converting mkv to dvd while preserving highest quality

[andyx181x]

Hi there folks, i have been converting mkv's for a while now to make them burnable in mp4 format however i like a second opinion on the best method to retain the quality (as much) of the original mkv.

Mainly i use mkvtools to convert it over to mp4 under general settings with AAC audio with H264 on the video setting. Then letting toast burn this onto a dvd disc which usually takes a long time for encoding. (should i be using pass thru?)

I have just recently learned that hand brake can take a mkv and convert it to mp4 as well and i'm wondering does this result in lose of quality?

Another method I was thinking about is dropping the mkv file into visualhub and switch to DVD on standard quality which will make a video ts folder that will by pass encoding on toast when burning.

I believe however my main issue will always be toast wanting to encode the video and drop the quality of the file. I spent a while trying to make it into a video ts folder, visual hub is the only program I am aware of to do this from mp4 file but I haven't experimented with mkv to dvd yet.

All in all any other advice or critiques on my methods would be greatly appreciated.

 

[chiefpavvy]

You are going to lose considerable quality going from MKV to DVD, the amount depends on the source material. Generally today MKV files contain very high quality sources (Blu-Ray material, for example). I don't recommend Toast for much of anything, the video encoder is not particularly great and is slower than molasses...as you've discovered. Handbrake is fantastic and is the reference when comparing encoders these days.

As for audio, there most definitely will be a quality loss. You will want to use Handbrake with the AC3 Passthru option in Audio Settings to preserve a high-quality 5.1 audio track; It seems you are merely using an encoded AAC (2-channel) stereo sound track. Takes up less space but poor quality audio, especially on a Hi-Fi system. You can continue to keep a lower-quality audio stream if you like as Handbrake allows you to use 2 audio streams.

 

[andyx181x]

You are going to lose considerable quality going from MKV to DVD, the amount depends on the source material. Generally today MKV files contain very high quality sources (Blu-Ray material, for example). I don't recommend Toast for much of anything, the video encoder is not particularly great and is slower than molasses...as you've discovered. Handbrake is fantastic and is the reference when comparing encoders these days.

As for audio, there most definitely will be a quality loss. You will want to use Handbrake with the AC3 Passthru option in Audio Settings to preserve a high-quality 5.1 audio track; It seems you are merely using an encoded AAC (2-channel) stereo sound track. Takes up less space but poor quality audio, especially on a Hi-Fi system. You can continue to keep a lower-quality audio stream if you like as Handbrake allows you to use 2 audio streams.

Alright that really does make sense, and hopefully you can give me your advice on how you would go about trying to burn this to dvd. I keep all of my mkv files anyway but i want to put them on DVD to enjoy on other tvs.

Is there anyway to burn mp4 with any burner program without encoding? If you can see my reasoning wouldn't it technically be better going threw DVD settings on visualhub as it creates an ISO that would bypass encoding on the toast?

THank you again for contributing and I await your response.

 

[chiefpavvy]

Alright that really does make sense, and hopefully you can give me your advice on how you would go about trying to burn this to dvd. I keep all of my mkv files anyway but i want to put them on DVD to enjoy on other tvs.

Is there anyway to burn mp4 with any burner program without encoding? If you can see my reasoning wouldn't it technically be better going threw DVD settings on visualhub as it creates an ISO that would bypass encoding on the toast?

THank you again for contributing and I await your response.

I assume you mean 'burning' MP4 to DVD for play in a standard DVD player? If so, no. It must be converted as DVD Video is MPEG-2 whereas you are starting with MPEG-4 source material. No way around that. There are units which can play the raw MKV files off a disc or thumb drive but if you are talking standard DVD player compatibility...no.

VisualHub does a fine job converting MP4 to DVD-VIDEO much faster than Toast for sure.

 

[andyx181x]

I assume you mean 'burning' MP4 to DVD for play in a standard DVD player? If so, no. It must be converted as DVD Video is MPEG-2 whereas you are starting with MPEG-4 source material. No way around that. There are units which can play the raw MKV files off a disc or thumb drive but if you are talking standard DVD player compatibility...no.

VisualHub does a fine job converting MP4 to DVD-VIDEO much faster than Toast for sure.

Ok here is the strategy i'm taking, convert MKV To m4v using handbrake. Then drop m4v into visual hub and convert to dvd video. I'm assuming your referencing DVD tab correct? I tired converting the mkv straight to DVD with visual hub and came out horrible.

Btw is it best just to burn subtitles into the video from handbrake?