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littlepooch21

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 26, 2010
148
8
I am looking to find a program that works good with converting mkv's into iTunes format for Window's. Right now I use iFlicks on the Mac. Is there anything like that for Window's?
 
It doesn't matter if you're on Mac, Windows or Linux, there's only one program you will ever need to convert video and thats Handbrake, and as a bonus it wont cost you a penny unlike the other subpar convertors out there.
 
It doesn't matter if you're on Mac, Windows or Linux, there's only one program you will ever need to convert video and thats Handbrake, and as a bonus it wont cost you a penny unlike the other subpar convertors out there.

yeah the only thing with handbrake is that it takes hours to convert stuff. with iFlicks if take 1/4th of the time. i'm looking for something more like that.
 
yeah the only thing with handbrake is that it takes hours to convert stuff. with iFlicks if take 1/4th of the time. i'm looking for something more like that.

With the right settings handbrake can encore just as fast if not faster than iflicks. The thing is that handbrakez presets will give you a better quality video than iflicks but that is the trade-off. The better quality you want the longer it is going to take. This is true with every video encoded.
 
With the right settings handbrake can encore just as fast if not faster than iflicks. The thing is that handbrakez presets will give you a better quality video than iflicks but that is the trade-off. The better quality you want the longer it is going to take. This is true with every video encoded.

okay if that is the case then what setting should i use for a 1080p/720p movie so that it converts as fast as iFlicks/
 
okay if that is the case then what setting should i use for a 1080p/720p movie so that it converts as fast as iFlicks/

I wouldn't know. I don't base my settings on how fast they convert but on what kind of quality I'm looking for.

I use the Apple TV preset with some adjustments and get a real nice 720p movie in about 40-50 min (6-core intel @ 4ghz). I don't bother with 1080 right now as I find that the improvement isn't worth the added file size or the longer encode.

Also, What are the hardware differences between the mac you used and the windows machine you used as that can make a big difference on the encode times. (if the windows machine had a slower/older cpu you are going to have a hard time finding a program that could match the mac you have used)
 
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I use Windows 7, but I use this process to encode my DVD's to play on the ATV2.

1. Use MakeMkv to rip the DVD.
2. Use Handbrake to encode the MKV file to convert it to m4v/mp4.

Both are free.
 
I use Windows 7, but I use this process to encode my DVD's to play on the ATV2.

1. Use MakeMkv to rip the DVD.
2. Use Handbrake to encode the MKV file to convert it to m4v/mp4.

Both are free.

okay what settings do you use in Handbrake? how long does it normally take to convert a movie? what are the specs of your system?
 
okay what settings do you use in Handbrake? how long does it normally take to convert a movie? what are the specs of your system?

At work right now, will get back to you asap. I normally get all my conversions ready and queue them up to work overnight while I sleep.

Generally, the MKV conversion (really just changing the container) takes 10-20 minutes (DVD), depending upon the movie.

The settings that I use for Handbrake generally take 45 minutes to an hour (again depends on the length of the DVD).
 
At work right now, will get back to you asap. I normally get all my conversions ready and queue them up to work overnight while I sleep.

Generally, the MKV conversion (really just changing the container) takes 10-20 minutes (DVD), depending upon the movie.

The settings that I use for Handbrake generally take 45 minutes to an hour (again depends on the length of the DVD).

okay i normally convert hd movies so i'm sure it would take longer than that.
 
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