Help with MKV to XviD Conversion

[Chaser250]

My first post here...

I recently downloaded a number of MKV files. They all play perfectly in the MKV format, but I need to convert them to XviD or DivX so I can burn them to DVD and play them on my TV via my LG DVD player.

Here is the problem: Most convert and play fine. About 1 in 3 however do not convert.

I use Ultra Video Converter which works for most of the files. On the ones it does not work on, it chews through them for the usual amount of time, but all I get is a 5K file that will not open or play, and you can not even read the file properties.

I wondered if the problem was with Ultra Video Converter so I downloaded a new copy and installed it - same result.

I then downloaded Ultra MKV Converter - same result.

I ran the same 'corrupt' files through ConvertXtoDVD 4 and they play fine - it just takes over an hour to convert a half dozen episodes and I can only put about 6 to a disk. Very limiting.

I can only conclude that the problem is not with the conversion software, but with the original MKV files. What I don't understand is why do most convert without a problem while about one third of them choke. I assume they were made by the same person using the same application as they are all episodes of the same show. They are all about the same size - 96 MB's give or take 500K.

Why would one program convert these to usable disks, and others not?

If anyone has an opinion or some advice, I would love to hear it - I'm stumped.

Thank you.

[hech54]

I need to convert them to XviD or DivX so I can burn them to DVD and play them on my TV via my LG DVD player.

You are burning Xvid/Divx files AS DATA to a DVD?

[Chaser250]

Yes, I am burning them to R- DVD's as data files.

They play well on my LG or Samsung DVD players. Normally.

I can get about 12 or 13 hours of TV onto one disk that way.

It is just this one collection of files that seem to have problems. Most are fine, but about 1/3 of them will not convert from MKV to XviD, DivX, or plain AVI files.

Most of the files I download are already in XviD format and I don't have to worry about converting them.

The MKV files are great as they are only about 96 MB's per hour episode instead of the 358 MB's for the same thing in XviD format. I can't tell the difference in the final product after conversion.

Using the ConvertXtoDVD 4 works great with the problem files, but it eats up more disks and way more time to do the conversion.

Out of one season of 16 episodes, only 13 converted to XviD, in another season of 17, only 10 converted.

The strange thing is that the original MKV files play fine on the computer with Nero, and they also convert to VOB with ConvertXtoDVD 4, I just can not get them to convert with Ultra Video Converter or Ultra MKV Converter (same thing really).

Thanks for your reply!

[guns1inger]

Ultra Video Converter and the rest of the Aone family are, frankly, rip-offs. They do nothing that free software can't do better. The MKV container, while powerful, is not without it's problems, as seen recently when they released a new version of the MKVMerge program that compressed the headers and broke playback and conversion in many places. Your problems could be down to the files or the converter or both.

Try XmediaRecode or Xvid4PSP or MeGUI or even FormatFactory. All are free, and they will all most likely do a better job that your payware software. I have been using XmediaRecode for a while now and am happy with what it can do. So far it hasn't choked on anything.

[guns1inger]

Dupe

[Chaser250]

Thanks guns1inger, I'll give those programs a shot - I've already downloaded the first one.

Thanks!

[Chaser250]

OK, I downloaded XmediaRecode and have been successful with that.

It does seem to take much longer to convert the files, and the files are quite a bit bigger than the ones converted with Ultra MKV Converter, but it does work - now I just have to copy the new files to a DVD and try them out on the LG DVD player for the TV.

I had a bit of trouble with the audio on one file, but I seem to have that fixed now - not really how it happened, but all the files were fine except the last one which had no audio - after a couple of tries and some fiddling, I seem to have gotten it to work.

One new question: Is there a program that will examine a video file (MKV, VidX, DivX, whatever), and give you all the properties as to the coding, audio, video, etc.?

Thanks guns1inger, you have been a great help! Thanks everyone!

[MilesAhead]

MediaInfo is the Windows program for video info that I use.

Also you can get good results converting mkv to xvid using Quick AVI Creator. Thing is the suggested bit rate is usually too low. Depending how many avi files I'm trying to get on a disc, I usually bump it up to 2000 or at least 1500 kbit. If you look in the xvid.presets file it's not difficult to figure out how to add a [One Pass Mode] setting. It uses xvid_encraw to do the conversion. If the source looks good you can speed things up by just using one pass.

[guns1inger]

Use the DVD Player preset in XmediaRecode, then go to the Video tab and have a play. The default values of Constant Bitrate encoding and 2000 kbps mean a large and probably wasteful output file. Change the value to less, or better, change the Rate Control Mode to Constant Quantizer and set the value to 3 or 4.

[Chaser250]

MilesAhead: Thanks, I'll check into those 2 programs.

While I may complain about the time it takes to convert, I prefer getting the best quality video/audio possible. Not much reason to have a 46" Sony Bravia and a DVD player otherwise.

What I do with most of my TV files is to put an entire season of the show on one or two disks depending on how big the files are. Most half hour shows will fit an entire season on one DVD at about 175 MB's per show. One hour shows usually get split to two disks.

I will always use a 2 pass encoding to get a better finished file.

Thanks, again!