Hi All,

I've read several topics on playing video files on the BeoMaster 5. From this science I have installed a codec pack that can play AVI files, include Xvid video encoder.

But, due to the fact that the AVI container is not suitable for 5.1 channel sound, I therefore want to use a MKV container with H.264 video encoder and AC-3 audio encoder with 5.1 channels at 48.000hz.

In the Service Mode (Windows XP) of the BeoMaster 5 I can play this MKV movie in Windows Media Player 11, which means that the codec pack is correctly installed.

But in B&O mode this MKV file does not appear in the Photo list.

Does anyone have experience with this?

Thanks in advance.

Bas

PS The reason for this is that I want to rip my DVD collection.......

bhollenberg:

But, due to the fact that the AVI container is not suitable for 5.1 channel sound, I therefore want to use a MKV container with H.264 video encoder and AC-3 audio encoder with 5.1 channels at 48.000hz.

This isn't true - I have many avi files with XviD and AC3 5.1 audio tracks.  That said, the mkv container and H.264 is far superior.

In the Service Mode (Windows XP) of the BeoMaster 5 I can play this MKV movie in Windows Media Player 11, which means that the codec pack is correctly installed.

But in B&O mode this MKV file does not appear in the Photo list.

Unfortunately, I don't have any experience with the Beomaster software.  It will be because it's not looking for that particular file extension - which may be an option in settings, a registry tweak, or not possible.  MKV has never been plain sailing off the bat, even in Media Center.

Very good question !

B&O use a tvix for video demo on the BeoVisions. It's in the PUC list.

I think B&O don't recomand the use of the BeoMaster 5 as a video server because of the processor and the RAM which are not very powerful.

On top of that, there is the problem of the movie license...

But i agree, it would be a great thing to get a true B&O video center !

Thanks for your reply!

Which program do you use to convert your DVD movies to AVI and AC-3 audio? I use Daniusoft Video Converter Ultimate.

The strange thing is, that it also doesn't work with MP4 files. (which is not my choise because with Daniusoft I only can select/put AAC audio encoder in combination with MP4 files).

Yesterday evening I tested something and found out that I just had to change the extension of the .MKV .MP4 files to .AVI and it worked! So the B&O software recognise the video files and plays it very well!!

There is only one but: if I make an .MKV file with AC-3 5.1 channel audio, the sound isn't right, I miss the centre speaker channel and probably also the rear speaker channels.

I checked in the BeoVision menu on what type of sound comes in and this is PCM 2.0, it converts it to NEO6.

So, does anyone knows how to change the outgoing sound on the BeoMaster 5? I use the SPDIF connection to the BeoVision 7.

Thanks!

It is possible that the Beomaster's app isn't built to output 5.1 sound and will only do PCM2.0.  Check if it does it in WMP.

That said, if it does, then I'd be looking in the Sounds and Audio Devices Control Panel - I think it's in here you can tell it it has 5.1 speakers connected.  That way the Windows sound system won't downmix (or just drop the excess channels) to get 2.0.

You might consider installing the Combined Community Codec Pack or XP Codec Pack - I would go for the later one - to get support for additional codecs that the system missing. Also the VIA Mini-ITX motherboard (if I do not recall wrong it's the VIA EPIA EX) that B&O are using has additional multimedia capacities; so while it's a weak CPU; it should be able to play mkv 720p without any problem and as well 1080p should be possible.