MKV compatibillity issues?

[therock003]

I am using a program for PS3 gaming consoles to view video files on my TV, and i would like to know which such options would trigger compatibility issues when played back from that program? For example with divx/xvid it used to be b-frames and packed bitstream the most common, what about h264/x264? I've heard of header compression causing issues, and i have one file in particular that does not play correctly. Cant hear the any Audio, and seeking is messed up. There's no header removal though enabled for this file and i would like to able to check for this and future files is they are right to be played back.

[smitbret]

Are you using DLNA media serving software? What software are you using? Are you transcoding or asking what file types stream natively to the PS3? The PS3 does not support .mkv at all. If you are getting it to play back, then your software is transcoding it.

I just ask, because there are so many different options and combinations out there, that it's hard to tell you exactly. The following is a list of problems that the PS3 will have without transcoding:

Quicktime encoded .mp4 files
.mkv files
Anything AVC/h264 that is higher than L4.1
More than 4 reference frames
VC-1 video streams in anything but a .wmv container

In general, it will play most any .avi, .mpg and .vob file. Being a BR Player, it is especially fond of .m2ts containers with AVC/h264 video and an .ac3 audio.

[therock003]

PS3 now allows for software to be installed from within, and there is this one called showtime than can run all kinds of files, mkv include directly eliminating the needs of transcoding and serving the files from PC.

I have already and successfully played back like 20 Full HD files, and for the moment there is only this one file that causes troubles. It should be lower than L4.1 but dunno about the reference frames. IS there anything further i could check for, or any additional guidelines of what could be wrong with said file?

[therock003]

UPDATE: Said file has 5 ref framees, could that be it?

[smitbret]

UPDATE: Said file has 5 ref framees, could that be it?

I'm not familiar with the software, but when I have tried to playback files with more than 4 reference frames, I am greeted by audio with a black screen. I would put money on that.

[smitbret]

I had never heard of this Showtime software, so I have no way of predicting how it behaves. I would be interested in trying it, though. The documentation states that it supports resolutions up to 1080i, but not 1080p? Is that correct?

[therock003]

No it handles 1080p files as well. BTW i have the exact opposite problem video is there but no audio is being heard. ANd BTW this file is 720p which i read can handle a maximum of 9 reference frames.

If you have PS3 and you are on a custom firmare (CFW 3.55) you could try this for yourself. Since i dont have a standalone player, this has suited my needs for this last months i've been using it.

[therock003]

I also got my hands on a couple of L5.1 files and when i play them back i got an error message also notifying me tht it is forcing 4.2 playback! First file was 720p so i got video but the other file was 1080p and forcing it to 4.2 gave black screen with only audio....

Why are these things happening? PS3 is like Quad-Core 3.2G Processing Power. Why should it have problems decoding high profiles and more than 4 ref frames?