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Co-Star and MKV files

Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2012 4:13 pm
by mikefletcher85
So I got my Co-Star today, got it all hooked up and found out that I cannot get the damn thing to play MKV files... it basically says that the format isnt supported. I tried the built in PlayPoint app and also tried MediaHouse UPnP / DLNA Browser

Anyone figure out how to play them? It says right on the manufacture page that it supports MKV files

EDIT: I just wanted to note that I tried contacting Support and they are looking into it and will let me know sometime tomorrow. I also tried playing the file from a USB drive and via the network shared via Windows Media Player AND XBMC.

Re: Co-Star and MKV files

Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2012 6:19 pm
by long2know
I've had mixed success - some 720p mkv files, I could get video, but no audio. Others, simple wouldn't play. I don't think it has anything to do with mkv - as I had the same issue with mp4 files. The common thing is that all files are AVC h.264.

Re: Co-Star and MKV files

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2012 7:56 am
by ktklein72
I chatted with support after having the same exact results. They said a major firmware update is coming next month that should resolve both Dolby 7.1 and .MKV playback issues users are experiencing. I installed an older version of GTV Box Player and was able to get all MP4 and AVI files I tried to play playing successfully. A few MKV files played w/o audio and the rest failed at the onset.

All of my video files are stored on a USB HDD attached to my PogoPlug Cl;assic, so at least DLNA/uPnP is working as expected.

I have been unsuccessful getting the GoogleTV Remote App 1.0 (dated Dec 2010) working. It pairs and works well for a while then the CATV Channel Guide starts scrolling uncontrolably and then the app fails to respond after that. I tried it on both my Motorola Droid X2 and my HP TouchPad with exactly the same results. Vizio claims they never tested that app, so I have emailed Google.

My biggest issue that I am hoping the next firmware update fixes is I lose Audio/Video sometimes and then the only way to recover is to powercycle my A/V Receiver (Denon AVR-2310CI) which is a Dolby 7.1 device.

I'm on Comcast Xfinity using the Cisco RNG200 Set top box & dvr and sadly their remote will neither access the DVR or the OnDemand menus - I opend a case with them today. I am on the latest 2.X firmware - I installed it when I set up the Co-Star.

Re: Co-Star and MKV files

Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2012 6:08 am
by Ellerbestyle
ktklein72 wrote:I chatted with support after having the same exact results. They said a major firmware update is coming next month that should resolve both Dolby 7.1 and .MKV playback issues users are experiencing. I installed an older version of GTV Box Player and was able to get all MP4 and AVI files I tried to play playing successfully. A few MKV files played w/o audio and the rest failed at the onset.

All of my video files are stored on a USB HDD attached to my PogoPlug Cl;assic, so at least DLNA/uPnP is working as expected.

I have been unsuccessful getting the GoogleTV Remote App 1.0 (dated Dec 2010) working. It pairs and works well for a while then the CATV Channel Guide starts scrolling uncontrolably and then the app fails to respond after that. I tried it on both my Motorola Droid X2 and my HP TouchPad with exactly the same results. Vizio claims they never tested that app, so I have emailed Google.

My biggest issue that I am hoping the next firmware update fixes is I lose Audio/Video sometimes and then the only way to recover is to powercycle my A/V Receiver (Denon AVR-2310CI) which is a Dolby 7.1 device.

I'm on Comcast Xfinity using the Cisco RNG200 Set top box & dvr and sadly their remote will neither access the DVR or the OnDemand menus - I opend a case with them today. I am on the latest 2.X firmware - I installed it when I set up the Co-Star.
Did you add the DVR as a DVR and a cable box? I had to do this to get the dvr features on the remote to work with my Fios Motorola QIP7232

Re: Co-Star and MKV files

Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2012 6:45 am
by long2know
All of my videos are MKV w/ AC3 audio. Since I use Serviio for DLNA streaming, I just made a profile for the Costar so that all MKV files have their audio transcoded to MP3. It's a work-around, but at least makes the Costar useful to me now..

Re: Co-Star and MKV files

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2012 8:13 pm
by robojerk
long2know wrote:All of my videos are MKV w/ AC3 audio. Since I use Serviio for DLNA streaming, I just made a profile for the Costar so that all MKV files have their audio transcoded to MP3. It's a work-around, but at least makes the Costar useful to me now..
Can you post the profile you created?

Re: Co-Star and MKV files

Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 8:04 am
by G8351427
So, I just received my CoStar last night and played several of my MKVs using GTVBox with no problem. One of them was a straight BD rip, with no reencoding done at all; it already had AC3 audio. All of my other rips that have DTS, I convert with Popcorn. Played perfect.

My DLNA server is TVMobili. I di dnot have to do any setup with TVMobili at all; it just worked.

I do have a little trouble with the HDMI pass-thru. I am using a Windows Media Center Extender (which was supported, surprisingly!) and occasionally I get audio drop outs and/or popping noises. Rebooting the Linksys DMA2100 and the Costar seems to work for a while, but it is annoying.