Why aren't video files showing on receiver?

[Aldbaran]

My Dad just got a Denon AVR-S510BT receiver to go along with his new TV and the receiver has a USB port on the front of it that's supposed to allow the playback of video and audio files. I plugged in a flash drive that contains both, but only the audio files were displayed. The video files I have are the type the instructions say is playable. They are MP4. So why don't they show up?

Here's a link to what I've found on the web. http://manuals.denon.com/AVRS510BT/NA/EN/GFNFSYrovixdpl.php#OKNRMLsfunuztm

I would like to write to Denon and ask them about it, but they don't provide an email address for customers to write to them.

[jagabo]

As far as I can see he manual only claims to play audio files, not video.

http://manuals.denon.com/AVRS510BT/NA/EN/GFNFSYkxqlluoz.php#WBSPMLvzyovshv

[johnmeyer]

I have a high-end Denon receiver that is several years old. While it can do all sorts of things with video that comes in through HDMI, component, and composite inputs, it cannot pass through video files residing on USB devices. I didn't read the manual that jagabo posted, but I'm sure it says the same thing.

[lingyi]

My Dad just got a Denon AVR-S510BT receiver to go along with his new TV and the receiver has a USB port on the front of it that's supposed to allow the playback of video and audio files. I plugged in a flash drive that contains both, but only the audio files were displayed. The video files I have are the type the instructions say is playable. They are MP4. So why don't they show up?

Here's a link to what I've found on the web. http://manuals.denon.com/AVRS510BT/NA/EN/GFNFSYrovixdpl.php#OKNRMLsfunuztm

I would like to write to Denon and ask them about it, but they don't provide an email address for customers to write to them.

You’re making a common error thinking that MPEG-4 and MP4 are the same. They’re not. MPEG4-4 is a A/V codec and .MP4 is a A/V container.

MPEG-4 AAC (listed in the manual) is an audio only specification of the MPEG-4 codec. If you click the link on the page you pointed to, it specifies that the required extension for MPEG-4 AAC is .AAC or .M4A (both audio only files).

Also be aware that since .MP4 is an A/V container, it can contain other types of video and audio that may not be compatible with your particular playback device.

[johnmeyer]

Your problem has nothing to do with the video format (h.264, MP4, MPEG-4, and a hundred others), although that IS often an issue. Your problem is simply that the Denon does not pass through files on a USB stick to the TV set, even though it DOES pass through video from those other sources I mentioned in my previous post.

However, all is not lost. I am 99% certain that your TV, if it is less than eight years old, will have USB ports and that you can plug your USB device into the TV and play video files from it. To play the sound from these video files, you'll need to run an audio cable FROM the TV back to the receiver. I just helped a friend last week do this exact thing, and it was also to a Denon receiver. I had him run an optical audio cable from the "audio out" on the TV set to one of the optical "audio in" connectors on the back panel of the Denon.

This audio backchannel from the TV set is actually a very important connections because it will let you listen on your Denon system to the audio from any video that originates inside the TV. For modern TVs this includes not only the USB devices you connect to the TV but also any Internet services the TV can "tune" (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, etc.) and, or course, OTA TV (i.e., television from a traditional TV aerial). My TV set does a lousy job dealing with Internet services so I use my son's old Xbox 360 for those, but I do watch OTA TV all the time (best picture you can get, much better than cable or satellite or Uverse), and I often watch video on USB sticks.

[Aldbaran]

My Dad just got a Denon AVR-S510BT receiver to go along with his new TV and the receiver has a USB port on the front of it that's supposed to allow the playback of video and audio files. I plugged in a flash drive that contains both, but only the audio files were displayed. The video files I have are the type the instructions say is playable. They are MP4. So why don't they show up?

Here's a link to what I've found on the web. http://manuals.denon.com/AVRS510BT/NA/EN/GFNFSYrovixdpl.php#OKNRMLsfunuztm

I would like to write to Denon and ask them about it, but they don't provide an email address for customers to write to them.

You’re making a common error thinking that MPEG-4 and MP4 are the same. They’re not. MPEG4-4 is a A/V codec and .MP4 is a A/V container.

MPEG-4 AAC (listed in the manual) is an audio only specification of the MPEG-4 codec. If you click the link on the page you pointed to, it specifies that the required extension for MPEG-4 AAC is .AAC or .M4A (both audio only files).

Also be aware that since .MP4 is an A/V container, it can contain other types of video and audio that may not be compatible with your particular playback device.

I guess you're right. I thought MP4 was just a simpler way to say Mpeg-4. I'm not all that knowledgeable about the different formats. Well, I'm still able to plug the USB stick into the back of the TV. The only difference is that I then have to turn the TV volume on in order to get audio, or otherwise buy and connect a separate audio cable as Johnmeyer suggested in his post. I'm kind of surprised that a modern receiver that has 4K video pass-through doesn't even have the ability to pass though video from its USB port.

