Transcode to mp4/h.264 - is there a generic high-quality preset? (xmedia)

[TYLER08027]

Hi guys,

I'm trying to make decent transcodes from a mix of sources (depending on the day)....DVD (post-ripped), avi, etc, etc to mp4/h.264 with aac audio. I'm basically looking to transcode for generic PC watching (as I'm pretty much glued to my PC most of the time...lol)

Is there a recommend default preset in xmedia that I could try as a start? or one I can download? I'm trying to avoid presets that scale the video in any way...just a 1:1 size transcode at ace Quality/Size regardless of the input file, etc.

Thanks for any helpful info!

EDIT: Also, what's the best to use these days, MP4/M4V/MKV? does it make a difference (settings, etc?) I'm guessing they are basically the same...but just in case I'm wrong.