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MKV on MAC ?!
- Thread starter Elitward
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That's your problem. Your computer just can't handle MKV's. Sorry.
My HTPC Mini G4/1.5GHz went up for sale when I came to this conclusion.
Get Info when you have the movie open in QuickTime to see whether it's H.264 (or any older MPEG codec). Check the bit rate when you do this, too.
If it's H.264 or some other MPEG codec, you can remux it to mp4 without converting the video. (Converting would take forever on your machine.) If you have other 720p mp4's of a similar bitrate that play decently, then you may be able to play it better as an mp4.
I know MKVTools has an older version on the download page that still works with PPC. Subler only says "10.5 or higher," so I'm not sure if it's universal or not.
You can use either of these to mux it into an mp4, which shouldn't take too long even on a G4.
If that still doesn't work, you can use Handbrake or something to downconvert it to SD. Converting to a lesser resolution will still take a while for you, but will be significantly faster than trying to keep it 720p.
Lots of programs can handle videos in mp4's a little easier than in mkv's, even though the codec inside is exactly the same. Since mkv's can hold many more formats and tracks, they need to be handle a little more carefully. Aside from the container, H.264 is a more advanced codec than older MPEG codecs, and if it's using High Profile settings or other complex features, you may still not have much luck, since the more complex compression algorithms require more horsepower to decode.
Managed to get it working.
For some reason I have never been able to get VLC to play sound on any video file on my MacBook Pro, however I have found a way to play .mkv files without having to download/install anything.
As far as I'm aware this is only possible on Lion OS X 10.7.1. I did not try it with Snow Leopard.
Just select the .mkv file in the Finder and hit the spacebar to active "quick look" or click on the "quick look" button.
Wa La it plays the .mkv file with picture and sound. Only down side is it has minimal playback and sound options you can fast forward and reverse play by moving the slider but thats about it.
For some reason I have never been able to get VLC to play sound on any video file on my MacBook Pro, however I have found a way to play .mkv files without having to download/install anything.
As far as I'm aware this is only possible on Lion OS X 10.7.1. I did not try it with Snow Leopard.
Just select the .mkv file in the Finder and hit the spacebar to active "quick look" or click on the "quick look" button.
Wa La it plays the .mkv file with picture and sound. Only down side is it has minimal playback and sound options you can fast forward and reverse play by moving the slider but thats about it.
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Perian should still be able to make QuickTime play MKV and MKA files just fine. If you do have a problem, try using QuickTime Player 7.
Perian should still be able to make QuickTime play MKV and MKA files just fine. If you do have a problem, try using QuickTime Player 7.
For some reason QuickTime Player 7, doesn't play .mkv files on my MacBook Pro. I have search for a solution, but I have not been able to find answer to the problem. I shall just stick to watching them in quick view; it does the job.
Here is the definitive answer:
In order to play MKV files simply install VLC player AND Divx player. VLX will play 99% of MKV files. For the ocasional one wich it doesnt, divx player will 100% play it. I only recomend VLC first, because divx player for mac has a terrible interface.
In order to play MKV files simply install VLC player AND Divx player. VLX will play 99% of MKV files. For the ocasional one wich it doesnt, divx player will 100% play it. I only recomend VLC first, because divx player for mac has a terrible interface.
Hi there,
I was wondering if anyone had some information that could possibly explain and resolve some of the troubles I've been having with VLC Player when using it to play .mkv files.
Mostly, VLC handles them fine -- audio and picture quality are fantastic when it's working without fault. However, there are a couple of instances where the picture will get pixelated and show green squares and eventually cause the video to show a grey screen. This occurs when I pause the video file and go through "frame by frame", and when I move the slider or click to another point in the file (also when paused). Once I hit "play" again, the picture will go back to normal after a cut in the scene. I've taken a couple of screencaps to try and demonstrate my issues:
One other issue I've had pertains to the audio. Whether the file is paused or not, when I move the slider along to another point in time in the video, the audio takes a while to cut back in. If I moved from 02:42, for example, up to 15:47, the footage resumes playback immediately, but it wouldn't be until after about 3 seconds or so (sometimes more) that the audio picks up again, too.
