Direct Blu-ray disk playback on Kodi (formerly XBMC)

MKV playback, recompression, remuxing, codec packs, players, howtos, etc.
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Bluewolf10th
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2015 8:53 pm

Direct Blu-ray disk playback on Kodi (formerly XBMC)

Post by Bluewolf10th »

I've recently built an HTPC with the intention of playing all my media (disks and media files) on one box.

The system uses the following components:
-Windows 8.1
-Kodi 14.0 media software (formely known as XBMC)
-MakeMkv version 1.9.0

As explained in the Kodi user forums, I copied libmmbd.dll into the /kodi/system/players/dvdplayer folder twice and renamed the files "libaacs.dll" and "libbdplus.dll".

This setup allows me to play DvDs and Blu-ray disks on the fly without having to convert each disk into an mkv library.

The only snag I've hit is that this system doesn't seem to be able to play blu-ray disks using Dolby TrueHD audio: I have perfect image, but no audio output. I've tried other files using Dolby TrueHD and they play fine. I've tried ripping a blu-ray disk (one that wasn't playing audio before) into an mkv file using MakeMkv and it plays Dolby TrueHD fine.

Does anyone have an idea as to what could be missing to allow Kodi to play Dolby TrueHD from a blu-ray disk in my setup? I'll provide any additional information I can. All my issues are on Funimation blu-ray disks (the only disks I have that use Dolby TrueHD)

Thank you very much.
Romansh
Posts: 873
Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2011 7:09 pm

Re: Direct Blu-ray disk playback on Kodi (formerly XBMC)

Post by Romansh »

Most likely unrelated to the encryption, though you never know. Have you tried making a decrypted Blu-ray backup with MakeMKV and playing it in Kodi, instead of decrypting the actual disc during playback?
Bluewolf10th
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2015 8:53 pm

Re: Direct Blu-ray disk playback on Kodi (formerly XBMC)

Post by Bluewolf10th »

I have.

I use the same disk that wasn't playing audio and made an mkv file. When I played back the file on the system, Dolby TrueHD played perfectly.

It's just that it won't play when I do it directly from the disk.

For lack of a better way to explain it, it's like there's a piece of information missing between Kodi and MakeMkv that would allow the system to play the audio.
Romansh
Posts: 873
Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2011 7:09 pm

Re: Direct Blu-ray disk playback on Kodi (formerly XBMC)

Post by Romansh »

Bluewolf10th wrote:I have.

I use the same disk that wasn't playing audio and made an mkv file. When I played back the file on the system, Dolby TrueHD played perfectly.
Not an MKV file, a decrypted Blu-ray backup: /faq/item/4
Bluewolf10th
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2015 8:53 pm

Re: Direct Blu-ray disk playback on Kodi (formerly XBMC)

Post by Bluewolf10th »

Sorry, my misunderstanding.

Tried a decrypted backup of the disk like you suggested and sure enough, this one had no audio.
Romansh
Posts: 873
Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2011 7:09 pm

Re: Direct Blu-ray disk playback on Kodi (formerly XBMC)

Post by Romansh »

Kodi bug then.
Bluewolf10th
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2015 8:53 pm

Re: Direct Blu-ray disk playback on Kodi (formerly XBMC)

Post by Bluewolf10th »

Thank you for your help.
Stan Svec
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2015 3:46 pm

Re: Direct Blu-ray disk playback on Kodi (formerly XBMC)

Post by Stan Svec »

Hi, I would have a related question which matches the topic. I have almost the same setup (Linux instead of Windows). Performed these steps http://www.makemkv.com/forum2/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7009 and Kodi/VLC are able to play bluray disks, but only some of them. However MakeMKV is able to copy every disk. Is it expected because MakeMKV uses different mechanism for disk decryption than libaacs + libbdplus? Or Kodi/VLC should also play every disk and thus there is something wrong with my setup. Thank you.
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