[jagabo]

I'm kind of surprised that a modern receiver that has 4K video pass-through doesn't even have the ability to pass though video from its USB port.

The audio and video aren't "passed through." There is a media player inside the unit. It recognizes audio/video files, knows how parse and decompress them, then sends the decompressed audio and video to the speakers/TV. In your case the media player only handles audio files.

Being able to play video requires license fees for the video codecs. And leads to much higher support costs since there are so many variations of containers, codecs, muxing methods, etc.

[johnmeyer]

Jagabo is, as always, correct. My post was misleading when I used the term "pass through" for what happens to the video files on the USB stick when plugged into a Denon receiver. Instead, as jagabo says, those files require software to decode and play them, and that software, along with the licenses, must be purchased and installed inside the receiver, adding cost. I'm sure some receivers probably have that capability. If you ever want to upgrade to a new receiver, you could research this over at the AVS Forum.

[Aldbaran]

Jagabo is, as always, correct. My post was misleading when I used the term "pass through" for what happens to the video files on the USB stick when plugged into a Denon receiver. Instead, as jagabo says, those files require software to decode and play them, and that software, along with the licenses, must be purchased and installed inside the receiver, adding cost. I'm sure some receivers probably have that capability. If you ever want to upgrade to a new receiver, you could research this over at the AVS Forum.

Actually, this one is an upgrade. It's actually my dad's, and he just bought this one about 2 weeks ago after buying his first flat screen TV, which necessitated buying a new receiver. His previous TV and receiver were from at least 20 years ago. We're both still learning how to use this newer setup, with me being the one to do the online research.

I guess I'll just accept not being able to use the receiver for playing videos through, and just plug it into the TV.

[johnmeyer]

I guess I'll just accept not being able to use the receiver for playing videos through, and just plug it into the TV.

If you follow my advice about installing an audio cable from the TV to the Denon receiver, it actually will make zero difference that you plug the stick into the TV.

BTW, if you have other things plugged into your home theater setup, they too may be able to play the video from your USB stick. For instance, years ago my son left behind his XBox 360 and never needed it again. I don't play games, but it does a great job "tuning in" Netflix, etc. More to the point of this post, it will play video on a USB stick that you insert into the XBox' front-panel USB port.

I can also play video from my computer, which I attach via its Displayport connection which attaches to the TV's (or Denon's) HDMI input.

[jagabo]

If you're using an HDMI cable to connect the receiver to the TV you may be able to use HDMI's audio return channel feature:

http://www.hdmi.org/manufacturer/hdmi_1_4/arc.aspx

You may have to enable it on the TV and/or receiver.

[johnmeyer]

If you're using an HDMI cable to connect the receiver to the TV you may be able to use HDMI's audio return channel feature:

http://www.hdmi.org/manufacturer/hdmi_1_4/arc.aspx

You may have to enable it on the TV and/or receiver.

I completely forgot about that. I didn't even know it existed until I helped a neighbor with her home theater setup last year. it is (to me) a rather obscure, but very useful feature.

[Aldbaran]

If you're using an HDMI cable to connect the receiver to the TV you may be able to use HDMI's audio return channel feature:

http://www.hdmi.org/manufacturer/hdmi_1_4/arc.aspx

You may have to enable it on the TV and/or receiver.

I don't remember my Dad's TV having an HDMI port called 1.4, but I'll look for it when I see him tomorrow. Otherwise, it looks like I'll just have to buy another cable to do what Johnmeyer suggested. My Dad's TV is only a couple weeks old, same as the receiver.

[usually_quiet]

If you're using an HDMI cable to connect the receiver to the TV you may be able to use HDMI's audio return channel feature:

http://www.hdmi.org/manufacturer/hdmi_1_4/arc.aspx

You may have to enable it on the TV and/or receiver.

I don't remember my Dad's TV having an HDMI port called 1.4, but I'll look for it when I see him tomorrow. Otherwise, it looks like I'll just have to buy another cable to do what Johnmeyer suggested. My Dad's TV is only a couple weeks old, same as the receiver.

Most new TVs include ARC as a feature, but ARC might only be available on one HDMI port. You should look at the TV's manual to find out which of the HDMI ports supports it.

[Aldbaran]

If you're using an HDMI cable to connect the receiver to the TV you may be able to use HDMI's audio return channel feature:

http://www.hdmi.org/manufacturer/hdmi_1_4/arc.aspx

You may have to enable it on the TV and/or receiver.

I don't remember my Dad's TV having an HDMI port called 1.4, but I'll look for it when I see him tomorrow. Otherwise, it looks like I'll just have to buy another cable to do what Johnmeyer suggested. My Dad's TV is only a couple weeks old, same as the receiver.

