Burning a MKV to Blu Ray Disc

[bbren43]

Hey Guys,

I apologize if this has been asked before but I've been searching for WEEKS on the answer.

I have an MKV file roughly 25-30GB
I want to burn it to a blu-ray disc so I can play it on my home theater system
How do I do this on a Mac without Quality loss?? I've tried handbrake and that was a waste of time for me. I'm honestly at a dead-end. Nothing is supported by MKV for me. Everytime I use Toast 11 I can get it through the endecoing process about 50% of the time then it fails to burn. I don't want to keep wasting discs.

On a side note, I use Mac Blu Ray Player to watch the file and it works Flawlessly so I know the file works.


Here's what I'm working with:
Mac Pro Quad Core (2010)
2 x Blu-Ray Burners
16GB Ram
1SDD Harddrive
8TB Internal

I'm using TDK 50GB BD-R DL

[Baldrick]

Do you want to convert it to blu-ray video? Tsmuxer might be able to remux it to a bdmv folder. But I guess it doesn't work that good in mac osx.

Or just burn it on a bdr in data mode?

[bbren43]

I'm not sure which method would be best. Pretty much just want to be able to successfully burn the file so it's watchable and doesn't have any quality loss.

If that means I have to convert it first I'll do that. Handbrake says it sucessfully converted the file. Then I play it back and its just a White video with nothing. Plus the size of the file ends up being 100+ gigs. Maybe I don't have the settings right on it.

[Baldrick]

Does your home theater system supports mkv/mp4/etc from a bdr disc? If not you must probably make a real blu-ray from it.

[bbren43]

That I'm not sure about. How would I go about burning it to a Blu-ray format? I'm assuming we couldn't go wrong doing it that way.

I was under the assumption that I would first have to convert the file then use toast 11 to burn. I figured toast can't handle MKV files correctly.

[Lowlander]

The easiest way by far is feeding the file into your playback system as it is. Even burning it to a precious BD-R as a file could be unnecessary.

If your playback system is capable of handling an mkv file from a BD-R, this BD-R will not really be standard compliant and could fail in any other playback device.

I think as a first step you should analyze your file to see if it contains BD-compliant audio and video. If audio and video (and maybe other streams in the mkv, if you need them) are compliant already there is no need to convert anything. In that case, it's just a matter of remuxing and authoring a "proper" BD.

[Baldrick]

Check the manual? Or burn a smaller mkv sample from your big mkvs and see if they work.

Another method would be to stream to your home theatre system...if it has any lan/wifi network and DLNA support then. You can use Plex Media server for example.

[bbren43]

i just tried tsmuxer and had no luck. the program keeps saying the file(s) aren't supported. (MKV)

I'm still looking for a solution to burn the MKV file to BD-R. its driving me nuts

[jman98]

Install MediaInfo and post back here what is says about the contents of the MKV file. MKV can hold almost anything, so it could be that tsmuxer is trying to tell you in a bad way that video and/or audio are not valid for BluRay format. BluRay format cannot hold almost anything. There are restrictions. AAC audio is very common in MKV files and it's not allowed in BluRay format.

TDK discs are not the best. The ONLY reliable BD-DL discs are Verbatim's and some players don't even like those very much.

[Selur]

tsmuxer probably can't handle mkv files with header removal compression,...

[bbren43]

ok so heres the update... the windows version of tsmuxer opened the mkv file fine. I checked the DTS-HD audio and Video file only and saved it to blu-ray format! that was a success!

Now toast is giving me an error when I tried to burn the blu-ray formatted file.


Is there a better or different program for Mac OSX i can try to burn the Blu-Ray File?
After I clicked "OK" it said

[Herve]

Now toast is giving me an error when I tried to burn the blu-ray formatted file.

this errior is hardware related (not related to your type of input, but to your disc or burner )

bye

[bbren43]

Ok so I'm thinking its my disc only because I purchased the burner from OWC and I'm using all their directions so far.

http://eshop.macsales.com/articles/howto-burn-bluray-toast

[bbren43]

btw these are the discs I'm trying to burn with

http://www.amazon.com/TDK-Discs-Bluray-Original-Spindle/dp/B009HWSBP8/ref=sr_1_5?s=ele...ay+Discs+50+GB

[phase52001]

.. (edit) .. I have an MKV file roughly 25-30GB . I want to burn it to a blu-ray disc so I can play it on my home theater system How do I do this on a Mac without Quality loss?? I've tried handbrake and that was a waste of time for me. I'm honestly at a dead-end. Nothing is supported by MKV for me. Everytime I use Toast 11 I can get it through the endecoing process about 50% of the time then it fails to burn. I don't want to keep wasting discs.

