TCL32E3 won't play .wtv

I can't get my Panny to play .wtv's recorded using WMC from a Ceton InfiniTV cablecard tuner. (Specifically Red Riding Hood. I'll try recording something else later tonight.) As per previous posts, please note ffmpeg -i attached as file dlna_error.txt. (created using latest ver. of ffmpeg) I'm also attaching the serviio.log for any additional assistance. Interesting to note several instances of an 'unsupported chunk' error message in the ffmpeg output. All 3 copies of the .wtv files play fine on the Win 7 SP1 64 bit WMC, but none will play over Serviio. I get a 'Cannot Read File' error message on the TV. I tried several different Serviio profiles including Panasonic Viera and DirecTV HD-DVR with no joy. The TV recognizes Serviio and will play some, but not all, other videos from my Video library on the Win7 PC, mostly MP4's. I haven't had a chance to completely isolote those that will and those that won't play. I'm most interested in getting the .wtv output from WMC to work right now. I really would like to get these files to play as is without having to run a separate conversion step. Is this possible? Thanks very much for an otherwise great product.

[Cerberus]

wow thats one messed up file.

EDIT: i just twigged something these files are made by WMC so more than likely microsoft added some changes to the file so that they will only play with their software, that why it looks so corrupted but i will let ZIP confirm this.

id try converting them to Mp4 or AVI and see if they then play.

Cerebrus, Thank you very much for your prompt reply. It seems I may have a bigger problem. Shortly after posting that last night, I tried to setup the Ceton card to record another program through WMV, just as a test. Unfortunately, I now seem to have lost all contact with the Ceton tuner card and cannot get Windows or the Ceton diagnostics program to even see the tuners at all anymore. I suspect, but am not certain, that the Ceton device may have never been working 100% and may have finally just kicked over last night. I hope I can work with Ceton support today and get it working again. If not, unfortunately, I may have an RMA for a DOA device. I will try again when I can get a functional tuner card again. Thanks again.

[Cerberus]

your welcome

[PMI]

I'm most interested in getting the .wtv output from WMC to work right now. I really would like to get these files to play as is without having to run a separate conversion step.

I think I am in the same boat, just half-a-step ahead (or maybe behind, chuckle). I have .wtv files which were recorded in Windows 7/WMC. These play fine on my TC-L32E3, using Windows Media Player 12 server (after I enabled streaming in media player). Media player seems to translate WTV files without any additional configuration, and they show up as Media Format MPEG2-PS in the list of videos (left side of screen when you highlight the name of the file) when using media player as a DLNA server).

To play wtv files using Serviio, I edited the Panasonic Viera profile, so wtv was included in the list of files transcoded by serviio to a format the TV can play.

The list of compatible formats is on page 26 of my Viera TC-L32E3 manual.
The list of formats transcoded by Serviio into mpeg-ts is in the profiles.xml file, under Profile name="Panasonic Viera" in a section under a comment which starts with the words "unsupported codecs will be transcoded into mpeg-ts..."

Unfortunately, although I can now play wtv files, just editing the profile does not seem to be a complete solution. The wtv files now show up as MPEG2-TS files when using Serviio, and they do play, sort-of, but not without other issues.

Since you can run Media Player and Serviio on the same PC, at the same time, I would say that for now, you could use media player to play recorded wtv files, Serviio to play the rest, and let the Serviio experts sort this one out...

[Cerberus]

I'm most interested in getting the .wtv output from WMC to work right now. I really would like to get these files to play as is without having to run a separate conversion step.

I think I am in the same boat, just half-a-step ahead (or maybe behind, chuckle). I have .wtv files which were recorded in Windows 7/WMC. These play fine on my TC-L32E3, using Windows Media Player 12 server (after I enabled streaming in media player). Media player seems to translate WTV files without any additional configuration, and they show up as Media Format MPEG2-PS in the list of videos (left side of screen when you highlight the name of the file) when using media player as a DLNA server).

To play wtv files using Serviio, I edited the Panasonic Viera profile, so wtv was included in the list of files transcoded by serviio to a format the TV can play.

The list of compatible formats is on page 26 of my Viera TC-L32E3 manual.
The list of formats transcoded by Serviio into mpeg-ts is in the profiles.xml file, under Profile name="Panasonic Viera" in a section under a comment which starts with the words "unsupported codecs will be transcoded into mpeg-ts..."

Unfortunately, although I can now play wtv files, just editing the profile does not seem to be a complete solution. The wtv files now show up as MPEG2-TS files when using Serviio, and they do play, sort-of, but not without other issues.

