Getting this HTPC running has been a complete nightmare.

[Annisman*]

I've run into so many problems it's stupid. What's even worse is that I have been using a well put together guide by Assasin. And I seem to be hitting road blocks left and right.

Using MakeMkv I ripped a blu ray to my M: drive, I then downloaded and installed the Lavsplitter codec following all directions properly. Then, I directed Windows Media Center to the location of my MKV file M:>Media>Video>HD Video.

Windows Media Center refused to find the movie. I tred a ripped DVD in a similar location M:>Media>Video>SD Video, and then proceeded to again direct WMC to the file. Again it failed to do so.

Googling the issue brought me to an old solution of using a registry entry to 'make' WMC find the file. It worked for a little while (hour or two) but when I rebooted it now again, no longer can find the files I am directing it to!

To add to my woes, when WMC was able to play the ripped blu ray MKV (earlier) it had a 'skipping' issue where every now and then the movie would skip here and there. The ripped DVD on the other hand had no such issue.

Troubleshooting the skipping issue, I went into Lav Video settings, and chose Nvidia for hardware acceleration. Still no dice, same skipping issue.

What on Earth am I doing wrong ? This is a completely fresh Windows 7 64bit install, with all new hardware.

please somebody help me.

 

[assassin24]

You can't bitstream HD Audio (or usually even regular DTS) to a HDTV or non-HD audio capable AV receiver. So if you are trying to bitstream these formats do not do so.

 

[sm625]

I use vlc remote to browse to the file I want and it plays anything vlc player will play. Local files or youtube clips. Do you have something that can run vlc remote? If so I would try that so you can get away from WMC. I'm not sure why anyone would want to use it, it is so slow....

Netflix is a bit tougher. But still, it is literally faster to get up off the couch and click on netflix in firefox than it is to do the same action in WMC.

 

[Annisman*]

I am using WMC because thats what assasins guide says, and I can tell the end result will be exactly what I'm looking for, it's just getting to the end result is where I am hardcore failing.

@assassin the new av receiver will be here today. But honestly we can't expect that to fix all my problems. I mean, a receiver can't help wmc be able to locate mkv files properly am I right ?

Oh and I ran into another problem last night. Because mediaBrowser requires movies to be located in a properly named folder, I placed the appropriate mkv files in folders with proper movie names, and now media browser freezes as soon as I select it in wmc. I hate my life

 

[Binky]

Sounds like you have other issues. I just re-reinstall when an install goes sideways like that.

Once you get media browser working, you can just have it fire up an external player (e.g. media player classic) to play MKV files. It works pretty seamlessly and its easier to get working than the internal WMC player.

 

[assassin24]

I have no idea what you have done but the issues you are reporting are not any that I am familiar with.

I would go back and startover from scratch.

 

[flocko]

I am using WMC because thats what assasins guide says, and I can tell the end result will be exactly what I'm looking for, it's just getting to the end result is where I am hardcore failing.

@assassin the new av receiver will be here today. But honestly we can't expect that to fix all my problems. I mean, a receiver can't help wmc be able to locate mkv files properly am I right ?

Oh and I ran into another problem last night. Because mediaBrowser requires movies to be located in a properly named folder, I placed the appropriate mkv files in folders with proper movie names, and now media browser freezes as soon as I select it in wmc. I hate my life

I would reiterate what assassin has said and would add the following :

1) Take a pill and chill ! "I hate my life" would be indicative of a high frustration level . It's a htpc ... no more , no less . I suggest a break.

2) Frag the the os drive and start over . Re read the Assassin guides . Sorry , but they work . Make sure your hardware has the capability your asking it to do .

3) I like to do the following on a new htpc build : Load the O.S. and play with it for a while and make sure it can do all the normal functions that a standard pc can do with out issue. Load all current drivers and software. D/L all "important" Windows updates . If all is well then start with WMC and use it do do some minor tasks . Maybe use it to watch tv with a tuner card . Install Lav and other software you need for media playback ( MB) but load it one piece at a time and do minor easy tests and STOP if something does not work.

The issue sometimes is that adding to much software at one time and then trying to cipher what is peeing in the sand box is imposable to do .

Basically .... your going TO FAST . Watch file naming conventions very closely as well

Luck and patience ( mostly patience) and you will get there

 

[Annisman*]

I feel relieved, but also very embarrassed to admit that finally hooking my pc up to an AV receiver fixed (as far as I can tell) literally all my problems. I never should have gone ahead with the guide until my receiver had arrived and been hooked up. I am now bitstreaming hd master audio from ripped blurays on my harddrive, which have magically been located by wmc. Still can't believe the missing receiver was the cause of my headaches. Thanks for bearing with me guys.

 

[Annisman*]

I would reiterate what assassin has said and would add the following :

1) Take a pill and chill ! "I hate my life" would be indicative of a high frustration level . It's a htpc ... no more , no less . I suggest a break.

2) Frag the the os drive and start over . Re read the Assassin guides . Sorry , but they work . Make sure your hardware has the capability your asking it to do .

3) I like to do the following on a new htpc build : Load the O.S. and play with it for a while and make sure it can do all the normal functions that a standard pc can do with out issue. Load all current drivers and software. D/L all "important" Windows updates . If all is well then start with WMC and use it do do some minor tasks . Maybe use it to watch tv with a tuner card . Install Lav and other software you need for media playback ( MB) but load it one piece at a time and do minor easy tests and STOP if something does not work.

The issue sometimes is that adding to much software at one time and then trying to cipher what is peeing in the sand box is imposable to do .

Basically .... your going TO FAST . Watch file naming conventions very closely as well

Luck and patience ( mostly patience) and you will get there

Your were 100% right, I was simply going too fast. Skipping ahead without having all the equiptment. In my ignorance, I thought I could 'set' all the bitstreaming options, and then hook it up later on, doing this screwed up (temporarily) almost everything.

And, I never really ever get THAT upset, just frustrated like anbody else.

 

[wirednuts]

i want to add, i know that wm7 is supposed to play all formats and everything blah blah... but i have still have problems on default installs.

i have been using shark007's codecs on my htpc's for a couple years now. nothing is better. after you install it you can forget about what format your video is in. wmc will find it and play it, no doubt.

 

[assassin24]

Glad you got it working. I also have a problem following directions and get excited. Been there, done that!

 

[ecosmartpc]

Yeah, when you try to send an unsupported format out, either video or audio, you get super strange behaviors that don't come anywhere near pointing to the real problem.

 

[truckerCLOCK]

You should still be able to play ripped video files without an a/v receiver. You just won't be able to bitstream audio. I don't believe hooking up your receiver magically fixed all your problems...but glad to hear you got it working.

 

[Annisman*]

Look, I'm as surprised as anybody that the AV reciever fixed every single problem I was having, but it really did. As soon as I hooked it up, everything started working perfectly.

Without the reciever I was able to play video, but as I pointed out, the blu ray would skip ahead during scenes, after hooking up the reciever, no more skipping.

 

[Annisman*]

Yeah, when you try to send an unsupported format out, either video or audio, you get super strange behaviors that don't come anywhere near pointing to the real problem.

I guess I just figured that so long as I wasn't sending that format out to something that couldn't recieve it that there wouldn't be any issues. Apparently if you are going to send those formats out, you need something accepting it on the other end, it's more of a circle than a line.