Error : GStreamer plugins Xvid MPEG-4 decoder not available

[ssjenkins]

Hi All ,

I'm trying to playback a couple of .avi files and I seem to be missing some codecs . Can these been downloaded via the blue button or do I need to manually find and install them ? I'm using a clone with Gemini 4.x .

Thanks .

Sammy

[ssjenkins]

Looks like it can't be done . Got this from another forum .

"You can't play divix on dboxes as the cpu is not powerfull enough. The way to do this is (as sugested in previous post) to setup vlc on PC, vlc plugin on DBox and stream from PC. Google for this if you interested, there is some nice manuals how to set it up."

Back to the PC they go ! :)

Sammy

[dman]

This sounds interesting will have a look at this when I get a chance have you tried it ssjenkins got a bit fed up of converting movies so they would play on my 800 so I bought a WD live media player one of the best little bits of kit I have ever bought (after my 800 of course)

[ssjenkins]

Spent a while but gave up . Looks like a 250Mhz processor isn't up to the job .

Sammy

[jimrare]

You cant play an mpeg4 (divx) file with mpeg2 hardware. Its like trying to play a dvd with an mp3 player. This is why you need a pc.

I found a good tutorial some while ago on the net on how to set it up. Search for "vlcf" and how to set it up with your dreambox, otherwise i'll try to find the tutorial and post it.

[dman]

You cant play an mpeg4 (divx) file with mpeg2 hardware. Its like trying to play a dvd with an mp3 player. This is why you need a pc.

I found a good tutorial some while ago on the net on how to set it up. Search for "vlcf" and how to set it up with your dreambox, otherwise i'll try to find the tutorial and post it.
Think this is what you mean jimrare got this from another forum


How to: Stream any video format to your DMxxxx without VLCF insatlled on the DM box
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This minihowto will allow you to open most video formats on your DMxxxx set top box that are running the PLi Images (this howto written with PLi Iolite)
Files like .avi, .vob, .ts etc etc.
This howto does not require you to do anything to you DM box at all. You do not need VLC on your DM box at all however you do need the PC/MAC/Linux version installed on your PC. It is all done with your web browser from your PC/Notebook.
1. Open your web browser to your DMxxxx box. i.e.
2. On the left hand side of the screen click on the stream button and this image will appear


3. Now click on the settings button.
4. Now under the top section as shown below click on the edit button and change the Server IP address from the IP of your DM box to the address of your PC where you have the movies (you need to be on that PC to do this)

5. Now click on the browse button and select the movie you want to play.
6. Now you have selected the movie simply click on the FILE button (see it to the left of the file name you just selected?)

7. You will now see the download screen and the VLC will start with the file you chose. Now wait about 15 to 20 seconds and it will appear on your TV screen. As simple as this.

8. To stop it playing on your DM box / TV simply stop VLC and it will do back to your last TV channel.

[ssjenkins]

Just doing a bit more readind and seemingly :

"800 doesn't do divx. It does h264 which is better though."

Obviously it also playsback .ts . I'll need do some more searching but can mpegx be converted into h264 and/or .ts ? And is it worth it as far as the quality goes ?

Sammy

BTW I'm stealing all this info from here . I don't think I'm breaking any rules but if I am then please remove the link mods.

_http://www.austech.info/dreambox/30419-divx-playback-dm800.html

[jimrare]

can mpegx be converted into h264 and/or .ts
h.264 is mpeg4 and a ts file is mpeg2. Try what dman wrote

[ssjenkins]

I don't want to use vlc jimrare . My home plugs aren't up for streaming .

That's why I was trying to watch them directly drom the 800 .

Sammy

[ssjenkins]

Just converted my .avi files to .ts using "Total Video Converter" and uploaded them to my 800 . Might have lost a bit of quality but at least I can watch them .

Sammy

[raul]

me as well , using xillisoft - avi to vob .
pretty fast converter actually , took only couple of minutes for a movie .

[jimrare]

My home plugs aren't up for streaming .
The 14MBits are good for streaming sd divx.

[ssjenkins]

It's not the hardware jimrare . I'm using some mains extension blocks (no choice) and it's slowing the speed down .

Sammy

[mrbleu500]

I use MeGUI to convert my library of Xvid/Divx files to H264 MKV, with no loss of quality.

DM800 will play MKV fine, but if you need to fast forward or restart from where you stoped, it doesn't work, so an extra step of converting to TS from MKV (TsMuxer) is what I normally do for movies.

All these video conversion progs use the same core applications (ffmpeg, H264, avisynth...) so there shouldn't be much between them. However, after trying a LOT of different tools, I settled on MeGUI/TsMuxer as the most reliable and fastest combination.

[Detlef]

Think this is what you mean jimrare got this from another forum

How to: Stream any video format to your DMxxxx without VLCF installed on the DM box

<snip>

On two different PCs I get this error and it is driving me crazy - help.

File reading failed:
VLC could not open the file
"C:\DO***E~1\x\LOCALS~1\Temp\Movie .avi".

Your input can't be opened:
VLC is unable to open the MRL
'C:\DO***E~1\x\LOCALS~1\Temp\Movi e.avi'. Check the log for details.
The source movie is actually in D:\Videos

I assume it means VideoLAN uses a Temp file to transcode to a format the DM can digest and that is the temp file, but I can't find a log or anything about that error.

