Splitting a MKV using MKVToolNix

[Knocks]

I am getting errors when trying to use MKVToolNix to split a file. The original video length is 3 minutes 50 seconds, and I need just the first 45 seconds. I have tried the following options:












None of these have worked. It's kind of frustrating that after so many years, the UI of this app remains very unintuitive unless you know exactly what you're doing and error messages are cryptic and incomplete.

[davexnet]

Try it this way

[Knocks]

@davexnet That produces no errors but the resulting file is the same size and length as the original.

[jagabo]

What do you mean by "didn't work"? By parts base on timestamps 00:00:00-00:00:45 or 0s-45s worked for me. Of course, the length wasn't exactly 45 seconds because it has to split on keyframes.

[Knocks]

@jagabo see post above

[krykmoon]

The others are totally wrong (with those settings you are simply telling mkv to START splitting from 45s till the end and the last one is totally meaningless)

But this one should work. I used splitting like this with MKVTOOLlnix a lot of times, it always worked.

[davexnet]

The example I gave works, but it produces the rest of the file also. Here's the details in Windows Explorer

[Knocks]

@krykmoon I know that it should work. I posted this thread because it didn't. I gave up and just re-cut the audio with Audacity and remuxed into a new mkv (the video was already 45 seconds to begin with).

[krykmoon]

(the video was already 45 seconds to begin with).

hem.. but if it was ALREADY 45 seconds long to begin with... why... trying to split it through mkvtoolnix to make it... 45s long ????

[Knocks]

@58krykmoon The video stream was 45 seconds but the audio was almost 4 minutes, which made the whole MKV 4 minutes. I just went the Audacity route because MKVToolnix wouldn't work.

[krykmoon]

@58krykmoon The video stream was 45 seconds but the audio was almost 4 minutes, which made the whole MKV 4 minutes. I just went the Audacity route because MKVToolnix wouldn't work.

A video stream with an audio and a video having different durations... is a very BAD video stream to start with.

You can't blame MKVToolnix not being able to split it correctly.
Every correctly muxed file is splitted absolutely fine by MKVToolnix.

[Knocks]

I'm not blaming it for not being able to split it. I am blaming it for being absolute shit at outputting useful error messages.

[johns0]

Split after duration/45s/2 parts,always work for me.

[jagabo]

Use ffmpeg for this:

ffmpeg -i input.mkv -c copy -shortest output.mkv

[krykmoon]

Use ffmpeg for this:

ffmpeg -i input.mkv -c copy -shortest output.mkv

jagabo.. you're my batch and ffmpeg GOD.. 3>

(i'm not joking at all.. I always learn a new litte nuance about everything.. from your posts - thank you very much for everything you share)

[kienkzz]

Use ffmpeg for this:

ffmpeg -i input.mkv -c copy -shortest output.mkv

I've try this but it lost video from that cut to nearest timestamps.

[jagabo]

Use ffmpeg for this:

ffmpeg -i input.mkv -c copy -shortest output.mkv

I've try this but it lost video from that cut to nearest timestamps.

As was noted earlier, in copy mode the video will be cut at the nearest keyframe. If you want frame accurate cuts you must re-encode -- at least the cut GOPs.