Any idea why I can't direct play this file?

General Discussions
1

I have a 65’’ samsung KS 8500 HDR TV. I have a few HDR files that play just fine using the Plex Samsung smart TV app. Can anyone take a look at the file type and log to see why this file won’t play/is transcoding? My server isn’t fast enough to transcode the file. I can put the file on a USB thumb drive, plug it directly into the TV and play it on the TV just fine so I’m not sure where the issue is coming from. I start playing the file at about 15:07 in the log file.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/45912536/Plex%20Media%20Server.log

``Format : Matroska
Format version : Version 4 / Version 2
File size : 14.3 GiB
Duration : 58 min 35 s
Overall bit rate : 34.9 Mb/s
Encoded date : UTC 2017-04-09 02:30:46
Writing application : mkvmerge v10.0.0 (‘To Drown In You’) 64bit
Writing library : libebml v1.3.4 + libmatroska v1.4.5

Video
ID : 1
Format : HEVC
Format/Info : High Efficiency Video Coding
Format profile : Main 10@L5@High
Codec ID : V_MPEGH/ISO/HEVC
Duration : 50 min 49 s
Bit rate : 29.4 Mb/s
Width : 3 840 pixels
Height : 2 160 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 25.000 FPS
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0 (Type 2)
Bit depth : 10 bits
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.142
Stream size : 10.4 GiB (73%)
Writing library : x265 2.3+23-97435a0870be:[Windows][GCC 6.3.0][64 bit] 10bit
Encoding settings : cpuid=1173503 / frame-threads=3 / numa-pools=12 / wpp / no-pmode / no-pme / no-psnr / no-ssim / log-level=2 / input-csp=1 / input-res=3840x2160 / interlace=0 / total-frames=0 / level-idc=0 / high-tier=1 / uhd-bd=0 / ref=1 / no-allow-non-conformance / repeat-headers / annexb / aud / hrd / info / hash=0 / no-temporal-layers / open-gop / min-keyint=25 / keyint=250 / bframes=3 / b-adapt=2 / b-pyramid / bframe-bias=0 / rc-lookahead=40 / lookahead-slices=0 / scenecut=40 / no-intra-refresh / ctu=32 / min-cu-size=8 / no-rect / no-amp / max-tu-size=32 / tu-inter-depth=1 / tu-intra-depth=1 / limit-tu=0 / rdoq-level=2 / dynamic-rd=0.00 / signhide / no-tskip / nr-intra=0 / nr-inter=0 / no-constrained-intra / strong-intra-smoothing / max-merge=2 / limit-refs=0 / no-limit-modes / me=2 / subme=7 / merange=57 / temporal-mvp / weightp / weightb / no-analyze-src-pics / no-deblock / no-sao / no-sao-non-deblock / rd=6 / no-early-skip / no-rskip / fast-intra / no-tskip-fast / no-cu-lossless / no-b-intra / rdpenalty=0 / psy-rd=3.00 / psy-rdoq=6.00 / no-rd-refine / analysis-mode=0 / no-lossless / cbqpoffs=0 / crqpoffs=0 / rc=crf / crf=21.0 / qcomp=0.80 / qpstep=1 / stats-write=0 / stats-read=0 / vbv-maxrate=100000 / vbv-bufsize=100000 / vbv-init=0.9 / crf-max=0.0 / crf-min=0.0 / ipratio=1.10 / pbratio=1.00 / aq-mode=3 / aq-strength=1.00 / no-cutree / zone-count=0 / no-strict-cbr / qg-size=32 / no-rc-grain / qpmax=51 / qpmin=0 / sar=0 / overscan=0 / videoformat=5 / range=0 / colorprim=9 / transfer=16 / colormatrix=9 / chromaloc=1 / chromaloc-top=2 / chromaloc-bottom=2 / display-window=0 / max-cll=0,0 / min-luma=0 / max-luma=1023 / log2-max-poc-lsb=8 / vui-timing-info / vui-hrd-info / slices=1 / opt-qp-pps / opt-ref-list-length-pps / no-multi-pass-opt-rps / scenecut-bias=0.05 / no-opt-cu-delta-qp / no-aq-motion / no-hdr / no-hdr-opt / refine-level=5
Language : English
Default : Yes
Forced : No
Color range : Limited
Color primaries : BT.2020
Transfer characteristics : SMPTE ST 2084
Matrix coefficients : BT.2020 non-constant

Audio #1
ID : 2
Format : DTS
Format/Info : Digital Theater Systems
Format profile : MA / Core
Mode : 16
Format settings, Endianness : Big
Codec ID : A_DTS
Duration : 50 min 49 s
Bit rate mode : Variable / Constant
Bit rate : 3 320 kb/s / 1 509 kb/s
Channel(s) : 6 channels
Channel positions : Front: L C R, Side: L R, LFE
Sampling rate : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate : 93.750 FPS (512 spf)
Bit depth : 24 bits
Compression mode : Lossless / Lossy
Stream size : 1.18 GiB (8%)
Title : DTS-HD MA 5.1 @ 3320 kbps - Blu-ray GER
Language : English
Default : Yes
Forced : No``

2

Convert that MKV file to an MP4 and it should play back. All that is needed is a REMUX/REPACKAGE so there will not be a loss of quality. Your computer can do this remux about as fast as it can read/write the file so it’s not a lengthy process after you figure out how to do it.

MKV isn’t a streaming format and Samsung’s have trouble with them often enough.

Now keep in mind HVEC playback requires a client that can decode it or the SERVER will have to transcode it. So even converted to an MP4 it could cause you a problem on another device if it doesn’t support HVEC.

You can check my sig for scripts that will do this type of conversion if you have a lot of them but at least to test I’d recommend http://www.xmedia-recode.de/en/index.html

It should make sense after you play with it for a few minutes. In a nutshell you want to create an MP4 and COPY the video track. You can change the audio tracks (eg add an AAC track), copy all of them or just the ones in your language etc.

3

The audio format is probably causing the issue, DTS-HD MA.
I don’t believe DTS-HD MA is support in DIRECTPLAY according to the support docs,

See: https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/203810286-What-media-formats-are-supported-

4

Or if you want something that just makes it as easy as falling off your bike:
http://www.xmedia-recode.de/en/download.html

Container - MP4
Copy Video
Copy Audio - or change to suitable format.

30 seconds, done.

Note: If you’re going to subject yourself to the pain and suffering of HEVC - you’re going to need some tools. Xmedia Recode is a good one.

5

sorry my issue was that i had dts turned off on the client, i turned that back on and the files play fine now but thanks for the resources, i can still use those.