PS3 Media Server / Universal Media Server Guide

[AbandonedTrolley]

http://code.google.com/p/ps3mediaserver/

New program to stream to the PS3. Apparently it does all of its muxing/transcoding on the fly without quality loss. It also does subtitles. I haven't used it yet, but I'm going to take a solid look into it.

I guess that this should of been posted, but yeah there is a whole thread devoted to it here :) Great media server and much better than TVersity from what i've seen from using it.

[DeanK]

I'm developing an application - multiAVCHD.

It helps creating AVCHD folder, compatible with Playstation3 and most standalone BD players from upto 20 MKV files or AVCHD folders.

Here is more: doom9

Here is my third contribution to doom9 users :-) (after my mkv2avi and fixclipinf):

[UPDATED 05-Jan-2009]:

(6MB lite / 117MB full version - 1080p animated top/title menu included)

Version 1.3 PAL LITE (6.36MB)

Version 1.3 PAL FULL (117MB)

Version 1.3 NTSC LITE (6.36MB)

Version 1.3 NTSC FULL (117MB)

Always update to the latest build. Check [x] Auto-update GUI in Settings TAB.

************************************

OLD version (1.2):

==================

PAL region SAP/PS3 version

HTTP#1 (RapidShare)

HTTP#2 (RapidSpread)

Torrent multiAVCHD.rar

NTSC region SAP/PS3 version

HTTP#3 (RapidShare) NTSC menu

Donate Link (PayPal)

multiAVCHD HOME

Executable only (for updating purposes): multiavchd.exe (182KB) You will need calclib.dll (1490KB)

Major release 1.3 includes up to 20 titles MOTION TOP MENU...

Page one - First five titles, and page two (rarely used by most of you), titles 6 to 20.

and STATIC TOP MENU (version 1.3)...

Try it and share your comments.

*******************************************

multiAVCHD output tested to work with:

- USB external HDD

- USB flash disk

- MemoryStick (Pro, Pro Duo)

- SD Card (card should be formatted correctly - not with MS Windows build-in format,

but with panasonic's utility -> (sdfv2003.exe). AVCHD folder should be put INSIDE \PRIVATE\ folder

i.e. if F:\ is your SD card, then AVCHD folder should be copied inside F:\PRIVATE (create it first).

===========================

multiBD output tested to work with:

- DVD-R/RW media

You need to burn the CONTENTS of the output folder (i.e. BDMV and CERTIFICATE folders)

at the root of your DVD/BD compilation.

*******************************************

*** Restrictions for version 1.3:

- only AVCHD compliant folders and MKV, TS, M*TS files can be added

- up to TWENTY (20) different folders will be processed, 999 m2ts/MTS files supported

*** Features:

- nice 1080p motion TOP MENU (and static since version 1.3) with 5 titles in first menu page and 15 more in page two

- twenty different titles (movies/folders) - each could contain multiple playlists and video streams (m2ts/MTS)

- tested on Playstation3 with 20 titles (tracks) with a total of 80 .m2ts and overall duration of over 16 hours

* Select multiple .mkv/.ts/.mts/.m2ts files to add to AVCHD-multi structure

* SRT subtites found in same folder as mkv file will be added (option). SRTs should be named after mkv file, i.e. movie.mkv will get subtitles

if found movie.srt, movie.eng.srt, movieXXX.srt, movieEN.srt...

* Embeded in mkv ones will be added, too

* Select multiple AVCHD/Blu-Ray-Disk folders to add to AVCHD-multi structure

* Select folder, containing multiple AVCHD/Blu-Ray compliant folders:

--- GUI is searching for BMVD\index.bmv*, so AVCHD name is not mandatory, nor 8.3 naming

--- i.e. you may name the folders: My_birthday, test_movie, presentation, hdtvtest, etc...

--- it is important that they have BDMV subfolder and all playlists/clipinfo-files inside

* All clip-info files are fixed

* GUI processes all selected files and compiles them in a single AVCHD/Blu-Ray format folder,

--- providing Track# selection in player menu for the first 20 files/folders

--- overall .m2ts files count should not exceed 1000

What it basically does is to:

* copy and reorder all your original clip/playlist/movie files into a single AVCHD folder structure

* convert MKV files to AVCHD folders

* patch clip files with correct values

* create 8.3 filenames for AVCHD compatibility

* add predefined 2D motion top/title menu

* put correct track values in index.bdm/movieobj.bdm for the first 20 files/folders you added for processing

===

New version details.. (version 1.3 build 104)

In Authoring TAB additional options allow to create:

* motion menu

* static menu

* no menu

If static (lite) menu is chosen - AVCHD will be generated in selected SYSTEM format (PAL/NTSC).

