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[gunner]

Last week I received my new DNS-323, rev B shipped with v1.05 firmware. I followed the setup procedure and installed the two 1Tb drives I also purchased (Western Digital WD10EACS) in a RAID 1 configuration. I then followed the upgrade procedure to install v1.06. The DNS-323 is then plugged into a Edimax Gigabit switch, as is my PC and PS3.

The main reason for purchasing the DNS-323 was to allow me to watch television shows on the PS3 which I had previously recorded through my PC tuner. The DNS-323 is always on and has heaps of disk space so I wouldn't need to waste time transcoding.

I recorded a 90 minute television show on my PC in MPEG2 format with an extension of .MPG. The file is 4758Mb in size. I can confirm that the file plays on my PC using Windows Media Player and plays in full on the PS3 when streamed using the Nero MediaHome uPnP server on my PC. I then copied the file to the DNS-323. The file plays in entirety from the PC via the mapped drive.

However, when viewed on the PS3 via the DNS-323 uPnP server, the file size is shown as 662Mb and only the first 12 minutes of the show are played. The playback actually stops after 12 minutes. From the PS3, if I then try to copy the file to the PS3’s internal drive via the DNS-323 uPnP server, I only receive a 662Mb file and similarly only the first 12 minutes are visible.

To further test this, I then recorded a separate 120 minute piece which resulted in a file of 4889Mb. Again, this worked fine from the PC via Nero MediaHome but when viewed via the DNS-323 uPnP server, the file size is shown as only 793Mb and only the first 20 minutes are shown. The same issue occurred when copying to the PS3 internal drive via the DNS-323 uPnP server as before.

On request by D-Link, I tried a different format. I ripped a DVD into a single .vob file which exceeded 4Gb with the same results as the .mpg. In all cases the difference in file sizes is exactly 4096Mb ie 4Gb!! This points to an issue with files in excess of 4Gb. Given that the v1.06 firmware release notes clearly state a fix to “UPnP AV Large file( > 4GB) issue” and an enhancement to “Support PS/3”, this led me to believe that this would be OK but it appears not.

Although I do not think this has anything to do with the PS3 given that it plays the file fine through a different uPnP server, it is a standard 40Gb unit with the latest firmware (v2.60) installed.

Also on request by D-Link, I restored to factory default, re-installed v1.06 and then reformatted the drives to RAID-1 just in case this resulted in a miracle. No such luck.

I have been in contact with D-Link support (in Australia), so am waiting for a further response. However, in the meantime, I thought it might be a good idea to post to the forum in case others were still experiencing a similar issue with the latest firmware.

[ttmcmurry]

Sounds like a 32-bit addressing issue for sure.  When the last bit is set for 4096MB, the counter resets and all you see is the trailing end of the remaining data.   It's the same thing that happens with 32-bit Windows in the sense it can only see up to 4096MB of RAM, but in your case it's a 4096MB file.  There are ways around it, I'm sure D-Link can figure it out but don't expect a quick fix.

At the expense of CPU cycles, I use h.264 to encode my videos; if you have a solution that's capable of video encoding in MPEG4-AVS (h.263) in realtime, try using that instead.  The DNS-323's UPnP can then serve up that AVI file and you'll save space while getting a better quality image.

[ECF]

So you do not see with issue if the file is anything under 4GB?

[bspvette86]

Gee, isn't this the same problem reported last year that was promised to be fixed in 1.06?  http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=1293.0

The one in the 1.06 release notes Bug fixes: UPnP AV support large file (over 4GB)

<sigh>

[ECF]

Gunner

Are you using the US firmware 1.06?

[bigclaw]

Gunner

Are you using the US firmware 1.06?

He mentioned in the first paragraph he did upgrade to 1.06. The only thing I can think of is that reformatting hard drives with 1.06 may be needed to address this issue? I use my DNS-323 exclusively as a file server, so I don't have any other idea.

[ECF]

Yeah I see that but I'm asking if it was firmware from the US support website or Australia because the mention of support in Australia. I do not know if they are the same firmware build.

[ttmcmurry]

ECF - Did us 1.06 add support in the UPnP server for > 4GB files? 

I'd test it myself but I'm using TwonkyMedia's upnp and have successfully played 23GB blu-ray .m2ts videos from the 323.

[gunner]

Thanks for your replies, so sorry I haven't got around to replying until now.

The firmware I upgraded to was sourced from http://www.dlink.com.au/tech/ which is an Australian site so not sure if/why it would be any different to US version.

No, I haven't had any problems with playback for files less than 4Gb. The only issue is that the date/time and the length of the video files are shown as blank on the PS3 when viewed via the DNS-323. If I copy them to the PS3 hard disk, these are shown. Not important, just an annoyance.

