I found a solution to this problem without the need to recompress the movie.
You need Eac3to and MKVToolnix. "Eac3to" is a command line tool, but there are lots of GUIs for it. Personally i like UsEac3to.

1) 'Fixing the H.264 bitstream'
Demux the video stream to .mkv with "Eac3to", example commandline:
"eac3to.exe" "input_buggy.mkv" 1:"output_fixed.mkv"
The missing fps info is automatically added to the bitstream.

2) 'Replacing the video'
Start "mkvmerge GUI" and load your original buggy .mkv. Deselect the video stream. Add the fixed .mkv. Fill in your metadata as needed and start muxing.

I tested this procedure with 4 movies (25fps and 29.97fps). The Mini plays those files correctly now and shows the correct fps instead of 0. I didn't encounter any video-audio sync issues, but this could depent on the movie.

*edit* Here is a quick and dirty youtube-video (watch 720p fullscreen) *edit*

in combination with these programs you might wanna also use this:
HdBrStreamExtractor

which works greath with eac3to.

Thanks for your post here and the video on Youtube, but my .mkv comes out out-of-sync when I try this method.

There has to be some way to fix this without a full-encode. Has anyone any other suggestions?

What you could try is mkWDclean, part of the mkclean kit.It can be downloaded here.

Just drop the file on the executable. It helps with other mkv issues, so perhaps also here.

Yeah I ran into this problem. If I use Goto or try to change the Audio track the PlayOn starts to play the MKV H.264 at 2x speed with no audio.

This is definitely down the Variable Frame Rate. If I encode the same movie with exactly the same Handbrake settings but use --cfr then it works fine in the PlayOn.

So whos bug is this? PlayOn or Handbrake? I don't know. I need to do some research into if Variable Frame Rate on a H.264 in an MKV is legal. Everything else plays variable frame rate H.264 in a MKV container.

There is no way I am spending time mucking around re-encoding stuff just for the PlayOn. Who knows in 3 months the PlayOn may support VFR, or may even stop playing CFR. All media player manufacturers mess the users around with what is supported and what isn't, then blame encoders.

My solution which seems to work pretty well is to pause the film, select the audio track you want, press pause again, wait a couple of secs and then press play. If this doesn't work try again. Pause, pause, wait 2 secs, play. Its a bit of a hassle but its not like you constantly change audio in a movie.

This will have to do until I replace the PlayOn Mini. For me its pretty much an obsolete device. The r5440 firmware was horrendous. Slow, crashes and doesn't seem to even recognise subtitles in an MKV container. I went back to r3582 which is far from perfect.

At least these devices are relatively cheap so can be replaced frequently when they disappoint, which they frequently do. One day someone will manufacture a device with a decent quick interface that plays all codecs. That company will clean up.

Yeah, a decent cpu, a decent gpu, and the ability to update codecs at will!

You are looking at a HTPC. One that is built by yourself. With a decent OS.

Windows Media Centre will suffice. Intel Core 2 Duo. nVidia graphics. 4GB ram and any number of hard disks. A nice looking HTPC case with remote for WMC. A quality network interface for streaming.

The "One day someone will manufacture a device with a decent quick interface that plays all codecs" is YOU. The stuff is out there. Okay, it may cost a bit more but, basically, it is future proof.

I am certainly loking at the possibility.

Just my view on things.

Cheers.

A.V.

Nah I went through the whole HTPC build. Tried both Linux and Windows. Geebox and Media Portal. They worked ok, but took time to boot, OS to be upgraded. Issues with sound and video drivers.

A little AC Ryan type box which boots in seconds and has no moving parts is much more preferable for me.

I saw this product while in Singapore:

http://www.wistarmedia.com/a/product/am ... n/212.html

A WePad6 running Android 2.3 OS. A huge amount of possibilities here. Write you own Apps, use different media players such as RockPlayer App.

If this or another Android based media player makes it to the UK I would be very tempted.

-S.

They do its the Veolo:

http://www.acryan.com/product/veolo/

Android 2.2 and mixed reviews

tried numerous releases - including the new beta - same issue.

simple workaround (my son worked it out) pause multiple times (twice normally does it).

I agree seems to be handbrake and the 'variable' option.

Mark