Why do some m2ts files play on PS3 while others don't?

[chrvi]

Hi,

I have used tsMuxerGUI application to "convert" some mkv video files into m2ts so that I can play them from my external HDD via Playstation 3.

The trouble is that my PS3 plays some of the resulting videos without any problem, while others are impossible to play (I would call it stuttering but, in fact, hardly any frame is ever displayed) although properties of those videos are very very similar.
...and I use the same settings to mux all the videos to m2ts...

Below is media info taken from MediaPlayerClassic for two m2ts videos - one of them plays OK via PS3, the other is impossible to play.

Don't you happen to know, what makes the crucial difference in their playback capabilities via PS3 (since I can't see any particular difference which would help me fix the "bad" videos)?
Any hint is welcome.

Thanks.

1) The OK video:
General
ID : 1
Complete name : G:\Video\3d\Grand Canyon 3D\Grand.Canyon.1080p.DL.DTS.X264.3DSBS.m2ts
Format : BDAV
Format/Info : Blu-ray Video
File size : 3.43 GiB
Duration : 44mn 36s
Overall bit rate : 11.0 Mbps
Maximum Overall bit rate : 35.5 Mbps

Video
ID : 4113 (0x1011)
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L4.1
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames
Duration : 44mn 36s
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 10.4 Mbps
Maximum bit rate : 40.0 Mbps
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate : 23.976 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.209
Stream size : 3.23 GiB (94%)
Writing library : x264 core 104 r1683 62997d6
Encoding settings : cabac=1 / ref=3 / deblock=1:0:0 / analyse=0x3:0x113 / me=umh / subme=7 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.00:0.00 / mixed_ref=1 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=1 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=0 / chroma_qp_offset=-2 / threads=3 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=3 / b_pyramid=2 / b_adapt=1 / b_bias=0 / direct=3 / weightb=1 / open_gop=0 / weightp=0 / keyint=250 / keyint_min=23 / scenecut=40 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=40 / rc=crf / mbtree=1 / crf=20.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=10 / qpmax=51 / qpstep=4 / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=1:1.0
Language : English

Audio
ID : 4352 (0x1100)
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : AC-3
Format/Info : Audio Coding 3
Mode extension : CM (complete main)
Duration : 44mn 36s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 192 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Stream size : 61.3 MiB (2%)

---------------------------------------------------------------
2) the video PS3 refuses to playback:
General
ID : 1
Complete name : G:\Video\testy se stereo zvukem\Looney Tunes Fur of Flying 3D.m2ts
Format : BDAV
Format/Info : Blu-ray Video
File size : 221 MiB
Duration : 3mn 4s
Overall bit rate : 10.1 Mbps
Maximum Overall bit rate : 35.5 Mbps

Video
ID : 4113 (0x1011)
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L4.0
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames
Format settings, GOP : M=4, N=16
Duration : 2mn 59s
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 9 458 Kbps
Nominal bit rate : 10 000 Kbps
Maximum bit rate : 40.0 Mbps
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Variable
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Stream size : 203 MiB (92%)
Writing library : x264 core 107 r1745 4785e8e
Encoding settings : cabac=1 / ref=3 / deblock=1:0:0 / analyse=0x3:0x113 / me=hex / subme=7 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.00:0.00 / mixed_ref=1 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=1 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=-2 / threads=4 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=3 / b_pyramid=2 / b_adapt=1 / b_bias=0 / direct=1 / weightb=1 / open_gop=0 / weightp=2 / keyint=250 / keyint_min=25 / scenecut=40 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=40 / rc=abr / mbtree=1 / bitrate=10000 / ratetol=1.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=10 / qpmax=51 / qpstep=4 / ip_ratio=1.41 / aq=1:1.0

Audio
ID : 4352 (0x1100)
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : AC-3
Format/Info : Audio Coding 3
Mode extension : CM (complete main)
Duration : 3mn 4s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 192 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Stream size : 4.22 MiB (2%)

[meskibob]

The second is variable framerate. In my experience these files do not play well, with both streaming and transcoding. You should reencode the file with a forced framerate.

[chrvi]

Oh, thanks for hint.
Is there a way how to force constant frame rate without having to reencode the video? I don't have a powerful PC and reencoding would mean waiting for a looong time (and running my CPU on 100%) before the video would finally be converted.
That's why I tried to use tsMuxer instead of transcoding the video somehow via MEncoder...
(but I've been trying both application for about a week now, so I'm rather a total beginner regarding muxing and related stuff, so I may be trying things in a too complicated way)

[Val Killmore]

Is there a way how to force constant frame rate without having to reencode the video?

Not one I have ever found.

[chrvi]

Ok, it is sad that just to adjust the framerate to a constant value one has to transcode the whole video. Still, it WORKS!

Thanks a lot for the advice - the variable frame rate was definitely THE problem.

[chrvi]

By the way, I've read some people somehow set frame rate in tsMuxerGUI. I have the latest version of tsMuxerGUI but I can't find such a feature there.
If there existed a way of setting frame rate directly in tsMuxerGUI, I could avoid transcoding the whole video...
What do you think - any experience with setting frame rate via tsMuxer?

Thanks.

[Val Killmore]

By the way, I've read some people somehow set frame rate in tsMuxerGUI. I have the latest version of tsMuxerGUI but I can't find such a feature there.
If there existed a way of setting frame rate directly in tsMuxerGUI, I could avoid transcoding the whole video...
What do you think - any experience with setting frame rate via tsMuxer?

Thanks.

Tried it, never got it to work. Gave up on it. I can't see how it can work without transcoding, and why the feature is even there. Who knows, maybe a plugin to another encoder to work in conjunction with tsMuxer GUI, but in the end, I believe full re-encode must take place.