Anyway, back to the main issue, I have discovered that if I:
1. Record a >4Gb .mpg file to my computer
2. Copy to the DNS-323
3. View on the PS3, the file size is truncated by 4Gb and playback is similarly truncated
4. I then go to the DNS-323 configuration and press Refresh on the uPnP AV Server
5. View on the PS3, the file size is now correct and playback is perfect

So, I have a workaround, albeit annoying.

Just for interest, I tried duplicating a >4Gb file that was already on the DNS-323 hard disk and working fine. The copy was truncated by 4Gb but was then corrected using the Refresh.

Anyone else tried this and got similar or different results?

[ttmcmurry]

I've learned a few things in the time this post was started. 

If you are playing .MP4 / .M4A / .M4V files to the PS3 that are >4GB (note you need to be using TwonkyMedia Server to do this), the PS3 will refuse to play it.  That is a limitation of the PS3.

I haven't yet tried making a 3.xGB .mpg and a 4.xGB mpg file to see what happens with the PS3, but I'm gathering from what I'm reading on other forums that it's most likely the PS3 that can't deal with certain file types > 4GB.

The only file I've ever successfully played that was >4GB on the PS3, period, was in a .m2ts.  17GB files played fine (again, via TwonkyMedia Server) for me.  This behavior makes sense, since Blu-Ray media is muxed within .m2ts files.

[ECF]

ECF - Did us 1.06 add support in the UPnP server for > 4GB files? 

I'd test it myself but I'm using TwonkyMedia's upnp and have successfully played 23GB blu-ray .m2ts videos from the 323.

Yes This is one of the fixes in the 1.06 firmware.

[mr. abulia]

I've learned a few things in the time this post was started. 

If you are playing .MP4 / .M4A / .M4V files to the PS3 that are >4GB (note you need to be using TwonkyMedia Server to do this), the PS3 will refuse to play it.  That is a limitation of the PS3.

No, this is NOT a PS3 issue. I am using a windows/linux media server on my Vista box, and the PS3 has no problem seeing or playing >4GB files from it.

If you want to verify, download the PS3 Media server from http://ps3mediaserver.org (freeware). Disable transcoding if you want to. You'll see large files and be able to play them. If someone coding software in their spare time can solve this >4GB problem, I find it pathetic that D-Link can't get it right

[bigclaw]

If someone coding software in their spare time can solve this >4GB problem, I find it pathetic that D-Link can't get it right

I totally understand your frustration. However, open-source software often has some of the most dedicated and highly proficient developers behind it. They are more than likely devoted to a single project most of their time too.

Whereas in the DNS-323 case, you are talking about a fringe feature (i.e. UPnP serving PS3) in a single product line (i.e. NAS) in a very large corporation. I'm not at all surprised if free software is proven superior; I'd actually be surprised if D-Link had enough resources to "fix" issues like these in a timely manner.

It's all about trade-offs. Yes you can use the best (and maybe free) software out there, but you have to furnish a dedicated PC to use it. You can get a more competent NAS but are more than likely to pay more as well. For example, from personal experience I've liked QNAP products more, but QNAP as a company is pretty much dedicated to NAS, and its products are universally more expensive than the DNS-323.

[ttmcmurry]

and the PS3 has no problem seeing or playing >4GB files from it.

For the sake of argument, have you created said movies with sizes that are both under and over 4096MB? 

I have. 

And it doesn't matter if D-Link,Twonky, TVersity, or WMP-12 (Beta) UPnP server is being used, the PS3 will not play certain filetypes that are > 4GB in size. 

What does play > 4GB:  .AVI, .M2TS
What doesn't > 4GB:  .MP4, .M4V, .MPEG/.MPG

Do you see a theme here?  AVI & M2TS are both container formats which support a variety of codecs.  The MP4/M4V/MPG files are all MPEG-x based and all have MPEG requirements - meaning they're not codec-flexible.  They all cut off on the PS3 at 4GB.  If you happen to make a 5GB .MP4 video that plays, send it to me, because not only would I like to verify it but also learn what you did that makes your encodes unique & playable-- no one else (on doom9 or PSN) seem to be able to create such files.

It's important to reiterate it's a PS3 issue, not a D-Link issue, not a codec issue.  You can take said video and play it on your home computer just fine.  Trust me, I want to be proven wrong and that there is something that countless others are also doing wrong - I'm not so fond of using .m2ts for blu-ray rips and prefer to take it down a notch and use .MP4 containers. 

[perradise]

I have had a problem very similar to the one described by gunner at the beginning of this thread.  In my case, I have a vob file with a h.264 video stream and a dts audio stream.  Total file size >8G.  When I copied the file to to dns-323, the file size as seen by my ps3 was 248MB and playback would stop after 5 min.  I was able to stream the file from my PC using PS3MediaServer with no issues.

The workaround that gunner described also worked for me.  After a manual refresh of the Upnp server, the file size was correct.

The file size was 8.248GB.  If you mask off the 2 MSB to make this a 32-bit number you get 248MB.  This seems to be an issue with how the dns-323 Upnp auto update handles files that are 4G+.  I look forward to the fix.