MKV H264 AC3 won't Direct Play on Roku Through Plex

[Jessel723]

Hey guys so i have been re-encoding all of my movies and tv shows so that they will direct play on my Roku 3 through Plex. I have the latest version of the plex server and use the plex preview for Roku. The movies that i had that were in 2 channel i encoded to MP4 files. I did some research and found out that MKV H264 Ac3 audio will direct play on the roku. I even tried some movies that were encoded by others in this format and they played great. Using wonder share video converter ultimate i encoded 190 movies to MKV H264 Ac3. I load all the movies onto plex and it tells me 90 percent of these files are not supported for direct play. If anyone could help me figure out what happened i would greatly appreciate it. It seems like the files that work are the ones that were encoded by other people. I'm thinking it could be because i am using a very basic video encoder software. I also have handbrake but don't know to much about the settings. Does anyone know what could possibly the reason that these files won't play? Maybe some kind of advanced setting? Thank you very much. It took me a long time to encode these files and i really would like them to direct play.

[Jessel723]

XML File for a movie that won't direct play

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Mediainfo version="0.7.74">
<File>
<track type="General">
<CompleteName>F:\Media\Movies\Surround Sound\Bad Teacher (2011) .mkv</CompleteName>
<Format>Matroska</Format>
<Format_Version>Version 1</Format_Version>
<FileSize_String>4.19 GiB</FileSize_String>
<Duration_String>1h 37mn</Duration_String>
<OverallBitRate_String>6 147 Kbps</OverallBitRate_String>
<Encoded_Date>UTC 2015-06-04 01:32:34</Encoded_Date>
<Encoded_Library_String>WonderShare Matroska Muxer</Encoded_Library_String>
<TITLE>Bad Teacher</TITLE>
<ARTIST>Jason Segel, Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Lucy Punch, Phyllis Smith, John Michael Higgins, Jillian Armenante, Dave Allen, Matthew J. Evans, Kaitlyn Dever, Igal Ben Yair, Aja Bair, Andra Nechita, Noah Munck, Molly Shannon, Kathryn Newton</ARTIST>
<ACTOR>Jason Segel, Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Lucy Punch, Phyllis Smith, John Michael Higgins, Jillian Armenante, Dave Allen, Matthew J. Evans, Kaitlyn Dever, Igal Ben Yair, Aja Bair, Andra Nechita, Noah Munck, Molly Shannon, Kathryn Newton</ACTOR>
<DIRECTOR>Jake Kasdan</DIRECTOR>
<PRODUCER>Jimmy Miller</PRODUCER>
<SCREENPLAY_BY>Gene Stupnitsky, Lee Eisenberg</SCREENPLAY_BY>
<PRODUCTION_STUDIO>Mosaic Media Group</PRODUCTION_STUDIO>
<GENRE>Comedy</GENRE>
<DATE_RELEASED>2011-06-19</DATE_RELEASED>
<DATE_RELEASE>2011-06-19</DATE_RELEASE>
<CONTENT_TYPE>Movie</CONTENT_TYPE>
<DESCRIPTION>She doesn&apos;t give an F.</DESCRIPTION>
<SUMMARY>She doesn&apos;t give an F.</SUMMARY>
<SYNOPSIS>A lazy, incompetent middle school teacher who hates her job and her students is forced to return to her job to make enough money for a boob job after her rich fiancé dumps her.</SYNOPSIS>
<LAW_RATING>R</LAW_RATING>
<Attachements>cover.jpg</Attachements>
</track>

<track type="Video">
<ID_String>1</ID_String>
<Format>AVC</Format>
<Format_Info>Advanced Video Codec</Format_Info>
<Format_Profile>High@L4.1</Format_Profile>
<Format_Settings_CABAC_String>Yes</Format_Settings_CABAC_String>
<Format_Settings_RefFrames_String>9 frames</Format_Settings_RefFrames_String>
<CodecID>V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC</CodecID>
<BitRate_String>5 705 Kbps</BitRate_String>
<Width_String>1 280 pixels</Width_String>
<Height_String>694 pixels</Height_String>
<DisplayAspectRatio_String>1.85:1</DisplayAspectRatio_String>
<DisplayAspectRatio_Original_String>1.85:1</DisplayAspectRatio_Original_String>
<FrameRate_Mode_String>Variable</FrameRate_Mode_String>
<FrameRate_Original_String>23.976 fps</FrameRate_Original_String>
<ColorSpace>YUV</ColorSpace>
<ChromaSubsampling>4:2:0</ChromaSubsampling>
<BitDepth_String>8 bits</BitDepth_String>
<ScanType_String>Progressive</ScanType_String>
<Default_String>Yes</Default_String>
<Forced_String>No</Forced_String>
</track>

