I have a Synology NAS an HTPC and a desktop PC. I used to use Windows 7 with Media Center, My Movies etc., and changed to Plex when Windows 10 came out and MS killed off WMC.
I know that Plex uses a streaming model rather than a player. I converted all my Blu ray ISOs into MKV and regardless of which server I use NAS HTPC or desktop it playback always stutters.
Under the FAQs I found the Direct Play Video Support with the spec for MP4 H264 AAC et al.
My questions: using Handbrake or XMedia recode takes approx the same time as the movie runs–having about 600 + movies that’s a huge process. Secondly using Lat of the Mohicans as an example the MKV file is 32.9 Gb the MP4 5.1 Gb–will I still get the same quality on my 46 inch 1080P TV? And the same multi channel high def sound?
If MP4 is the best way to go should I still keep the MKV files? Which is the preferred software for BD or DVD to MKV and MKV to MP4 or is there a route from disk to MP4?
VLC plays the MKV files flawlessly . . .
Looking forward to some enlightening help. Thanks
Check the scripts in my SIG to do video conversions. If you have QuickSync or Nvidia video card they can use hardware encoding which is a lot faster.
The scripts are automated and will look at the source files to figure out what needs to be done. Every video can be different. For your ISO/MKV they will take a bit to process but will give you quality that is very hard to tell from the original (if you can even tell the difference). It can save your audio tracks plus create stereo tracks if needed.
This will give you files that can be played on just about every device as long as the device isn’t bitrate constrained. If the file still needs to be transcoded by the server it will be much easier (less cpu) with the converted MP4 vs your MKV/ISO hybrids.
PS: MKV is a storage container and not a streaming container. Plex has done what it can to stream MKVs whenever possible but it’s not the same as using a container designed for progressive downloads and streaming along with using CODECs the device can play/use.
Isn’t the key usually to use h264 as the codec in an mp4? For me, and I’m less sophisticated than either of you I think, it took a while for me to understand that an mp4 can have a variety of codecs within it. I used to just think mp4 should also work, but it sometimes doesn’t, so you need mp4 and h264. What other variables are there that I don’t know about.
Carlo
Thx for your help–I’m following your Convert process and have slavishly followed the steps but keep getting an error related to “manual.py” –
Any ideas please??
So if the run.bat says “c:\Python27\python manual.py -a -i c:\convert\process” how should it read?
c:\Python27\python c:\Python27\python\manual.py -a -i c:\convert\process??
@pjuk - I am not sure as I don’t have the batch file in front me of, but if you are in the c:\python27\ directory, do don’t need the paths. But it looks like you initially ran the batch file from c:\windows\system32. Start your powershell/command prompt and then cd \Python27. Then run the batch file from there. Also, if running as admin prompts such that you have to put in a new username/password, that user will need to be able to access the share as well.
