Official Ceton Echo Extender Info Thread - Page 209

Originally Posted by Shark007 

To assist those using my software for Extender playback, DO NOT install AC3Filter (or any Divx software). All required software is included. For Extender use, only one setting is required, enable the Divx MF splitter on the MKV TAB. Other functionality required by the Extender is tied to this one checkbox. My software is released in a Windows 7 version and a Windows 8 version. When Extenders are your playback focus, you must use the version that matches your operating system.

For those that need to know, I am working on supporting playback of FLV, MKV etc directly using DLNA (Play To...) - The xbox supports DLNA. At this time, testing is favorable and this functionality will be in my next release. (It is not included in today's release) This functionality will be enabled/disabled using the Windows Filetype Associations button on the Help TAB. The SUGGESTED settings will also enable this functionality.

Here's to hoping the Echo will support DLNA functionality also.

DLNA FACTS: Windows 7 restricts DLNA to Media Foundation components
Windows 8 allows DirectShow filters during DLNA playback meaning the LAV filters get used.
DLNA does not support subtitles.

Originally Posted by Sammy2 

Can you point me to the checkbox in question? I was sure this was what Shark007 was talking about.

Originally Posted by Sammy2 

Isn't that Windows MF?

Shark007 was talking about the DivX MF on the MKV tab, AFAIK.

Originally Posted by Foxbat121 

Two different topics and somehow related.

Topic #1: use suggested settings button used to disable Windows Media Foundation.

Topic #2: use Divx MF codec for MKV support in Extenders as Shark007 suggested .Divx MF is a codec plugin for Windows Media Foundation unlike others.

Originally Posted by slowbiscuit 

Installing shark's pack broke protected content playback on the PC, is that the issue you're describing? Copy-once channels, in other words.

Originally Posted by jhoff80 

If I recall correctly, the big issue I was having was bitstreaming HD audio on the local HTPC, and at the same time being able to decode DTS and HD audio for the extender. But I really didn't mean to push this so off topic.

Originally Posted by tgrinch 

I've heard people having issues with the Disable/Enable DivxMF option in the Shark007 MKV tab, but I've had absolutely no issues with that option unchecked (enabled - Shark really needs to rename this as it's backwards IMO, lol) and bitstreaming on the local PC with HD audio...also no issues with live tv playback. It may just come down to what cpu/mobo combo people are using?

Originally Posted by xnappo 

But is it really working? Does DTS work on your Echo? I also see no negative effect, but DTS doesn't work at all on my Echo either way.

xnappo

Originally Posted by tgrinch 

Shark really needs to rename this as it's backwards IMO, lol

Originally Posted by Sammy2 

I have yet to playback any mkv that contains dts in any form on my echo.

Originally Posted by Shark007 

as requested... it shall be done.
It will be renamed to 'Enable...' and will be unchecked by default so that checking the box, enables the splitter.

Originally Posted by Sammy2 

That is not off topic at all. Having the echo work well without breaking playback on the host HTPC is tantamount to success.

Originally Posted by Shark007 

as requested... it shall be done.
It will be renamed to 'Enable...' and will be unchecked by default so that checking the box, enables the splitter.

Originally Posted by tgrinch 


I've probably mentioned this a few times already in this thread and over at the Ceton beta forums, but to repeat - it all depends on definition of work.

Does Echo decode non-HD DTS? - No...



Does non-HD DTS audio play on extenders (Echo/360/etc) connected directly to the TV in combination with HBR (high bit rate) MKVs? - I haven't tested this yet - my library is more HBR w/HD audio now. I'd have to re-rip/remux the audio tracks to try, but haven't really been to keen on even trying b/c it's pointless b/c the Echo chokes on HBR video to begin with...

So DTS "working" is more/less an experiment IMO - but technically it does in some situations.

Originally Posted by mariob33 

I think we are all curious to understand "What the magic sauce is". I have remuxed about 10 or so low bit rate MKV's + (non-HD) DTS and my echo crashes immediately.

Originally Posted by mariob33 

how, better yet Any chance you could post one of the mediainfo details? I think we are all curious to understand "What the magic sauce is". I have remuxed about 10 or so low bit rate MKV's + (non-HD) DTS and my echo crashes immediately.

