mabel
Lowlander
Posts: 56465
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 5:53 pm
Location: MediaMonkey 5

Re: Codec problem

Post by Lowlander »

MabelVanA wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 5:35 am but my main interest here is a collection of MPEG (.mpg) files and there I have a problem.
MM for Android shows, for one second, an error: 'Server inaccessable'. At the same time, MM on the Windows 'server' shows an errormessage 'MM can not decode this file format' and suggests to go look for the Codec
Indicates you're using DLNA via UPnP in MMA.

I'd try it with the free K-Lite Codec Pack on Windows.
MabelVanA
Posts: 33
Joined: Tue Oct 10, 2017 8:54 am

Re: Codec problem

Post by MabelVanA »

Thanks @Lowlander, but K-Lite Codec Pack is already installed.

Meanwhile, I got quite a bit further with the above problem; it now seems an oddity specific to MM in combination with MPEG2.
The files orignally had the extension .ts (from Transport Stream). As several players, including MM, fail to recognise this extension as a video format I renamed many files to .mpg. Now these players, again including MM, play them OK.
However, DNLA servers seem to balk at this change. In order to shed some light on my problem, I installed another DNLA server (Plex). With the renamed files, it had a problem similar to MM. However, Plex DOES recognise the extension .ts so I renamed some of the problem files back to .ts. Plex now streams these files OK; on my Android phones I can play them with both VLC and MM (!).
It's a bit convoluted, but I guess what it comes down to is simply that MM fails to see the extension .ts as a valid video format. It can play the files, but ony 'sees' them when they are renamed to .mpg, but this then is unacceptable to the DNLA server.

I could continue to use Plex, but for many reasons I would much prefer MM. Furthermore, Plex doesn't solve my next step: casting to Chromecast; there it does a lousy job with these MPEG2 files.
Mabel
Lowlander
Posts: 56465
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 5:53 pm
Location: MediaMonkey 5

Re: Codec problem

Post by Lowlander »

MediaMonkey doesn't support TS, although TS uses MPEG2 (it also can use other codecs) it is different from other MPEG2 encoded files (like MPG or MKV). There are no short term plans to add support for this ATM. Even it is documented in out To-Do.

So if you want to work with these files you'd need to convert them.

Plex can work with TS as it works with TV Tuners for Live TV which also use the TS format.
MabelVanA
Posts: 33
Joined: Tue Oct 10, 2017 8:54 am

Re: Codec problem

Post by MabelVanA »

Well, that's disappointing but very clear; thanx a lot, Lowlander.
Mabel
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