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Converting MKV to Apple friendly format
- Thread starter stu212
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Not enough facts....
Source? HD encode? Playback device? streaming?
However, under advanced, try replacing the advanced option string with this:
Source? HD encode? Playback device? streaming?
However, under advanced, try replacing the advanced option string with this:
The only time I have a problem is when converting anything with a framerate higher than 24fps down to 24fps. Then the video gets choppy. If I'm converting an mkv from most Blu-Ray films that are at 23.9 fps, then I don't have a problem. I just use the universal setting with 1280 loose anamorphic setting, and keep the framerate as "Same as source".
If it's 23.9 leave the Handbrake fps settings as "Same as source". Changing the framerate when it's unnecessary is... unnecessary
I have problems playing 720p mkv files on my hacked atv.
The picture is legging, breaking, the slow motion effect, the shole shabang...
is it the mkv that is causing the problem. Using handbrake and onverting it to 720p mov file should do the trick?
The picture is legging, breaking, the slow motion effect, the shole shabang...
is it the mkv that is causing the problem. Using handbrake and onverting it to 720p mov file should do the trick?
I have used the following code for great outcomes. However there are certain movies that still have choppiness ever now and then. Avatar has been giving me problems with the stutters. I have Frame Rate as "Same as Source" also since it is 23.97
Code:
cabac=0:ref=3:me=umh:b-adapt=2:weightb=0:weightp=0:no-fast-pskip=1:no-dct-decimate=1:vbv-bufsize=5000:vbv-maxrate=14000:direct=autoIf it's 23.9 leave the Handbrake fps settings as "Same as source". Changing the framerate when it's unnecessary is... unnecessary
Actually, I was encoding an MKV of Gladiator made from BluRay. It was terribly choppy. I decided to make it smaller and smaller and lower in quality. No matter, it was still choppy. I must have encoded it 20 times looking for the right mix. The only thing that worked was over riding the "same as source" selection and hard selecting "23.97" (actually "24" worked pretty good too). Then it was smooth. In fact I was able to boost the resolution all the way to 1723x720p anamorphic and it still played smooth on AppleTV. Looks great.
From now on, I am selecting a definite fps.
I always set the framerate myself on blu-ray content due to the fact that, based on the info in the logs, Handbrake always seems to get it wrong. Personally i blame MakeMKV for this. Handbrake manages fine with all my other MKV files that come from other sources. If you use the m2ts file from the BD, Handbrake seems to get the fps right.
If you are unsure of the fps VLC seems to be pretty accurate.
If you are unsure of the fps VLC seems to be pretty accurate.
I had no problem converting Avatar. I did set the target filesize to be 3.85 GB, I think, because I want my movies under 4GB, but other than that, I had no issues with choppiness or the framerate. I left it to "same as source".
Only three movies I've had gave me issues: one because of an audio track, and the other two because they are concert discs with framerates higher than 24fps. All of my film blu-rays have converted fine with no choppiness at all.
Only three movies I've had gave me issues: one because of an audio track, and the other two because they are concert discs with framerates higher than 24fps. All of my film blu-rays have converted fine with no choppiness at all.
I think MakeMkV is doing something weird.
I ripped/encoded Avatar through MakeMKV and handbrake - RF 22, latest nightly build, blah blah, and the movie stutters nonstop, sometimes just spinning forever and no longer playing.
I ripped/encoded Avatar with AnyDVD and handbrake - RF 22, latest nightly build, blah blah and the movie is definitely bigger but plays just fine.
I'll keep tracking it down but I'm starting to lean towards MakeMKV as being no bueno. Right now i'm ripping Avatar with MakeMKV and instead of turning it into an .mkv file - i'm just going to try encoding the m2ts file instead.
I ripped/encoded Avatar through MakeMKV and handbrake - RF 22, latest nightly build, blah blah, and the movie stutters nonstop, sometimes just spinning forever and no longer playing.
I ripped/encoded Avatar with AnyDVD and handbrake - RF 22, latest nightly build, blah blah and the movie is definitely bigger but plays just fine.
