Zidoo Z9X will NOT play .avi files (even though they're xvid and not divx)

Any ideas? Does the Zidoo just straight up not support AVI? I would be very surprised if this was the case....mediainfo says it is mpeg4 avi files, xvid codec. Audio plays but not video.........

 

I also tried "unpacking bitstream" with mpeg4 modifier, becuase I saw that on another thread. This did not work. Is there a way around this? Should I just remux all of these into MKV files? Will that also fix files that are divx that don't play? It just seems like the Zidoo straight up cant' deal with AVI files which is weird becuase these played absolutely fine on the Nvidia shield? Even divx files played correctly....

 

try a program called staxrip free download

 

Would you mind giving me the official download location?

 

Also would using ffmpeg as per the below command work maybe?

ffmpeg -fflags +genpts -i input.avi -c:v copy -c:a copy output.mkv

 

why not use Handbrake to convert it to MKV x264 or x265 , or other format , Handbrake is free , just google it

 

I tried using ffmpeg to convert it to MKV via the above command, but it's still unplayable on the Zidoo. Do you think using Handbrake would do anything differently?

 

Handbrake is with a nice GUI and works flawless for me

 

Will Handbrake cause quality loss? Is there a way to simply make it only change the container? Do you change any settings in handbrake? or do you just select the files, select MKV output, and let it rip? Which preset do you use? I'm pretty new to encoding programs (I've used ffmpeg a bit in the past) so sorry if my questions are dumb

 

Vidcoder has a nicer GUI interface - I would convert the files to H264 within a MKV container. A quick check to see if the format within your AVI containers is the problem just drag a AVI into mkvtoolnix and remux into mkv. No conversion just wrapping the file in MKV container so very quick.

I had quite a few old AVI's in my collection that I ended up unpacking the bitstream then batch converting to H264 in a MKV container using Vidcoder, that basically runs on the Handbrake engine.
Older AVI's Divx or Xvid are really a bit "old in the tooth" and I don't blame Zidoo not paying the license fee for Divx. Time to convert to a more modern format IMO.

 

So I have a few different "types" of AVI files. I have some XVID files where the video doesn't play but the audio does play. Then I have some DIVX files that just straight up don't play and show an error. Also, I believe all of these AVI files have "packed bistreams." What should I do? I'm totally lost. Haha.

If I use handbrake, do I just choose the preset that says "h264 MKV 1080p30" with "passthru common metadata" checked, and just not touch any other options? Is this doing the same thing as you suggested? Thanks again! If you can help me out then I think I'm basically good to go with this Zidoo

 

Yes, just use the most suitable preset. With old material you can't improve on what is there unless you have access to high end gear etc. With old AVI files I think you could select 720p for a quicker recode. I would check each file first with MediaInfo, if you don't have it, its worth installing.

 

Thanks. Yes I have mediainfo. Would it be okay to just choose the that mkv 264 1080p30 preset? I don't mind waiting a bit longer. I tested on one file and it wasn't that slow.

I had a few more questions in case you have the answers. I am just trying to learn about the different settings:

1. Would the best framerate settings just be to leave it on "peak framerate" at the default 30? Should I just set it to 60 to be safe?

2. What would happen if I did Quality: 0? This is apparently "lossless" or "near lossless." Would this just take absolutely forever and bloat the file size? Should I leave it on the default of 22?

3. Are there any other settings that might be worth tweaking from that mkv 1080p30 default?

Thank you!

 

Thanks! I thought a cap of 60 just means that it will allow frame rates up to 60, but if the source framerate is below 60, it will stay at the original frame rate. Is that not right? Just curious then. Why would 60 look worse? Also what kinds of movies/TV shows go above 24p anyway?

 

PAL TV countries are 25 fps.
In my experience over processing material that is very old can introduce problems for no gain. I mean if you have an old tv rip that is 480i there is no earthly reason to convert it into 1080p possibly in the vain hope it will look better. Upscaling is best left to the TV or media player. As I approach my 85th birthday, my collection goes back a long time including vhs and even a couple of items recorded on a Philips tape machine. Early on I’ve wasted a lot of time processing at “best” settings only to get a huge file rather than at an optimum setting commensurate with the material. By all means experiment with different settings as it is a good learning curve. Generally the default settings work. Keep it simple is my approach.

 

Have you tried using ZDMC for these odd files? It will normally use the Kodi software player for old videos the hardware Zidoo player won't try. Kodi software has been around for many years (and is what your Shield uses), so most DVD rips of avi's and mpeg's can certainly be played.

What resolution are your files? 480p/567p or less?
Transcoding low resolution SD files to 1080p (or 4K) can be done by your TV (but it won't improve the quality!) rather than trying to upscale your files with various software.

 

How do I install this?

Also, I'm confused....I thought the 1080p30 preset in handbrake just means it will convert UP TO 1080p. I thought htere is a separate option for upscaling (which I'm not using)?????

 

I'm confused....I thought the 1080p30 preset in handbrake just means it will convert UP TO 1080p. I thought htere is a separate option for upscaling (which I'm not using)?????