Xbox360-Hacks.com / MKV to AVI....

Freshanator · 0812.21 16:45:57

I have a quick question about the output after converting the mkv to an avi file. Will the files audio still be in sync with the video? And after I convert the files will I be able to stream the files to the xbox? Sorry if this question has already been posted. Thanks for your help.

Powerslave · 0812.21 21:14:38

I use MKV to VOB and never have any audio issues. If you see how it converts, you see a few of the folliwing:

MKV Extract, or Muxing, and with no transcoding. IF it has a DTS sound track, it is converted to AC3, which I hate, because I have a DTS receiver. I also use the PS3 as my player, so I do not need any conversion. The thing is Xbox 360 should be able to play H.264 MPEG4 codec, but is doesn't. Even with the HD-DVD drive installed, it won't play them, and that's what HD-DVD movies are, the same as the Blu-Ray codec. My PS3 plays them with no conversion, and the XB360 does not.

If you use something that completely coverts it to another format, like for Xbox360, you can have audio issues.

dragon-x · 0812.22 09:56:15

Hey Freshanator!

I've spent ages looking for a simple conversion tool and found this stand-alone application (no installation needed) that does an AMAZING job!
It's called GOTSent! it's a MKV to MP4 converter! download links can be found via the homepage.

*note: conversion with this tool is quick, or at least much faster than any other tools I've used (1.4GB, 720p file takes me 4 minutes to convert), now once the conversion is done you have to rename the file from MP4 to WMV or AVI for the Xbox 360 to play it FLAWLESSLY without any loss of audio or video.

*And I've never encountered sync issues! so give it a try and decide for yourself

Powerslave · 0812.22 10:35:03

What about DTS audio tracks and all that?

dragon-x · 0812.22 10:53:08

Powerslave wrote:
What about DTS audio tracks and all that?

DTS tracks will be encoded to AC3! but if you set it to 5.1, it will not play on a 360. (360 only supports 2.0 AAC audio in MP4. If you need 5.1 audio, you'll have to recode to XviD or MPEG2), the application does support it!

More 'sound' info can be found here

Another note (for PS3 owners):

Since Firmware 2.0 PS3 users can even just set AC3filter, if they use Nero for AAC encoding, to 5.1 output, and they get full 5.1 surround AAC files in their MP4s. If you do not have a AAC decoding amplifier (AC3, DTS and DTS Neo are more the norm) , the sound will be a simple mix-down though. (please verify if your receiver/pre-amp support this, I don't have the equipment to test this. To test it with TOSLINk, enable AAC output in the PS3 sound options, with HDMI, it should be automatically selected.)

Powerslave · 0812.22 11:02:59

Yeah, but I don't use the XB360 for that, I use the PS3. The PS3 would play MKV files easily if they just change it to recognize it as an H.264 codec... MKV is NOT a video or audio compression format (video codec). It is an envelope for which there can be many audio, video and subtitles streams, allowing the user to store a complete movie or CD in a single file.

I would care to say, maybe like an .ISO file, with fast seeking in the file, but not exactly quite like an ISO; it has no formatting and table of contents.

Also, MKVs today CAN NOT be converted into AVI files without substantially altering the audio and video information in the container, as MKV has been invented to overcome most of AVIs limitations, and can thus hold audio and video streams which are simply incompatible with good old AVI container.

dragon-x · 0812.22 12:35:40

True, I know that MKV is only a container, but I really did mean "without loss of audio or video", maybe a few bits are lost here and there but it all depends on how you set the application to convert.

Here's examples & samples of the default settings you get when you first use GOTSent:

Before and after files:

MKV info before convert:

MP4 info after convert:

Samples:

MKV

MP4

It's not bad at all!
And it took me about a minute to convert it!