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One file type that has been gaining in popularity as of late is MKV, or Matroska Video.The Matroska Multimedia Container is an open standard free container format capable of hodling an unlimited number of video, audio, picture, or subtitle tracks inside a single file, and while that certainly has its advantages, MKV files aren't going to be recognized by your iPhone, iPod touch, or Zune player.
But don't go throwing your media player out with yesterday's garbage. It's pretty easy to convert an MKV file into an MPEG-4 video file that these and most other portable devices will be able to play without a hitch. Here's what you need to do.
Download and install Handbrake from here. This free, open-source transcoder works on all varieties of Windows from XP on up to Windows 7, and also boasts support for Mac OS X and Linux. It's also incredibly easy to use. When you open up Handbrake, you'll notice a Presets column on the right hand side. If you own an iPhone or iPod, go ahead and select it and the necessary settings will be filled in. You can also use this setting for your Zune, or select the High Profile preset to select a custom width.
To begin transcoding, click on the Source>Video File and locate and open the MKV file. Next, mash the Browse button in the main window to select an output location. Make sure the Container pull down menu is set to MP4 File and press the Start button. Depending on the file size and how powerful your PC is, the actual transcoding can take anywhere from a few short minutes to much, much longer. But once it's finished, you'll be in possession of an MPEG-4 video file compatible on just about any portable media player!
A lot of purchased videos come in the WMV (Windows Media Video) format, including ones recorded from Windows Media Center, but not all WMV files are the same. First let's go over the differences:
ASF: You may run across files with the .asv extension, which stands for Advanced Systems Format (previously Advanced Streaming Format). Microsoft devised ASF as a proprietary digital audio and digital video container format, and it's part of the Windows Media framework. The ASF container most often contains WMA (Windows Media Audio) and WMV file types. Microsoft originally intended for ASF to run over networks like the Internet. It's also worth mentioning that while the WMV codecs don't contain any DRM, the ASF container can.
WMV7 and WMV8: Don't let the number scheme fool you. While it seems natural to assume that WMV7 is the seventh iteration of the WMV, it's actually the first. WMV started off as a proprietary, low bitrate codec, although it's widely believed that WMV7 was built upon Microsoft's own non-standard version of MPEG-4 part 2. WMV8 offered a higher bitrate than WMV7, but it too was proprietary.
WMV9: In 2003, Microsoft released WMV9, the third (and current) version of the codec. No longer proprietary, the new codec introduced native support for interlaced video, non-square pixels, and frame interpolation.
WMV-HD: This is basically Microsoft's marketing name for high-definition content encoded using WMV9 codecs.
PlaysForSure: Any online stores or devices bearing the PlaysForSure certification must be compatible with the WMV codec. Other requirements also apply, such as DRM support, compatibility with Windows Media Player, synchronization performance, and more.
Transcode WMV to MP4
There are few different ways you can convert a WMV file into a more manageable MP4 file for installing on all sorts of digital devices. You can follow our previous instructions for using Handbrake (preferred), or if you use the popular VLC Media Player, then another easy method is to use the program's built-in conversion tool.
First, open up the WMV file you want to convert. Next, click on Convert / Save... or press CTRL+R. In the pop-up window that appears, mash the Add button and select the WMV video. Once you've selected the video, press the Convert / Save button.
In the next pop-up window that appears, press the Browse button to select a new destination and input a file name. Be sure to give your new file the proper extension, which in this case would be .mp4. If you don't do this, you'll end up with the .ps file extension by default. In the Profile pull-down menu, select MPEG-4 + AAC (MP4) and click Save. If you receive an error message, you'll need to back up a step and in the first pop-up window, click the Capture Device tab and change the Capture mode to Desktop.
Comments are closed on this article
jimenoni
April 24, 2011 at 7:38am
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Mike1977
March 22, 2010 at 9:58am
Might be useful to someone but theres a good bunch of information on video files at http://dotwhat.net/
aibabe
January 05, 2010 at 2:01am
I have issue for opening high resolution video on Aegisub.
