MKV on Popcorn Hour

[qweh00]

Hi there,

I recently started converting BluRays, and used BDtoAVCHD, which worked quite alright, but is -after years- still not capable to do more than one language/subtitle.

So I found VidCoder, which is awesome, but it seems to have a flaw for me: the created mkv's will not play on my Popcorn Hour A110. I know, the device is a bit old, but just until now it did all it had to do. I looked at the BDtoAVCHD and VidCoder mkvs in MediaInfo, fiddled around with the video settings until they were the same, but to no avail. The only difference I can now see that is left is the toolset that creates/muxes(?) the mkv.

In BDtoAVCHD I see
Writing application: mkvmerge v7.4.0 ('Circles') 32bit built on Dec 12 2014 12:10:09
Writing library: libebml v1.3.0 + libmatroska v1.4.1

In VidCoder I see
Writing application: HandBrake 6548svn 2014112401
Writing library: Lavf55.12.0

Could this be the reason for the mkv file not mounting correctly? So I went and ran the VidCoder mkv through mkvtoolnix, with no modifications, just to have it remuxed.
Now it mounts, but the subtitles won't play...

Any ideas (except for buying another device)?

[transporterfan]

Try MakeMKV...beta key on their main site (forum).

[netmask56]

I have a C200 and it handles all subs extremely well. Suggest you post on the Popcorn forum for more user suggestions http://www.networkedmediatank.com/index.php

[qweh00]

No results at the forum, netmask56

Anyone else with ideas? MakeMKV is not a valid option, as it doesn't recompress the movie, which I actually wanted to do...

[qweh00]

Oh, digging a bit more into forums, I might have found something, and it seesm to have been around for a while. It has to do with matroska header compression:

http://www.patriotmemory.com/forums/showthread.php?4948-Latest-firmware-and-problems-w...KV-files/page2
http://www.networkedmediatank.com/showthread.php?tid=71369&highlight=matroska+a-110
http://www.makemkv.com/forum2/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2285#p9560

[Baldrick]

So does vidcoder (handbrake) create mkvs with header compression?

[johns0]

So does vidcoder (handbrake) create mkvs with header compression?

I've been using both programs for years and neither produce header compression for me.Easy way to see if the header compression is there is load it into tsmuxer gui,if it's there then tsmuxer will have a semi crash.

[netmask56]

Run the file through mkvmergegui and turn off compression on all tracks. See if that fixes the problem.

[qweh00]

Had a nice chat with a few guys on the Handbrake IRC channel. Basically, it must have been the switch from libmkv to libavformat (from 0.9.9 to 0.10).

(https://trac.handbrake.fr/milestone/HandBrake%200.10)

Edit: just for the record: I will now dump my "old" Popcorn Hour A-110, just bought an Intel NUC, will deploy OpenELEC on it.

[DJ_ValBec]

As @ transporterfan say:

Try MakeMKV to rip your BR as mkv 1:1 into you HDD ...then you go from there.

- Direct rip/compression can create errors & other issues.

Just my $0.02