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

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

No you didn't, you asked "Why do people insist" not "why must I deal with?" MKV files?

Hmmm... I did say that. It wasn't really the point of my post, though. It was merely the introduction to my point. I did form it in a question, though, so I'll take the fall on that one. It was a poorly formed original post on my part. It was part rant, part sincere question.

Anyway, I got what I needed out of this thread. MKV is an open source container. There is obvious value in that.

Also, spare me with the crap about looking a gift horse in the mouth. Like I don't know where this stuff comes from or something. I wasn't rude or antagonistic to anyone in this thread. I can do without the condescension, thank you.

Edit: I do realize that some people get off on fiddling around with formats and hardware and new applications, etc. I used to be one of those people, but now I just don't have the time for it anymore. Also, since I'm a full-time student again, I don't have the money to spend on renting things on my AppleTV right now. This means I have to once again delve into the world of downloading my entertainment... I just think it would be nice if people were able to move past the "PC" way of thinking.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Dude, I asked for someone to enlighten me on why someone would choose to use mkv over a more widely-supported container. I'm not disagreeing with anyone, I'm just looking for someone who can convince me that mkv is better than other options.

Telling me to buy a different media player or just convert my files isn't going to convince me of anything.

No, you’re off your meds again. I posted a link that neatly summarizes what the differences are, and thus when you would use format over another. Others such as Hack&Lube have put that chart into words. You’ve posted like a dozen times subsequently and added zero value, and now you’re gonna say we don’t understand your original post.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Hmmm... I did say that. It wasn't really the point of my post, though. It was merely the introduction to my point. I did form it in a question, though, so I'll take the fall on that one. It was a poorly formed original post on my part. It was part rant, part sincere question.

Anyway, I got what I needed out of this thread. MKV is an open source container. There is obvious value in that.

Also, spare me with the crap about looking a gift horse in the mouth. Like I don't know where this stuff comes from or something. I wasn't rude or antagonistic to anyone in this thread. I can do without the condescension, thank you.

You are a bit antagonistic in the way you argue though :P. I think you can gather that from the responses of people in this thread. I can be too.

I just gave up trying to make content work on devices that didn't support what was freely available out there.

I am so naturally lazy that I would rather not buy technology that doesn't allow me to easily do stuff. That's the whole reason I don't own Apple and heck, I will never even own an Xbox. I'd rather just plug in my 5 year old PC to my TV that can run any format now and in the future - throw in a videocard that can do decoding and then stream media over my network than struggle to get an Xbox or some other set top player to work with all the things that I want while knowing that formats they don't support will come out again in the future and it will be headache to get things to work properly again.

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Edit: I do realize that some people get off on fiddling around with formats and hardware and new applications, etc. I used to be one of those people, but now I just don't have the time for it anymore. Also, since I'm a full-time student again, I don't have the money to spend on renting things on my AppleTV right now. This means I have to once again delve into the world of downloading my entertainment... I just think it would be nice if people were able to move past the "PC" way of thinking.

The PC way of thinking is the "right" way of thinking. The problem you are encountering is that you are trying to watch something on an Xbox which is akin to the same problem of having to convert to watch something on your iphone. If you have no time, you SHOULD just use a PC because it's easy to watch anything and do everything you want since you are not prevented from doing so by the very makers of the technology you are paying good money for. The PC way of thinking is that technology and standards grows and evolves very quickly according to users - not by the standards that manufacturers make and enforce themselves which are slow to change.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

No, you’re off your meds again. I posted a link that neatly summarizes what the differences are, and thus when you would use format over another. Others such as Hack&Lube have put that chart into words. You’ve posted like a dozen times subsequently and added zero value, and now you’re gonna say we don’t understand your original post.

Yeah, comparing my original post to what was actually going on in my head when I wrote it... this thread was doomed to failure from the start.

That's what I get for creating a thread while contemplating file conversions over a greek salad during lunch.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

You are a bit antagonistic in the way you argue though :P. I think you can gather that from the responses of people in this thread. I can be too.

I just gave up trying to make content work on devices that didn't support what was freely available out there.

I am so naturally lazy that I would rather not buy technology that doesn't allow me to easily do stuff. That's the whole reason I don't own Apple and heck, I will never even own an Xbox. I'd rather just plug in my 5 year old PC to my TV that can run any format now and in the future - throw in a videocard that can do decoding and then stream media over my network than struggle to get an Xbox or some other set top player to work with all the things that I want while knowing that formats they don't support will come out again in the future and it will be headache to get things to work properly again.

I know. I suck at forum posting. I always sound pissed off for some reason. I'm usually not...