Originally Posted by mariob33 

how, better yet Any chance you could post one of the mediainfo details? I think we are all curious to understand "What the magic sauce is". I have remuxed about 10 or so low bit rate MKV's + (non-HD) DTS and my echo crashes immediately.

Originally Posted by ajhieb 

*I haven't played around with Shark's codecs yet as everything had been very stable and happy on my Media Center and I didn't want to muck about with it, but after an SSD debacle I'm rebuilding and might look into it. That being said, my understanding is that videos with DTS audio will play, but not with DTS audio, it will be downmixed to stereo (please correct me if I'm wrong) but I'm still unclear if this will happen on just the extenders or on the host PC too. On an unrelated note, many many thanks to Shark007 for the hard work you've put into the codec pack. I do use it on all of my other PCs and laptops and it is a huge time saver on what used to be major headache.

All of the above is assuming H.264 video. I haven't tried MPEG-2 or VC-1 at all.

Originally Posted by tgrinch 


You are correct regarding DTS on extenders - it is downmixed to 2ch. However it is not downmixed on my HTPC - it bitstreams to my AVR just fine w/out any additional settings or changes in Sharks codec pack.

Originally Posted by tgrinch 


Here's the mkv w/DTS that plays on the Echo for me - I'm not advocating that this is full proof or anything, but what works for me (with Shark's wonderful codecs!):

General
Complete name : Ratatouille (2007).mkv
Format : Matroska
Format version : Version 2
File size : 6.29 GiB
Duration : 1h 50mn
Overall bit rate : 8 141 Kbps

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L4.1
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 5 frames
Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC
Duration : 1h 50mn
Bit rate : 6 630 Kbps
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 802 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 2.40:1
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 23.976 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.180
Stream size : 5.00 GiB (79%)
Writing library : x264 core 114 r1913 5fd3dce
Encoding settings : cabac=1 / ref=5 / deblock=1:-1:0 / analyse=0x3:0x113 / me=umh / subme=10 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.00:0.00 / mixed_ref=1 / me_range=24 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=2 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=-2 / threads=6 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=8 / b_pyramid=2 / b_adapt=2 / b_bias=0 / direct=3 / weightb=1 / open_gop=0 / weightp=2 / keyint=250 / keyint_min=23 / scenecut=40 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=40 / rc=2pass / mbtree=0 / bitrate=6630 / ratetol=1.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=0 / qpmax=69 / qpstep=4 / cplxblur=20.0 / qblur=0.5 / vbv_maxrate=32000 / vbv_bufsize=40000 / nal_hrd=none / ip_ratio=1.40 / pb_ratio=1.30 / aq=1:1.00 / zones=151468,158228,q=26,deblock=1:2
Default : Yes
Forced : No

Audio
ID : 2
Format : DTS
Format/Info : Digital Theater Systems
Codec ID : A_DTS
Duration : 1h 50mn
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 1 510 Kbps
Channel(s) : 6 channels
Channel positions : Front: L C R, Side: L R, LFE
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth : 24 bits
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 1.17 GiB (19%)
Language : English
Default : Yes
Forced : No

Originally Posted by Sammy2 

No subtitles?

Pretty small file size. Is that compressed? Most of my Blu-ray rips are at least 4 times as big as that.

Originally Posted by Sammy2 

No subtitles?

Pretty small file size. Is that compressed? Most of my Blu-ray rips are at least 4 times as big as that.

Originally Posted by Haba 

Apparently, this is another one of those things where we are all different. I prefer high quality HD or DVD compressed rips and wouldn't even consider uncompressed rips on these smaller t.v.'s 40" and under. I would not want to deal with the huge files for storage, difficultly with simultaneous playback and playback devices to do so. The really large t.v.'s deserve full Blu-ray playback on a Blu-ray player to enjoy the full experience of sight and sound.

I hope Ceton can get Subtitles to work on the Echo via Android (XBMC works great) as part of the full media playback experience, it would be a big feather in their cap. My wife and I suspect many others suffer from some sort of hearing impairment.