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I have Plex installed on my RN Duo v2, which cannot transcode, and I can play MP4 films and TV shows directly to my TV, via my Now TV smart box. Since I found out that I could play MP4s without any problems I have not tried to use any other file format.
But now, I see that I may soon have to try and use MKV files, so my question is this: Can I direct play MKV files without the need for transcoding just like I can now play MP4 files?
But now, I see that I may soon have to try and use MKV files, so my question is this: Can I direct play MKV files without the need for transcoding just like I can now play MP4 files?
It depends on the player's capabilities and the audio/video codecs used in the MKV. If for instance, the MKV uses DTS audio, and the player doesn't support DTS, then it won't play.
But now, I see that I may soon have to try and use MKV files, so my question is this: Can I direct play MKV files without the need for transcoding just like I can now play MP4 files?
It depends on the player's capabilities and the audio/video codecs used in the MKV. If for instance, the MKV uses DTS audio, and the player doesn't support DTS, then it won't play.
That depends on whether your client device e.g. your SMART TV running the Plex app can playback that format natively and whether your network has sufficient bandwidth to stream that quality.
Plex's website has a list of common reasons why you may need to transcode.
I guess what you are both saying is NO, my Plex installed RN Duo v2 won't play MKV files without transcoding of some sort. I'll double check whether my smart box can play MKV files or not but I doubt it, it already plays MP4 files for films and videos, MP3 audio files and the odd FLV, anything else is highly unlikely.
I guess what you are both saying is NO, my Plex installed RN Duo v2 won't play MKV files without transcoding of some sort.
No, we are saying that the combination of your player+plex might not play the MKV files. And it might play some of them but not all.
Most MKV files carry H.264 video and carry either AC3, DTS, or AAC audio. H.264+AAC is the combination used in MP4s, so they are most likely to play. AC3 (dolby digital) is TV digital audio, and a lot of players support that also. DTS is mostly used in film/DVD/BluRay, and a lot of players don't support it (since it requires additional royalties). If your player is connected to home theater system (optically or through hdmi), then often you'll only hear DTS audio when you use the home theater receiver.
So mileage varies, and you will need to try a few and see what happens.
