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Convert mkv movies into mp4

gnkieffer said:
I found a very simple way to convert MKV to MP4 without using command line tools and with no re-encoding of the video stream, no quality lost. It requires Quicktime Pro and Perian. I wrote a quick tutorial with screen shots on my blog.
You only need to export the movie using Quicktime and yesssss, there is a Pass Through option for the video :D Quicktime always surprises me :apple:
Click to expand...

Hey man, I followed your tutorial on how to do this, and for some reason the step where you are supposed to click "pass through" it wouldn't let me... any idea why?
 
Read most of that, but I'm still confused. I've got an mkv that I want to convert to play on an ATV. I've tried using Visualhub's trial mode but I don't get 5.1 sound despite selecting ATV 5.1. It also seems to reckon it's going to take 45 mins for a full 45min video. Is there a quicker way?

Cheers
 
I've got a problem too.
My situation is, that i have an HD-MKV-file and want my Xbox 360 to play it, so i have to convert it to a supported format.

Like saif before it's a mkv-container with the following contents:
-one H.264-videostream
-two AC3 5.1-audiostreams (two languages)
-two SSA-subtitles (forced and complete)

Is it possible to do get an MP4-File with one hardcoded sub and one stereo-audiostream, the video codec should be still H.264!?
 
Well, as I've gotten off my behind and done something again. So, it's update time again. This time, its for the benefit of those that hate the command line; I've scripted my first tutorial.

The announcement:

http://oddmanout.wordpress.com/2008/10/19/mkv-h264-file-to-ps3-mp4-scripted/

The project page:

http://code.google.com/p/mkvtops3mp4/

The download is in tgz format. OSX should handle that just fine. OSX also tells me that it was able to put together a Universal bundle. I've only been able to test it on a PPC machine, so a confirmation from an Intel machine would be great.

Please, note that it's not done and that this is a test release. As in, though it IS functional and useful (I've been using it for a little while now), there are still some things that need doing. Everything is in the announcement and on the main page of the project page linked above.
 
I am extracting video from mkv via mkvextract.
I extract audio via ffmpeg.
Then I hex edit the video file and mux them together into a mp4 file with mp4box.

With some mkv's it works - I can see the mp4 file with sound - but others gives sound, but no video on the PS3 - any advice?
 
Code: 
$ mp4creator -list file1.mp4 
Track	Type	Info
1	video	H264 High@4.1, 60.229 secs, 10109 kbps, 1920x816 @ 23.975161 fps
2	audio	MPEG-4 AAC LC, 60.160 secs, 165 kbps, 48000 Hz
65536	hint	Payload (null) for track 1
65537	hint	Payload (null) for track 2
$ mp4creator -list file2.mp4 
Track	Type	Info
1	video	H264 High@4.1, 53.472 secs, 5590 kbps, 1920x800 @ 23.975165 fps
2	audio	MPEG-4 AAC LC, 53.376 secs, 162 kbps, 48000 Hz
65536	hint	Payload (null) for track 1
65537	hint	Payload (null) for track 2

file1.mp4 plays fine (both video and sound) on PS3 - but not file2.mp4 (no video) - how come?
 
File 1 has 1920x816 and file 2 has 1920x800. That might have something to do with it. There is also a very slight difference between the fps in these files.

I'll also point out that you don't need to hint the audio for playing on a PS3. In a perfect world this wouldn't cause any issues if it isn't needed, but try again without it and see what happens.

You could also hit triangle (I think) to get to what the PS3 thinks of the file. Also, during playback, hit triangle (I think) and select information. That will make a transparent pop-up appear that will tell you what the bit rate is for the a/v, etc. If the bit rate for the video (or audio) is zero (or -) then the PS3 isn't seeing the respective track.
 
Wondering if someone can help me out with this.

I was following this guide: http://www.vanillahd.com/index.php/tutorial-play-any-video-file-on-your-xbox-360-with-your-mac/

I'm trying to convert a file from mkv to mp4 using VisualHub 1.34.1. I'm setting quality to "Go Nuts" and selecting H.264. I am not changing any other options.

