Video editing/MKV format issues

[rdeffley]

I haven't done any video editing in years and I'd always follow the same workflow > SD VOB files > MPEG Streamclip > MOV for import.

Recently, I've been feeling the urge to start cutting again and I'd like to use HD content for better picture quality. But the most popular HD format is MKV. You can't import MKV into Avid or FCP directly, and MPEG Streamclip doesn't accept MKV either. So is there a good freeware I can use for MKV to MOV conversion?

[Baldrick]

Mkv with h264 video?

[rdeffley]

Yep with H264

[racer-x]

ffmpeg or AviDemux. Use stream copy if you can.

[rdeffley]

Weird.. Recently, I'd just been trying to get MPEG Streamclip on my PC to accept MKV. I prefer Avid Media Composer (it's what I was trained on at school). However, just for the hell of it, I imported an MKV into MS on my IMAC. At first it gave the same error message about MKV being unsupported. However, this time when I said to open anyways, it eventually came up. Whereas on a PC, it says that it can't pick up any video or audio tracks. So a Mac based MS will eventually read MKV.

Exported out of MS with 1280x720 @ 24fps with the 422 Pro Res codec. Then set a sequence in FCP with the same settings and it imported no problem. I'll probably stick with FCP for now because there will be less steps involved.