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 or MPC-HC. If you want to use Windows Media Player or other directshow players like Media Player Classic install haali media splitter, ffdshow and ac3filter.
MKV to AVI DivX/Xvid
Use HandBrake. Or use Xvid4PSP, Super, AutoMKV, Total Video Converter, Winavi, AllToAVI.
MKV to DVD
Use ConvertXtoDVD. If you get problem converting to DVD directly you can try use HandBrake and then convert the AVI to DVD.
MKV to Xbox 360 or Playstation 3
Use GotSENT or for Playstation 3 use MKV2VOB. If those wont work reconvert using Handbrake.
MKV to MP4
Use GotSENT. If it wont work reconvert to MP4 using Handbrake or Xvid4PSP.
MKV to Blu-Ray/AVCHD
Use MultiAVCHD.
Problems
Slow playback
If the MKV contain H264 or VC-1 HD video(identify the video codec in a MKV with MediaInfo) try Media Player Classic Home Cinema or 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 and VC-1 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 Handbrake or Xvid4psp).
Audio sync issues when you convert
It's probably because of VFR video and it's not easy to solve. Try latest Handbrake or Xvid4psp. 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.
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Can someone help me understand MKV? I have blu-ray player and some MKV it plays and some it doesn't. I post here infos on mkv files he wants to play and one he doesn't so can someone tell me what is the crucial difference so I can convert ones it doesn't want to play so that it plays them.
Here are the infos for ones he wants to play (they are in green color)
Format : Matroska
File size : 299 MiB
Duration : 1h 27mn
Overall bit rate : 479 Kbps
Encoded date : UTC 2009-01-05 16:16:27
Writing application : mkvmerge v2.4.0 ('Fumbling Towards Ecstasy') built on Oct 11 2008 20:13:15
Writing library : libebml v0.7.7 + libmatroska v0.8.1
Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L2.2
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 8 frames
Format settings, GOP : M=1, N=2
Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC
Duration : 1h 27mn
Nominal bit rate : 440 Kbps
Width : 688 pixels
Height : 288 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 2.35:1
Frame rate : 25.000 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.089
Writing library : x264 core 65 r1069M ed32ad2
Encoding settings : cabac=1 / ref=8 / deblock=1:-2:-1 / analyse=0x3:0x113 / me=umh / subme=6 / psy_rd=1.0:0.0 / mixed_ref=1 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=1 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / chroma_qp_offset=-2 / threads=3 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / mbaff=0 / bframes=16 / b_pyramid=1 / b_adapt=1 / b_bias=0 / direct=3 / wpredb=1 / keyint=250 / keyint_min=25 / scenecut=40(pre) / rc=2pass / bitrate=440 / ratetol=1.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=10 / qpmax=51 / qpstep=4 / cplxblur=20.0 / qblur=0.5 / ip_ratio=1.40 / pb_ratio=1.30 / aq=1:1.00
Language : English
Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile : HE-AAC / LC
Codec ID : A_AAC
Duration : 1h 27mn
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz / 24.0 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Delay relative to video : 41ms
Text
ID : 3
Format : UTF-8
Codec ID : S_TEXT/UTF8
Codec ID/Info : UTF-8 Plain Text
Second one that it also can play:
Format : Matroska
File size : 397 MiB
Duration : 1h 30mn
Overall bit rate : 612 Kbps
Encoded date : UTC 2010-02-26 11:58:15
Writing application : mkvmerge v2.5.1 ('He Wasn't There') built on Feb 22 2009 18:19:47
Writing library : libebml v0.7.7 + libmatroska v0.8.1
Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L4.1
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames
Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC
Duration : 1h 30mn
Nominal bit rate : 575 Kbps
Width : 1 280 pixels
Height : 544 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 2.35:1
Frame rate : 23.976 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.034
Writing library : x264 core 80 r1376M 3feaec2
Encoding settings : cabac=1 / ref=4 / deblock=1:-1:-1 / analyse=0x3:0x113 / me=umh / subme=5 / psy=1 / psy_rd=0.0:0.0 / mixed_ref=1 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=2 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=0 / threads=3 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / mbaff=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=3 / b_pyramid=0 / b_adapt=1 / b_bias=0 / direct=3 / wpredb=1 / wpredp=2 / keyint=250 / keyint_min=25 / scenecut=40 / rc_lookahead=40 / rc=2pass / mbtree=1 / bitrate=575 / ratetol=1.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=10 / qpmax=51 / qpstep=4 / cplxblur=20.0 / qblur=0.5 / vbv_maxrate=50000 / vbv_bufsize=50000 / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=1:1.00
Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile : HE-AAC / LC
Codec ID : A_AAC
Duration : 1h 30mn
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz / 24.0 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Text
ID : 3
Format : UTF-8
Codec ID : S_TEXT/UTF8
Codec ID/Info : UTF-8 Plain Text
Menu
00:00:00.097 : en:00:00:00.097
NOW here's the one my player doesn't want to play although I can watch it on computer (it's in red color):
Format : Matroska
File size : 348 MiB
Duration : 54mn 51s
Overall bit rate : 888 Kbps
Encoded date : UTC 2010-03-22 18:48:54
Writing application : mkvmerge v3.2.0 ('Beginnings') built on Feb 12 2010 16:46:17
Writing library : libebml v0.7.9 + libmatroska v0.8.1
Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L3.1
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 5 frames
Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC
Duration : 54mn 51s
Nominal bit rate : 852 Kbps
Width : 1 280 pixels
Height : 720 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate : 23.976 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.039
Writing library : x264 core 80 r1376M 3feaec2
Encoding settings : cabac=1 / ref=5 / deblock=1:-2:-1 / analyse=0x3:0x113 / me=umh / subme=5 / psy=1 / psy_rd=0.0:0.0 / mixed_ref=1 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=1 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=0 / threads=6 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / mbaff=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=16 / b_pyramid=0 / b_adapt=1 / b_bias=0 / direct=3 / wpredb=1 / wpredp=2 / keyint=250 / keyint_min=25 / scenecut=40 / rc_lookahead=40 / rc=2pass / mbtree=1 / bitrate=852 / ratetol=1.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=10 / qpmax=51 / qpstep=4 / cplxblur=20.0 / qblur=0.5 / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=2:1.00
Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile : HE-AAC / LC
Codec ID : A_AAC
Duration : 54mn 51s
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz / 24.0 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Language : English
Text #1
ID : 3
Format : UTF-8
Codec ID : S_TEXT/UTF8
Codec ID/Info : UTF-8 Plain Text
Language : English
Text #2
ID : 4
Format : UTF-8
Codec ID : S_TEXT/UTF8
Codec ID/Info : UTF-8 Plain Text
Language : Greek
Text #3
ID : 5
Format : UTF-8
Codec ID : S_TEXT/UTF8
Codec ID/Info : UTF-8 Plain Text
Language : French
Menu
00:00:00.097 : en:00:00:00.097
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