Converting MKV to WTV?

Having trouble playing all your different media types? Ask here!
wilkcards

Posts: 40
Joined: Tue Dec 11, 2012 3:37 am
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

Converting MKV to WTV?

#1

Post by wilkcards » Sun Dec 16, 2012 4:26 am

I am in the process of converting my media collection to wtv using videoredo. It works great for most files, but those with DTS need to have their audio re-encoded before they can be converted to wtv. I'm wondering if anyone on here has gone through this process and found a quick solution?

lithium630

Posts: 633
Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2011 12:00 am
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#2

Post by lithium630 » Sun Dec 16, 2012 2:18 pm

wilkcards wrote:I am in the process of converting my media collection to wtv using videoredo. It works great for most files, but those with DTS need to have their audio re-encoded before they can be converted to wtv. I'm wondering if anyone on here has gone through this process and found a quick solution?
DVRMSToolbox can convert the DTS. It's a little complex though. I use Xilisoft Video Converter to shrink down the MKV's and convert the audio, the VideoRedo to put it in WTV.

wilkcards

Posts: 40
Joined: Tue Dec 11, 2012 3:37 am
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#3

Post by wilkcards » Mon Dec 17, 2012 10:58 pm

Yeah, I have been able to convert the DTS. Right now I'm using dvrtoms and it seems to be working ok so far.
I followed this guide:
http://thedigitalmediazone.com/2010/01/ ... kv-to-wtv/

I'm looking into a way to batch convert files...

MCEBuddy actually seems to be a good option too. It's also the only one I've found that is still being actively developed.

wilkcards

Posts: 40
Joined: Tue Dec 11, 2012 3:37 am
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#4

Post by wilkcards » Tue Dec 18, 2012 6:33 am

I'm now using todvrms and it's working fairly well. I'm not sure how to batch convert anything yet, or add metadata or closed captions

milli260876

Posts: 726
Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2011 2:56 pm
Location: Barnsley Sth Yorks

HTPC Specs: Show details

#5

Post by milli260876 » Tue Dec 18, 2012 8:36 am

Popcorn will convert the audio into a new mkv for you
Lee

Livia

Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2012 3:57 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#6

Post by Livia » Thu Dec 27, 2012 4:12 pm

Hi, try the Reincubate Video Converter, it supports MKV conversion and allows you to customize the conversion profile. It's a new tool, just been developed, give it a shot: http://www.convertervideo.net/

lithium630

Posts: 633
Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2011 12:00 am
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#7

Post by lithium630 » Thu Dec 27, 2012 6:15 pm

Livia wrote:Hi, try the Reincubate Video Converter, it supports MKV conversion and allows you to customize the conversion profile. It's a new tool, just been developed, give it a shot: http://www.convertervideo.net/
Doesn't look like it supports WTV. There are a ton of video converting programs that just rebrand the same software. I'm guessing this is one of them.

User avatar
Motz

Posts: 2038
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2012 10:28 pm
Location: Seattle, WA

HTPC Specs: Show details

#8

Post by Motz » Sat Dec 29, 2012 12:13 am

I wrote the mkv2vob tutorial and highly recommend it:
http://thedigitalmediazone.com/2010/10/ ... h-mkv2vob/

I have had much better success converting any mkv files to m2ts then putting them into wtv format.
I Write, Code, and Tweet

milli260876

Posts: 726
Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2011 2:56 pm
Location: Barnsley Sth Yorks

HTPC Specs: Show details

#9

Post by milli260876 » Sat Dec 29, 2012 10:07 am

You can just put them thru tsmuxer to m2ts... That's pretty easy!
Lee

normychas

Posts: 23
Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2011 5:34 am
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#10

Post by normychas » Tue Jan 08, 2013 3:13 pm

Motz wrote:I wrote the mkv2vob tutorial and highly recommend it:
http://thedigitalmediazone.com/2010/10/ ... h-mkv2vob/

I have had much better success converting any mkv files to m2ts then putting them into wtv format.
Why would i use m2ts?

