MKV File Problems

[Taddeusz]

I've been experimenting with transcoding movies to H.264. I started out using just a plane MP4 container with 5.1 channel AAC audio. SageTV doesn't transcode multi-channel AAC audio properly. So, since the beta supposedly has official MKV support I decided to transcode to that container with the original AC3 audio. Plays great in VLC. Doesn't play at all in my SageTV Client. Nor do they play in on my MVP.

I did a little bit further experimentation. I encoded two identical sections of video both in MKV containers. One with 5.1 AAC and the other with the original AC3. Neither file plays on my client. The AC3 file doesn't play on my MVP. The AAC file does play but of course the audio isn't right. On top of that the playback is rather choppy.

It seems MKV support needs to be refined quite a bit. It's nice that the format is finally being address though. But that's what betas are for.

[Taddeusz]

I know this doesn't help anyone else. I'm only getting started with the idea of archiving my movies via transcoding. I've ended up working around the problem with MKV files and AAC in one blow and am now creating H.264 encoded AVI files with AC3 audio.

I hope that Sage's MKV support improves in the future but my problem has been solved by going elsewhere.

[Patilan]

Originally Posted by Taddeusz

I'm only getting started with the idea of archiving my movies via transcoding.

What transcoder are you using?

Originally Posted by Taddeusz

..and am now creating H.264 encoded AVI

Doesn't AVI do it for you?
Just curious, why would you rather have MKV?

[Taddeusz]

I'm using HandBrake. Which, BTW, I'm much happier with on MacOS. The Windows version just seems like a clunky wanna be in comparison. The developers say it's because they're sticking with the standard conventions of each OS. I call BS on that. Anyway...

MKV does have some features that AVI doesn't seem to support such as chapter markers. I was wanting to use just a standard MP4 container but HandBrake at least doesn't have the capability of doing AVC and AC3 in one. Which means I either use MKV or AVI.

All that being said I'm rather smitten with AVC, aka H.264, for SD videos. It looks excellent compared to DivX/Xvid. In all my tinkering with the idea of converting my DVD collection to a more accessible (read reasonable size and quality) format I was never perfectly happy with DivX/Xvid. There was just something about the quality of video output that never quite set right with my brain. AVC has shown me that it's quite possible for me to convert my collection while keeping quite reasonable video quality.

[Patilan]

Originally Posted by Taddeusz

All that being said I'm rather smitten with AVC, aka H.264, for SD videos. It looks excellent compared to DivX/Xvid.

I couldn't agree more!

I use MEncoder scripts to convrert my DVD collection and my SageTV
recordings into H.264 AVIs, and I am a happy man: <-that's me.

Can't you compile MEncoder for Mac? Oh, yeah, you want chapters...
Hmm.. It just never occured to me to say: God I wish I had chapters!

-=patilan=-