Always audio, sometimes no video (black screen)

[Babbo]

Dear all!

Right now from the beginning: many thanks for your software and, then, please allow to sketch my problem:

Hardware:

• New and clean installation of UMS 9.4.1 …
• … hosted on an up-to-date Win 10 Pro PC.
• A Comtrend-router connected to the PC via LAN-cable as WLAN-basis.
• It appears, everything’s running fine, internet on the PC as well as on WLAN-connected handys and notebooks.
• My client is a Panasonic Blu-Ray-player, called DMP-BD85 (~2010), connected with HDMI to a Philips-TV CINEOS 42 (~2008).

Problem:

• DMP and CINEOS set-up correctly, no problem with any type of DVD, Blu-Ray, … Also, UMS can connect to the WLAN and streams from the PC to the TV …
• … however, there exist some videos which do have audio, but no picture (empty, black screen). Interesting symptom: if the video is paused, a perfect still picture from the vid (which is obviously running “behind” the black screen) is depicted. As soon as Play is pressed again, the screen returns to black.
• This holds for the "standard" video versions, I fiddled around with transcode, but no success.

Attached:

• ums_dbg.zip: A note applies. Since I didn’t find a conf-file for my player, I used and forced the “Panasonic-DMPBDT.conf” (in the General Settings) provided with UMS. I have no idea, why the zipping procedure attached the “Panasonic-DMPBDT220.conf”. So I have added the “Panasonic-DMPBDT.conf” manually to the zip.
• Media Info: The zip also contains two text-files, Party.txt and Yoga.txt. These are Media Info-reports of the (currently) two targeted videos. Please note “Party” is running fine (audio and video), while “Yoga” is not (only audio, still picture if paused, but no video).

That’s it. Thanks a lot for reflecting, I’d feel absolutely glad for any hint.

Finally, not to forget: I wish you a happy Easter!

[mik_s]

Looks like UMS is doing its job correctly identifying that those files need transcoding as that player has very little that is supported.

Don't know why one works while the other doesn't though. The only difference between them is the frame-rate, the one working is 25 while the other is 23.976. maybe the player can't reliably play at 23.976 fps so only displays a blank screen and pausing it gives it a chance to display that frame correctly.

I seen some specs saying it can play AVCHD, as far as I know that is basically mp4 in a different container. see if you can get them to play by going into the #-TRANSCODE-# folder and selecting "No Transcoding" and see if that works. you could also try setting TranscodeVideo to MPEGTS-H264-AC3 in the conf file. If it is just the frame-rate that is the issue there might be some custom options you can set to convert them. I know little about the actual transcoding formats though, @Nadahar will be better help.

It turns out UMS is using the “Panasonic-DMPBDT220.conf" instead of the “Panasonic-DMPBDT.conf” one. It will be that the 220 has a higher priority so takes precedent, besides that the configuration between them is identical.

[Nadahar]

I'm sorry to say, but when it comes to MEncoder/FFmpeg command line options (custom options) I'm a complete noob. That said, transcoding to a different framerate doesn't sound like a good idea to me, I mean quality would have to be quite compromised AFAICU. The problem might be that UMS sends a DLNA profile that is defined to be 25 fps even if the real fps is something else, but that's just a wild guess form my side.

[Babbo]

Thank you ...

... here's a more detailed (above all, complete) resume of my transcode-experience:

• No transcoding: can't establish connection (have to re-start the network connection on the Blu-Ray)
• FFmpeg Video: black screen
• AviSynth/FFmpeg: can't establish connection
• MEncoder Video: black screen
• AviSynth/MEncoder: can't establish connection
• tsMuxeR Video: only about every 5 seconds a short still picture
• VLC Video, the most interesting case: using (a) TranscodeVideo = MPEGTS-MPEG2-AC3, I do get a video, but it's of lower quality and it's a touch too slow, while (b) using TranscodeVideo = MPEGTS-H264-AC3 (as suggested) gives the usual black screen

[Nadahar]

Looking at your log, it seems obvious to me that this fails because UMS doesn't handle the DLNA metadata properly. When checking the transcoding for "Yoga", the output is H.262/MPEG-2 Video with 23.98 fps, yet UMS sends this profile: AVC_TS_HD_24_AC3_ISO

This profile states that the media is a Transport Stream (correct) with H.264/AVC (incorrect), 24 fps (incorrect) and AC3 audio (correct). The renderer probably trusts this information, which will mean that the audio is rendered but the video fails.

UMS' DLNA handling is lacking to say the least. Most renderers are quite forgiving about this though, so it often works regardless. It seems that this renderer isn't "forgiving enough" in this case though.

[Babbo]

Nadahar, now that you have obviously identified and nicely defined the problem, is there also a way to solve it, e.g. by some switch(es) in the conf?

[Nadahar]

Not that I know. The real problem is in UMS' code which produce bogus information for the renderer. The fix is that the devs fix it, but that's no small feat.

[Babbo]

Final thanks and: so I'll have to wait ...

[Nadahar]

I suspect that you'd been waiting for eternity...