I'll keep tracking it down but I'm starting to lean towards MakeMKV as being no bueno. Right now i'm ripping Avatar with MakeMKV and instead of turning it into an .mkv file - i'm just going to try encoding the m2ts file instead.
dont bother using, vlc to convert. download Perian, open the mkv in "Quicktime player 7" (in utilities folder in SL) then hit 
+E (or file export) select, Mpeg 4 file, click options and set video and audio to pass through, then click ok, and it will play the new mp4 file at the Exact same quality as the mkv file far better & smoother, doing this I can watch a 12.5GB 1080p Blu ray Rip of watchmen on my 2.0GHz CoreDuo mini (thats right its NOT meant to be core2duo) with no stutter or lag, yet the same mini cant handle HD files from BBC iPlayer, go figure
+E (or file export) select, Mpeg 4 file, click options and set video and audio to pass through, then click ok, and it will play the new mp4 file at the Exact same quality as the mkv file far better & smoother, doing this I can watch a 12.5GB 1080p Blu ray Rip of watchmen on my 2.0GHz CoreDuo mini (thats right its NOT meant to be core2duo) with no stutter or lag, yet the same mini cant handle HD files from BBC iPlayer, go figureI only use VLC to check fps. It seems to be the only program that can do that with MakeMKV files.
Perian refuses to read MKV files produced by MakeMKV. The more I think about it, the more sense it makes that somethings wrong with MakeMKV. I can't playback my BD mkv files in any program on my Macbook Pro, but the ripped m2ts files play without a single hickup. I've been using MakeMKV because I want chapter markers. Now I really can't be bothered. I'd rather live without them and have files that actually work.
Perian refuses to read MKV files produced by MakeMKV. The more I think about it, the more sense it makes that somethings wrong with MakeMKV. I can't playback my BD mkv files in any program on my Macbook Pro, but the ripped m2ts files play without a single hickup. I've been using MakeMKV because I want chapter markers. Now I really can't be bothered. I'd rather live without them and have files that actually work.
Weird...I was able to successfully rip my Avatar BD using MakeMKV and encode using HB..plays great in both PLEX (encoded a 1080p version) and on
TV (720p version). In fact, I haven't really had any problems using MakeMKV for any of my BD rips/encodes.Weird...I was able to successfully rip my Avatar BD using MakeMKV and encode using HB..plays great in both PLEX (encoded a 1080p version) and on
What version of Handbrake? What quality? Any advanced strings that deviate from the norm? What are you doing for the AC3 track? How about the Navi subtitle track?
For AC3 I used Moyea MKVConvertor to extract the AC3 track and I added the track plus navi subtitle track with Subler (forget latest version - 0.97?).
Are you streaming to AppleTV? Pretty sure if I copied it over, it would play fine.
I certainly am no expert when it comes to this stuff. I'm sure you've seen me post plenty of silly questions over on the handbrake forums, but I have done a lot of messing around with MakeMKV and so I have noticed a few trends, and I can comfirm that there is something strange going on with the mkv files produced by MakeMKV.
First of all, Handbrake seems to strugle with MakeMKV produced mkv files if they contain PGS subtitles. The vast majority of mkv files that I've produced with PGS subtitles in them seem result in Handbrake saying "No valid source". I don't have any logs handy at the moment, but I can certainly do a few tests to verify this. My experience though is that PGS tracks will 4 out of 5 times cause problems.
Another thing I've noticed is that a few of my MakeMKV rips end up with strange fps. I have a norwegian movie series called Varg Veum on BD. According to VLC, the original m2ts files contain a VC-1 file encoded at 25fps. According to the log, Handbrake also determines it to be 25 fps. If, on the other hand I use MakeMKV to produce a mkv file, the handbrake log suddenly reports it as being 50fps. Another interesting thing is that the ETA while encoding this MKV is completely off. For some reason the percentage complete is 1/2 of what it actually is, so when it reaches 50%, it's suddenly done and I end up with a perfectly functioning file. I havn't reported this on the handbrake forum yet as I'm on a different computer at the moment (work computer), but I used Quicktime to record the ETA bar as it reaces 50% showing the effect. i'll post a link to the screencast and post the log on the handbrake forums later tonight if it hasn't already been reported. This problem does not exist when using the original m2ts file from the BD.