I am looking to convert files for use on my extenders throughout the house. Wouldn't m2ts limit me to my htpc with Arc Soft? I am looking to get away from ArcSoft as soon as possible because i have just had it with the video stuttering issues.

lithium630

Posts: 633
Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2011 12:00 am
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#11

Post by lithium630 » Tue Jan 08, 2013 3:28 pm

m2ts works fine on extenders. I'm not sure about the echo though.

normychas

Posts: 23
Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2011 5:34 am
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#12

Post by normychas » Tue Jan 08, 2013 3:45 pm

lithium630 wrote:m2ts works fine on extenders. I'm not sure about the echo though.
any suggestions as far as file size? Does 12-15 gigs seem about right?

foxwood

Posts: 1761
Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2012 3:43 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#13

Post by foxwood » Tue Jan 08, 2013 7:17 pm

Containers (mkv, m2ts) are not Codecs!

WTV is a container. In the US, most WTV files contain MPEG2 data, and play fine on Linksys DMA2x00 extenders. In many other parts of the world, broadcast TV uses MPEG4 compression, and a WTV file recorded there won't play on Linksys Extenders. It's not because of the Container, it's because of the Codec!

(Though actually, in that case, it's because Linksys screwed up their parsing, because the box is technically capable of decoding the mp4 files).

lithium630

Posts: 633
Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2011 12:00 am
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#14

Post by lithium630 » Tue Jan 08, 2013 8:18 pm

foxwood wrote:Containers (mkv, m2ts) are not Codecs!

WTV is a container. In the US, most WTV files contain MPEG2 data, and play fine on Linksys DMA2x00 extenders. In many other parts of the world, broadcast TV uses MPEG4 compression, and a WTV file recorded there won't play on Linksys Extenders. It's not because of the Container, it's because of the Codec!

(Though actually, in that case, it's because Linksys screwed up their parsing, because the box is technically capable of decoding the mp4 files).
It's basically semantics. Whether a movie won't play because of the container type or the compression format, it still won't play.

foxwood

Posts: 1761
Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2012 3:43 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#15

Post by foxwood » Tue Jan 08, 2013 8:27 pm

It's not entirely sematics. People aren't saying "XYZ.MKV" won't play on the Echo. They are saying "MKVs don't work on the Echo". Which isn't true, because some do, and some don't, and people who don't understand that conatiners aren't codecs seem to be very confused about how it's possible for one person's MKVs to work, when their MKVs don't work.

lithium630

Posts: 633
Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2011 12:00 am
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#16

Post by lithium630 » Tue Jan 08, 2013 9:27 pm

I see what your saying. Some people get worked up about whether the terms "transcoded" and "container swap" are used correctly. I thought that's where you were going with it.

User avatar
TheOsburnFamil

Posts: 322
Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2011 10:52 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#17

Post by TheOsburnFamil » Wed Jan 09, 2013 12:26 am

This weekend I decided to finally play around with Windows 8 & how well my Xbox 360 Extenders handles my various media formats. I have a couple hundred bluray rips that I've been working on over the past two years... As the MS documented container/codec supported suggest WMV/WMAPro was the highest bitrate possible (15MB supported), I decided to use DvdFab (it was the easiest all-in-one app that supported WMV9/WMA10 with the 15MB bitrate, could manage forced subtitles well, and could be WIFE TRAINABLE to use).

All these rips look GREAT btw-- 5.1 sound.. great 1080p quality.. and they all played back flawlessly on my Win7 HTPC > Xbox extenders. Cool.

Enter Windows 8 & Xbox extenders and now all those same WMVs are now getting transcoded (as noted by the "buffering" ident when you first start the movie).. and they all look like crap. I'm talking, poorly ripped dvd > xvids from 2003! (you guys know what I'm talkin' 'bout.. don't lie lol)

After doing some digging, it looks like MPEG2 is the only codec now that isn't getting buffered. *sigh* And, it appears that it only seems to play smoothly up-to a certain bitrate. SO... I was doing some more digging as to why that may be and it dawned on me-- my live tv HD signals (ATSC & QAM) never buffer and they are HD.. so, wth?