If you chose not to create TOP menu:

* Playback will start from title#1

* Sequental playback will be forced

* Top-menu button *should* point to Title#1

===

Current NTSC and PAL users should get full functionallity just by updating their multiAVCHD.exe. It should download the newly required media automatically.

Dean

p.s. Archives contains:

.\multiavchd.exe - main executable

.\calclib.dll (1490KB) - CalcIt library needed by the executable

.\tsmuxer.exe (201KB) - tsMuxer needed for mkv->avchd conversion

.\mkvinfo.exe (472KB) - mkvinfo needed for mkv->avchd conversion

.\(six .dll files needed by mkinfo.exe) (5.5MB)

.\_MENUSTR\(files needed to create multiAVCHD folder/menus)

[[DGS]]

I didnt quite get what the above actually does in plain terms... :(

[DeanK]

I didnt quite get what the above actually does in plain terms... :(

Scenario#1:

You have a bunch of MKV files. No re-encoding needed to play on PS3 or Standalone BD player. You may combine upto 20 of them.

Scenario#2:

You have a bunch of AVCHD folders from your AVCHD camcoder. You may combine 20 of them and play on PS3/SAP or add some MKVs along. Also MPEG2/TS/MTS/M2TS files are supported.

[[DGS]]

Nice... will give it a try this weekend!

[Coldgunner]

Do you mean a movie you've split with MKV2VOB, or split with something else?

The reason MPEG joiner probably isn't working is the video codec inside the mpg container won't be a codec usually inside of an mpeg file. Remember MKV2VOB is just using the MPEG container as a way around the PS3 having no MKV support. The application you're using is probably quite strict about things.

I'll see if there's a way to join things AFTER using MKV2VOB - Sure there will be.

Just tried MKVMerge too and its still coming up as an error. The files I have are now both mpg files that were mkv files (deleted the original mkv files).

mkvmerge throws up an error too.

is there a way I can do the reverse and remux my mpeg files back to mkv?

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

is there a way I can do the reverse and remux my mpeg files back to mkv?

I think there is, but hold on till I go dig it up.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Coldgunner, MKVtoolnix is what you want I think. Then use MKVMerge which comes with it.

Also, 2.4 sounds like it's going to be an awesome update

The mkv2vob 2.4 will have a method of playing video in avchd mode from a usb hdd/stick.

So it will be possible to play movie with subtitles/DTS without transcoding.

Also it will correctly split the files to fat32 sizes and you wont have to switch files in the middle of the movie, it will just auto continue.

Having an external drive for this is gonna be (Y)

Basically means we can get DTS.

And also for those who stream...

mkv2vob 2.4 has an option to convert to PCM, its already working.

PCM is uncompressed audio like DTS, so if you don't have an external drive this will be your option and provide the same results of DTS.

[Coldgunner]

nope, still can't convert them back to mkv

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

nope, still can't convert them back to mkv

:/

Why is it you want them back as MKVs anyway?

also

Stop/Pause available in 2.4 and working

Looks like we're getting another much needed feature in 2.4!

[sk3]

I've been using PS3 Media Server and i'm quite happy with it :)

I can stream 720p from my old pc to PS3 without any pauses and it works even better than Tversity IMHO...

[Unknown_97784568745]

PCM is uncompressed audio like DTS, so if you don't have an external drive this will be your option and provide the same results of DTS.

DTS is not uncompressed audio. ;)

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

DTS is not uncompressed audio. ;)

Ah yes, my bad.

Basically what I was trying to convey was quality wise going from DTS to PCM will be much more similar than converting DTS to AC3 5.1.

[Coldgunner]

:/

Why is it you want them back as MKVs anyway?

I need to convert them back so I can merge the 2 parts into the one movie.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

mkv2vob 2.4.0

NOTE: AVCHD USB mode is broken (always Muxing Failed error).

Audio/Video transcoding does not work if you have more then 6 CPU cores.

These will be fixed within the day.

V2.4.0 20/Jan/2009

Added AVCHD: Disc output mode (note: AVCHD is same as Blu-Ray so you can burn to BD-R too).

Added AVCHD: USB output mode (AVCHD on a usb drive).

Added AVCHD: USB output mode automatic splitting and playback for FAT32 without movie interruption.

Added AVCHD: DTS + Subtitles support without transcoding.

Added AVCHD: Automatically import chapter information from MKV.

Added AVCHD: Patch TSmuxeR AVCHD output to remove green bar without re-encoding.

Added AVCHD: Patch TSmuxeR AVCHD output to make subtitles play automatically.

Added AVCHD: Patch TSmuxeR AVCHD output to fix wrong m2ts file size indicator (causes freezing on splits).