<track type="Audio">
<ID_String>2</ID_String>
<Format>AC-3</Format>
<Format_Info>Audio Coding 3</Format_Info>
<Format_Settings_ModeExtension>CM (complete main)</Format_Settings_ModeExtension>
<Format_Settings_Endianness>Big</Format_Settings_Endianness>
<CodecID>A_AC3</CodecID>
<Duration_String>1h 37mn</Duration_String>
<BitRate_Mode_String>Constant</BitRate_Mode_String>
<BitRate_String>320 Kbps</BitRate_String>
<Channel_s__String>6 channels</Channel_s__String>
<ChannelPositions>Front: L C R, Side: L R, LFE</ChannelPositions>
<SamplingRate_String>48.0 KHz</SamplingRate_String>
<BitDepth_String>16 bits</BitDepth_String>
<Compression_Mode_String>Lossy</Compression_Mode_String>
<StreamSize_String>223 MiB (5%)</StreamSize_String>
<Default_String>Yes</Default_String>
<Forced_String>No</Forced_String>
</track>

</File>
</Mediainfo>

[Jessel723]

This TV show episode was encoded by someone else and will direct play. Since i am semi new to this i don't see what the difference is.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Mediainfo version="0.7.74">
<File>
<track type="General">
<CompleteName>F:\Media\TV Shows\Boardwalk Empire\Season 1\Boardwalk Empire S01E01 Boardwalk Empire.mkv</CompleteName>
<Format>Matroska</Format>
<Format_Version>Version 2</Format_Version>
<FileSize_String>2.19 GiB</FileSize_String>
<Duration_String>1h 12mn</Duration_String>
<OverallBitRate_String>4 330 Kbps</OverallBitRate_String>
<Encoded_Application_String>x264.exe</Encoded_Application_String>
<Encoded_Library_String>mkv2rls x264-tv version built on 2010 jul 11</Encoded_Library_String>
<TITLE>Boardwalk Empire S01E01 Boardwalk Empire</TITLE>
<ARTIST>Steve Buscemi, Michael Pitt, Kelly Macdonald, Vincent Piazza, Stephen Graham, Michael Shannon, Greg Antonacci, Charlie Cox, Jack Huston, Gretchen Mol, Dabney Coleman, Paul Sparks (II), Anthony Laciura, Michael Kenneth Williams, Paz de la Huerta , Mic...</ARTIST>
<ACTOR>Steve Buscemi, Michael Pitt, Kelly Macdonald, Vincent Piazza, Stephen Graham, Michael Shannon, Greg Antonacci, Charlie Cox, Jack Huston, Gretchen Mol, Dabney Coleman, Paul Sparks (II), Anthony Laciura, Michael Kenneth Williams, Paz de la Huerta , Mic...</ACTOR>
<DIRECTOR>Martin Scorsese</DIRECTOR>
<PRODUCER>HBO</PRODUCER>
<SCREENPLAY_BY>Terrence Winter</SCREENPLAY_BY>
<PRODUCTION_STUDIO>HBO</PRODUCTION_STUDIO>
<GENRE>Crime, Drama</GENRE>
<DATE_RELEASED>2010-09-19</DATE_RELEASED>
<DATE_RELEASE>2010-09-19</DATE_RELEASE>
<CONTENT_TYPE>TV Show</CONTENT_TYPE>
<DESCRIPTION>January 1920. On the eve of Prohibition, Atlantic City&apos;s Treasurer, Nucky Thompson, condemns alcohol at a Women&apos;s Temperance League meeting, where he is noticed by Margaret Schroeder, a pretty, pregnant housewife who comes to him for help in getting her abusive husband Hans a job. Later that evening, the duplicitous Nucky privately tells his ward bosses about the opportunity to make huge profits selling bootleg liquor. At a countdown-to-midnight blast at Babette&apos;s Supper Club, he assures Jimmy Darmody, a recently returned WWI vet, that his appointment as &quot;Man Friday&quot; to the new Chief Clerk of the Fourth Ward, Paddy Ryan, will lead to bigger things. Jimmy, meanwhile, has higher aspirations and ends up making an alliance that could have dire consequences for both him and Nucky.</DESCRIPTION>
<SUMMARY>January 1920. On the eve of Prohibition, Atlantic City&apos;s Treasurer, Nucky Thompson, condemns alcohol at a Women&apos;s Temperance League meeting, where he is noticed by Margaret Schroeder, a pretty, pregnant housewife who comes to him for help in getting her abusive husband Hans a job. Later that evening, the duplicitous Nucky privately tells his ward bosses about the opportunity to make huge profits selling bootleg liquor. At a countdown-to-midnight blast at Babette&apos;s Supper Club, he assures Jimmy Darmody, a recently returned WWI vet, that his appointment as &quot;Man Friday&quot; to the new Chief Clerk of the Fourth Ward, Paddy Ryan, will lead to bigger things. Jimmy, meanwhile, has higher aspirations and ends up making an alliance that could have dire consequences for both him and Nucky.</SUMMARY>
<SYNOPSIS>January 1920. On the eve of Prohibition, Atlantic City&apos;s Treasurer, Nucky Thompson, condemns alcohol at a Women&apos;s Temperance League meeting, where he is noticed by Margaret Schroeder, a pretty, pregnant housewife who comes to him for help in getting her abusive husband Hans a job. Later that evening, the duplicitous Nucky privately tells his ward bosses about the opportunity to make huge profits selling bootleg liquor. At a countdown-to-midnight blast at Babette&apos;s Supper Club, he assures Jimmy Darmody, a recently returned WWI vet, that his appointment as &quot;Man Friday&quot; to the new Chief Clerk of the Fourth Ward, Paddy Ryan, will lead to bigger things. Jimmy, meanwhile, has higher aspirations and ends up making an alliance that could have dire consequences for both him and Nucky.</SYNOPSIS>
<LAW_RATING>TV-MA</LAW_RATING>
<Attachements>cover.jpg</Attachements>
</track>

