I Hate MKV with a vengeance! MP4 Conversion with Handbrake?

Sorry about yet another post on this but I'm really going round in circles here. ALL DAY just trying to convert one stupid file!!!!! I'm not sure what it is I hate, handbrake or MKV!

So I have the MKV file and its files are as below in the image. It HAS a video file and an Audio file. Both 1 hr 43 min. So, like an idiot, I fire it through Handbrake thinking it'll work. I end up with a 4 min audio file and no sound. So I read read read read read and try to fathom which of the gazilion software solutions might fix this. And about what else I can try.

So I try Subler. I load the file into that and notice the audio and the video are in language 'Unknown'. Is that the problem I thought? So I try to edit. Cannot. bearing in mind this is the abridged version after hours wasted on this, I try MP4 tools. That SEEMS to make the file into mp4. VLC will happily play the original MKV and now QT will happily play the MP4. So I fire the Mp4 file through Handbrake with the ATV 3 settings. Still no sound!!!!!

Any help much appreciated as the more I read on this the more options I try, the more files I create all for Handbrake to fail to deliver a file I can play in iTunes or on ATV.

Jeez, if I never get a file like this to convert again it'll be too soon!!!!! NEVER again. And, if any of the software is the problem it's instant ditch. HB has never given a problem before but this file is confounding it and me. Typed before I sling the darned laptop out the window!!!

What I can't fathom is why, if QT can play the MP4 audio now why does HB not simply adjust the video to ATV format and leave the audio in tact, it's already working TQVM!!!

Any help much appreciated in case I encounter this again.

LOL. I live in Malaysia, GF brought it back from Shanghai, out already (one catch though, it's Mandarin which we can both speak). I can play the DVD on a DVD, converted to MKV with Make MKV and that's what I got.

I've tried the default ATV3 settings on HB about 20 times today but no joy, no audio. Even more odd given that the audio is now already in Apple format via Subler. The MKV, now re-formatted to MP4 will play on QT. Try and convert it via HB to Apple TV, cannot keep ending up with an audio track that's 4 minutes long???

I'm quite happy to spend $ on software that'll work. What I don't want to do is end up in a continuous buy/fail trail with countless different software purchases to find they don't work. I liked the look of MacX DVD Ripper Pro, but it'll only rip from DVDs.

helix142 said:

I had the same issue and after a few hours, I broke down and bought IVI https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ivi/id402279089?mt=12

It's $4 and saved a lot of hassle, as it is very easy to use.
The pro version available via their website will also do dvd ripping

Good luck.

Click to expand...

Cheers. Bought it, did it, job done.

Yah I tried mp4 tools. Seemed to do the job fine. The problem seems to be when I put the file through HB. Despite both audio and video being the same length, as soon as I try to convert the file using the ATV3 (doesn't matter if I try the file with the audio already converted to MP4 or not) HB screws up the audio and when I put the file back into Scubler to view I have a video track that's as it should be v an audio track at 4 mins. No changes made to the ATV preset at all.

iVI, as suggested above, did the file no problem at all. So for me, with MKV conversions, I won't be using HB any more.

Che Castro said:

how big is the file why do you want to convert it

Click to expand...

The original MKV was around 6GB. I want it converted to ATV3 format so I can watch it on an iPad as we are going away for a few days soon, and also so it will play on ATV without problem.

Errrr. No I just want it to play on Apple products, in ATV. They don't play MKV files.

Hmmm. Very odd. I tried using MP4 Tools as suggested, I selected pass-thru on both video and audio and the ATV 3 preset. Once completed I can play the file on Quicktime OK. But, when I put it into iTunes and try to play it all i get is a still image. Tried all manner of things but no joy

The one I converted with iVI works fine.

Thanks for the help so far!

Not sure but maybe it was because I didn't have the check box ticked for create an AAC 2ch audio track. After I did that it worked.

MP4 Tools seems to do a good job of what it can be used for. If I want the file smaller though I'll have to use Handbrake or iVI. Need to be careful to check the result from either though. Different I know, but I just ran an AVI movie through iVI using the ATV3 preset and the video is for judder / jerky. Unwatchable. As the AVI size is not so big I ran it through MP4 Tools, same.

Gonna try HB for that now, luckily I have only one AVI file, a movie bought direct from production company ages ago. Once I crack this I won't need to mess with AVI. Just rip DVD to MKV then re-encode via iVI or HB to keep video size down.

Dare say once I've got more familiar with what does, doesn't work I'll get some kine of work-flow together.

Thanks. Yah, running the latest Subler. It wouldn't do that AVI though Maybe I had one of the settings wrong but I don't think so. Handbrake did it fine.