Question about .mkv files

[erndoglai]

hey guys i just found this awesome forum, I have a feeling I will be here a lot in upcoming months anyway I recently bought a Vizio 42" LED - M420VT television which has a single USB port. I've been using Western Digital's My Passport to connect it to the tv to play videos. My problem regarding .mkv files is that for some reason my tv can play the 720p mkv files but it doesn't recognize 1080p ones (although it is a 1080p television). When I try to play the 1080p files i get audio but theres a message that says "video codec not support." Anyway I was a little confused since the tv plays the 720p .mkv files... any of you with suggestions on how to remedy the situation? I'm thinking of trying to use xvid4psp and convert the mkv files to avi later today but I'm unsure if this is the best way to go about this.

[hbx2006]

Hi,

I don't own Vizio, but things like you've described can be common to some other TV brands as well (of course, you should read your TV specifications about supported formats).
How many 1080p mkv files have you tried? One, two? I ask, because it can happen you just had bad luck.. Anyway, most recent TV support mkv files which contain video stream encoded up to max L4.1 -at higher level (i.e L5.1) some TV might report "file might not be played properly" or simply refuse to play it.
Of course, there are other parameters involved as well (see your TV specs), i.e max bitrate (usually max 20Mbps) -which also depends on number of frames (ReFrames). Anyway, it's a good idea to get MediaInfo tool, which can help you to find "differences" between 720 and 1080p mkv files. And if you're lucky, sometimes it is enough to remux mkv file with propper settings and TV will play it... and it only takes three minutes.
I don't think converting mkv into another format is a good idea, because it can take a long time to re-code whole video.
And finally my personal opinion (take it or leave it): on 42 inch TV, difference between 720p and 1080p is not noticeable if watching from "normal" distance -assumed 720p was made properly.

Bogdan

[edDV]

Your Vizio manual should list supported codecs and restrictions on resolution or bit rate.

Best "remedy" is to buy a media player like the WDTV which support a wider range of codecs with fewer restrictions.