MKVs and subtitles freezing problem

[lylewaggoner]

I have a weird issue when I try to play files in MKV containers that DON'T have subtitles embedded in WMP11. The audio plays, but after a few seconds, the video freezes, and remains frozen. I can move through the seek bar to different points in the video, and an updated image will be shown, but the video image still remains frozen while the audio continues to play as it should.

Here's the strange part - MKVs WITH embedded subtitles play as normal. This appears to be the only difference between the files that will play, and those that won't.

I don't have VSfilter installed, as it interferes with my ability to use hardware acceleration with HD content. But when I've had it installed, I find that the files WITHOUT subtitles would not play unless I had Haali Media Splitter autoload VSfilter. What's up with that? I can see why they might not play if there WERE subtitles, but why would not loading VSfilter cause a problem for MKVs WITHOUT them?

Any help would be much appreciated. Cheers!

[lylewaggoner]

Update:

Upon demuxing these problem files and remuxing into a mp4 with Yamb, I have found that the problem still exists. I believe that the Haali splitter is what enables playback of mp4s and mkvs in WMP11.

I'd just load vsfilter anyway, but it'd break my hardware acceleration with HD content, as I can't have any additional filters processing my files other than the cyberlink decoder. But it seems a strange requirement of the splitter for it to be able to play a file that doesn't need vsfilter anyway.

I can't understand why Haali requires autoloading of vsfilter for these formats to play in Windows Media Player, regardless of whether they have subtitles or not. Does anybody know a workaround, or an alternative to Haali to play this content?

[guns1inger]

My workaround is to avoid using Windows Media Player at every opportunity, and to use either VLC or The KM Player instead. Avoids most of these issues.

[lylewaggoner]

After a week or so's research, I found that the issue was related to hardware acceleration itself. The reason that vsfilter enabled the files was to play was precisely BECAUSE it broke the DXVA via my ATI4850. Whenever subtitles were loaded (and vsfilter autoloaded), it turned the DXVA off and the files (both MP4 and MKV as it happens, the container was irrelevant) had no issues in software decoding mode. So Haali and vsfilter were not to blame for this problem.

This likely means that the files that weren't playing weren't compliant enough with (ATI?) standards to use video acceleration. It appears the Cyberlink decoder isn't very fault tolerant, and therefore the file hangs if DXVA is selected in the decoder's properties. Using Media Player Classic (Home Cinema)'s native decoders for HD material, the files played, but the decoder's error tolerance merely switched DXVA off on the fly, regardless of manual setting.

For the record, using WMP11 with the Cyberlink decoder's DXVA checkbox OFF also allowed the files to play error-free.

(I am using the terms hardware acceleration, video acceleration and DXVA interchangeably, it may not be the done thing for all I know.)

Anyhow, this is out there for anybody experiencing a similar error that happens upon this thread after a google search.