MKV: A seemingly no-brainer question

[neroguy]

If the .mkv format is just a container for the audio/video files, why in god's name can't these people also come up with a program the simply reverses the process?!

In that way, we wouldn't have all this nonsense, having to use other software to do the job, losing menus, subtitles, etc.

Please, somebody, write an mkv extraction program.

[poisondeathray]

mkvextractgui

[RickA]

As posiondeathray suggested there is mkvextractgui that you can use. I really fail to see the cause for your complaint. Mkv is just a container - pure and simple. What you want is on the inside, much like a can of soup. Do you complain to the store clerk when you buy a can of soup for not handing you a can opener to go with it? If you buy a CD or DVD do you expect them to offer you a player as well? Using 'other software to do the job' is much like going through the 'nonsense' of using a can opener or CD / DVD player yourself.

Cheers,
R

[FulciLives]

I use MKVExtractGUI which also requires MKVtoolnix and thanks to the GUI the process works very well for demuxing files out of the MKV file. When I say well I mean that it is a fairly simple and easy thing to do.

The only oddity I have found is that sometimes you have to "load" the MKV more than once before the program (MKVExtractGUI) will list the files inside (thus allowing you to extract them). Sometimes you load the MKV and nothing seems to happen. Try again and BINGO it works. Go figure *shrug*

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[neroguy]

Ricka, you made your reply sound like a wealth of information when in fact all you did was puke out what I already knew. Then you went on to "dazzle" us with your soup analogy. Don't insult me. I will ignore any further "brilliance" from you.

poisondeathray, FulciLives,

I was aware of mkvextractgui, but any time I've ever used it, it crashed but thanks for your info and also for sparing me from a tongue-lashing. There are always wiseguys who need to feel superior.

[45tripp]

If the .mkv format is just a container

just,
hmm
i'd not refer to such a flexible container, as 'just' anything.

crashed how?
what's crashing, the gui or mkvextract?
either way, try alternate versions of both.
try without the gui.


tripp

[jagabo]

<sarcasm>MKV is such a superior container why would anyone ever want to extract anything from it?</sarcasm>

[FulciLives]

Something on your system is "screwy" or you don't have something you need installed otherwise there is no reason you should get "crashing" in this case.

Do you have Haali Media Splitter installed?

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[redwudz]

To answer your first question:

If the .mkv format is just a container for the audio/video files, why in god's name can't these people also come up with a program the simply reverses the process?!

Because formats like MKV, Real, WMV, H.264 and a few more highly compressed formats are viewed as 'end' products, to be used as a final format. The creators of those formats don't expect or really want you to convert them back to other formats, and I doubt you will see much help from them to do that.

[45tripp]

<sarcasm>MKV is such a superior container why would anyone ever want to extract anything from it?</sarcasm>

you know the answer to that.

<antisarcasm> People do many a foolish thing.
like bitching about a container,
or worse still, complaining that pirates set out to water on
floatation devices of their own choice rather than bending to the will of
joe bloggs...</antisarcasm>

[RickA]

Wow, neroguy. No need for such a narrow-minded attitude, haha.

What else can you expect but a bit of jocularity when you come on here ranting, raving and bashing an exemplary container as mkv? You offer no clue as to what in your work flow process is going wrong. Saying things like 'Somebody, please make something to demux this!'

You are offered a program which does such a thing and you comment you already know about it - news to us. Later, you reveal it (something) crashes on you. You say nothing of what format you are trying to get the mkv content to. Or what type of content you are trying to get out of mkv - which can store just about anything. No mention of what programs you are trying (or have tried) to use to do this. Not really very helpful to us to help you trouble shoot now is it?

Your initial attitude suggested the makers of Matroska should hand you a demuxer as well. As mentioned already that is not their function. Theirs is to offer you an end user vehicle to house your content in. Apparently my jest of this rubbed you the wrong way. We are a friendly, helpful lot here and like to joke about some. As you should be able to see by the other /sarcasm remarks made. Understandably you are frustrated by your situation. A little levity can be beneficial. We are willing to help if you are willing to let us. That is to assume if you are not continuing to ignore my / our 'superior brilliance'. ;-]

Cheers,
R

[FulciLives]

We are a friendly, helpful lot here and like to joke about some. As you should be able to see by the other /sarcasm remarks made. Understandably you are frustrated by your situation. A little levity can be beneficial. We are willing to help if you are willing to let us. That is to assume if you are not continuing to ignore my / our 'superior brilliance'. ;-]

Cheers,
R

That reminds me of the scene in STAR TREK II where Kirk says, "Kahn ... I am laughing at the superior intellect" because of course Kirk just did something to jack up Kahn and Kahn had earlier in the movie referred to himself as having the superior intellect etc.

OK I know this really has nothing to do with anything other than to show how my twisted mind somehow "puts things together" at times. heh.

Getting back on track I read that AVIMux GUI can demux a MKV file although only to a certain extent ... for instance I think I read it can't demux subtitles but it can demux most video and audio files. I've never tried it but if the combo of MKVExtractGUI and MKVtoolnix is not working then I'm not sure what else there is as an alternative.

Another point: if I recall don't you have to install MKVExtractGUI and MKVtoolnix to the same folder? Maybe neroguy should check this also if the GUI isn't working then maybe he could consider trying MKVtoolnix in "command line" mode. I remember using it that way once under Linux and it wasn't so bad although I admit that as much as I love Linux the video tools for Linux mostly "suck" and I still pretty much do most if not all video stuff in WinXP thanks to VirtualBox.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[rickydavao]

Don't forget the handy-dandy tool OGMClever. This is a demuxing tool only and, as the name implies, will demux ogm files ... but will also demux MKV files. Very handy tool, you can tell it which streams to demux and to which folder, and handles multiple files very easily. Oh, will also convert h264 video streams to avi format on the fly for you if needed as well. Maybe give this a try ...?

[rickydavao]

Oops ... misspelled in my post above - should be OGMCleaver. Sorry about that, Chief!

[redwudz]

rickydavao, you could also edit your previous post and not have to make an additional post to correct an error.