MKV problems

[chobo321321]

I am tring to convert mkv to mpeg which is like trying to fly to the moon. First, I cannot even load up any of mkv files in tempenc 2.5 plus, because it gives me an unsupported file format error message. I have downloaded the matroska Pack 1001 times, and tried different versions of it. I have realone player installed. I have window media player 9 installed. I have installed matroska splitters separately and registered the .dll's and .ax's, and still nothing.

I then tried virtual dub which opens the file, and can save it to avi, but when it comes to saving the audio streams (also matroska) to wav format no player I have can run it. Winamp tells me I have a missing codec, Media player tells me I it has encountered an unknown error. So I can get the video, but not the audio. I have searched the forums and sites but nothing helped.

I remember this format being a bitch to play a few months ago, but programs like vlc have fixed that problem. Now's it just a bitch to convert it... As good as this format may appear to be on paper it's more of a bitch then ever to use. I wish people would stick to ogm.

[mujahid7ia]

check the mkv in avicodec and see what the original audio format is... also you might want to try virtualdubmod instead of wirtualdub, it's better for ogm/mkv

[chobo321321]

I found a great program to extract the audio and video, it's callled mkvextract, and I use the GUI with it. I found the cause of all my problems, the audio is in aac format. I can only play it with vlc player, and I have searched for hours trying to convert this format to wav, and no luck. I have tried goldwave, and used the save as wav, but it just creates a small file with loud static. I am really starting to hate the person who did those mkv encodes... Who the hell uses aac for audio, isn't that some protected itunes format?

[chobo321321]

I found a program... For anyone that cares it's foobar2000.

[mujahid7ia]

http://www.apple.com/mpeg4/aac/

AAC is good quality, i think it's lossless.

Just find a decoder for it and you can convert to anything... I think Quicktime 6.5 can do it...

What problem did Foobar solve? The audio?

[chobo321321]

Foobar2000 is the only program I have found that can convert aac -> wav. I had no idea it would be so hard to find a converision program, but there's not many around, that might actually be the only one.

[ChristianHJW]

TMPEGencoder can open any MKV file just fine for conversion in MPEG ( for VCD/S-VCD ), if you can play the file in Windows Mediaplayer.

In the TMPEG setup, goto 'options' , 'environmental settings' 'vfapi plugin' and increase the priority of the 'DirectShow source filter' by right clicking on it and selecting 'higher priority' 3 times.

In some cases, on some OS, people in addition to that had to rename the .MKV to .AVI also, dont know why.

Regards

Christian

[mujahid7ia]

TMPEGencoder can open any MKV file just fine for conversion in MPEG ( for VCD/S-VCD ), if you can play the file in Windows Mediaplayer.

In the TMPEG setup, goto 'options' , 'environmental settings' 'vfapi plugin' and increase the priority of the 'DirectShow source filter' by right clicking on it and selecting 'higher priority' 3 times.

In some cases, on some OS, people in addition to that had to rename the .MKV to .AVI also, dont know why.

Regards

Christian

Yeah, but you *might* not get your subtitles if DVobSub plays them... I've found this is hit or miss in TMPGEnc, sometimes I get double subs with mkvs and dvobsub in tmpgenc!

[ChristianHJW]

Yeah, but you *might* not get your subtitles if DVobSub plays them... I've found this is hit or miss in TMPGEnc, sometimes I get double subs with mkvs and dvobsub in tmpgenc!

I agree, subs turned out to be problematic, also the selection of the right audio streams, if the file had more than one ( dual language ).

The author of TMPEGencoder should seriously consider to allow semi-automatic graph rendering for the DirectShow source reader, or better even, allow to open a premade graph done with graphedit. That way people could decide what filter to load when the file is opened, and could even select a specific stream from the file.

Right now the only way to make sure a MKV is rendered without subs, and using the right audio track, is to load the source MKV into mmg/mkvmerge, untick those streams that are not wanted in the MPEG, and mux a new MKV containing only the streams you liked to have in your MPEG.