Most new TVs include ARC as a feature, but ARC might only be available on one HDMI port. You should look at the TV's manual to find out which of the HDMI ports supports it.

Actually, I think I remember seeing ARC mentioned somewhere in the TV's menus. I never knew what it meant. I didn't realize it meant Audio Return Channel. I'll take another look at it.

[johnmeyer]

I think you may find using a separate cable will make the setup and the control (i.e., switching between different sources) somewhat easier. The return HDMI is really clever, but in my one experience with it, the client ended up somewhat confused by what to do when she wanted to play that source.

[Aldbaran]

I think you may find using a separate cable will make the setup and the control (i.e., switching between different sources) somewhat easier. The return HDMI is really clever, but in my one experience with it, the client ended up somewhat confused by what to do when she wanted to play that source.

Well, I went to my Dad's place last night and did what I could. There was one port named HDMI 3/ARC, but that doesn't help me because I was looking for a USB port to have that feature. His HDMI sources already hook up to the receiver directly and make the sound come out the receiver's speakers. Is there a way to reassign which port the ARC feature is on so that it would work with a USB port? Or is there some way of connecting a USB drive to an HDMI port?

Also, we came across a defect on the receiver. My dad wants to hook up a VCR he has to one of the analog inputs, which there are 2 of. One is labeled "cable/satellite" and the other one is called "Media Player". He has a Playstation 2 connected to the Media Player input. When I connected the VCR to the other one, we could get video, but no audio. Then I tried switching the inputs by connecting the PS2 to the cable/satellite input and the VCR to the Media Player input. The VCR now put out video and audio but the PS2 no longer did. So it looks like we have a faulty audio analog output. Do you know of any way to fix this without shipping it out of state to a Denon service center? We shouldn't have to do that for something that's only 3 weeks old--bought brand new.

[usually_quiet]

Well, I went to my Dad's place last night and did what I could. There was one port named HDMI 3/ARC, but that doesn't help me because I was looking for a USB port to have that feature. His HDMI sources already hook up to the receiver directly and make the sound come out the receiver's speakers. Is there a way to reassign which port the ARC feature is on so that it would work with a USB port? Or is there some way of connecting a USB drive to an HDMI port?

ARC is a feature that is restricted to HDMI.

[Aldbaran]

Well, I went to my Dad's place last night and did what I could. There was one port named HDMI 3/ARC, but that doesn't help me because I was looking for a USB port to have that feature. His HDMI sources already hook up to the receiver directly and make the sound come out the receiver's speakers. Is there a way to reassign which port the ARC feature is on so that it would work with a USB port? Or is there some way of connecting a USB drive to an HDMI port?

ARC is a feature that is restricted to HDMI.

Is there a way of connecting a USB device, such as a flashdrive, to an HDMI port? Maybe some sort of adapter to allow that?

[Cornucopia]

No

[jagabo]

Yes, use a media player with USB input.

https://www.amazon.com/Streaming-Media-Players/b/ref=sv_e_tvvid_3?ie=UTF8&node=13447451

[johnmeyer]

USB # HDMI

They are totally different, and you cannot connect one to the other.

[Aldbaran]

USB # HDMI

They are totally different, and you cannot connect one to the other.

Ok, well I guess I have an alternative idea since nothing I've tried so far has worked. Since my USB drive won't play videos through the receiver, and the ARC-enabled port on the TV is not able to be used with my USB drive, then is there a way I could connect an Android smartphone to the receiver's USB drive to play videos? I tried connecting it that way last night and the message of "Not Comapatible" appeared on the receiver's display. I also tried connecting the smartphone to the TV's USB port and attempted to use what they call Screen Mirroring, but the instructions didn't match with the options on the phone, so I couldn't get that to work either. What I was hoping to do was use the smartphone as the player and then channel the audio through the receiver from that instead of a USB flash drive.

Also, I intend to try your suggestion of using an audio cable from the TV to the receiver, but the one I currently have only fits into the TV's audio-out port, but not the receiver's input. It seems that they have ports of 2 different sizes while the plugs on my audio cable are both the same.

[johnmeyer]

As already pointed out by others, the problem is that your receiver does not have a video media player built in and therefore is unlikely to play video no matter what the connection. I think you need to go back and re-read some of the posts earlier in this thread and let them sink in. To say it again:

Your receiver does not play video files. It can switch from one video source to another, and then pass through video generated by these external sources, like your DVR, Blu-Ray/DVD player, etc., but it cannot read, decode, and play a video file from a memory stick, your cell phone, a disk drive, or any other device because it does not have a video media player built into its software. So, you can try all sorts of different ports, different ways of connecting things, etc., but it won't give you what you want. You have already been given lots of ways to do what you want: all you have to do is make the connection to your TV set, to your Blu-Ray player (it probably has a USB port, and possibly Airplay or Bluetooth); your game box; or your TV media player (e.g., a Roku).