Another problem with MakeMKV has to do with autocropping in handbrake. When I load the mkv into handbrake, I often find that it's unable to do an autocrop because the video in the preview is completely scrambled (covered in gray boxes). This only happens with mkv files from BD disks as far as I can tell as I also tested this on a few DVD's. This hasn't happened on any of the m2ts files I've tested.
I'm really fed up with makeMKV. At the moment I'm only using it to rip a backup of the BD disk and then I use handbrake to encode the m2ts file. This seems to work problem free every time. The only downside is that I'm left without chapter markers which is a shame. I really hope that someone adds support in handbrake for reading the mpls file. Then there would be no need for us to use MakeMKV as Handbrake could read the chapter markers from the mplis file and, once support for pgs arrives, also find the subtitle tracks. I'm dying for a reason to get rid of MakeMKV.
Not presently at home so I'll answer best i can now from memory and update later if needed.
HB is latest version (0.9.4)--have NOT updated with any of the nightly builds. Only changes to the advanced string are to set maxrate and buffer limits to 9500. No 5.1 setups in my home (or likely anytime soon thanks to the better half
) so i don't bother with the AC3 but I do use Subler to add the non-English speaking subs back onto the encode--these were courtesy of subscene.com. I stream everything to our bedroom
TV from an external HDD attached via FW800 to my Mac Mini that's connected to my home network wirelessly over 5 Ghz 802.11n and Avatar plays nice and smooth.
I'm guessing this is a Windows only problem with MakeMKV? I only say so because HB encodes chapter markers from my mkv rips. My only annoyance is that I have no way of watching the native BD to get the chapter labels since the only BD player in the house is my external attached to my Mac.
Nope a Mac problem. mkv file from MakeMKV have chapter markers, but I only use m2ts files now because of the problems I got with mkv files. m2ts files don't have chapter markers as they are stored in a seperate file.
Not presently at home so I'll answer best i can now from memory and update later if needed.
HB is latest version (0.9.4)--have NOT updated with any of the nightly builds. Only changes to the advanced string are to set maxrate and buffer limits to 9500. No 5.1 setups in my home (or likely anytime soon thanks to the better half
I stream everything to our bedroom
Thanks for the reply! Just trying to track down what could be the problem.
The big differences for me is that I'm not on 0.94, I'm using the .ac3 track and I'm not on n, using an airport express thats setup as n with b/g compatiblity for dumb iphones. Hmm...
I'm really sick of encoding this movie LOL, but i'll try it in 0.94 when I get home.
I'd definitely update to 0.9.4. An airport extreme would let you set up dual band wireless n networks but I've seen others say they don't generally have problems on g so not sure if this is part of the problem.
Also, for reference, here's the string I have in the Advanced tab:
cabac=0:ref=2:me=umh:b-adapt=2:weightb=0:trellis=0:weightp=0:vbv-maxrate=9500:vbv-bufsize=9500
Good luck.
Try this...
If you watching mkv videos on your AppleTV chances are you have downloaded them from the internet. If that is the case, you are probably familiar with the associated web sites.
I use a program called VisualHub - which has been taken out of service by the software writer. He wrote a program called iSquint as well. If you search the web you can find a copy of VisualHub to download and they should convert your mkv files to Mpeg4 with no problem.
I believe you can also use QuickTime Pro.
If you watching mkv videos on your AppleTV chances are you have downloaded them from the internet. If that is the case, you are probably familiar with the associated web sites.
I use a program called VisualHub - which has been taken out of service by the software writer. He wrote a program called iSquint as well. If you search the web you can find a copy of VisualHub to download and they should convert your mkv files to Mpeg4 with no problem.
I believe you can also use QuickTime Pro.