I'm running a 2011 MPB with the 2.3GHz Core i7 processor and 8GB RAM; specifications I feel are more than adequate to handle 720p files, right? And I have Perian installed. Am I missing something?
Would really appreciate any advice.
Thanks,
GLSL
I was wondering if anyone had some information that could possibly explain and resolve some of the troubles I've been having with VLC Player when using it to play .mkv files.
Mostly, VLC handles them fine -- audio and picture quality are fantastic when it's working without fault. However, there are a couple of instances where the picture will get pixelated and show green squares and eventually cause the video to show a grey screen. This occurs when I pause the video file and go through "frame by frame", and when I move the slider or click to another point in the file (also when paused). Once I hit "play" again, the picture will go back to normal after a cut in the scene. I've taken a couple of screencaps to try and demonstrate my issues:
One other issue I've had pertains to the audio. Whether the file is paused or not, when I move the slider along to another point in time in the video, the audio takes a while to cut back in. If I moved from 02:42, for example, up to 15:47, the footage resumes playback immediately, but it wouldn't be until after about 3 seconds or so (sometimes more) that the audio picks up again, too.
I'm running a 2011 MPB with the 2.3GHz Core i7 processor and 8GB RAM; specifications I feel are more than adequate to handle 720p files, right? And I have Perian installed. Am I missing something?
Would really appreciate any advice.
Thanks,
GLSL
VLC can play .mkv files without Perian installed, as Perian is for the QuickTime Player and QT dependant applications.
Anyway, tried Movist yet to play such troublesome .mkv files?
PS: As .mkv files use an MPEG-4 codec like H.264 or x.264, frame precise navigation is quite a hassle, as MPEG-4 is a codec, which stores only keyframes, meaning only every xth frame is stored completely, but the frames between keyframes get interpolated (calculated).
The latest beta of MPEG Streamclip can help you with frame precise control, but it is not a video player.
Anyway, tried Movist yet to play such troublesome .mkv files?
PS: As .mkv files use an MPEG-4 codec like H.264 or x.264, frame precise navigation is quite a hassle, as MPEG-4 is a codec, which stores only keyframes, meaning only every xth frame is stored completely, but the frames between keyframes get interpolated (calculated).
The latest beta of MPEG Streamclip can help you with frame precise control, but it is not a video player.
Oh, wow. Thanks for the speedy reply, sim.
Just gave Movist a go and I can scan through the video without problem (would it be worth purchasing the $4.99 version from the app store, then?). It wouldn't allow me to move between the previous and next frames, however. Any ideas on why that might be?
And I wonder if you'd be able to advise me on the screenshot function? Is it capable of taking them and storing them as well as VLC Player does? I couldn't find the option to dictate where a screenshot should be saved, or what the shortcut for taking one is, either.
Add to all that, I'm not sure I understand what MPEG Streamclip does. Is it like a codec for precise frame control?
Thanks for your help!
Just gave Movist a go and I can scan through the video without problem (would it be worth purchasing the $4.99 version from the app store, then?). It wouldn't allow me to move between the previous and next frames, however. Any ideas on why that might be?
And I wonder if you'd be able to advise me on the screenshot function? Is it capable of taking them and storing them as well as VLC Player does? I couldn't find the option to dictate where a screenshot should be saved, or what the shortcut for taking one is, either.
Add to all that, I'm not sure I understand what MPEG Streamclip does. Is it like a codec for precise frame control?
Thanks for your help!
That is up to you, I still use the free version I linked to without problems.
That works if you change the playback engine to QuickTime via the circled button on the top right of the Movist window:
CMD+I or Movie > Save Current Image works and stores a PNG file on the Desktop. I don't know, if one can change the output folder, but one can change the output format in Preferences > Advanced > Details > Video > Capture Format.
It is not a codec:
Just an fyi, you can pack virtually anything in to MKV (MPEG-2, VC-1, h263 etc).
Okay, thank you very much for all that. I might do a little reading and see if it's worth purchasing Movist, but for now the free version seems perfect.
Thanks again for all your help, sim. Much appreciated.
Thanks again for all your help, sim. Much appreciated.
I know, but thanks for mentioning it. But today most distributed .mkv files use some MPEG-4 variant, thus my general statement.