The weird thing is that it seems to work OK at first. It finishes in around 10 or 11 minutes with no errors. But, when I play the video, it is only 3 minutes and 10 seconds long. The source video is almost an hour long. I've done it over and over and it always stops at the same point.

Any ideas?
 
UPDATE: The same thing happens when using MKVTools. Obviously it is probably the source file that is the issue. Still, how can I fix this and WHY would it happen? The source video plays beautifully in VLC and Quicktime w/ Perian.
 
How large is the source file? Because, I've seen something similar happen with a file over 4G (stopped playing sound after about 1/2 hr).
 
It's only 1.07 GB. It definitely is the source file that's the problem. Not sure why, because the mkv plays all the way through with no issues.

I tried another file from the same download and it was converting OK. I had to stop about 1/3 of the way through on the second file in VisualHub. I guess my Macbook Pro can't handle it. It got dangerously hot (over 215 degrees Fahrenheit) and said it would take over 400 minutes!
 
Do you have the command line version of mplayer installed? Because, when it plays a file, it outputs error messages if a decoding error is found. Just for more information if you want. Usually, it can handle the error and recover. Which is probably why your video plays fine, but has problems with transcoding. Those program don't seem to deal with errors as gracefully.

I've had this type of error before and had to put up with transcoding the file to another format (mpeg) for playing on my PS3. It's a (potentially *much*) longer process. But, sometimes it works when other methods won't. Just something else you might want to try if all else fails.
 
digduggler said:
Edit: Ah, you have to have a AAC + AC3 track. No AC3 solo.
Click to expand...

If you're talking about what tracks the MP4 needs to be able to be played on a PS3, then you're kind of wrong. It just needs a AAC track for the audio, the AC3 track is useless to the PS3 as it can't play them.
 
STOP STOP Use Handbrake!

I recently istalled the latest build of Handbrake. Great tool. If you also install Perian and flip4mac you are abble to convert almost any movie including .mkv

If you are also interested in subtitles? Handbrake will include subtitles if converting direct from dvd.

Otherwise dowload the subs from the net and add them using roadmovie or submerge. One advise don't use them to reencode to movies. Booth are very slow. If the movies are already in the right format, encoded with VH are HB then you can just add the subtitle and save with 'save to disk' or 'Flattened'. Takes only a minute or two.

Conrad
 
Odd Man Out said:
If you're talking about what tracks the MP4 needs to be able to be played on a PS3, then you're kind of wrong. It just needs a AAC track for the audio, the AC3 track is useless to the PS3 as it can't play them.
Click to expand...

I mean for Apple TV only.
 
OK this may have been asked but I can't see it.

Can I put DTS-HD in to an mp4 container when I convert MKV's to mp4?
 
Odd Man Out said:
If you're talking about what tracks the MP4 needs to be able to be played on a PS3, then you're kind of wrong. It just needs a AAC track for the audio, the AC3 track is useless to the PS3 as it can't play them.
Click to expand...

That's not entirely true, is it?

1. If you rip an M4V with a single ACS track, the PS3 won't play it.
2. If you rip an MKV with a single ACS track, and then use mkv2vob, you can create an MPG or VOB file that has a Dolby Digital 5.1 track that the PS3 /does/ play. When I inspect codecs using VLC, both the ACS track and the transcoded DD5.1 tracks appear to be the same--a52. I'm assuming it is in ACS(?) that the PS3 can understand.

I would like to get away from this. I want a workflow that gives me the ability to play a file on PS3 w/ Dolby Digital 5.1 AND play in ATV (and iPhone). Right now I rip M4V AAC+ACS for movies that I don't care about sound, and MKV->MPG(DD5.1) for those that I do.

Cheers.
 
Extract the subs from the mkv or find a working srt file on the web. Then use either Submerge or Muxo to mux the subtitles into your file. Either should work.
 
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