Enough With the MKV Rips, or How Can I Create Another Terrible Thread?

[FanIn80]

Why do people insist on using this incredibly anoying, remarkably unsupported file container? Is there something I'm missing about it?

Is it really that difficult to rip HD content using H.264/AAC and save it in a widely supported container like mp4?

Serously. What's the deal with .mkv anyway?

Edit: I know how to watch .mkv files on my Mac and PC. I'm bitching about having to convert this crap all the time so I can watch it on other devices.

Edit: Rant/Question combos are bad. Try to just ignore my posts from the first three pages of this three-page thread.

[photon]

People want to use MKV because it's an open spec, not a proprietary one.

Lots of other devices support MKV, just not closed devices designed to force you into using their proprietary containers so they can enforce their DRM on you.

[Russic]

I can't stand the .mkv either, but of course that probably has more to do with the fact that I don't have any devices that support it. MKV falls into the category with .RAR. Both leave me with an empty feeling of confusion.

[OilKiller]

I love mkv. I download and watch mkv BD rips all the time. The quality is incredible.

Playback is fine on my system and my WDTV media player plays them, up to 1080p without issue. Excellent PQ and DD 5.1.

Why would anyone want to do away with this format?

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by photon

People want to use MKV because it's an open spec, not a proprietary one.

Lots of other devices support MKV, just not closed devices designed to force you into using their proprietary containers so they can enforce their DRM on you.

Just so we're clear, I'm talking about trying to watch media on my 360 (and my PS3 before that). Both support DivX, H.264, MP3, AAC, etc etc. The contents of the MKV files that people upload are (usually) encoded using these widely-supported standards... they just choose to wrap them in this ######ed mkv container that pretty much no main-stream media device supports.

The open source argument is bunk. It costs exactly zero dollars to wrap these files in an mp4 container.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by OilKiller

I love mkv. I download and watch mkv BD rips all the time. The quality is incredible.

Playback is fine on my system and my WDTV media player plays them, up to 1080p without issue. Excellent PQ and DD 5.1.

Why would anyone want to do away with this format?

Because mkv isn't a file. It's just a container. The files themselves can be wrapped inside any number of other containers and still have the same quality.

Not everyone downloads movies just to watch on their computers (Mac or PC).

[OilKiller]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Not everyone downloads movies just to watch on their computers (Mac or PC).

Um, I don't watch them on my computer, as I stated in my post:

Playback is fine on my system and my WDTV media player plays them, up to 1080p without issue. Excellent PQ and DD 5.1.

[Russic]

I have a hell of a time with subtitles as well. The solution is always to watch using a video player like VLC ... which would be great if I wanted to watch on my computer (as I don't have the wdtv).

[silentsim]

Well, WDTV plays MKV but I believe it would also play mp4 container, as would 360 and ps3 , instead of having to transcode it with stuff like Ps3 Media Server...

MKV is unnecessary, as the quality wont even be different in the mp4 container.

[ericschand]

Why does it matter what container is used? There are plenty of programs out there that will
help you switch containers, formats, and what not.

There's a whole site devoted to it.

Download, convert to your preferred format, and watch.

BTW, I prefer mkv, and will second OilKiller, the WDTV is great with not only mkv,
but many other formats as well.

ers

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by OilKiller

Um, I don't watch them on my computer, as I stated in my post:

Wouldn't you much rather watch these same movies in the same quality on a device you already owned instead of having to go out and buy that WD Media Player?

My point is that I can't think of one real reason for using MKV. I'm all about quality, too, so don't worry about using that as a reason.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by ericschand

Why does it matter what container is used? There are plenty of programs out there that will
help you switch containers, formats, and what not.

There's a whole site devoted to it.

Download, convert to your preferred format, and watch.

BTW, I prefer mkv, and will second OilKiller, the WDTV is great with not only mkv,
but many other formats as well.

ers

I'm well aware of switching containers. My point is why not just use a widely-supported container in the first place? Suggesting that I spend my time converting files, or just buy another device and deal with it is counter-productive. There is zero benefit to mkv that I can tell.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by silentsim

Well, WDTV plays MKV but I believe it would also play mp4 container, as would 360 and ps3 , instead of having to transcode it with stuff like Ps3 Media Server...

MKV is unnecessary, as the quality wont even be different in the mp4 container.

Exactly. Mp4 doesn't cost any money, and has all the quality benefits of mkv... and is supported by practically every media device on the planet. It's a no-brainer to me.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Why do people insist on using this incredibly anoying, remarkably unsupported file container? Is there something I'm missing about it?

Is it really that difficult to rip HD content using H.264/AAC and save it in a widely supported container like mp4?

Serously. What's the deal with .mkv anyway?

Edit: I know how to watch .mkv files on my Mac and PC. I'm bitching about having to convert this crap all the time so I can watch it on other devices.

Why don't you just rent it then in a certain (i)application, and pay to have it delivered in a MP4 container for you?

In all honesty, I don't have any use or great love for them either, but I don't find converting (or in many cases, simply extracting the h.264 content) to be overly burdensome given the *ahem* cost savings inherent in the format

I believe the only clear advantage to the MKV container format is better support for subs and chapter markings - at least that's what I get from the comparison here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compari...tainer_formats

[FanIn80]

I'm still open to the possibility that there is something incredibly awesome about mkv that I'm not seeing.

[Ducay]

Best solution for XB360 and mkvs (that I found), was Tversity. Worked well enough, but eventually I just caved and got a WDTV live (wayy easier).


And I think MKV has no where to go but up; more and more devices are playing this container, but I still run into codec issues wiith it every once and a while.

[OilKiller]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Wouldn't you much rather watch these same movies in the same quality on a device you already owned instead of having to go out and buy that WD Media Player?

I didn't have to "go out and buy" the WDTV media player. I bought it because it allows me to playback just about anything with surround sound and up to 1080p. It was $100. It was a great investment, regardless of the container or file format.

My point was, MKV files are just fine and I personally have no issue with playback on my media player or on my system, so in response to your thread, I don't have an issue with MKV rips.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

Why don't you just rent it then in a certain (i)application, and pay to have it delivered in a MP4 container for you?

In all honesty, I don't have any use or great love for them either, but I don't find converting (or in many cases, simply extracting the h.264 content) to be overly burdensome given the *ahem* cost savings inherent in the format

I believe the only clear advantage to the MKV container format is better support for subs and chapter markings - at least that's what I get from the comparison here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compari...tainer_formats

Haha, touché.

And yeah, it ain't no thang to convert the stuff... I just get tired of downloading something and then finding out that it's wrapped inside an mkv container. It would be nice if people put the container in the nfo file. Then there wouldn't be any surprises.

[Azure]

High quality rips in smaller filesizes.

Whats not to like about MKV?

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Azure

High quality rips in smaller filesizes.

Whats not to like about MKV?

You get the same quality and same file sizes in other containers that are more widely-supported. MKV is nothing more than needless monkeying around.