Added x264 High Quality transcoding mode (almost lossless, file size is about 3x original),

Added option to convert incompatible audio to PCM instead of AC3 (requires HDMI audio decoder).

Added support for ASS subtitles.

Added Stop/Pause button.

Added detection of bad manual installation (cause of mkv parse error, please use the installer).

Added option to disable automatic update.

Added use standard Win32 API to run tools, should help with running in emulator on MAC/Linux.

Added support for DTS-ES audio.

Added support for VORBIS audio.

Added support for multi-core XviD encoding.

Improved x264 transcoding speed on multi-core processors.

Improved x264 transcoding speed by optimizing settings.

Fixed VirtualDubMod error when transcoding codec is set to XviD but no transcoding was required.

Fixed wrong audio codec muxed in XviD when the source mkv did not have an AC3 track.

Fixed progress bar not working in XviD muxing stage when no splitting required.

Fixed some letters missing in some subtitle languages.

Fixed Arabic subtitles not displayed correctly.

Fixed Unexpected Operation error on some files with AAC audio.

Fixed too big/small MPEG2 transcoded files.

Fixed file splitting was undersized by 2.34% (note: a little undersizing is normal).

Fixed "Installation ended prematurely" error with installer on some systems.

Fixed transcoded audio unplayable or with dropouts/clicks on some decoders.

Fixed various other minor bugs.

Removed file extension option, it is now set automatically (rename it manually if you want).

NOTE: PS3 Firmware 2.53 or higher is required, earlier version you will get no audio.

http://www.mkv2vob.com/showthread.php?tid=157&page=1

Really big update to MKV2VOB :yes:

Best thing for those with a HDMI receiver, is you can now convert DTS to PCM instead of it going to AC3.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Looks like the issues from earlier are now fixed

V2.4.1 20/Jan/2009

Fixed Audio/Video transcoding fails on CPU's with more then 6 cores.

Fixed AVCHD mode results in Muxing Failed under some conditions.

Due to the PS3 downscales 720p which is not exactly 1280x720 in AVCHD mode to 480p, such videos are now transcoded and black bars added.

The green bar removal patch appears to work fine with odd resolution 1080p video so no transcoding needed.

[way2quik]

mkv2vob 2.4.2

V2.4.2 22/Jan/2009

Added support for MPEG/L3 (MP3) audio.

Added "Use 448kbps AC3" option, for decoders that require it, 640kbps is the default.

Added "Use Old File Format" option (uses M2TS container like the old versions).

Restored "Output File Extension" option.

Fixed MKV file deleted + parse error if source is in a subfolder of the destination.

Fixed loader.exe deleted by some anti-virus scanners (false detection, there was no virus).

Fixed AVCHD mode transcoded all 720p files even if its not needed.

Fixed freeze/crash/error when output directory is a FAT32 file system.

Fixed check boxes in config tab looked strange on some windows themes.

Fixed progress bar not working in second stage of PCM transcoding.

Note: If you get green bar in AVCHD, press "Top Menu" on your remote.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

V2.4.3 Beta 1 29/Jan/2009

Added Drag and Drop support (both files and directories).

Added XviD transcodes are now XBOX 360 compatible with full 5.1 AC3 playback.

Added support for video with variable frame rate (it will be transcoded to CFR).

Added AVCHD 720p with height above 584 can now be converted without transcoding.

Added support for audio which is not 48Khz in AVCHD mode (eg. MP3).

Added "Use 448kbps AC3" will now downconvert 640kbps AC3.

Added detect if temp/dest folder is writable to avoid strange errors if its not.

Added detect and abort if temp folder is on a FAT32 formatted drive.

Added abort if "transcode: never" is selected and video would be unplayable.

Added display reason video is being transcoded. *

Added assume subtitles in mkv without a language flag is your preferred lanaguage.

Fixed subtitles incorrectly displayed on DBCS windows (eg. traditional chinese). **

Fixed error transcoding or very large output on non-english windows.

Fixed muxing failed on MAC when used in vmware.

Fixed audio lanaguage preference not working with vorbis/mp3.

Fixed parse error with some H.264 mkv's which were not encoded with x264.

Fixed PCM conversions which are larger then 4GB not working.

Fixed tsmuxer crash/partial output in AVCHD when subtitles contains long line.

Fixed no subtitles visible in AVCHD when first subtitle starts at 00:00:00

Fixed "Skip Already Converted" not detecting AVCHD conversions.

Fixed mencoder crash at end of some files.

Fixed detect if tsmuxer crashes for any reason during AVCHD muxing.

* Transcoding reason display:

REF = Too many reference frames (Not Level 4.1)

VFR = Variable Frame Rate

SUB = Subtitles

RES = Bad AVCHD resolution

CFG = You set transcode to Always

** Maybe. Untested since I dont have it.

This release has been made beta because alot of how it works internally has changed.

