converting avi to mkv

[jabalum]

Hey guyz...
is there a program that can convert avi to mkv? and make the file size smaller then an avi file??

i say DB doing it for bleach... any ideaS?

[Baldrick]

avi and mkv are container formats not any video formats like divx,xvid, avc/h264.

convert the video to a smaller size with a encoder like virtualdub. you can use divx,xvid,avc/h264 etc.
use MKVtoolnix to create a mkv file.

[celtic_druid]

mkv generally requires less over head, so simply remuxing with mkvmerge/mmg in most cases will result in a smaller file.

DB does AVC mkv files though? For that I would not recommend VDub. Forget about VfW and use the cli encoder.

[Baldrick]

and mkvtoolnix = mkvmerge = mmg ....my automatic tool link wont work if you use /...

[jabalum]

hmm i don't quite understand what you are talking about..

DB uses AVC what is avc? so if i convert straight from avi to mkv is that possible?

[Baldrick]

use mkvmerge gui to convert avi to mkv container.

[celtic_druid]

Dattebayo uses H.264 for his mkv encodes, at least according to bleachportal. H.264 = AVC. Like I said though, mkv generally uses less overhead so if you remux to mkv from avi it should be smaller. But not 75MB vs. 175MB. That requires re-encoding.

So basically I think you want to encode to AVC more so than using mkv. I really wouldn't recommend AVC in avi though. mp4 would be fine if the audio is aac or mp3.

[jabalum]

hmmmmm
then when i remux it... will there be any loss in quality?

[kschang]

Muxing is just like linking the two files together with no modification to either file.

(That's the short explanation)

[jabalum]

hmm i used that program to mux the file... in the end... its the same size... how can i compress it further? can i use something that compresses it straight like real media producer?

[jabalum]

help?

[kschang]

Baldrick already gave you the answer: "You must re-encode".

[C-W]

hm... it looks most of peoples using MKV as the video file format.....

but the baldrick tips it a bit tough. is it an easy way or software that can convert the mkv to avi or avi to mkv

or can also burn mkv file to vcd without converting to avi or mpeg file first???

[celtic_druid]

For VCD, you have to convert to MPEG-1. It is possible for an mkv to contain VCD compliant MPEG-1 though, in which case you could remux.

avi to mkv is easy. Just use mmg/mkvmerge. mkv to avi is harder since mkv is the more powerfull of the two formats. If the mkv uses features that avi doesn't support then you have problems.

[jabalum]

if i reencode it.. what software should i use?

becuase vdub is not recommended right?

[celtic_druid]

For x264? No. Use the cli encoder either via a GUI or via the command line. For a GUI you could try MeGUI.

[jabalum]

when i am using that software.....
what format and all should I save it ??
as in what are the settings that I must set?