Problems with MKVextract

[carlmart]

Unfortunately I have been "exiled" to our laptop, until my new desktop motherboard arrives, and I'm facing some small problems I didn't foresee.

Before yesterday I installed MKVtoolnix, where MKVextract is included. So yesterday I tried to use MKVextract, but it seems to be a DOS program which I'm not familiar with using. All my mkv file extractions I did using the GUI version, apparently, so I downloaded it.

Problem is, when I run it and try to open an MKV file, it only shows the chapters. No video, audio or subtitle file.

What am I missing for it to run correctly?

[Baldrick]

Which gui? mkvextractgui-2 is probably the best.

[carlmart]

OK, this time it worked.

There was also another problem I could solve now, related with the MKVmerge version I had installed (5.0). Its files were incompatible with my LG player, which I use as media player.

In fact that seems to be a common problem with several media players, which newer firmwares sometimes solve. AFAIK the newer firmware on my LG made matters worst, not better. So I never updated it.

What problems might I have with mkv files merged in older versions, like the 2.5.3 I tried and think I was using on my desktop?

Should I try the newer MKVmerge versions one by one to get to a newer one that works fine?

[Baldrick]

You might have to disable "header compression" if you are using mkvmergegui to create your mkvs. Many players do no support this. In mkvmergegui under File->options select "Disable header removal compression for video and audio tracks by default".

[carlmart]

As that trick had been suggested some time ago, I did try it now with MKVmerge 5.0, disabling that header.

It didn't work. The file does not play on the LG.

Anything else I should try?

[carlmart]

It looks as if I should have two versions installed.

[carlmart]

OK. I found a way around on the web that did solve the problem in version 5.0:

1. Select each track (video, audio, and subtitles)
2. Select the Extra Options tab
3. Set the Compression option to "none"
4. Start muxing

The resulting file plays fine.

The other question still remains: these problems seem to start in version 4.1. What happens if I merge all my files with older versions, like the 2.5.3 I mentioned? Will I have other issues?