USB issues

[Walter Travolta]

OK so I bought a 64GB USB stick recently and have been using it to watch series' that my friend has been downloading for me as his internet is much stronger than what I have. I have watched 2 full series' so far with no problem. The one I am watching (or have been until this problem) has decided it doesnt want to play anymore after watching series 1&2 he downloaded the 3rd series and it wont play anymore? It wont play on the TV (new Samsung) or my windows10 laptop. My friends laptop is windows7 although I cant imagine that being the problem as it all worked perfectly fine until now. 
I can give the website and torrent we use to download but Im not sure I can post those publicly for advertising reasons. I have tried YouTube and other avenues including deleting and reinstalling the VLC but again nothing has worked. Im not great with technology and can ony imagine it is a simple fix. Unfortunately I cannot figure it out . . . HEEEELLP!!!

[Eindhoven]

What USB drive and what series? 

[Crossy]

Can you see the files using Windows Explorer?

 

Do the earlier series still play?

 

[lopburi3]

And what did the USB drive cost?  Do you recall the file size of first 2 downloads and then the 3rd?  You are saying none of the downloads now play or just the series 3?  It could be the torrent was bad and he needs to downloads another version.

[Walter Travolta]

4 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

And what did the USB drive cost?  Do you recall the file size of first 2 downloads and then the 3rd?  You are saying none of the downloads now play or just the series 3?  It could be the torrent was bad and he needs to downloads another version.

OK i watched The Sopranos and after that Breaking Bad. A few series were downloaded at the same time so maybe 14-16gb at any one time. No issues whatsoever with any of those series at any time. I started watching Ozark and it is only 3 series of 10 episodes. I have watched the first 2 series and started with the 3rd and when I press play, there is sound but no picture

 

[Walter Travolta]

15 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Can you see the files using Windows Explorer?

 

Do the earlier series still play?

 

I deleted the earlier series after I watched them. I pass the USB stick back to him, he loads what I ask for and gives me the stick back. All was fine until this happened

 

[lopburi3]

2 minutes ago, Walter Travolta said:

OK i watched The Sopranos and after that Breaking Bad. A few series were downloaded at the same time so maybe 14-16gb at any one time. No issues whatsoever with any of those series at any time. I started watching Ozark and it is only 3 series of 10 episodes. I have watched the first 2 series and started with the 3rd and when I press play, there is sound but no picture

 

That sounds like a bad torrent as VLC will play almost anything.  Was thinking you watched first two years of a series and year 3 was the issue.  Did you ask your friend to try playing?

[Walter Travolta]

27 minutes ago, Eindhoven said:

What USB drive and what series? 

Kingston 64GB and the series is Ozark series 3 

 

[Crossy]

2 minutes ago, Walter Travolta said:

I deleted the earlier series after I watched them. I pass the USB stick back to him, he loads what I ask for and gives me the stick back. All was fine until this happened

 

Drop the stick back to your friend and see if he can play the files.

[Walter Travolta]

4 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

That sounds like a bad torrent as VLC will play almost anything.  Was thinking you watched first two years of a series and year 3 was the issue.  Did you ask your friend to try playing?

Yes he can play it on his TV and windows 7 laptop and I cant play on either of mine and my laptop is windows 10

[Bender Rodriguez]

probably a 265 file format and your tv can only handle 264 codec

[lopburi3]

5 minutes ago, Walter Travolta said:

Yes he can play it on his TV and windows 7 laptop and I cant play on either of mine and my laptop is windows 10

All of the files play only sound?  Is this an MP4 recording?  The video quality is playable on your monitor?

[Eindhoven]

17 minutes ago, Walter Travolta said:

Kingston 64GB and the series is Ozark series 3 

 

 

Which quality do you need? 720p, 1080p, for 5.1 speaker system....?

[Eindhoven]

9 minutes ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

probably a 265 file format and your tv can only handle 264 codec

 

Quite likely.

[Walter Travolta]

14 minutes ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

probably a 265 file format and your tv can only handle 264 codec

But would it still not play on laptop?

 

[Eindhoven]

Just now, Walter Travolta said:

But would it still not play on laptop?

 

 

Either way, see your PM inbox.

[Eindhoven]

 

Seems that it is going to take a while for the OP to respond....

[Walter Travolta]

19 hours ago, Eindhoven said:

 

Seems that it is going to take a while for the OP to respond....

My apologies I had another pressing and unexpected engagement arise. As for the issue, we still didnt get to the bottom of it and decided to try loading another series which was successful. Still doesnt answer why it wouldnt play on my tv and laptop but would on his, Thanks for your help

[RichCor]

2 hours ago, Walter Travolta said:

Still doesnt answer why it wouldnt play on my tv and laptop but would on his

I'm agreeing with the a couple of other posters, likely that one file was recorded/saved using a codec(Compression/Decompression algorithm), or contains a corrupted data stream, that your friend's computer and TV usb player can deal with but your laptop and TV usb player can't.

 

In such cases it's usually possible to find another torrent file for the same episode by another poster or the same poster at a different resolution or codec type.

 

If all else fails you might have you friend 'transcode' the file to make it possible for you to watch it (and find closure).