The Folder exists as does the file I select as the source. VideoLAN can play the source file in its own window, as well.

[kebien]

h.264 is mpeg4 and a ts file is mpeg2. Try what dman wrote

This is not true
Not sure you noticed dm800 tune an HD channel and record a TS from it,not as mpeg4.
Basically a TS is a container,inside can be anything,mpeg2 or 4,vc1, ad othes

Dreambox do not play dvix/xvi natively because is not designed to, but can play TS and MKV just fine. (maybe can also play m2ts by changing the extension)

[jimrare]

This is not true
Not sure you noticed dm800 tune an HD channel and record a TS from it,not as mpeg4.
Basically a TS is a container,inside can be anything,mpeg2 or 4,vc1, ad othes

Dreambox do not play dvix/xvi natively because is not designed to, but can play TS and MKV just fine. (maybe can also play m2ts by changing the extension)If we want to be precise mkv is a container as well. And being even more precise the header of the file shows exactly what type of movie we have and not the extension. So whether it records it with a .ts extension or .avi or .mkv has no meaning.

[kebien]

You are wrong again
The TS multiplexing architecture is completely different from MKV
And if it were the case with "headers" as you mention,there would be no point to make extension changes to make some file work or accepted by the device.(because the extension do not matter you just said)

In this case ,and in the case of MANY media players,it REALLY matters since it set the processor to choose between available decoders.
This is what happen with dm800.
Just rename .ts into .trp or .tp and you will see it doesn't recognize it,have no clue how to handle it,while the file will still have the TS header (which you say is the only thing that matters)

The point is both of the post regarding this matter are wrong,I'm just trying to clarify and help to grasp the correct concept.

[jimrare]

You are wrong again
The TS multiplexing architecture is completely different from MKV
And if it were the case with "headers" as you mention,there would be no point to make extension changes to make some file work or accepted by the device.(because the extension do not matter you just said)

In this case ,and in the case of MANY media players,it REALLY matters since it set the processor to choose between available decoders.
This is what happen with dm800.
Just rename .ts into .trp or .tp and you will see it doesn't recognize it,have no clue how to handle it,while the file will still have the TS header (which you say is the only thing that matters)

The point is both of the post regarding this matter are wrong,I'm just trying to clarify and help to grasp the correct concept.I never said that changing the extension changes the contents of the file (i said the extension doesn't matter). Now about the dreambox not being able to handle it when changing the extension, this is because it cant spend resources checking the header. The header is the only way to guarantee what the contents of the file are.

The same happens in your windows pc. The extension simply associates the file with an application. If you rename an avi file to .exe or whatever extension you like and you drag it (NOT DOUBLE CLICK ON IT) to media player classic for example, you will see the file is still playable because media player classic checks the header.

This is why many people get confused with file extensions. They see the .mkv extension and automaticaly think that their dreambox should be able to play it. If that mkv file contains mpeg4/avc content then it will play it, if that mkv file contains something else, then it wont.

[kebien]

You did say

***And being even more precise the header of the file shows exactly what type of movie we have and not the extension. So whether it records it with a .ts extension or .avi or .mkv has no meaning.***

Which is wrong in the case in point (dreambox)
In this case,the extension MATTERS.
Whatever the content is.

You say
**I never said that changing the extension changes the contents of the file (i said the extension doesn't matter). Now about the dreambox not being able to handle it when changing the extension, this is because it cant spend resources checking the header.****

Which actually makes the extension MATTER,rather than the content.
See where I am going?
You are stating facts that do not really apply to dreambox (but applies in a PC in some cases,where you can force to use a determined program to open the file,you can't do this with dreambox madia player)

have you tried to play files with extensions *.mpeg/*.mpg ?
Do they play regardless content is mpeg 2 ,3 or 4??
You have means to prove all the statements,is not a case of us butting heads,not my intention.
Extensions MATTERS, in all cases ( if we talk about dreambox,and you will find this same concept in most any hardware media tanks,like PHP,wdtv,others : file extension set the device to use determined decoder settings,same file won;t play with different extension,regardless headers still the same )
The more you get into playing with hardware decoders,the more you see this issue to be true

[jimrare]

I agree to what you say, this discussion begun when the poster said that his avi file didn't play, so what i mean is that if that .avi file contains a mpeg2 or mpeg4/avc file then its ok. Thats what i mean when i say that the extension doesn't matter.

When you say that the extension matters, lots of people might think that by changing the extension to .ts should magically make the file playable, which of course won't happen. So yes the extension matters for a dreambox the same way it matters for media player to start automatically when double clicking on an movie file, but it doesn;t matter if the data contained aren't appropriate.

[raul]

.........
DM800 will play MKV fine, but if you need to fast forward or restart from where you stoped, it doesn't work, so an extra step of converting to TS from MKV (TsMuxer) is what I normally do for movies............

just tried an mkv file , the video works perfect , however i get this message for the audio - "gstreamer plugin dts decoder not available" .
rewinding doesn't bother me , it does work with numbers though - if i could only get the audio sorted .
is there an easy fix for this ?

[dubious]

DM800 CPU does not support and so cannot process DTS because of limitations of the processor.

The 8k can passthrough DTS audio to an AV amp via the spdif or HDMI. This is achieved by some clever trickery with the 8k drivers, the 500 HD should be able to do the same.


I would imagine the new VU+ Duo will have the same problem.