Since you can run Media Player and Serviio on the same PC, at the same time, I would say that for now, you could use media player to play recorded wtv files, Serviio to play the rest, and let the Serviio experts sort this one out...

id love to sort the issues out but you havent told us what the " issues " are

[PMI]

id love to sort the issues out but you havent told us what the " issues " are

Just as kkelso wrote above, when I installed Serviio with default settings, I selected Panasonic Viera profile, and found some video formats would play, some would not. At this point both the WMP 12 server and Serviio showed up as independent selections under DLNA in the TV menu. WTV files recorded in Windows Media Center were among the ones that would not play.

I found the profiles.xml file in one of the Serviio directories, and I found a list of file formats being transcoded to MPEG-TS. I added a single line, to include the wtv format in that list. After that, wtv files appeared as mpeg-ts on the screen on theTC-L32E3, and some of them would play... only just.

1) Some wtv files would not play at all. Some files had incorrect thumbnails. Some files appeared in their folders with a leading double asterisk. some files had incorrect dates (not dates when recorded or broadcast).

2) Once playing, pause and play always worked. Stop, and resume (from the point when stopped) almost always worked, although resume could be a bit rough (blocky). Fwd and rev sometimes worked, usually not. When not, the screen would freeze with the last frame. When so frozen, pressing stop would usually exit the video, but only after a long pause.

3) After starting and stopping play on several different wtv files that did initially play, videos would not play at all (not even mkv format videos, which do not require transcoding). Error: "Cannot read file"

Preview pane was not working either, but the transcoded video format was still being displayed below a blank preview pane. At this point, Serviio seemed to act like it bogged down, and stopped responding to the DLNA client on the TC-L30 at all. After some time, the third problem seems to go away, but not the first or second.

[Cerberus]

1a) they are all down to incorrect metadata and file naming would be at fault for this.

1b) double asterisk are normal thats part of serviio's features

2&3) these are down to the player, as serviio only send file to player and player is responsible for the rest, id guess they added the FFwd and RWD functions but havent got it quite right yet.

NOTE: i now have a sink information for Panasonic BD player, so hopefully i can check if it need a seperate profile or if the panasonic tv profile is ok for BDP aswell (not much work has been done on panasonic profile YET)

your welcome to provide the SINK information for this device aswell then it can be included into our Database and used to help make profile better.

http://wiki.serviio.org/doku.php?id=device_sf

[PMI]

1a) they are all down to incorrect metadata and file naming would be at fault for this.

OK, but WMP 12 and Twonky are reading the same metadata and file names... (Neither one of them has this issue)

2&3) these are down to the player, as serviio only send file to player and player is responsible for the rest, id guess they added the FFwd and RWD functions but havent got it quite right yet.

Same comment as above, Fwd and Rev work seemlessly while using WMP or Twonky.

These are VERY large files, and I doubt there is enough memory in the Viera TV to buffer even a fraction of the file. Basically, the Viera TV (the client) is only holding a small portion of the video file at a time. So, on Fwd or Rev (especially since there are five increments of fwd and rev speed), there has to be some handshake with the server (the owner of the data).

I would like to believe it is in the player, b/c that lets ME off the hook, but WMP and Twonky have one thing in common, besides the fact that they work... I did not have to configure them.

your welcome to provide the SINK information for this device aswell then it can be included into our Database and used to help make profile better.

http://wiki.serviio.org/doku.php?id=device_sf

the TC-L32E3 does not show up in Device Spy device list

[Cerberus]

1a) all depends were the metadata comes from, serviio doesnt support embedded metadata, it gets its information form an online database or NFO file.

2&3) again its all down to how the player requests the file (im not gunna go into massively explaining this one as it to do with type of seek requested) granted if file is transcoded and you ffwd past were it is working it will hang until transcode process catches up

by serviio is the OWNER of the file as you put it, its just the delivery guy in the brown DHL van.

[PMI]

1a) all depends were the metadata comes from, serviio doesnt support embedded metadata, it gets its information form an online database or NFO file.

Got it. (sorry I hijacked the thread over this).

2&3) again its all down to how the player requests the file (im not gunna go into massively explaining this one as it to do with type of seek requested) granted if file is transcoded and you ffwd past were it is working it will hang until transcode process catches up

by serviio is the OWNER of the file as you put it, its just the delivery guy in the brown DHL van.

Ditto, I will start another thread. I think I have time later today, so I will run a few more tests with no transcoding.

To go back to the original thread subject...

The TC-L32E3 may not play .wtv files directly, but it only takes a small addition to the Serviio Panasonic TV profile to transcode the files to MPEG-2 TS to play (manual states it supports MPEG-2 only for DLNA.)

For anyone else... Videos supported include AVCHD, MP4, MKV, MPEG-2 TS & PS. Music: MP3, AAC (MPEG2-AAC/MPEG4-AAC), and LPCM for DLNA only.