Video Station not transcoding MKV

[vikino]

Putty or WinSCP to qnap, /etc/config/qpkg.conf search for codex and change version to desired one...

[Moogle Stiltzkin]

Putty or WinSCP to qnap, /etc/config/qpkg.conf search for codex and change version to desired one...

i noticed a bug. i hadn't yet made any changes.

but few issues
1. codex pack cannot start. it's permanently disabled
2. notification keeps nagging to update all apps. it refuses to not spam even after you click cancel the notification.
3. emby video transcoding using stephs ffmpeg was no longer working. But it did straight after i removed the codex pack addon.

oddly enough earlier codex pack worked. my guess is something changed where it got disabled somehow

maybe editing the qpkg.conf will get it working again properly not sure

[vikino]

Mine scenario was like that:
Running 4.2.2 with Codex 4.2.10, upgraded to 4.3.2 beta, installed codex 4.3.0.1, uninstalled, manually installed 4.2.7.D fixed, app center want update, winscp,edit config and just save, refresh app center and everything was fine, transcoding on the fly working, app center showing 4.3.0.1 instead of 4.2.7

[Hegistvan]

I just wanted to express my gratitude to you guys. I've just bought a TS-451+ and was furious to find out that the MKV support has been removed. I've started to read the forum posts, and found that this is related to some sort of licensing problem. I've checked license.qnap.com, but all I can license there is camera licenses... I would have payed some for QNAP to have the MKV support back in. Then I saw your post, installed the codex and bumm. It started working. So once again, thank you guys!

[roriol]

I have a TS-231P model with ARMv7 CPU and firmware 4.2.2. I can only install "Codexpac 4.1.0.Arm_al" but restart NAS after installing and the audio does not work.
The problem is because the Codexpac version is old? Is not there a more modern ARM version?

[juanca2000]

Hello All,

I cannot say how much I am now upset with Qnap, I just got tricked by the update of codex and have lost transcoding feature. Probably my last Qnap, I can't stand brands that remove features they have used in all comercials / publicity / etc and then just remove it like that. This is fully unaceptable, what is next feature they can remove without consequence for them? Raid.. why not. if they can remove transcoding, why not Raid support tomorrow... i am really furious !

Thanks to help us where Qnap is dramatically failing with their customers.

By the way for intel based NAS like the TS-251+ can we use VA (?) 4.2.7 or only 4.2.3.0 . Thanks again.

[Trexx]

As has been stated many times before, MKV support was NOT removed. AC3 (Dolby Digital) and DTS support was due to the vendors wanting licensing $$$ from Qnap.

I have given QNAP some suggestions on how potentially a middle ground could be achieved via a seperate license (similar to the new ExFat licensing options that just came out). Whether anything will happen along those lines... I have no idea.

[ichalos]

By the way for intel based NAS like the TS-251+ can we use VA (?) 4.2.7 or only 4.2.3.0 .

Yes, 4.2.7 works on Intel based models. I own a 453 pro and 4.2.7D works fine.

[juanca2000]

As has been stated many times before, MKV support was NOT removed. AC3 (Dolby Digital) and DTS support was due to the vendors wanting licensing $$$ from Qnap.

I have given QNAP some suggestions on how potentially a middle ground could be achieved via a seperate license (similar to the new ExFat licensing options that just came out). Whether anything will happen along those lines... I have no idea.

Thanks for the correction but anyway I don't really care what the container is.. if MKV or AVI or any other. In 2017 removing compatibility to AC3/DTS and other licensed sounds is basically killing any multimedia feature. Today even mobiles phones, videocams, and other portable devices are using licenced sound and not to mention movies...

When I selected the NAS it was part of their sales arguments, commercial etc.. It was also tested and confirmed by a lot of review websites. If Qnap sold a feature forgetting to pay for some of the licensing, then they should deal with consequences not their customers who trusted Qnap. It is just a money issue and dolby and other similiar companies are trying to make extra money ..ok fine... but that is not my problem it is qnap's problem.