I've been burning MKV to Bluray disc's and DVDs using Toast successfully for a while now.
In TOAST I use the DATA tab, then the "DVD-ROM(UDF)" setting. Drop the MKV file in there and burn.
It will play fine in a Bluray DVD player.

From what you're saying I think you may be using the VIDEO tab and then (perhaps) the "Blu-ray Video" setting. Is that right?
It would explain why Toast decides to re-encode the file. Re-encoding isn't necessary.

Handbrake is useful for re-encoding files to change it size, (I've shrunk MKV files to 4.4GB to burn on DVD, these play fine in a Bluray Player), or to correct an MKV file that wasn't encoded properly.

Try what I've suggested and let me know.
Hope that helps a bit.

PS Try VLC (if you don't already have it) as a free option for playing MKV files on your Mac. And if you haven't got them; MakeMKV; MKV Tools; MP4 Tools and MKVToolnix are all quiet useful. (They may take a while to learn).

[lasty]

hi did u manage to do it??? had same prob and tried lots ofways, found one that works if ya still looking

[mjcedeno]

I tried this and did not work for me, can you pls elaborate thanks in advance

.. (edit) .. I have an MKV file roughly 25-30GB . I want to burn it to a blu-ray disc so I can play it on my home theater system How do I do this on a Mac without Quality loss?? I've tried handbrake and that was a waste of time for me. I'm honestly at a dead-end. Nothing is supported by MKV for me. Everytime I use Toast 11 I can get it through the endecoing process about 50% of the time then it fails to burn. I don't want to keep wasting discs.

I've been burning MKV to Bluray disc's and DVDs using Toast successfully for a while now.
In TOAST I use the DATA tab, then the "DVD-ROM(UDF)" setting. Drop the MKV file in there and burn.
It will play fine in a Bluray DVD player.

From what you're saying I think you may be using the VIDEO tab and then (perhaps) the "Blu-ray Video" setting. Is that right?
It would explain why Toast decides to re-encode the file. Re-encoding isn't necessary.

Handbrake is useful for re-encoding files to change it size, (I've shrunk MKV files to 4.4GB to burn on DVD, these play fine in a Bluray Player), or to correct an MKV file that wasn't encoded properly.

Try what I've suggested and let me know.
Hope that helps a bit.

PS Try VLC (if you don't already have it) as a free option for playing MKV files on your Mac. And if you haven't got them; MakeMKV; MKV Tools; MP4 Tools and MKVToolnix are all quiet useful. (They may take a while to learn).

[mjcedeno]

I'm looking to copy this MKV video i have to a blu ray disc

hi did u manage to do it??? had same prob and tried lots ofways, found one that works if ya still looking

[phase52001]

mjcedeno;

- go here: https://www.videohelp.com/tools/MediaInfo and download mediaInfo. This will give you information about your MKV file. It needs to be a 4.0 or 4.1 to playback on a bluray player. (See below example). If it's 5.0 or above you'll needed to re-encode it with Handbrake.



Does this explain what I'm doing better. (I made a backup for the kids to ruin).



BTW: is the audio of the MKV file AC3 or DTS? DTS may or may not playback.

[mjcedeno]

thanks for the reply, that's what I get? where it shows that is 4.0 or more?

[mjcedeno]

I think it says 3.1?? is that ok or need re-encode ?

[phase52001]

I think it says 3.1?? is that ok or need re-encode ?

From my screen grab - Under "Streams" -> "Video" (HIGH@L4.1) is what you should be looking at.

You only need to re-encode if the MKV file is 5.0 or above. Anything 4.1 or below will work.