I installed the latest version of Aegisub (2.1.7) on my Windows 7 powered laptop. I use 1280x800 resolution.
Aegisub keeps failing on opening any video with 1280x720 resolution. Any video with resolution smaller than that is fine though. Is this a known issue of Aegisub or is it my laptop that has problem?
gunslnger
December 30, 2009 at 12:34am
MKV files are godawful annoying, don't promote them. They take a lot more processing power to decode and they aren't very popular anyways. Let it die.
da_samman
December 16, 2009 at 2:23pm
Did anyone catch the slight irony at the end of page 3? They mention "Russian" Roulette, then give the abbreviation of the Codec pack they recommended, CCCP (the old Soviet Union). Or is this a sign of me being REALLY bored? :)
Sincerely yours, from Fort Lewis, WA
SGT Samuel E. McClard II
Life's a journey, enjoy the ride!!
jjdeleon10
December 16, 2009 at 11:19am
i have a few .mkv files that skip when i try to play them, i have used both GOM and VLC media player. Skips on both programs. Is there a minimum hardware requirement? any help would be great, thanks
totallybizzymofos
December 16, 2009 at 10:41am
Just download the k-Lite Codec Packet (mega) and you won't have to worry about anything!
rseding91
December 16, 2009 at 8:57am
I like vista-codecs and 7-codecs by shark007.
I've never had a video I can't play and i've never had a probelm with any videos with those codec packs.
allantang
December 16, 2009 at 9:28am
I also like the work tha shark007 uses. Been using his stuff for a long time now
damiananderson
December 16, 2009 at 7:56am
the kmplayer and splayer should also be on this list the kmplayer for those who want it all without installing a codecs pack and have options to tweak everything imaginable and splayer for its simplicity ease of use and it downloads subtitles automaticaly and they both are beautiful
dgourd
December 16, 2009 at 6:39am
You should add .mkv files. I prefer them because they show up a lot in torrents. Also in my own experience, they preserve 1080p High quality while being 1/4 of the size of my .avi files.
I have transcoded many videos and the mkv version is always about 1/3 to 1/4 the size of the avi files.
Deanjo
December 16, 2009 at 7:32am
MKV is not a codec so using it does not determine the size of final file. MKV is a container. Your seeing decreased size more then likely because of being able to use a lower bitrate with the h264 codec to achieve equivelent quality output.
dgourd
December 16, 2009 at 10:24am
I never said it was a codec, but thanks for the details on how it decreases the size. Ill keep an eye on the bitrate next time I transcode something.
StahnAileron
December 15, 2009 at 10:00pm
I wouldn't really call CCCP a real codec pack. It mostly relies on FFDShow for all video playback. Only other things it installs is support for soft-subtitles and an MKV splitter. (It was designed for watching fansubbed anime, if I recall.)
Also, the FFDShow version it includes is a tweaked version of FFDShow try-outs. (Along with the option to install a slightly tweaked version of Media Player Classic optimized to work with the tweaked FFDShow codec.)
Oh, and it's very user friendly. (The option to re-register the codec and associated files has saved me a number of headaches. The options for the pack itself are pretty simple and straight foward.)
The devs of the CCCP more or less made it "install and play". Not much mucking with it at all, unless you have specific needs. I've been using it since 2006.
m1k3_flrs
December 15, 2009 at 9:56pm
Great article and really good software downloads. and about the Quicktime Lite section..... Yes I refuse to touch anything from apple. Well not exactly.. but i wouldn't install any apple software in my PC.
Calibretto
December 15, 2009 at 9:54pm
"It's pretty easy to convert an MK4 file into an MPEG-4 video file"
I think you mean MKV?
roninnder
December 15, 2009 at 7:16pm
You seem to be using handbrake v.93 which is quite different from v.94 which is the only currently available version at your link.
Paul_Lilly
December 16, 2009 at 6:44am
Actually, I did use the latest version (0.9.4), which is what's depicted.
-Paul Lilly
