Audio problems in media player

[kitsuneyo]

Hi all

I'm having some sound problems when watching downloaded video files in the Vu+ Duo media player.

Programmes recorded off the TV aren't a problem. It's stuff like DivX, mpg and so on.

Overall these files play well. But if I pause the video, or skip through them using the number buttons, sound will often cut out afterwards. Sometimes sound will go off at random, and then come back a minute or so later.

The problem isn't with the files. If I rewind the video and play back the same section again, the sound will work the 2nd time!

My setup is as follows:
- New Vu+ Duo
- ViX 2.3
- 1TB Samsung F3 HDD
- Latest Vu+ drivers & multiboot stuff installed.

Is anyone else having this problem? If it's a known issue that Vu+ users put up with, fair enough. Would be great to have a more reliable media player though.

[Rob van der Does]

Which mediaplayer do you use?
If it is Menu --> Mediaplayer the simple answer is: never ever use that. It is a plugin that has not been maintained for years and has all kinds of flaws.
The best way to play any media (i.e. recordings, movies, photo's, MP3's and DvD;s) is to open the movielist, navigate to the desired file and click "OK".
Or click "Play" to playback as preview.

[kitsuneyo]

I'm using the one with the preview window as you suggest.

[kitsuneyo]

I've read up some more about other people's media playing problems on the Vu+ Duo. Seems DivX playback has always been an issue.

Is there a good media plugin that adds functionality on things like codecs, instead of just the GUI?

Is it possible to play local files using the VLC plugin. Is the VLC plugin anything like an actual VLC media player?

Thanks

[Rob van der Does]

Contrary to a PC, who has a powerful processor, a STB decodes all video in hardware. That means two things:
1- Decoding is fast and hardly costs any processing power, but
2- the ability to decode is fully dependant on the (in the file used) codecs to be 100% compliant to the ones in the hardware. That also implies that no codecs can be added.

Especially files "found" on the internet are very seldom good decoded, thus giving playback problems.
Drivers of a STB also play an important factor in this story: although they cannot add codecs, they are responsible for the available codecs to be used optima forma.

Conclusion: a STB is not, and will never be, an excellent all-round Mediaplayer. But files that are coded correctly, with supported codecs, will play fine.

Now I can already hear you saying "good Mediaplyers are very cheap today, can't their functionality not be implemented in a STB?".
And the answer is "no". A Mediaplayer has chip-sets that are nowadays very cheap and very good; to combine two chipsets in a STB is virtually impossible.

And this is also an answer to the question about using VLC: as VLC depends on software decoding, it can't be used by a STB.

For audio things are different: audio could be decoded in software, hence it is possible to add codecs.

[kitsuneyo]

Thanks for your answer Robin, that answers my question.

In that case, can you tell me the best codec for the Vu+ Duo to play? And what is the best way to convert files to this codec?

[Rob van der Does]

Unfortunately there's no manufacturer who reveals the exact codecs.......
Best thing to do is to use the standard for the container used. Most converters can be set to default values.