mkv to mp4 - easiest method?

[fred.bloggs]

Handbrake forces you to re-encode the video even when it's not necessary. Not the best choice by any means.

Whenever I have tried to skirt around re-encoding and just alter the container type I have got less than perfect results.

The files play fine, but weird things don't work, like fast forward or re-wind.

The quality loss running it through handbrake is minimal (you'll probably never notice) and it will be full Apple TV compliant.

 

[Azzin]

iVI Pro every time for me now.

 

[Vice92]

I've had success with mp4tools as well, and it comes in handy for batch processing, but when the files have DTS audio tracks, the method I posted before ensures the audio stays in sync, something that doesn't happen with mp4tools

 

[davids8477]

This is the only answer you need. Drag and drop and click and boom, done.

It'll passthrough video on pretty much any video format with the supported codec. I've saved hours upon hours with doing the above method on AVIs as well.

Thanks to this thread I tried out Iflicks.

Its definitely easy to use and in the passthrough mode very fast. The quality of the output seems on a par with Handbrake (high).

However the passthrough produces a file that is essentially the same size as my blurry MKVs - of course.

Handbrake takes a lot longer, but gives me a file that is about 25% of the size.

Iflick re-encoding takes about the same as Handbrake.

So although Iflicks works great - I'll stick to Handbrake.

Thanks

 

[macUser2007]

Bleh, every time I get tempted by Apple TV, I read a thread like this and get my sanity back.

Great device, but no apps and no mkv support is just way too limiting.

I got excited about the app rumors a month ago, which meant Safari, Chrome, Plex, etc.. But it didn't come....

So, I'll stick to my old AOPEN HTPC (currently using XBMC), which runs every media file I throw at it, without wasting time and energy on often inferior quality conversions.

Apple TV 3 needs either apps, or a jailbreak, before it's a useful HTPC substitute.

And that overpriced Google ball is a complete letdown.

 

[mic j]

Bleh, every time I get tempted by Apple TV, I read a thread like this and get my sanity back.

Great device, but no apps and no mkv support is just way too limiting.

I got excited about the app rumors a month ago, which meant Safari, Chrome, Plex, etc.. But it didn't come....

So, I'll stick to my old AOPEN HTPC (currently using XBMC), which runs every media file I throw at it, without wasting time and energy on often inferior quality conversions.

Apple TV 3 needs either apps, or a jailbreak, before it's a useful HTPC substitute.

And that overpriced Google ball is a complete letdown.

Never have seen anybody recommend an aTV to replace a fully functional HTPC. A totally different animal.

 

[spacepower7]

Unfortunately no, the ATV3 only supports up to High @4.0, not 4.1 So Main @3.1 is the best setting for the time being.

The AppleTV supports more than Apple says it supports but there are also bad converters that assign the wrong profile. I've had some profile 5.0 work on AppleTV 2 at its release when the specs were much lower. Other profile 5.0 didn't work at all.

 

[jlasoon]

Unfortunately no, the ATV3 only supports up to High @4.0, not 4.1 So Main @3.1 is the best setting for the time being.

Wrong, the TV3 plays quite a bit, just won't admit it. All my movies are uncompressed bluray titles and they play fine. I reencode the audio tracks, leave the video track alone, and use Subler to put everything together. I don't fiddle around with the video profile. All my movies are profile 4.1. I am however hardwired from my MacPro to the TV.

I can play Transformers, Avatar, and many other high bitrate movies without any problems.

 

[macUser2007]

Never have seen anybody recommend an aTV to replace a fully functional HTPC. A totally different animal.

It wouldn't be, if it had better codec support and a browser.

Apps would have been just the ticket, if Plex ran smoothly.

 

[bluestarCVO]

So if I remux my mkv files with iFlicks, will it handle the forced subtitles as well, or do I have to use Subler for that?