Converting MKV to AVI With Mencoder

[Startropic1]

I've been using the Mencoder conversion guide to convert some mkv files to avis. I have this one mkv that doesn't seem to convert using the command line described in the guide. The mkv contains Xvid video and Vorbis audio. Obviously the video doesn't need to be converted, just copied. But Mencoder seems to have trouble reading the vorbis audio. Is there a different command line I can use to get mencoder to convert this?

[theewizard]

what res is your video ? just curiosity

I only have mkv file at 920*528 and the only program to convert it for me is super which has mencoder and ffmeg, ogm, vorbis built in

super being the GUI for the various programs

[45tripp]

I've been using the Mencoder conversion guide to convert some mkv files to avis. Is there a different command line I can use to get mencoder to convert this?

Which guide?
Maybe you'd like to share which guide and/or which commandline, and what error you get.
Maybe some more info about your source file too.

You might try using mplayer/mencoder combo:

REM extract uncompressed audio
mplayer input.mkv -ao pcm:fast:file=audio.wav -vc null -vo null

REM switch container, encode mp3 audio
mencoder input.mkv -ovc copy -audiofile audio.wav -oac mp3lame -lameopts mode=2:cbr:br=128:vol=2 -o output.avi

[Startropic1]

This is the guide I've been using: http://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=268844

I'm using the command line for copying rather than converting (since the mkv already has an xvid in it).

Basically what happens is when I run the command line the dos window gets flooded with frame skipped! messages.

I found a utility to read the codecs in the mkv and here's what it found:
Container
Format : Matroska
File size : 232 MiB
PlayTime : 23mn 48s
Bit rate : 1365 Kbps
Encoded date : UTC 2003-10-03 00:45:05
Writing application : mkvmerge v0.6.2
Writing library : libebml v0.5.0 + libmatroska v0.5.0
Video
Codec : XviD
Codec/Family : MPEG-4
Codec/Info : XviD project
PlayTime : 23mn 47s
Width : 576 pixels
Height : 432 pixels
Aspect ratio : 4/3
Frame rate : 23.976 fps
Resolution : 12 bits
Audio
Codec : Vorbis
Bit rate mode : VBR
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Sampling rate : 44 KHz

There are 2 audio tracks (one is english and one is japanese, but all the mkvs I'm working with have 2 audio tracks like this.)

Subtitles
Codec : UTF-8
Codec/Info : UTF-8 Plain Text

[45tripp]

You say nothing of trying my suggestion.

Try this
1.Use mkvtoolnix with mkvextractgui. Load your mkv, select the video track only and extract.
You'll have a video only xvid avi.
(may have to load mkv a few times before tracks are read)
2.open mkv in vdubmod. select streams->stream list. right click on audio track, select full processing. right click again and select compression. Select mp3 (install ACM lame). Press save wav, save file with mp3 extension.
(Convert both audio tracks if you want. Demux subs if you want.)
3. open video only xvid avi in vdub. select streams->stream list. add mp3 audio tracks.
4 save as final.avi

[theewizard]

I had a trouble some MKV, only 2 programs would it

super converted it,

but mkvExtract successfully extracted the xvid avi file with out altering it

super also extracted the audio file for me

and avidemux2 muxed it, mkvextract should be able to extract the audio tracks too,

one pass for each track, must be done seperately

[Jellybeantiger]

When i use that program,the mkv only outputs to mkv.

How do you save mkv files as avis?
Who ever makes mkv files should be hung and quartered.
The format for idiots!!!!!!!!!

[Jellybeantiger]

How the hell do I use mkv extract?

aarrggghhh.

The next dumbarse who makes mkv files deserves to die lol.

[theewizard]

belive MEEEEE i know how you feel

you MUST download and install mkvtoolsnix then unzip mkextract and place/put those files in the the folder tha mktoolsnix creates

then run the mkextract GUI file

press the reset button

drag & drop your file into the content block in the gui window

if everything is working the video and audio streams will showup in there

if they don't show press reset again , and try again, it sometimes take several trys

when they show up place a check mark in Only ONE box NOT both

check video then press extract, its a very fast process, and will give you the original source avi

when done , uncheck video and check audio and click extract again

you now have the (2) streams and can use avidemux to mux them back together

i've read some file contain 2 or more audio tracks in different languages

just select the one you want and extract / use it

[Startropic1]

It appears these MKVs that are causing me trouble use .ogg for the audio tracks. I tried to save a wav from the mkv through virtualdubmod as suggested above, but it would only let me save it as a .ogg (Vorbis).

[Startropic1]

Ok so using mkvextractgui I extracted the xvid from the mkv and extracted an ogg audio track using vdubmod. So since we have an ogg I decided to try an experiment and I saved the video and the ogg audio as an .ogm video file via vdubmod. Once I had an ogm video file I used ogm2avi to convert it to avi. AND IT WORKED!

Alot of steps and a bit of a roundabout way of doing things, but the whole process doesn't take very long.

[45tripp]

I already answered the questions.

you can use mencoder

mencoder input.mkv -mc 0 -ovc copy -audiofile audio.wav -oac mp3lame -lameopts mode=2:cbr:br=128:vol=2 -o output.avi

Using -aid to select the track you want to keep, if it's not the first track.

here's a pic of what I explained with vdubmod:
(messy)

[Startropic1]

I tried it your way, converting the audio to mp3 in virtualdubmod, but vdubmod halted with some kind of i/o error in the log and couldn't complete the process.

[45tripp]

And to uncompressed PCM?
Never seen that fail.
And mencoder?

[Ai Haibara]

Ok so using mkvextractgui I extracted the xvid from the mkv and extracted an ogg audio track using vdubmod. So since we have an ogg I decided to try an experiment and I saved the video and the ogg audio as an .ogm video file via vdubmod. Once I had an ogm video file I used ogm2avi to convert it to avi. AND IT WORKED!

Alot of steps and a bit of a roundabout way of doing things, but the whole process doesn't take very long.

That worked, because in my experience (I don't know for sure if this always holds true), OGM videos are generally an XVid AVI stream (no audio) with one or more Vorbis audio streams, and possibly subtitle streams.

[Startropic1]

And to uncompressed PCM?
Never seen that fail.
And mencoder?

The particular mkvs I'm working with have vorbis audio files in them (.ogg), and for some reason cannot be processed by mencoder. Uncompressed PCM would churn out a 2+GB audio file and slow down the process. The method I used myself to get the job done, all though using more steps, is very quick.

[45tripp]

The use of vorbis audio is perhaps the only reason to use the ogm container.

Uncompressed PCM would churn out a 2+GB audio file and slow down the process. The method I used myself to get the job done, all though using more steps, is very quick.

Going to incompressed audio is an intermediate step, used for safety or when other attempts fail.

You should know that ogm2avi includes this intermediate step.

Switching to an ogm container is pretty harmless but it's also unnecessary.
vdubmod and mencoder can do the job in it's entirety, individually, without use of other tools.
If for some reason though either dislikes the audio you could use a multitude of solutions to get a final mp3 encode.
ogg -> mp3 is the only concern. Muxing to the ogm container adds nothing to the equation.
Trusting mkvextract to demux mkv rather than other tools is understandable.

Having a working method is also good.
If you could though I'd like a sample of your original mkv file so that i may try for myself.
I'd like to see if it fails, but in all honesty I expect the methods I outlined to work.
Use cutfile to cut a sample.
http://jsoto.posunplugged.com/others.htm