<track type="Video">
<ID_String>1</ID_String>
<Format>AVC</Format>
<Format_Info>Advanced Video Codec</Format_Info>
<Format_Profile>High@L3.1</Format_Profile>
<Format_Settings_CABAC_String>Yes</Format_Settings_CABAC_String>
<Format_Settings_RefFrames_String>3 frames</Format_Settings_RefFrames_String>
<CodecID>V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC</CodecID>
<BitRate_String>3 942 Kbps</BitRate_String>
<Width_String>1 280 pixels</Width_String>
<Height_String>720 pixels</Height_String>
<DisplayAspectRatio_String>16:9</DisplayAspectRatio_String>
<FrameRate_Mode_String>Variable</FrameRate_Mode_String>
<FrameRate_Original_String>23.976 fps</FrameRate_Original_String>
<ColorSpace>YUV</ColorSpace>
<ChromaSubsampling>4:2:0</ChromaSubsampling>
<BitDepth_String>8 bits</BitDepth_String>
<ScanType_String>Progressive</ScanType_String>
<Bits_Pixel_Frame_>0.178</Bits_Pixel_Frame_>
<Encoded_Library_String>x264 core 88 r1471 1144615</Encoded_Library_String>
<Encoded_Library_Settings>cabac=1 / ref=3 / deblock=1:0:0 / analyse=0x3:0x113 / me=hex / subme=6 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.00:0.00 / mixed_ref=0 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=1 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=-2 / threads=30 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / mbaff=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=6 / b_pyramid=1 / b_adapt=2 / b_bias=0 / direct=1 / wpredb=1 / wpredp=0 / keyint=240 / keyint_min=24 / scenecut=40 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=40 / rc=2pass / mbtree=1 / bitrate=3942 / ratetol=1.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=10 / qpmax=51 / qpstep=4 / cplxblur=20.0 / qblur=0.5 / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=1:1.00</Encoded_Library_Settings>
<Language_String>English</Language_String>
<Default_String>Yes</Default_String>
<Forced_String>No</Forced_String>
</track>

<track type="Audio">
<ID_String>2</ID_String>
<Format>AC-3</Format>
<Format_Info>Audio Coding 3</Format_Info>
<Format_Settings_ModeExtension>CM (complete main)</Format_Settings_ModeExtension>
<Format_Settings_Endianness>Big</Format_Settings_Endianness>
<CodecID>A_AC3</CodecID>
<Duration_String>1h 12mn</Duration_String>
<BitRate_Mode_String>Constant</BitRate_Mode_String>
<BitRate_String>384 Kbps</BitRate_String>
<Channel_s__String>6 channels</Channel_s__String>
<Channel_s__Original_String>2 channels</Channel_s__Original_String>
<ChannelPositions>Front: L R</ChannelPositions>
<SamplingRate_String>48.0 KHz</SamplingRate_String>
<Compression_Mode_String>Lossy</Compression_Mode_String>
<StreamSize_String>199 MiB (9%)</StreamSize_String>
<Title>English</Title>
<Language_String>English</Language_String>
<Default_String>Yes</Default_String>
<Forced_String>No</Forced_String>
</track>

<track type="Text">
<ID_String>3</ID_String>
<Format>UTF-8</Format>
<CodecID>S_TEXT/UTF8</CodecID>
<CodecID_Info>UTF-8 Plain Text</CodecID_Info>
<Title>English</Title>
<Language_String>English</Language_String>
<Default_String>No</Default_String>
<Forced_String>No</Forced_String>
</track>

</File>
</Mediainfo>

[Krispy Kritter]

I don't know what exactly is supported by Roku 3 or Plex, but the most common things to check: codec, resolution, video bitrate, audio codec, audio bitrate.

But before you get that for, you need to ensure you are also using a supported container (ie: format).

not working:
<Format>Matroska</Format>
<Format_Version>Version 1</Format_Version>

working:
<Format>Matroska</Format>
<Format_Version>Version 2</Format_Version>

I don't know if it's relevant, or what changed between versions. It just caught my eye.