MKV to MP4 converter besides Handbrake

[bowmah]

I am using Handbrake to convert MKV files to MP4 / M4v so it can be streamed to the Apple TV. But the preset for Appl TV2 gives poor video quality. Is there another free converter that I can make the conversion with? I tested Apple TV and it can actually play MP4 files that is exported for YouTube so it's high quality. What free converter is available to do this?

By the way, I need the software to run in Windows 7 64 bit. How is Xmedia Recode for this?

[MilesAhead]

I don't have Apple. I have WD HDTV for USB. But it likes mp4 better than it likes mkv. I've been using TEncoder to encode the audio to AAC and just Copy as the video codec. 90 minute movie is repackaged in mp4 container in about 12 minutes on my dual core. TEncoder Gui can be a bit quirky. 1.5 may give an error when it first comes up. Stuff about subtitle style file. Just dismiss the dialog. Also sometimes even though the container shows mp4 in the drop-down, the file in the output folder may still have mkv extension. Just change it to mp4.

TEncoder really shines in batch mode. Converting audio on a single video uses about 50% on each core. But in batch it uses about 90% of each core. At least using FFMpeg.

[bowmah]

Can TEncoder be safely installed in a 64 bit Windows system?

[bowmah]

I am testing it out now but audio is only limited to 2 channel no 5.1?

[bowmah]

ok not sure what it is but after cancelling the first test movie, TEncoder never encodes again and just outputs a 0MB file everytime. Pretty buggy, uninstalled.

Anything else?

[somespirit]

you can demux mkv file with MKVextractGUI (mkvtoolnix) then mux files to mp4 using Yamb (mp4box)

or can try this, FFmpeg encoder (command line):

ffmpeg -i filename.mkv -vcodec copy -acodec copy -absf aac_adtstoasc filename.mp4

[bowmah]

Thanks, I will have to give FFmpeg a try soon. But I found that Xmedia Recode is fast and can output DD 5.1. Hope this can help others too.

[aedipuss]

mediacoder may be able to rewrap your mkv to mp4 with no changes. set video to copy, audio to copy, and format to .mp4

[MilesAhead]

mediacoder may be able to rewrap your mkv to mp4 with no changes. set video to copy, audio to copy, and format to .mp4

TEncoder can do the same thing using FFMpeg. Just set both video and audio to Copy and container to MP4. I've always used FFMPeg with it. If you are using Mencoder then I can't say what will happen.

So can AviDemux but it's slow because it spends 5 minutes parsing the mkv for some reason.

I requested a feature in TEncoder to allow additional bit rates. For now you can output to batch file and edit the .bat before running it.

If you have problems with 1.5 try TEncoder 1.4

edit: sorry for confusion. 1.5 has not been released yet. 1.4 is the current version. 1.3 ran without the error dialog. I haven't tried it on 64 bit system.

[poisondeathray]

Rewrapping might not work, because the target is Apple TV (v2)

1280x720, Main Profile

If your source full HD, 1920x1080, you are losing resolution , and it will have problems playing videos using higher compression/quality settings

[bowmah]

So far, rewrapping (copying video and keeping audio in 5.1) is working well with Xmedia Recode. Hope this helps others.