[BigStar]

3 hours ago, Walter Travolta said:

As for the issue, we still didnt get to the bottom of it and decided to try loading another series which was successful.

The video for the 3rd season of Ozark commonly being downloaded uses the HEVC codec. The audio doesn't, which is why you can hear audio. Why don't you just download and install that codec? It's readily available at the Microsoft store, no need to login:

 

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/hevc-video-extensions-from-device-manufacturer/9n4wgh0z6vhq?activetab=pivot:overviewtab

 

[Eindhoven]

On 8/10/2020 at 9:15 AM, BigStar said:

The video for the 3rd season of Ozark commonly being downloaded uses the HEVC codec. The audio doesn't, which is why you can hear audio. Why don't you just download and install that codec? It's readily available at the Microsoft store, no need to login:

 

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/hevc-video-extensions-from-device-manufacturer/9n4wgh0z6vhq?activetab=pivot:overviewtab

 

 

You just made that up. The most commonly downloaded/seeded examples are actually H.264, not H.265.

 

 

 

 

Some devices will struggle with H.265. One can test the capability of their device with samples from here: http://jell.yfish.us

[BigStar]

22 hours ago, Eindhoven said:

You just made that up. The most commonly downloaded/seeded examples are actually H.264, not H.265.

On better torrent sites, the more intelligent and experienced but otherwise average user will come up with the HEVCs first and simply grab those for better quality/filesize/download time.

 

 

I gave benefit of doubt to the OP’s friend, but as the OP gave no real info about the files, and nobody here got any from him, it’s of course anyone’s guess. 

 

Coming in late, I then threw out a shotgun approach to “try.” May not work, but it’s fast & easy for a naïve user. Having that codec on his machine could be useful anyway.

Now that I’ve some interest in the issue, if the OP would respond more, I’d drill down. I have some questions and other things to try. Guess he's busy watching another series.????

 

22 hours ago, Eindhoven said:

Some devices will struggle with H.265.

Yup. What have you determined for the specs of his device, BTW? Does it have an SSD?????

 

OP's TV may be one that can't do it. I have a solution for that.

 

22 hours ago, Eindhoven said:

One can test the capability of their device with samples from here: http://jell.yfish.us

Overly simplistic. A sample, as with other files, may suggest how much of the device’s capability is being used at the time of accessing the sample with the program then being used to access it. Finding out the true capability of OP's device and then taking full advantage of it when desired is what’s at issue.

[Eindhoven]

1 hour ago, BigStar said:

On better torrent sites, the more intelligent and experienced but otherwise average user will come up with the HEVCs first and simply grab those for better quality/filesize/download time.

 

 

I gave benefit of doubt to the OP’s friend, but as the OP gave no real info about the files, and nobody here got any from him, it’s of course anyone’s guess. 

 

Coming in late, I then threw out a shotgun approach to “try.” May not work, but it’s fast & easy for a naïve user. Having that codec on his machine could be useful anyway.

Now that I’ve some interest in the issue, if the OP would respond more, I’d drill down. I have some questions and other things to try. Guess he's busy watching another series.????

 

Yup. What have you determined for the specs of his device, BTW? Does it have an SSD?????

 

OP's TV may be one that can't do it. I have a solution for that.

 

Overly simplistic. A sample, as with other files, may suggest how much of the device’s capability is being used at the time of accessing the sample with the program then being used to access it. Finding out the true capability of OP's device and then taking full advantage of it when desired is what’s at issue.

 

Sorry, but a bluff from the very first sentence.

 

Better Torrent site? Your example is better how? Your screenshot show two links to Ozark season 3 on your screenshot. Two.

Whereas mine shows twenty. That is twenty.

Also containing the two Torrents that are contained in your effort. The HEteam H.265 has 468 seeders. Whilst PSA H.265 has 59. 

Contrast that with Galaxy TV H.264 & ION10 H.264 at 796 and 627 respectively.

 

So your initial far-fetched statement throws your whole, somewhat long winded, post into doubt. For that reason, I won't be proceeding/reading beyond that first sentence, as I suspect the rest of the post is of a similar quality.

 

 

[BigStar]

26 minutes ago, Eindhoven said:

Better Torrent site? Your example is better how?

Sorry, not my job to educate you. Done too much of that already.

 

26 minutes ago, Eindhoven said:

Your screenshot show two links to Ozark season 3 on your screenshot. Two.

Whereas mine shows twenty. That is twenty.

You've established your ability to show a lot more irrelevant links, congrats. No, I'm not going to create a bigger screenshot for you, as that one, with the links of interest at the top, is sufficient for my point.

 

26 minutes ago, Eindhoven said:

Also containing the two Torrents that are contained in your effort. The HEteam H.265 has 468 seeders. Whilst PSA H.265 has 59. 

Contrast that with Galaxy TV H.264 & ION10 H.264 at 796 and 627 respectively.

Yes, ma'am. Very impressive and difficult but a waste of time as it was already noted, taken into account, and addressed even though you don't quite understand my point or like it. BTW, you've confused . . . never mind.???? Next.

