Episode 68: 3TB Drives, Dual Subwoofers, Netflix 1080p, MKV Files, Fix Audio Lag, Free PS3 Streaming Apps, Top 5 Halloween Movies! [Discussion]

[jackierulesall]

Incredibles on Blu-ray! Another Way To Record HDMI, Scaling Component Hack for DVD Players, New 3TB hard drives from Western Digital, Gamers love 3D Glasses, the Back to the Future Trilogy on Blu-ray, and the new releases for October 26th, 2010!

Watch or download now!

[nitroflow]

Here are the tools for creating mkv files and also extracting the individual files inside mkv files http://www.bunkus.org/videotools/mkv...s.html#windows

[quagga]

One other mkv item to consider, is that if the codec is compatible with your set top box and the mkv is the problem you can just use ffmpeg -vcopy -acopy and it'll just change the container to say avi or mp4 or mov.

The advantage is that that is very fast (you're basically just copying the stream). So its faster / better than transcoding and melting processors down. Just don't cross the streams. That would be bad.

Does Mystic White Dragon have a LG TV. I know they have a know lip sync issue. I have a Xbox 360 and a LG TV but I don't use the speakers in the TV.

[masuerta]

yup, mkv toolnix is the way to go, also using vlc doesnt require you to have codecs pre-installed b/c vlc is an all-in-one package which uses its own built in codecs, although i suggest using MPC along with CCCP b/c of the quality bump and its ability to play mkv files which use ordered chapters, which vlc is unable to do so atm

[mohem]

MKVToolNix is a must for the mkv container manipulation

this is what I consider a Swiss army knife of container:
- mkvtoolnix : for all the MKV related issue
- AVIMux_GUI : for AVI and some MPEG files
- tsMuxer : for all the ts/m2ts/BD/AVCHD or just demuxing a file (very useful for PS3 when I want to just remux the mkv to ts)
- Also honorary mention to VirtualDub-MPEG224586 for supporting the MPEG2 format

MKV became very popular with Anime fansub scene and then picked up by the HD scene as the defacto container to use for its flexibility.

One of my favorite feature is the inclusion of chapter in the container itself

One last thing is that you have to have Haali splitter installed to support the play of MKV and I would suggest the combination I'm using with my HTPC wich consist with K-Lite Mega Codec Pack along with CoreAVC for all the h.264 with CUDA support for better and smother playback

[vivero1983]

Hello everyone,

Just tossing out two programs that I use for MKV file encoding.

1) DivX Plus Converter http://www.divx.com/en/software/divx-plus/converter

For those that are interested in a "no-hassle" encoding job this is a very nice and easy "drag and drop" way to encode your MKV files. In terms of compression you will notice some artifacts as there really isn't many options to configure your compression codec (DivX).

2) StaxRip http://staxmedia.sourceforge.net/

By far the easiest GUI that I have found for encoding, from MKV to MP4. This program has it all. And best of all its FREE! There are many advanced settings to configure your codecs as well as a very nice assortment of presets (PS3, X-Box 360, I-Pod, Zune, etc.)

-Vivero

[carlf-]

FWIW, "An American Werewolf in London" was directed by John Landis, not Michael Landis.

[ruworthit79]

You had asked for software that would be good for making MKV. Well I had found something that will make MKV for MAC and Windows and Linux. It will do it for Blu-ray and DVD. Which I think is awsome. I am a mac user for a longtime. Here is the software. http://www.makemkv.com/ It is called makemkv. Can you guys if you have a chance show us something about the new Google TV. I am stuck on should I hang in there till Apple TV rev 2 gets apps or should I jump on the Sony Blu-Ray Player that includes Google TV.

Take it easy guys,
Rich From Newark, DE

PS If you want me to get you a list of more mac software just let me know. I am glad to do so.

[gelyon]

You guys asked on the show about software to create MKV files.

I use:

1. mkvmerge GUI, part of mkvtoolnix

2. MakeMKV

3. eac3to

I have a couple of WD TV HD media players and they support MKV files.

[jacknf]

Personally most of the MKV files I make are courtesy of Handbrake. Sure the presets all default to kicking out files in an Apple-friendly MP4/M4V container, but HB will kick out material in MKV like a champ just by changing the container option right there on the main 'picture' tab. It even unlocks Ogg Vorbis as an option in the audio encoding settings (and DTS-passthrough if you're using one of the current nightly builds).