Anyway, it would be nice if I could find something like PS3 Media Server for the xbox. There used to be a little 360 transcoder app (Transcode360) that would run on a PC and transcode streams on the fly, but it doesn't work in Windows 7 (surprise).

Perhaps I should have just created a thread asking about media servers for the xbox.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

The PC way of thinking is the "right" way of thinking. The problem you are encountering is that you are trying to watch something on an Xbox which is akin to the same problem of having to convert to watch something on your iphone. If you have no time, you SHOULD just use a PC because it's easy to watch anything and do everything you want since you are not prevented from doing so by the very makers of the technology you are paying good money for. The PC way of thinking is that technology and standards grows and evolves very quickly according to users - not by the standards that manufacturers make and enforce themselves which are slow to change.

Hey wait a minute...

My Dell laptop has an hdmi port...

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

I know. I suck at forum posting. I always sound pissed off for some reason. I'm usually not...

Anyway, it would be nice if I could find something like PS3 Media Server for the xbox. There used to be a little 360 transcoder app (Transcode360) that would run on a PC and transcode streams on the fly, but it doesn't work in Windows 7 (surprise).

Perhaps I should have just created a thread asking about media servers for the xbox.

Sorry, I'd probably tell you just not to use an Xbox or a PS3. Believe it or not, my distain for the Xbox and PS3s is higher than the one I have for Apple

If I was giving out advice, I'd say to mod your Xbox and install linux on your PS3 but then Microsoft would ban and brick your console LOL. Heck, even the new PS3 firmware is nolonger allowing Linux to be installed on PS3s which is annoying a lot of insitutions (including the US Navy) that set up huge PS3 networks to do parallel computing. So much evil!

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Hey wait a minute...

My Dell laptop has an hdmi port...

VICTORY!

[FanIn80]

Maybe I should just break down and finally build my own home media server.

I'd have to run Linux though. Windows would just be nothing but frustration. Mind you, having an option to boot into OS X would be nice for access to my iTunes stuffs.

Hmm... this is starting to get my geek on.

[OilKiller]

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

No, you’re off your meds again.

Bwahahahahahahaha...

Thanks for the laugh today. I needed it...

[Pastiche]

I've never had a problem with mkv. Of course, I use open source players, most specifically xbmc.

Fanin80 if you're using a 360 why not just install xbmc?

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Pastiche

I've never had a problem with mkv. Of course, I use open source players, most specifically xbmc.

Fanin80 if you're using a 360 why not just install xbmc?

Hmm... does it work with the 360?

[morgin]

ps3 media server works with the 360

[BlackArcher101]

On this note... when are we going to rid ourselves of the damn *.mov file extension?

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by morgin

ps3 media server works with the 360

Really?

Edit: It does, too. How awesome is that?

[cal_guy]

If you have a computer with Windows 7 Home Premium or up you can stream (without re-encoding) h.264 encoded mkv files to an Xbox 360 using Windows Media Center if you install this component using Windows Media Center Extender.

The main reason for using mkv instead of mp4 is because mkv natively supports multi-channel AC3 which is important for those with audio receivers.

[silentsim]

Originally Posted by morgin

ps3 media server works with the 360

wow, i totally didn't know that. thats wicked lol. thanks

[SebC]

So you can't play an open format on a closed system, and blame the format for that?

Okay then...

People have already told you why MKVs are popular: open format, better for audio, better for subtitles. Those things may not matter to you, but that doesn't invalidate them.

If you're going to rag on a format, I'd suggest starting with AAC and MOV.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by SebC

People have already told you why MKVs are popular...

Seriously? 6 hours later?

Also, if you consider the 360 a "closed system" than every single prefabbed media player on the planet is also a closed system. MKV is the only container I've found so far that doesn't play on the 360.

(I don't know why people keep bringing up MOV like it's supposed to mean something. I couldn't care less if it fell off the face of the planet tomorrow.)

I'm pretty sure this thread has run its course.

[FanIn80]

Hey, look on the bright side...

If I hadn't stuck my head up my ass for a couple of hours one Sunday afternoon, at least two people on the planet wouldn't have discovered that PS3 Media Server works with the 360.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Seriously? 6 hours later?

Hey, you were still asking for a good reason after you were given them, so I made their answers more user friendly.

Edit: I will also note that you only ever acknoledged the open format reason as valid.

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Also, if you consider the 360 a "closed system" than every single prefabbed media player on the planet is also a closed system.

Fine with me. It's a console. I know PS3 says it does everything, but if you want something that does everything, you want a PC.