MKV creation problems

[rexdude]

I have a couple of Russian movies that are over 2 hours long - split into 2 AVIs with SRT subtitles. I want to combine them into one MKV. I've used mkvmerge and AVIMux, but keep running into problems.
Both files use XVid-AC3, but different bitrates (1491 vs 1800 kbps). Is this a problem while merging?
I've tried 2 approaches - Add the AVIs directly to mkvmerge and create, or create 2 separate MKVs and then try combining them.
I have Media player classic 6491 (not home cinema) with the Klite Codec Pack. I also have the current latest VLC.
When I run the video with MPC, a rectangular area on the video keeps flickering. Also I can't find a way to select the video stream.
With VLC, it starts playing BOTH video streams at the same time! I have to manually disable one of them.
While creating the MKV with both AVIs together, I set the default track flag to 'default' or 'yes' and 'no' for the video,audio and subtitle tracks of part 1 and part 2, respectively.

AVIMux doesn't work properly; it crashes when the progress bar reaches 99%. Is there any other setting that needs to be done? Or am I making a mistake by trying to combine 2 AVIs encoded at different bit rates?

[hd hackerz]

turning AVI to MKV? thats really rare case to get success. MKV is better than AVI. If you use mkvmerge, you should take note that your AVI video would become MKV format. This is also not convince anyone to get better result for the conversion. What type of codec in AVI that you use? Xvid? DivX? x264?

You already install K-Lite Codec Pack, it helps you a little during playback. I think the problem happened when you sonvert the video.

About the crashing of AVIMux, I think it was your setting that should be corrected. Gotta take a look at the preferences first...

[guns1inger]

Bitrate shouldn't be a major issue for video, so long as everything else matches - resolution, framerate etc. Audio bitrate would have to match as AC3 is CBR.

You might be able to join them with AVI Demux. Load the first, append the second, make sure both video and audio are set to COPY, save the new video. SRT subs can be joined in Subtitle Workshop. If you can get everything joined, you can then probably put the whole lot into an MKV container, if you still want to.

[rexdude]

Thanks, AVIDemux saved the day!