Unless the audio is a DTS with 6 channels. Then you might get a "incompatiable audio" message when you try to play it back.

Is it possible for you to crop your screen grab of the Media Info around the stream info? I can't read what you've posted.

[lasty]

Did you get my link ???

[lasty]

I'm looking to copy this MKV video i have to a blu ray disc

hi did u manage to do it??? had same prob and tried lots ofways, found one that works if ya still looking

hi, if you download mkvmerge and tsmuxser. Once got them open mkvmerge and insert your mkv. then once mkv in you will have 3 tabs under movie and audio files. click on extra options go to compression and select none on both video and audio (remember to select them first) then save to ur desired output, and click on start muxing.Then open tsmuxser and put ur saved file in that and select blu ray disc. save to output folder of ur choice and select start muxing. then there after have been muxed you will have your BDMV AND CERTIFICATE FOLDER READY TO BURN ......

I have done loads of mkvs this way and works great, even keep DTS TRACK... GOOD LOOK IF YOU NEED ANY HELP I'LL DO A TUTORIAL FOR YOU.

[joker58]

now I try t what you have written but when I burn a blu-ray and plugs in my blu-ray player pixels are all over the place what am I doing wrong. I need help.

[phase52001]

now I try t what you have written but when I burn a blu-ray and plugs in my blu-ray player pixels are all over the place what am I doing wrong. I need help.

Joker58;

not sure who you're asking, so: can you supply a bit more detail? the more detail the faster the problem may be resolved.

- are you on a Mac or a PC?
- what software are you using to rip the bluray disc to an MKV file?
- are you compressing the MKV file from eg; 25Gb down to 4GB - and burning it onto a DVD?
- what software are you using to do the compression, if you are indeed compressing it?
- what software are you using to burn the MKV file?
- can you confirm that the MKV file is 4.1 or lower and what format the audio is in?
- what bluray player are you using?

and finally, do you have a re-writeable Bluray disc or rewriteable DVD? in the long term it saves money when learning.

thanks.
Robert.

[omnuibruno]

Robert,

Thanks for all of your help in this thread so far! I was just hoping you can clarify something for me. First, let me tell you my setup and then I will ask my question. I am trying to burn an MKV to a BD-DL using my Samsung external burner using Toast 11 (with the HD plugin installed) on my Mac. I have burned several ISOs (including 3D) successfully for playback on my PS3 using Toast, but I am now moving on to burning remuxes.

I have checked using media info as you suggested, and as best I can tell, everything looks fine (see screenshot).

In your post, you said that you have successfully burned MKVs to blu ray in toast using the "Data" tab and then selecting "DVD-ROM (UDF)", which I can easily do (see screenshot).

So I am wondering, in your experience, if I burn the disc as I have everything set up, will it be able to playback on my PS3 in a similar fashion to burning an ISO?

Sorry for the long post and for being so thorough, but I don't want to burn the disc and not have it work and have no idea where I might have gone wrong.

Thanks for all of your help!

[phase52001]

So I am wondering, in your experience, if I burn the disc as I have everything set up, will it be able to playback on my PS3 in a similar fashion to burning an ISO?

Sorry, but I don't have a PS3, nor do I have access to a PS3, so I can't tell you if after burning the disc it would play back in a PS3. I've never tested any of my MKV burns in a PS3.

Apart from that it looks fine, except for the DTS audio file. I can't say if that will play or not. My experience is that you'll get an error message and it'll play anyway, or it won't and you'll an "incompatible" message with it. I generally add an AC3 audio file to my MKVs as the default audio file, while retaining the DTS audio file, just to be on the safe side.

All I can suggest is that you use Handbrake to compress the title down to 23Gb and then burn it to a rewriteable BD, and test that on a PS3, before you burn the BD-DL.

I lost quiet a few BDs and BD-DLs in my early days so I know how you feel, BD-DLs are quiet expensive.

[Thefile]

This is the copy of the Media-Info I mentioned.

[enim]

As my BD player can play mkv flawless, I never had a problem with burn for mkv data-dvds. FYI, mkv file size 4.3GB (max).