Beware New Samsung TVs

[philh]

I found out the hard way, that Samsung has taken away technology features in the have limited the digital formats that can be played on their TV's. Apparently started with 2018 models. My new Samsung is going back to the store and I found a local store that is clearing out 2017 models.

If you have digitized video files, they will not play DTS or XVID. This is just flat out stupid.

[1492]

OK, I'm totally lost? Are you referring to Samsung TVs that have built-in media player? Otherwise, what difference would it make if connecting through HDMI? The player you're using would decode XVID or DTS audio, whether it's a media player, PC, or Bluray, before sending the signal to the TV?

DTS is still in use though in the theater world is known as DataSat. It's the only digital sound solution for 70MM film, Dolby has no 'digital' solution. It was used not too long ago in movies such as 'Dunkirk' and 'Hateful 8' 70MM Ultra Panavision. Both releases in Bluray use DTS-Master audio.

Though XVID may be open source, is uses patented technology. In which case, there would likely be a license fee required to patent holders for commercial use applications?

[shastagary]

most bluray players have a usb jack and will play music pictures and videos from a usb stick or hard drive through them so that is another option.
i have been buying bluray players at thrift stores many for less than $10.00 you can pull up the manual on your phone and check the capabilities before you buy. people are dumping standard players for new 4k players or just streaming now days.

[MrWizard]

something to remember
newer codecs using more compression require more powerful hardware to decode during playback

Xvid is very useful, as it decodes/plays on older less powerful hardware
aka small portable media players, older phones and tablets, TVs etc..
without stuttering and bogging down the playback

i have a number of converted movie/vhs files in xvid codec avi and mpeg file containers, with no plans to recode

to do a proper recode, i would need to dig out the originals and do it all over

otherwise you need to use a multi-step process using an intermediary lossless codec like HUFFY, to prevent losing quality going from xvid to x264/265

XVID is open source and free, it doesn't cost Samsung (1) penny in fees, to implement, this was some Bean Counters idea, that thinks he is saving a bunch of corporate money in programming costs
another I-D-10-T error at corporate level

[GordonThree]

gosh I haven't heard of xvid in a long time. It was one of the earliest "open" h.264 implementations, copying the commercial divx codec, and quite impressive at the time (early 2000s) Since that time better implementations have come along, so it's not really relevant anymore. According to Wikipedia, any playback device that supports MPEG4-ASP can play xvid encoded content.

DTS is a licensed technology, so maybe Samsung doesn't want to pay to license it, or doesn't want to implement one of the open source decoders? That does seem odd. DTS and Dolby are both very old, but DTS is far from on its way out. Some of the best sounding movie discs' I've watched recently used DTS-MA, they sound great even though my system is setup for Dolby Atmos

[MrWizard]

Xvid was very common for DIY video nerds for a long time

It's use has been replaced by better codecs that offer more compression aka smaller file sizes for the same or greater quality
Xvid use is not commonLy used for HiDef movies, as it would result in very large files

Many of the early digital adopters, used Xvid to digitized their home videos and recorded vhs, to digital video

[Fizz]

Once in a while I come across a file that won't play on my Samsung.
I simply convert it using... HandBrake

[2oldman]

Ralph Cramden wrote:
The OP might have to go back to a 1972 Motorola or RCA.

lol

[Ralph_Cramden]

rk911 wrote:
never heard of those formats. are they common?

Xvid is not a format, it's a codec that falls under Mpeg-4. It's not common at all.

DTS is a surround sound audio format, anything recorded in DTS will also be recorderd in Dolby or a host of others. DTS is ancient and has been heading for the out door for a long time.

If Samsung is dropping codecs, formats, or anything else. so is everyone else, or they will be shortly. The OP might have to go back to a 1972 Motorola or RCA.

[rk911]

never heard of those formats. are they common?