DLNA video playback on Playstation 3

[Scott]

I'm having trouble using my PS3 as a DLNA client for MediaMonkey's Media Sharing. The problem is only with certain videos - music works fine, as do most MP4 videos.

What won't play is auto-converted FLV video files, and MP4 files MediaMonkey created by converting from FLV manually. I'm using the codec pack trial, and all the videos in question play fine inside MM. They all stream fine to the iOS app AirAV, which I downloaded to help troubleshoot - it doesn't support FLV, but auto conversion to WMV works fine for it.

Generally the PS3 will display a thumbnail for the FLV/formerly FLV videos, but when selected it spins a while and then says "playback format not supported." The Media Sharing option only offers WMV and ASF for Auto Conversion, and neither of those seems to work - though the PS3's DLNA client is supposed to handle WMV.

Anyone else using a PS3 for video playback?

[Lowlander]

I can't figure out how to get to conversion to MP4, but I believe you have H264 and MPEG4 as options for MP4 files. The PS3 might only support one of those.

[Scott]

Makes sense. MM's conversion tool just says "MP4 video" so I looked at the Details tab to compare. An MP4 that works fine shows this for Video Streams:

H264 (avc1), 1280x720 (16:9), 30.00fps, 1999kbps

One that MM created from an FLV shows this:

H264 (avc1), 320x240 (4:3), 30.01fps, 911kbps

I interpret that to mean they're both H264, as opposed to MPEG4. The Audio stream on both says AAC4LC.

It doesn't seem from this that there's any reason for the MM-created one to have trouble if the other doesn't. Should I convert again and tell MM to set the framerate to exactly 30.00?

[Lowlander]

The framerate could be an issue, but I have my doubts.

You could also try to copy the converted MP4 from the UPnP cache folder and add it to the Library and stream it that way to the PS3 and see if it still fails. If it does you can start by sending a debug log to support for this streaming FLV to MP4 to PS3 problem: http://www.mediamonkey.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=69

[Scott]

You could also try to copy the converted MP4 from the UPnP cache folder and add it to the Library and stream it that way to the PS3 and see if it still fails.

Strange, it doesn't put anything into the cache directory for that file. I'll go ahead and figure out the debug thing.

[Lowlander]

Strange, it doesn't put anything into the cache directory for that file.

I'm not sure if it is supposed to for converted MP4 files, it does for MP3.

[mjlenox]

I hope this is the right thread to post my question as well. My PS3 is having a very hard time showing all of the files... many aren't even listed, even though they are there in MM4, and all were ripped in exactly the same way, from DVD to MP4 using DVD Catalyst. The files that do show up play just fine, but are all mixed up and listed out of order (there doesn't seem to be any logic to how they're listed at all). Often, when I add new files, they don't show up on the PS3 at all. I know that PS3's DLNA client is "sketchy" at best, and I am wondering if anyone else is having these issued.

Thanks.

[Lowlander]

Make sure you share the content in the first place also make sure Conversion rules are setup properly in the Media Servers configuration. Lastly most clients separate content on type (video, music, photos) and will only show that content type of the content type used to browse. So if you're in the Videos section on the client it will only show video files found on the server.