I bought a specific NAS among all others (models and brands) for the technical specificy and functions included and paid for it. It is too just too easy just to disable something that was sold to customers because you fear less their reaction than the lawyer's one from those sound companies. I moved from one arm to a intel based NAS for transcoding. Now I am back to the same situation as my ARM based model but with a couple of hundreds notes less in my pocket. Fully unacceptable.

[ccolotti]

I have also just tested both the 4.2.3 and 4.2.7 versions on a TVS-671 and both work with MKV files. So does anyone know:

- Is this fixed permanently in QTS 4.3 versions of the CodeX app?
- Will there be a post 4.2.10 version that works again?

[Trexx]

Thanks for the correction but anyway I don't really care what the container is.. if MKV or AVI or any other. In 2017 removing compatibility to AC3/DTS and other licensed sounds is basically killing any multimedia feature. Today even mobiles phones, videocams, and other portable devices are using licenced sound and not to mention movies...

When I selected the NAS it was part of their sales arguments, commercial etc.. It was also tested and confirmed by a lot of review websites. If Qnap sold a feature forgetting to pay for some of the licensing, then they should deal with consequences not their customers who trusted Qnap. It is just a money issue and dolby and other similiar companies are trying to make extra money ..ok fine... but that is not my problem it is qnap's problem.

I bought a specific NAS among all others (models and brands) for the technical specificy and functions included and paid for it. It is too just too easy just to disable something that was sold to customers because you fear less their reaction than the lawyer's one from those sound companies. I moved from one arm to a intel based NAS for transcoding. Now I am back to the same situation as my ARM based model but with a couple of hundreds notes less in my pocket. Fully unacceptable.

Not disagreeing that QNAP could have communicated better about the issue.

That being said, there are multiple avenues for addressing the issue though (Plex, Emby, Kodi via both HD Station & Linux Station to name a few). Some of those can leverage the HW transcoding capabilities and some can not, but all of them provide an option to playback Dolby & DTS videos either in a local and/or remote manner.

So I would disagree with the characterization that there are NO options available now for playback.

[juanca2000]

well they might be external solutions some free some not, some working with HW accelaration some just CPU.. but those as said are external and it creates another dependency to other products and other policies that can change from a day to another. (without speaking of compatibility with all devices mobiles / android TV boxes/ apple tV etc...)

What would you say if the company of your HD TV set just disable the HD tuner because they dont want to pay for licencing HD TV and from now on you only can watch SD TV with integrated tuner? Of course you can buy an external tuner and you will be able to watch again through your HDMI input HD TV .. but you bought a TV including HD tuner from the start and pay for it... for me this is the same, we had a functionality which we paid for and probably selected the NAS because that functionality was present and now by software update Qnap has just decided to remove it. Same as my example of HD TV receiver.

I am very greatefull to all of you here giving alternative solutions and workarounds (thanks thanks thanks !!!) Nevertheless Qnap has tricked all existing customers using this feature for a couple of $ and is avoiding to take responsibility for their mistake. Once the NAS is sold it is not their problem anymore.. might be the new policy of Qnap... not sure...

This move of Qnap is extremely unfair to their customers and as said I feel completely tricked in this story. I am not sure why you don't feel the same. While working on alternative solutions we also should strongly put pressure on Qnap to restore the NAS to its original conditions and features. You cannot remove a feature that was present and was part of product specs and commercials and people bought without consequences.. If they refund everybody asking for it as the NAS is not performing as when initially bought, then ok but I have not heard they intend to do so.

Thanks again here for your alternative solutions, advices, workarounds, etc but please don't forget what is the real root cause.

[ichalos]

Is this fixed permanently in QTS 4.3 versions of the CodeX app?

I am using QTS 4.3.2 (Beta) and still no fix.