I was curious what the max bitrate of an OTA ATSC signal could be. The way I looked at it, MS wouldn't buffer or transcode live tv would they? So a quick trip to wikipedia on ATSC specs revealed this little tidbit... "...A terrestrial (over-the-air) transmission carries 19.39 megabits of data per second (a fluctuating bandwidth of about 18.3 Mbit/s left after overhead such as error correction, program guide, closed captioning, etc.),..." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATSC#MPEG-2).

To me, I read that as-- if my WTVs (of which are MPEG2/AC3), ever get past that 19.39, it seemed logical to assume MS wouldn't expect the WMC player to play that...so maybe they jacked with the container or the MS MPEG2 codec in a way that limits it?

As others indicated above, the makemkv > ffmpeg > todvrms > wtv never seemed to work well at 20 or 25mb bitrates w/o some choppyness. After reading the above info on the ATSC standard, I now think MS may have done this by design and just not docuementing it somewhere... SO... I retried the makemkv > ffmpeg > todvrms > wtv process on a bluray that sucked at even 20mb... instead I set my ffmpeg conversion to 18mb video (leaving that extra 1.39mb for audio & overhead)... sure enough, plays all the way through w/o any choppyness ever. Even on a Windows 8 > Extender.

This is starting to sound to me like I need to redo my collection to wtv *sigh* at an 18mb video bitrate.

I wouldn't mind m2ts or ts containers.. but early testing on those indicates they will always kick off a transcode/buffer request. I can't get them to play natively.... hmm...
Matt O. ...tivo what? ...dish dvr--uh... huh? ...cable dvr fees--you're kidding, right?

User avatar
TheOsburnFamil

Posts: 322
Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2011 10:52 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#18

Post by TheOsburnFamil » Wed Jan 09, 2013 12:31 am

lithium630 wrote:
foxwood wrote:Containers (mkv, m2ts) are not Codecs!

WTV is a container. In the US, most WTV files contain MPEG2 data, and play fine on Linksys DMA2x00 extenders. In many other parts of the world, broadcast TV uses MPEG4 compression, and a WTV file recorded there won't play on Linksys Extenders. It's not because of the Container, it's because of the Codec!

(Though actually, in that case, it's because Linksys screwed up their parsing, because the box is technically capable of decoding the mp4 files).
It's basically semantics. Whether a movie won't play because of the container type or the compression format, it still won't play.
http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/wiki/index ... d_Playback

:D
Matt O. ...tivo what? ...dish dvr--uh... huh? ...cable dvr fees--you're kidding, right?

masonstorm1979

Posts: 22
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2012 12:07 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#19

Post by masonstorm1979 » Tue Feb 12, 2013 2:11 pm

I highly recommend using DVRMSToolbox for all MPEG2 and MPEG4 content. The container can hold both video codecs and supports AC3 audio not DTS though. I use a profile which allows me to convert all MKV's using MPEG2 or MPEG4 video and AC3 or DTS audio. The video is just extracted to a file as is the audio unless it is DTS and then recontained in WTV format. As WTV format is a proprietary Microsoft format it will work on all extenders also natively which is fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can use thumbnail skipping also and rewind / fastforward and with great speed also.

This is top!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

User avatar
jennyfur

Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Aug 03, 2014 4:34 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#20

Post by jennyfur » Sun Aug 03, 2014 4:43 pm

So I can't seem to use dvrmstoolbox to convert mkv to wtv due to that "Attempted to read or write protected memory. This is often an indication that other memory is corrupt." error, so I've been trying desparately to find another option to convert. I tried MCE Buddy, but that doesn't seem to work either and it doesn't even bother telling me why. I finally gave up and went with FFmpeg, which works but is way over my head. Can anyone help with command line options for it? I used:
ffmpeg -i filename.mkv filename.wtv
and the resulting file was only 2gb so it's really low quality. Anyone know what options I need to specify in order for it to not compress so much? I don't care about file size. I want it as close to the original quality as possible.

Post Reply