Having read lots of topics on this, I still don't seem to have found the definitive answer to the question: what is the best video format to store movies in to stream to a Samsung Series 6 TV from the Diskstation?
My findings so far:
- MP4 Files: If I use Handbrake to create MP4 (or M4V) files which use H.264 for video codec and AAC for audio codec I can fast forward or rewind the files on TV; however I get the dreaded "format not supported" error message once files with a longer duration then 2 and a half hours (this appears to be specifically related to duration rather than filesize - I can create a poor quality file with small file size but still the same length and still have the file be not supported). Changing the video codec used to MPEG-4 (using FFmpeg) doesn't seem to change anything. An example of such a film would be Lord of the Rings
- MKV Files: If I use Handbrake again to create MKV files (H.264 and AAC) the issue with duration disappears. However, I can no longer ffw or rwd the files which is a massive pain
- VOB Files: Samsung also plays VOB files which it can fast forward or rewind, however, it doesn't appear that the Samsung TV scales the picture to fit the screen (even if "fit" is selected on the TV Menu).
Basically, does anyone have any advice for how to achieve files that can be fast forwarded and rewound and play properly? What is the best video format that has worked for you? I'm also open to suggestions to installing alternative media servers to the Diskstation (DS 409) , although I'm a newbie and would prefer to keep DSM 3.0 (1354) running if possible.
Cheers
Chris