 

26 minutes ago, Eindhoven said:

So your initial far-fetched statement throws your whole, somewhat long winded, post into doubt. For that reason, I won't be proceeding/reading beyond that first sentence, as I suspect the rest of the post is of a similar quality.

 

????Yah, yah. Now for the OP . . . .

 

Edited August 14, 2020 by BigStar

[Eindhoven]

 

Sorry, but I have returned you to ignore.

I gave you the benefit of the doubt on this thread, but the quality of your arguments are too poor and unnecessarily long winded, for me to waste any more time.

The OP already has what he needs.

 

[Walter Travolta]

On 8/14/2020 at 12:49 PM, BigStar said:

On better torrent sites, the more intelligent and experienced but otherwise average user will come up with the HEVCs first and simply grab those for better quality/filesize/download time.

 

 

I gave benefit of doubt to the OP’s friend, but as the OP gave no real info about the files, and nobody here got any from him, it’s of course anyone’s guess. 

 

Coming in late, I then threw out a shotgun approach to “try.” May not work, but it’s fast & easy for a naïve user. Having that codec on his machine could be useful anyway.

Now that I’ve some interest in the issue, if the OP would respond more, I’d drill down. I have some questions and other things to try. Guess he's busy watching another series.????

 

Yup. What have you determined for the specs of his device, BTW? Does it have an SSD?????

 

OP's TV may be one that can't do it. I have a solution for that.

 

Overly simplistic. A sample, as with other files, may suggest how much of the device’s capability is being used at the time of accessing the sample with the program then being used to access it. Finding out the true capability of OP's device and then taking full advantage of it when desired is what’s at issue.

Hi Ive been offline so not picked up the responses. To be honest, its easier nailing custard to the ceiling than trying to explain tech stuff to me! Im worse than useless. My friend is 73 and he knows more than me so thats where we are at. I gave it up as a bad job and decided to catch up on S3 at a later date because S4 isnt due out until next year anyway. I will find a way to view S3 in that interim period

Thanks for all who have contributed I do appreciate your help and advice. 
The only subject matter I can add is that we both have USB sticks which we swap as his wifi is fixed where mine is from a myfi device, so his signal is stronger and he downloads for me at his place and passes the stick back to me. He uses Pirate Bay for the loads and the torrent we use is uTorrent. We download onto the laptop then use 'drag n drop' to get it onto the stick but on the S3 occasion it didnt work. I did notice later that in the subject line on PB it said MP4 so maybe it was only compatible with that ?

[Gumballl]

On 8/9/2020 at 4:05 AM, Walter Travolta said:

OK i watched The Sopranos and after that Breaking Bad. A few series were downloaded at the same time so maybe 14-16gb at any one time. No issues whatsoever with any of those series at any time. I started watching Ozark and it is only 3 series of 10 episodes. I have watched the first 2 series and started with the 3rd and when I press play, there is sound but no picture

 

SO the USB stick is working fine. Your friend downloaded/stored a corrupt video file. Ask him to delete the file, and to try again.

 

Also, any good friend would test his stuff before handing in over to another person. ????

[RichCor]

3 hours ago, Gumballl said:

SO the USB stick is working fine. Your friend downloaded/stored a corrupt video file. Ask him to delete the file, and to try again.

 

Also, any good friend would test his stuff before handing in over to another person. ????

 

Apparently you missed reading post #10 where the OP replied:

  

On 8/9/2020 at 3:19 PM, Walter Travolta said:

On 8/9/2020 at 3:14 PM, lopburi3 said:

That sounds like a bad torrent as VLC will play almost anything.  Was thinking you watched first two years of a series and year 3 was the issue.  Did you ask your friend to try playing?

Yes he can play it on his TV and windows 7 laptop and I cant play on either of mine and my laptop is windows 10

...though this would be me assuming the original downloader tested the shared USB Stick file after the fact when the issue was discovered and the USB stick returned, but could just as well been a duplicate file written to a different USB stick to test against the downloader's TV.

 

Where are the olives, I need my drink refreshed.

[Eindhoven]

On 8/15/2020 at 1:31 PM, Walter Travolta said:

Hi Ive been offline so not picked up the responses. To be honest, its easier nailing custard to the ceiling than trying to explain tech stuff to me! Im worse than useless. My friend is 73 and he knows more than me so thats where we are at. I gave it up as a bad job and decided to catch up on S3 at a later date because S4 isnt due out until next year anyway. I will find a way to view S3 in that interim period

Thanks for all who have contributed I do appreciate your help and advice. 
The only subject matter I can add is that we both have USB sticks which we swap as his wifi is fixed where mine is from a myfi device, so his signal is stronger and he downloads for me at his place and passes the stick back to me. He uses Pirate Bay for the loads and the torrent we use is uTorrent. We download onto the laptop then use 'drag n drop' to get it onto the stick but on the S3 occasion it didnt work. I did notice later that in the subject line on PB it said MP4 so maybe it was only compatible with that ?

 

I asked you to PM me an email address a while back....

[Daffy D]

Sometimes after a lot of over writes it's a good idea to do a full format on a USB stick.

 

A bit like resetting the computer or modem