Solving playback issues

[pinaz]

What used to work in Roku's Media Player no longer does.

Files played from a Synology DLNA server that are:

MPEG-2 video, MPEG audio
or
MPEG-2 video, AC-3 audio

now only play for ~5-6 seconds before the video corrupts and stops; the audio continues to play.

H.264 video playback is not affected.

Configuration is:

3960X - Roku Express
12.5.5 - build 4174-ED

[RokuJohnB]

Hi @pinaz,

Thank you for posting here in the Roku Community!

We will be more than happy to assist you further with this issue. Some DLNA servers, such as Plex, Serviio, WMP, and some Synology devices, will automatically convert (transcode) the video to a format supported by the Roku device. If you are using a DLNA server that does not support transcoding or playing directly from a USB drive, you may need to convert the files first. There are several applications available for converting videos.

You may also want to check out this support article here on how to use Roku Media Player to play your videos, music, and photos.

We hope this helps, and please keep us posted if you need anything else.

Best regards,                                                                                                                                      John

[pinaz]

It would be absurd to transcode or convert the files when Roku natively supports MPEG2. I have other Roku devices that play these files without issue, and so did this device until the software regressed.

[RokuEuniceL]

Hi @pinaz,

Thank you for keeping us posted here in the Roku Community!

We appreciate you providing these details. We will work with you to know what went wrong so we can assist you further and fix the issue.

What are the troubleshooting steps you have taken so far?

In the meantime, you can try removing the affected app, restarting your system, and adding the app again to see if that fixes the issue.

We look forward to hearing from you and looking closely into this issue. Thank you!

Kind regards,                                                                                                                                  Eunice

[pinaz]

I've restarted the Roku, I've tried forcing the app to update, I've tried removing the app and re-installing it.

As far as I'm concerned, this regression happened around the same time that Roku changed the GUI to show everything as tiles that only display a few characters of each file name (which is another step backwards IMHO).

[SimonP]

Hi,

I recently purchased a Roku Express through Amazon specifically for DLNA use and it exhibits this defect with a fresh install. 

Is there a date when this will be fixed otherwise i'm going to have to return it to Amazon as defective for a refund.

Thanks,
Simon

[RokuJohnB]

Hi @SimonP,

From the Roku Community, a warm welcome and thanks for keeping us posted!

We understand your sentiments regarding the issue you are experiencing, and we would feel the same way. We will work with you to know what went wrong so we can assist you further and fix the issue. When did the issue start? May we know what troubleshooting steps you have taken so far?

With detailed information, we will be able to assist you further.

Thanks,
John

[atc98092]

What container is your media in? By that I mean, what is the file extension (MKV, MP4, TS/M2TS, etc.) Roku has a problem with the TS container at the moment (TS/M2TS) in that you can't pause or FF/rewind the content. But the content will still play. I'm currently watching a MKV file with MPEG-2 video and AC3 audio without any problem. My DLNA server is Serviio.

Disclaimer: I am the author of the Roku profiles that are included in Serviio, and I am a moderator on their forum. But I am not an employee of the company and receive no compensation. 

I will add that the Roku Express is not the best to use for local media. Not because it can't, but it is the lowest powered device and only supports 2.4GHz WiFi. Stepping up to the Express 4K models is well worth the slightly higher price. 

[pinaz]

Roku has a problem with MKV as well. When using Roku Express, it does not work with MKV files with MPEG-2 video and AC3 audio using a Synology DLNA server. (It used to, and then Roku updated the Media Player GUI and broke playback as well.)  I have a TCL Roku TV that still uses the older Media Player GUI, and that continues to work with MKV MPEG-2+AC3 without issue.

[atc98092]

I admit I don't have an Express of any model. But with all of my Roku devices I can play MPEG-2 video in MKV or TS containers without any problem. My Premiere 3920 uses the same chipset as the Express models, just having some additional operational memory. I just tried it and it plays a MKV without issue. While I'm using a different DLNA server, I do know that mine is streaming the content without transcoding, so whatever is within the video file is what's being streamed. All of my media was ripped using MakeMKV, although the version number has naturally varied greatly over the years I've used it (almost 10 years now).