The main change is how it reads details from the mkv.

Specifically report if any mkv's result in parse error.

This beta release cannot be downloaded via auto update.

You need to download and install it from the link below.

Download:

http://www.3r1c.eu/mkv2vob/beta/243b1/mkv2vob.exe

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

V2.4.3 Beta 2 31/Jan/2009

Fixed unicode bug in subtitle conversion.

Fixed "Error extracting from mkv" in AVCHD mode if subtitles is a srt.

Fixed wrong channel order in PCM conversion.

Modified loader.exe again to please norton (untested)

Download: http://www.3r1c.eu/mkv2vob/beta/243b2/mkv2vob.exe

Important update for those that use PCM like myself, as it fixes channel issues.

If you have an HDMI receiver, PCM conversion is a god send. Means you can now enjoy DTS tracks fully as they don't need to be down-converted to AC3 5.1 any more.

[Sethos]

Weren't you doing a new / updated thread once MKV2VOB 2.4x was out with PS3 Media Server included?

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Weren't you doing a new / updated thread once MKV2VOB 2.4x was out with PS3 Media Server included?

Yeah, I've been too busy with coursework though since Uni went back this week, but I'll get around to updating everything soon.

I'm writing stuff [uni work] as we speak, but as always whenever I'm doing work on the PC Neowin is open in the background as usual :p Can't be all work, no fun.

3r1cs pumping out the releases the now as well, so chances are whatever I update will become "outdated" in a day or two - I'll probably wait till this version comes out of beta, as it's pretty much going to be feature complete now for a while.

[zerolimit]

Ok ok guys :p

Stop beating the horse to death.

It's a personal choice how you want to watch/store your movies.

The PS3 can support drives up to 350GB, so if you want to keep your movies on there, knock yourself out! If you want to carry/keep things to physical discs, knock yourself out again!

Ouch, 2 black eyes :pinch: :laugh:

I am using a External HD 1.5 TB with over 70+ HD Movies and growing... works perfect!

only thing is that PS3 doesn't support NTSF only FAT32 so I use MKV2VOB to make sure they work!

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

FYI: This is exactly the same as 2.4.3 beta 3

V2.4.3 05/Feb/2009

Added support for SSA subtitles.

Added ability to browse network folders.

Added Drag and Drop support (both files and directories).

Added XviD transcodes are now XBOX 360 compatible with full 5.1 AC3 playback.

Added support for video with variable frame rate (it will be transcoded to CFR).

Added AVCHD 720p with height above 584 can now be converted without transcoding.

Added support for audio which is not 48Khz in AVCHD mode (eg. MP3).

Added "Use 448kbps AC3" will now downconvert 640kbps AC3.

Added detect if temp/dest folder is writable to avoid strange errors if its not.

Added detect and abort if temp folder is on a FAT32 formatted drive.

Added abort if "transcode: never" is selected and video would be unplayable.

Added display reason video is being transcoded. *

Added assume subtitles in mkv without a language flag is your preferred lanaguage.

Fixed runtime error in AVCHD mode if subtitles contain bad time codes.

Fixed error converting some DTS-ES tracks to AC3/PCM.

Fixed unable to choose a temp/dest directory in the root of an empty drive.

Fixed subtitles incorrectly displayed on DBCS windows (eg. traditional chinese).

Fixed error transcoding or very large output on non-english windows.

Fixed muxing failed on MAC when used in vmware.

Fixed audio lanaguage preference not working with vorbis/mp3.

Fixed parse error with some H.264 mkv's which were not encoded with x264.

Fixed PCM conversions which are larger then 4GB not working.

Fixed tsmuxer crash/partial output in AVCHD when subtitles contains long line.

Fixed no subtitles visible in AVCHD when first subtitle starts at 00:00:00

Fixed "Skip Already Converted" not detecting AVCHD conversions.

Fixed mencoder crash at end of some files.

Fixed detect if tsmuxer crashes for any reason during AVCHD muxing.

* Transcoding reason display:

REF = Too many reference frames (Not Level 4.1)

VFR = Variable Frame Rate

SUB = Subtitles

RES = Bad AVCHD resolution

CFG = You set transcode to Always

Download - http://www.3r1c.eu/mkv2vob/mkv2vob.exe

[zerolimit]

We just need the PS3 to support NTFS so we can put our external HDS to work with the ps3 and not only 4gb files! good thing mkv2vob has the option! =)

[AbandonedTrolley]

We just need the PS3 to support NTFS so we can put our external HDS to work with the ps3 and not only 4gb files! good thing mkv2vob has the option! =)

Whilst not always ideal, you can copy through a network files over 4 gig to the Playstations internal drive.