Unable to play VOB files (1 Viewer)

[gajit]

Hi all,

Well, I installed Mediaportal at around 2pm this afternoon, and here I am 9 hours later still trying to figure this out - and it's VERY frustrating.

I cannot for the life of me figure out how to play .VOB files using MediaPortal.

I have following countless threads and installed, codecs, packs, updates and appear to have tried all sorts of combinations - but still no joy.

I have over 3600 titles on my HTPC, mostly ripped as .VOBs, with my TV series mainly ripped to H.264/MP4. The latter play fine.

To summarize what I've done so far;

Installed the SAF4.00beta20 pack (numerous times)

Installed the latest version of DirectX for my O/S - which, incidentally does NOT install the fix for the "D3DX9 not found" issues with the Redist download - the full SDK install is required - at least, that was my experience.

Installed Media Player Classic Home Cinema and copied the above dll (d3dx9) to the program directory.

Installed the Trial version of PowerDVD9, and copied the CLvsd.ax file to C:\ (again, numerous times as it appears the uninstall for SAF removes it).

I configured MP as per this post:

https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/...-filters-dxva-ready-mpeg2-h-264-vc-1-a-44614/

If I select a VOB video, the computer basically hangs up. I have to Ctrl-Alt-Del to the task manager and end the task - which says either "Mediaportal - My Videos" or "Mediaportal - Fullscreen Video"

MP4's play fine - with MPC.

If I play the VOB through the windows file system, PowerDVD9 opens it and plays it no problem. I did try changing the default windows program to Media Player Classic, and although it plays, there is no sound - suspect this isn't symptomatic of the problem in MediaCentre.

I'm pulling my hair out here, and although I love the interface and feel of mediaportal, it's very frustrating to not find any specific configuration FAQs or easily-found advice on this. I'm a software professional, so not a novice at all things computer, so it's even more frustrating that I can't get this to work.

My 'puter specs:

Xp Pro SP3
Intel T2500 2Ghz
2Gb RAM

MediaPortal 1.0.2.0

If anyone could offer some help, it would be helpful.

Thanks,
Graham

ps.

Here's my SAF log.txt if it's of any use:

Path: "C:\Program Files\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal"
Required build: 23089 (or newer)
Installed ver./build: 1.0.2.22555 (1.0.2)
Status: OK


CLVsd.ax (PowerDVD MPEG2 Decoder):
On root ("C:"): version: 8.4.0.923

QuickTime requirements:
MediaLooks QT Source direct show filter: Not installed

QuickTime Alternative:
Not installed

AnyDVD installed: No

DirectVobSub installed: No

DirectX version check: OK (D3DX9_42.dll)

Local media:
AVI: OK {E436EBB5-524F-11CE-9F53-0020AF0BA770}
FLV: OK {C9ECE7B3-1D8E-41F5-9F24-B255DF16C087}
M2TS: OK {1365BE7A-C86A-473C-9A41-C0A6E82C9FA3}
M4V: OK
MKV: OK {55DA30FC-F16B-49FC-BAA5-AE59FC65F82D}
MOV: OK
MOVSD: OK
MP4: OK {55DA30FC-F16B-49FC-BAA5-AE59FC65F82D}
MPEG: OK
MPG: OK {1365BE7A-C86A-473C-9A41-C0A6E82C9FA3}
MTS: OK {55DA30FC-F16B-49FC-BAA5-AE59FC65F82D}
RM: OK {765035B3-5944-4A94-806B-20EE3415F26F}
RMVB: OK {765035B3-5944-4A94-806B-20EE3415F26F}
TS: OK {55DA30FC-F16B-49FC-BAA5-AE59FC65F82D}
VOB: OK {1365BE7A-C86A-473C-9A41-C0A6E82C9FA3}
WMV: OK

Streams:
AVI: OK
FLV: OK
M4V: OK
MKV: OK
MP4: OK
MOV: OK
WMV: OK

Passthrough enabled: Yes
PowerDVD 9.0.2201.0
Path: "C:\Program Files\CyberLink\PowerDVD9"

Adobe Flash Player (IE version): 10.0.32.18

 

[gajit]

here are the log files when i try to play the vob with Mp in debug mode.

 

[hoborg]

May be that is the problem:

AnyDVD installed: No

...if our VOB files on DVD are crypted.

 

[gajit]

I donk think so. Why would I need yet another piece of software? I use DVDFab to Rip my DVD's any copyright protection/encryption is removed.

To be clear, my VOB's play fine in VLC media and PowerDVD outside of mediaportal. So it is mediaportal-related.

Thanks,
Graham

 

[hoborg]

...if you rename VOB to MPG, will it work?

 

[gajit]

Yes, it did!

Now that is strange... does that give any clue as to why it won;t play it as a VOB?

The majoity of my entire collection are .VOBs - some 3700 DVD rips, not sure I want to rename them all - and before I did, I'd want to check that the MPG-is-really-a-VOB format will still stream using the various media server software I currently use (Twonky, Orb and native PS3)..

I did do some codec shuffling earlier - the SAF codec stuff upset my WMP playback - could no longer stream mp4/.asx files - through Orb - codec missing error. I eventually installed the K-Lite codec pack - but then also had to re-install WMP11 ...

Anyway, I've proved that mediaportal works - I would still like to find a VOB solution without the rename, so if you have an answer, I'd still like to get to the bottom of it.

Thanks for your help.

Graham

 

[hoborg]

Firstly, why you play VOBs? If you rip DVD you will play it by entering riped DVD folder (DVD menu apear), or rip to ISO and play ISO.

Second - SAF autodisable MS DMO video decoder - but you can simply enable it by START - SAF - MS DMO - enable.

 

[gajit]

i rip the main movie to VOB, not the hole DVD. this was primarily because PS3 doesn't support the DVD folder structure or ISO format. In fact, I don't believe many other media servers do.

My main goal was flexibilty. Mediaportal may have a great interface, but by using some of the other pieces of software out there - such as Orb - I can access my collection online from anywhere in the world with an internet connection, and play a movie.

I currently use my PS3 as my media front end when watching movies in the theatre room. my idea was to use mediaportal as the front end for PC's that i want to act as mediaportal clients in other rooms of the house - by creating netork shares ti the media server and that's essentially what i'm doing here. i've installed all of this on my notebook - as a test. now i've identified that i can playback - i can install on the first 'client pc' that i have

But you are correct, I would like to have used .ISO images and mounted them, but few media servers handle them well ...


Thanks,
Graham

 

[hoborg]

Oh, i see now. You can rename all media in one folder in cmd by typing

rename *.VOB *.MPG

But i didnt get why VOBs didnt works for you. What exactly happend when you try to play them? any error message? Can you try to play VOB and post MP logs?

 

[chris198810]

Try Brorsoft Video Converter, it can help you to convert single VOB files to any format you want.