Apple TV and a Home Receiver? Files won't play.

[DaGrandMastah]

I just realized, after experimenting for god knows how long, that the problem with my Apple TV playing remuxed MKV files has to do with my Yamaha Receiver. For some reason, when hooked up through HDMI to my Yamaha the file would not play no matter what. When I hooked it up using HDMI directly to the TV then the file played perfectly fine.

This only occurs for certain files and not others. Some files work perfectly fine. Does anyone know any reason why this would happen and how to fix it?

[DaGrandMastah]

It was giving me the same issue when I hooked it up to the TV until I set Dolby Digital int he settings to off.....now it's working fine on the TV but that doesn't help em for going through the Receiver. It seems that the problem is with decoding the ac3 5.1. Any ideas on how to resolve this through the receiver?

[Pyromonkey83]

Can you post the model of your Yamaha receiver and the year you bought it?

[DaGrandMastah]

Originally Posted by Pyromonkey83

Can you post the model of your Yamaha receiver and the year you bought it?

It's a Yamaha HTR 6240. I bought it about 3 years ago.

The only way I was able to get the file to work was by turning off the dolby digital. I can't get the ac3 to play and if i try it just won't start the movie.

[Pyromonkey83]

Originally Posted by DaGrandMastah

It's a Yamaha HTR 6240. I bought it about 3 years ago.

The only way I was able to get the file to work was by turning off the dolby digital. I can't get the ac3 to play and if i try it just won't start the movie.

Which program are you using to remux your video files? Can you walk me through your process from source -> final file with audio and video specs?

Thanks

[DaGrandMastah]

Originally Posted by Pyromonkey83

Which program are you using to remux your video files? Can you walk me through your process from source -> final file with audio and video specs?

Thanks

I am using MP4Tools and/or Subler.

I take the existing MKV file with DTS audio, open it in mp4tools, set the file to passthru on video and change the sound to AC3 5.1 and click the box to get 2 channel aac as well. The outputted file correctly plays the 2 Channel AAC but will not play the digital 5.1. The only way to get it to play is by turning off Dolby Digital in the Apple TV and forcing it to play the 2 channel aac. The problem with the file appear to be related to how it is playign or selectied 5.1 audio....the receiver and/or apple tv isn't decoding the file properly.

The File is 720p video and AC3 448 kbps 5.1 AC3 + 2 channel AAC.

[Pyromonkey83]

Change the file in subler to ensure that the AAC 2-channel audio is the primary track (checked) and the AC3 is not. If this doesn't fix your issue, try reencoding it entirely using handbrake and the ATV 2 or ATV 3 setting.

Let me know how this goes.

[DaGrandMastah]

Originally Posted by Pyromonkey83

Change the file in subler to ensure that the AAC 2-channel audio is the primary track (checked) and the AC3 is not. If this doesn't fix your issue, try reencoding it entirely using handbrake and the ATV 2 or ATV 3 setting.

Let me know how this goes.

Yeah, according to subler that's how it's set but it doesn't work. I want to avoid using Handbrake because that transcodes the entire file. I just want to see if I can fix it so that it plays the 5.1 audio. The worst case scenario would be to allow subler to convert the audio to Dolby Pro Logic II which just gives me 2 channel AAC and go with that but I'm trying to the the 5.1 working as it should.

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I should mention that I have the Apple TV connected to my receiver using an HDMI cable....should I be using the optical cable as well?

[dynaflash]

Originally Posted by DaGrandMastah

I should mention that I have the Apple TV connected to my receiver using an HDMI cable....should I be using the optical cable as well?

Try it. That will answer your question.

[DaGrandMastah]

Originally Posted by dynaflash

Try it. That will answer your question.

I just bought one on amazon that should arrive in the next day or 2 with free 2 day. i'll let you guys know what comes up.