Playing MKV with multiple audio tracks - does it load computer more?

[tufffta]

The way I understand it, if, for example, a video stream bitrate is 2000kbps and audio stream bitrate is 400kbps, then when watching the video it is actually read at 2400kbps. Is this right? But what about when there are two audio tracks (400kbps each) in the video container (MKV) - is it read at 2400 (2000video + 400audio) or at 2800kbps (2000video + 400audio1 + 400audio2)? I mean, there's only one audio track playing at a time, but does the computer read both tracks, since they are in the file?

I am asking this because I am thinking whether to include all the audio tracks in one MKV file or put only one there and use others externally - I am concerned whether one MKV file with several audio tracks loads computer more during playback than the one with just one audio track.

[lacywest]

Not sure what kind of system you have ... I have no problem ... I have had some problems with a mkv video that had about 3 or 4 audio tracks ... but I think it was the person who did the original encoding ... I ran it through some of my video encoders and removed them but the English ... the english audio track had to be adjusted by -400ms ...

[tufffta]

Not sure what kind of system you have ... I have no problem

I am sorry, but that's not what I was asking. I asked whether the players read all the streams or just those that are selected to play, and as a result, whether computer is more loaded when playing a file with 2 or more audio tracks. It's more of a theoretical question.

[Hoser Rob]

Of course it's theoretical. If loading more than one audio tracks simultaneously compromises the performance of your video player you need to buy a faster computer, change the performance settings of your player to accommodate a slower computer, or if the program doesn't have those settings, use one that does.

I'd suspect they would load all the tracks. If you want to change audio tracks while playing video it's going to have to be able to do it without a delay. So it's going to have to keep track of all available ones. Might as well load them all.

[jagabo]

I am sorry, but that's not what I was asking. I asked whether the players read all the streams or just those that are selected to play

They only read and decode the selected streams. But they still have to seek over the unplayed streams so it will take more resources. But that's not likely to be a problem unless you're playing over a very limited bandwidth pipe.

[Hoser Rob]

There you go. I figured they'd have to at least seek in real time.

[lacywest]

Not sure what kind of system you have ... I have no problem

I am sorry, but that's not what I was asking. I asked whether the players read all the streams or just those that are selected to play, and as a result, whether computer is more loaded when playing a file with 2 or more audio tracks. It's more of a theoretical question.

Well ... I kind of did answer your question ... I have a mkv video [I did not do the original processing] and it has at least 3 audio tracks in it and it has all kinds of audio sync problems. The english audio track had to be adjusted by -400ms to match up with their lips.

To do a experiment in a proper way all the variables need to be controlled in a precise way ... in this case I did not do the original processing. Maybe the original person used a method of creating this mkv that wasn't the best way.

I find ... AutoGK ... to be the program to create a mkv from a DVD RIP and have decent results.

I have been watching lately a set of MKV videos that has ... English and Russian audio in it and subtiltles to go with it. Pain in the butt because I have to set it for English audio and disable the subtiltles ... each time I watch another episode. I have no problems watching these and it is on a Dell Dual Core system ... Intel CPU runs around 2.2 ghz.

If your just curious if this adds extra unneeded resource power ... most likely does. Also makes the video file bigger because it has extra audio tracks embedded in the video file.

If you keep the audio tracks to a minumum ... AutoGK ... can use the extra size settings to deliver a better bitrate for the video stream.