However, your receiver should be able to to play audio (not video) from a cell phone, because an audio media player is built in. The typical way to do this is to use Airplay or Bluetooth. Your receiver probably supports one or both.

[usually_quiet]

@Aldbaran I'm not sure that you understand how the HDMI(ARC) port is supposed to work.

Digital audio from the TV's tuner, the TV's built-in USB media player (if there is one), and smart TV apps are transmitted to the audio receiver via the HDMI(ARC) port. ...and if someone is using their audio receiver as an HDMI hub connected to multiple devices (Blu-ray player, satellite receiver, game console, cable box, etc.), HDMI(ARC) also allows digital video from the devices connected to the audio receiver to be transmitted from the audio receiver to the TV.

Just connect the Denon's "Monitor" HDMI port to the TV's HDMI(ARC) port. Enable ARC on the TV. If the TV has a media player built-in (most 4K TVs will have one), plug the USB drive into one of the TV's USB ports that works with the TV media player. Select the USB port from the TV's source menu and play the file. Voila.

[Aldbaran]

As already pointed out by others, the problem is that your receiver does not have a video media player built in and therefore is unlikely to play video no matter what the connection. I think you need to go back and re-read some of the posts earlier in this thread and let them sink in. To say it again:

Your receiver does not play video files. It can pass through video generated by external boxes, like your DVR, Blu-Ray/DVD player, etc., but it cannot read, decode, and play a video file from a memory stick, your cell phone, a disk drive, or any other device because it does not have a video media player built into its software. So, you can try all sorts of different ports, different ways of connecting things, etc., but it won't give you what you want. You have already been given lots of ways to do what you want: all you have to do is make the connection to your TV set, to your Blu-Ray player (it probably has a USB port, and possibly Airplay or Bluetooth); your game box; or your TV media player (e.g., a Roku).

However, your receiver should be able to to play audio (not video) from a cell phone, because an audio media player is built in. The typical way to do this is to use Airplay or Bluetooth. Your receiver probably supports one or both.

The reason I thought it would work with a smartphone is because a smartphone does have a built-in video player. That's why I thought the receiver would be able to pass it through as you said.
As for the other ideas, I don't have a blue ray player, TV media player or DVR or game player. All I have access to now is the TV and receiver.

[johnmeyer]

The reason I thought it would work with a smartphone is because a smartphone does have a built-in video player. That's why I thought the receiver would be able to pass it through as you said.

I guess it is possible that the phone would stream the video, rather than simply send the file. If so, perhaps it could work. Try making a Bluetooth connection and see what choices you get.

However, I just searched your manual for the word "Bluetooth" and while your receiver does have that capability, it sounds like it does exactly what most other receivers do via Bluetooth: it lets you stream audio; and it lets you use your phone as an advanced remote control.

[Aldbaran]

[QUOTE=johnmeyer;2489498]

The reason I thought it would work with a smartphone is because a smartphone does have a built-in video player. That's why I thought the receiver would be able to pass it through as you said.

I guess it is possible that the phone would stream the video, rather than simply send the file. If so, perhaps it could work. Try making a Bluetooth connection and see what choices you get.

However, I just searched your manual for the word "Bluetooth" and while your receiver does have that capability, it sounds like it does exactly what most other receivers do via Bluetooth: it lets you stream audio; and it lets you use your phone as an advanced remote control.

I forgot to mention before that I also tried connecting with Bluetooth to see what would happen. It took quite a few tries before I was able to pair them. I couldn't tell what I had accomplished after I succeeded. I didn't see any new options appear on the TV, receiver, or phone. I've never done anything with Bluetooth before, so there's probably more to it that I'm not familiar with.

[usually_quiet]

As for the other ideas, I don't have a blue ray player, TV media player or DVR or game player. All I have access to now is the TV and receiver.

You never mentioned the 4K TV's make and model. Just for fun, I'd like to check to see what functions the TV's USB ports provide.

[Aldbaran]

As for the other ideas, I don't have a blue ray player, TV media player or DVR or game player. All I have access to now is the TV and receiver.

You never mentioned the 4K TV's make and model. Just for fun, I'd like to check to see what functions the TV's USB ports provide.

Oh yeah, it's a Sony XBR-55X700D
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/sony-55-class-54-6-diag--led-2160p-smart-4k-ultra-hd-tv-bl...?skuId=4804403

One problem I keep having with it when trying to use a flash drive in a USB port is that the only time I can access it is right after I plug it in. That's when it appears on the screen and gives me options on what to do next. If I go to something else, or hit the "back" button on the remote, then I lose access to the flash drive's contents. Even when I press the "Input" button on the remote, I don't get to choose any of the USB ports. It only shows me the HDMI ports. So then when I want to access the contents of the flash drive again, I have to pull the drive out of the USB port and then plug it back in again to make it reappear on the screen.