Rygel (DLNA server) not showing all files

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#1

Hello,

I’m using Rygel 0.36.1 on my LEAP 15 based server to serve files over DLNA but not all files are showing up on my phone with BubbleUPNP. The cover images show up but not the movies themselves, is there a way to make them show up?

#2

I forgot to mention, this doens’t hold true for all video files. Some show up and some don’t I thought it might be a file extension thing but that doesn’t seem to be the case as some .mkv’s show up whilsts others don’t. Could it come down to the codecs?

#3

Reading elsewhere on the internet “The problem with DLNA is that the client will only show you files it thinks it can handle, and the server will only show you files the client requests.” I figured I’d install VLC and use its DLNA browsing option, a folder with 3 movies in it only shows 2 of them. Browsing the same folder, with the same VLC app but over SAMBA I can play the file fine so it can’t be a client codec.

How do I find the log of rygel? There’s none in /var/log

#4

Figuring the client side codecs aren’t at fault I tried my hand at installing serverside codecs so I installed the proprietary codecs for gstreamer and can now play the videos on the server but VLC on my phone is still not seeing some files. Some googling found me “101 secret rygel tips” which mentions that Rygel uses gst-discoverer to extract metadata from video files. Using gst-discoverer myself gst-discoverer-1.0 /path/to/video_file yields me this on a file that does show up fine:

Topology:
  container: Audio Video Interleave (AVI)
    audio: AC-3 (ATSC A/52)
    video: MPEG-4 Video (Advanced Simple Profile)

Properties:
  Duration: 1:37:53.200666666
  Seekable: yes
  Tags: 
      **video codec: MPEG-4**
      container format: AVI
      audio codec: AC-3 audio
      bitrate: 384000

and this on 2 files that don’t show up:

Topology:                                                                                                                                                                               
  container: Quicktime
    audio: MPEG-4 AAC                                                 
    video: H.264 (High Profile)        

Properties:                                                                    
  Duration: 1:40:02.203333333                                               
  Seekable: yes                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
  Tags:                                                                     
      **video codec: H.264 / AVC    **                                           
      maximum bitrate: 7422200                                               
      bitrate: 948472                                                        
      datetime: 2017-04-20T18:24:26Z                                       
      container format: ISO MP4/M4A                                         
      audio codec: MPEG-4 AAC audio     

Topology:
  container: Quicktime
    audio: MPEG-4 AAC
    video: H.264 (High Profile)

Properties:
  Duration: 2:09:16.917000000
  Seekable: yes
  Tags: 
      **video codec: H.264 / AVC**
      bitrate: 2050105
      encoder: Lavf57.48.101
      container format: ISO MP4/M4A
      audio codec: MPEG-4 AAC audio
      maximum bitrate: 117117

So I’m guessing that I’ll somehow have to make Rygel serve up H.264 files, I don’t know how to do this as the computer rygel is installed on has the codecs installed and can play H.264 files.