Serviio

I'm using Serviio as the DLNA server to my Sony KDL-40NX803.
I suspect that the problem with these video clips from my S3 is something technical concerning the MP4 encoding used by the phone.
Can someone advise me what codec I should convert these videos with to get a playable copy for my TV via Serviio?
I have "WinEx Mobile Converter" software, would this provide a conversion acceptable to Serviio/Sony?

Could you try simply remux it to an MP4 file with ffmpeg command line? viewtopic.php?f=11&t=12543&start=20#p78118

Thanks for replying Illico, but that's way over my head, I don't understand what you're asking me to do.
I've read the thread you linked me to, it seems to be concerned with Playstation 3, which I don't have.
the files my Samsung Galaxy S3 phone creates are already MP4 and play fine on the phone but I suspect there are different types of "mp4" files.
I'm running Serviio Ver. 0.6.2

This thread talk about some mkv/mp4 container that does not play properly on PS3, but when file was remuxed with ffmpeg tools, its OK.

So, as your problem seams similar, I suggest you try to remux your MP4 file.

You can do so by using the ffmpeg command (you may have to change the location of your ffmpeg file) on a windows terminal:

"C:\Program Files\Serviio\lib\ffmpeg.exe" -i "filename_input.mp4" -vcodec copy -acodec copy "filename_output.mp4"

Then add the filename_output.mp4 on serviio library and retry to plys it.

If its over your head, I could not help you here.
Regards
Illico

btw: you can try to update your serviio version to 1.3.1

I haven't had much success using the command interface, so unless someone can offer step by step instructions, I'll just have to leave it.
Serviio is running well at the moment on my PC and I don't really want to upset it by updating on the off chance it might cure this problem.
Thanks.

Well, I've no idea what I've changed by doing what I've done, but it has worked!

The Samsung official web page for the S3 gives the following info concerning the video files it creates:-
Audio and Video
MPEG4, H.264, H.263, VC-1. DivX, VP8, WMV7 / 8, Sorenson Spark, DivX3.11
Full HD (1080p) Video Recording & Playback
Recording up to 30fps
MP3, AMR-NB / WB, AAC / AAC+ / eAAC+, WMA, OGG (Vorbis), FLAC, AC-3, apt-X

I have "converted" the MP4 file which wouldn't play smoothly on my Sony TV via Serviio, using "WinX Mobile Video Converter" to Err...MP4, (described as H264 1920x1080).
Not sure my tiny brain would cope with the explanation, but I would really like to know what the hell I have done to make this file playable!

What you have done with your WinX software, and what Illico was attempting to get you to do using the ffmpeg software, is to remux your MP4 file to a new MP4 container.

A very simplified explanation:
A video file consists of at least three components --> a video stream, an audio stream and a container file to hold it all together. So your MP4 file contains video (likely H264), audio (likely AAC) all wrapped together in an MP4 container (the container tells the playback device a bit about the video and audio streams, how they stored and how to play them back).

Sometimes the software that produces the original video file includes something that is "non-standard" in the container. Some devices have no problem playing these non-standard containers, others freak out and cannot play them. Remuxing is the process of copying the video and audio streams into a new container - sometimes, as seems to have worked here, you can use remuxing to fix any anomalies within the original container, and fix an otherwise unplayable file.

The beauty is that remuxing does not result in any loss in quality in either video or audio. It's also quick to do - so its easy to test whether it fixes things.

Wow!
Thanks DenyAll, I'm grateful for your explanation.
The "innards" of video files is just black magic to me!
I was so surprised when this worked.
I wondered if it might solve another non working feature of my Galaxy S3; in that it should be able to stream direct to my Sony TV via my home network, Music and Photos it will do, but it just can't do it with video!
I copied this re-muxed file back to the phone but it still just gives me the "changed player" notice when I try to stream it...guess you can't be lucky all the time!
Thanks again.

To be honest, DRM Media Converter is the only video converter that I have used to convert iTunes videos from M4V to MP4 and multiple formats. The different about this DRM removal tool with others is it can convert all videos at 30x faster speed without hampering the quality. We know all iTunes videos are DRM protected, if you want to enjoy it on common devices like android phone, Samsung smart TV, etc, you have to make all these videos non-DRM protected. This video converter is designed for that. With using it, you will be able to play iTunes videos on any devices without limitation. Good luck.

Thanks for that Torrence, I must say that in the intervening 4.5 years I have found a few converters which remove the stutter from the playback, but the quality is always reduced, and sometimes the audio is stripped out.
I cannot understand why Samsung phones encode their video files in such an unusable MP4 package.

Since I know very little about Video encoding etc, I am surprised by the implication that there might be some similarity with the iTunes M4V encoding and their DRM protection.
As far as I was aware, there is no such protection applied by my S3 phone to recordings made with it.