About your problem with subs showing double, i never had encountered this problem myself to be honest. To make sure the subs are shown, you have to set DVobSub to 'load always', that worked for me all the time.

ChristianHJW
matroska project admin
http://www.matroska.org
http://packs.matroska.org

[Pisces225]

I'd like my first post ever on these forums to be the following:

MKV SUCKS OUT LOUD AND ANYONE ENCODING IN MKV IS A MORON WHO DESERVES TO BE RAKED OVER HOT COALS AND HAVE THEIR FINGERNAILS RIPPED OUT WITH PLIERS.

Ok, I feel better now. Anyway, I'm an experienced (somewhat) video conversionalist (is that a word or did I make that up?) and I'm working on converting a television series I got ahold of in MKV format with AAC audio to standard AVI for conversion to DVD. I'll post what works for me once I figure this mess out... and yes, I've long ago given up on trying to use these MKV's in their native format.

I'm going to attempt to write a nice guide dealing with these MKV's, but in the mean time, download the free version of Wavepad here:

http://nch.com.au/wavepad/index.html

Load the AAC and save as anything you want, preferably AC3 if you're converting to DVD. At this point you should have a soundless AVI and an AC3 file. Convert your AVI however you please, and mux it with your converted audio, whatever format you made it.

[Pisces225]

After using Wavepad a bit I'd like to note that you may want to just save to .wav first and then convert to whatever. Wavepad can give you an AC3 directly from the .AAC file but I found the bit rates it offers sorely lacking... better to go .AAC --> .WAV --> .AC3 using AC3Machine.

[ChristianHJW]

MKV SUCKS OUT LOUD AND ANYONE ENCODING IN MKV IS A MORON WHO DESERVES TO BE RAKED OVER HOT COALS AND HAVE THEIR FINGERNAILS RIPPED OUT WITH PLIERS.

I bet 1000 US$ that you dont even have the faintest idea what matroska was actually made for. You are just one of that many dumb, arrogant d0rks out there who do BELIEVE they know what matroska is about, and feel they have the right to complain that it doesnt work on any crappy standalone DVD player, bought for 35 US$ from Walmart.

Regards

Christian
matroska project admin
http://www.matroska.org

[Pisces225]

LOL
What a laugh...
As if you know anything about me and what I do or don't have knowledge of. Making such assanine assumptions only proves your own stupidity. Move along, nothing further to see here... just the standard MKV fanboi fare.

And no one was complaining about this or that format not playing on any crappy DVD player from Walmart, we're bitching about how sucky it is to convert from MKV containers to something that *will* play on nearly any DVD player. Once MKV is actually properly supported by standalone players and the popular software that's out there fine, more power to ya. Until then quit annoying the rest of us with this garbage...

And by the way, where can I go to collect my $1000? I can arrange payment via PayPal if you like...

You are in breach of the forum rules and are being issued with a formal warning.
/ Moderator Baldrick

[ChristianHJW]

And no one was complaining about this format not playing on any crappy DVD player from Walmart, we're bitching about how sucky it is to convert from this lame ass format to something that *will* play on nearly any DVD player.

..... ever considered that the release groups using MKV to publish their hard work DONT WANT morons like you to be able to create freaking DVDs from it ....

Think about it, stupid little pirate, or who told you that you had the god given right to convert all the stuff you download somewhere into DVDs ? And even if you had this right, why should we as the format inventors care if you are able to convert it into something else ? Go and bitch to the release groups using MKV ( i know what they will tell you ), and to the DVD encoding app devs for not supporting MKV correctly.

Jesus, what an asshxxxxx ....

Christian
matroska project admin
http://www.matroska.org

You are in breach of the forum rules and are being issued with a formal warning.
/ Moderator Baldrick

[Baldrick]

please behave.