[Trexx]

well they might be external solutions some free some not, some working with HW accelaration some just CPU.. but those as said are external and it creates another dependency to other products and other policies that can change from a day to another. (without speaking of compatibility with all devices mobiles / android TV boxes/ apple tV etc...)

What would you say if the company of your HD TV set just disable the HD tuner because they dont want to pay for licencing HD TV and from now on you only can watch SD TV with integrated tuner? Of course you can buy an external tuner and you will be able to watch again through your HDMI input HD TV .. but you bought a TV including HD tuner from the start and pay for it... for me this is the same, we had a functionality which we paid for and probably selected the NAS because that functionality was present and now by software update Qnap has just decided to remove it. Same as my example of HD TV receiver.

I am very greatefull to all of you here giving alternative solutions and workarounds (thanks thanks thanks !!!) Nevertheless Qnap has tricked all existing customers using this feature for a couple of $ and is avoiding to take responsibility for their mistake. Once the NAS is sold it is not their problem anymore.. might be the new policy of Qnap... not sure...

This move of Qnap is extremely unfair to their customers and as said I feel completely tricked in this story. I am not sure why you don't feel the same. While working on alternative solutions we also should strongly put pressure on Qnap to restore the NAS to its original conditions and features. You cannot remove a feature that was present and was part of product specs and commercials and people bought without consequences.. If they refund everybody asking for it as the NAS is not performing as when initially bought, then ok but I have not heard they intend to do so.

Thanks again here for your alternative solutions, advices, workarounds, etc but please don't forget what is the real root cause.

Think of this example...

You have a TV that has a connection for OTA Antenna and it worked just fine. A couple years after you bought it, they changed the standard from analog to digital and now your integrated tuner doesn't work. So to now make it work, you now have to use a separate box for the tuner. Is it ideal... no, but it is functional.

There are Smart TV's that have apps that are no longer supported/maintained by the vendors. In some cases that lack of support has rendered the apps useless as they are no longer compatible with the services (Netflix, Vudu, etc.) they connect with. Maybe the vendor didn't want to spend the $$'s to maintain the app or maybe the HW couldn't support the new changes required. The TV still performs though it's primary function... being a TV.

At the end of the day, I bought the QNAP to be a NAS. The other functions are nice and I leverage them, but when I did my research my first requirement was I needed a NAS. Having those other features may have influenced my decision regarding brand a vs. b, but they didn't change it's core purpose.

Since I have multiple options/workarounds to address a secondary function, I guess I am less inclined to get worked up about it vs. if they broke the boxes primary function (being a NAS).

My assumption is that QNAP would have had to pay Dolby/DTS licensing fees for every NAS they sold where the user COULD leverage that capability, irregardless of whether they actually did or not. Evidently at this point in time that didn't make sense to QNAP to do for whatever reason.

I have suggested, and I hope at some point, they do offer an option to re-enable the functionality through a license add-on feature similar to ExFat. And before assuming that QNAP didn't pay the license fee, I would verify that Dolby/DTS didn't change the rules around WHO has to pay for licenses to make some extra $$$.

At this point, we can debate the right/wrong of things all we want, but it is not going to change anything. This is a COMMUNITY support forum which is not monitored by QNAP (other than the presales area it seems).

You can always provide feedback to QNAP via https://helpdesk.qnap.com or via your checkbook through your purchasing choices.

PS.
Just as an FYI, not that long ago (within the last couple years from what I remember) Synology users experienced a similar situation around AC3/DTS support changing for their app. Not sure where that stands today.

[Trexx]

Is this fixed permanently in QTS 4.3 versions of the CodeX app?

I am using QTS 4.3.2 (Beta) and still no fix.

The functionality was removed intentionally by QNAP due to licensing reasons (based on our understanding).

Unless QNAP decides to change their position in terms of licensing, or offers some option to purchase the license on an individual level, the functionality is not likely to return.