MKV guide, Play MKV, MKV to AVI, MKV to DVD, MKV to MP4, MKV to HD-DVD

Baldrick · Administrator Joined: 09 Aug 2000 Location: Sweden

What is MKV?
The Matroska Multimedia Container is an open standard free Container format, a file format that can hold an unlimited number of video, audio, picture or subtitle tracks inside a single file.

How to play MKV?
Easiest, play with latest VLC Media Player. If you want to use Windows Media Player or other directshow players like Media Player Classic install haali media splitter, ffdshow, ac3filter.

MKV to AVI DivX/Xvid
Use AllToAVI. Or use Super, AutoMKV, Total Video Converter, Winavi.

MKV to DVD
Use ConvertXtoDVD. If you get problem converting to DVD directly you can try use AllToAvi and then convert the AVI to DVD.

MKV to Xbox 360 or Playstation 3
Use GotSENT or for Playstation 3 use MKV2VOB.

MKV to MP4
Use GotSENT.

MKV to HD-DVD or Blu-Ray
See http://www.videohelp.com/guides/convert-mkv-files-to-m2ts-for-pla ... d1063#1063 . Or maybe use AllToAvi and convert to avi xvid HD and then use a HD-DVD or Blu-Ray all-in-one tool like Ulead DVD Moviefactory.

Problems
Slow playback
If the MKV contain H264 HD video, identify the video codec in a MKV with MediaInfo, use latest ffdshow or Coreavc and play with Media Player Classic. If that wont help you might need a new computer or a new graphic card because High Defination H264 video requires a fast computer.

The subtitles disappear when converting
Extract the subtitles with mkvextractgui and add it manually when you convert to DVD( with for example ConvertXtoDVD) or to AVI DivX/XviD (with for example AllToAVI).

Audio sync issues when you convert
It's probably because of VFR video and it's not easy to solve. Try latest AllToAVI. If that wont work Give UP, it's not worth the trouble. If you want to play mkv on your TV then get a HTPC or media center with MKV support see http://www.mpcclub.com/ .

Okey, no more mkv questions.

felix · Member Joined: 17 Feb 2001 Location: Switzerland

Hi,
I am fairly new to mkv containers and I have a few large mkv files that I would only like to split in parts of less than 4GB (usb disk is FAT32!).

I have downloaded "matroska splitter" but I have no idea what to do with it ;(

What tool can I use just to split these big files?

many thanks

Baldrick · Administrator Joined: 09 Aug 2000 Location: Sweden

Matroska splitter is a decoder for mkv. Use instead avidemux to cut a mkv. I think mkvtoolnix also includes some cutter.

EatMoreChickens · Member Joined: 01 Jun 2002

Can you help explain how people watch mkv's on a HDTV? I'm confused. Do they use a HTPC or PS3?

I've seen a lot of movies that are 4.37~4.48gb 720p available. They fit on a DVD-R, but no stand alone players can display them. And once you use a program like PS3 Video 9 or mkv2vob, the files no longer fit on a single DVD. And the only way to watch them on a HDTV is the stream TVersity, burn on a DVD-DL, or flash memory, right?

I want to start watching mkv hi-def movies on my HDTV, but don't know where to start. Any info, advice, links would be appreciated. TIA

Baldrick · Administrator Joined: 09 Aug 2000 Location: Sweden

Build a HTPC. It's too much trouble convert and stream.

.

El Duderino · Member Joined: 29 May 2002

I have two MKV files. Each is ~4.5Gb (I guess for burning to DVD5's). I would like to re-encode them but keep the surround sound then join them together to fit on a DVD9 so I can play it on my PS3.
They are currently VC1 video (HD) and DTS audio.

How can I do this? AllToAvi only seems to output as Stereo MP3.
I've tried MKV2vob, but can't seem to join the VOBs together.
I tried MKVmerge first, but then MKV2Vob crashes after it reaches half way. The merged file will encode on PS3video9 creating an 1080p output ~4Gb in total, but sound is stereo.
I can create a MPEG2 file using MKVtoVob and use DivX, but the output only plays in stereo on the PS3 (despite GSpot claiming it has 6 channels). There are also issues with joining the MPEG2.
TSmuxer would create a file too big (~10Gb). I don't want to have to fork out on a bluray burner yet.

I have an Xvid file with surround sound that works on the PS3 (AC3 audio), so I want to emmulate that ideally.
Any ideas?

poisondeathray · Member Joined: 07 Sep 2007 Location: Canada

Most programs have problems preserving the 6-channel audio from .dts, they convert to 2-channel or not at all. (There maybe other ways to preserve the 6-channel AC3, but this is the only way that I found to work all the time. eac3to is supposed to work, but it didn't for me)

1) Demux your .dts audio streams with mkvextractgui

2) Use foobar2000 with the .dts plugin to convert to .aiff (uncompressed)

3) Convert .aiff to 6-channel AC3 (I used MeGUI's audio component, it's based on BeHappy and several other engines, I used aften)

4) Join the 2 AC3 streams with VOBMerge

5) Do the video join separately using avisynth: DirectShowSource("PATH\video1.mkv",fps=x,convertfps=true)+DirectShowSource("PATH\video2.mkv",fps=x,convertfps=true)

"x" is the true frame rate (e.g. 25 for PAL). In my experience, most HD VC-1 MKV's are VFR, so I would include the convertfps argument in.

You can feed this into your encoder of choice, for example in virtualdub using DivX. Make sure you specify "no audio." You will need to figure out the proper bitrate using a calculator to fit DVD-9 size (don't forget audio bitrate). If you use avsproxygui+avidemux, it has a built in calculator.

6) Use avimux-gui to mux your audio + video

Personally, I would use h.264 video and 5.1 AAC audio in .mp4 container instead of DivX / AC3 / .avi because of higher quality. You would just change the steps a bit to do this. Another way of h.264/5.1 AAC is to use ripbot264, using the level 4.1 profile for console PS3 compatibility. Then join (concatenate) the 2 parts with YAMB.

Cheers

FireWire2 · Member Joined: 08 Jul 2008 Location: United States

EatMoreChickens

To play HD to your HDTV monitor is very easy!

I use the TVIX M6500A (DVICO) with 500GB HDD installed

Method 1
Copy any of the follow files: WMV9, WMV-HD, AVI, MPG, VOB, MP4, ASF, TP, TR, IFO, ISO, MKV, MPEG4.10, XVID, DIVX, M2TS (Bluray files) to the internal HDD.

Plug this device to HDMI/DVI of HD monitor and play, of course you want to DTS or AC3 then you can use SPDIF or COAX digital

Method 2
Ripped and Save the above files in your computer, then stream it to the TVIX via IP address (using NFS service - software included)

Method 3
Burn the above file to a DVD-R or DL DVD-R, connect an USB DVD-ROM to TVIX insert the copied DVD. Play

Yeap! that simple and you get 1080P

Hope this will clear above how to play high def

You can convert Bluray (20~30GB) files to MKV or TS (4.3 ~ 8.4GB DVD-R or DL DVD-R) files with x264 codec and DATOptic.com offers a free software to do just that

Electrox3d · Member Joined: 10 Mar 2004

my MKV files have MP3 audio and no software seems to be able to take these MKV's to VOB properly for playing on a PS3...

afaq888 · Member Joined: 17 Jul 2008 Location: India

I have a 4gb mkv file(h.264) with 5.1 surround.I want to convert it so i can play it on my dvd player and keep the 5.1 surround so that i can use my hometheater system.but alltoavi goes into restricted mode and make the audio mp3..i want it to stay 5.1