MKV Videos

[fenlander]

The problem with converting mkv to mp4 is that the HDR-FOX only seems to play mp4 files with AAC audio. If you convert say an mkv with H264 video and AC3 audio to mp4 you have to transcode the audio too. You can do this on the HDR-FOX itself with ffmpeg as long as it is only audio transcoding that is required.

1GB mkv file on i3 PC using AviDemux:
Time to convert from mkv to mp4 and save: <30secs
Time to convert inc. recoding audio from AC3 to AAC: approx 1 minute.

Correction: In my previous post I mentioned MkvToolnix. I should have said AviDemux - MkvToolnix has mkv output only.

 

[Black Hole]

I don't see a lot of point in flogging this particular dead horse. Practically speaking, the hummy does NOT currently play most mkv files, the possible exception being some really old ones. Given the antiquity of the device, this is unlikely to change. If you really want to play files obtained from external sources on your dear old hummy, then transcoding to mp4 with modern tools is a trivial task and much preferable to agonising over why something doesn't work.

That's fair enough, but the claim was that the HDR-FOX won't play any MKVs and that needs refuting because it is not a statement of fact.

It must be quicker to change the stream characteristics to a compatible form of MKV than to transcode it to something else, providing the embedded streams are compatible in the first place, especially if the tweak can be done with ffmpeg on the 'FOX itself (saves the time moving the data to and from another device).

 

[fenlander]

It must be quicker to change the stream characteristics to a compatible form of MKV than to transcode it to something else, providing the embedded streams are compatible in the first place, especially if the tweak can be done with ffmpeg on the 'FOX itself (saves the time moving the data to and from another device).

As it's an mkv, presumably it originated on another device. Make required changes before moving it to the hummy...
I don't think I can do anything much in <30 secs these days, but if there was an auto-recursive 'fix mkv' function built into the CF, like auto-decrypt, it might be useful. Whether or not it would be a justifiable use of programmer's time is another matter.

 

[Black Hole]

As it's an mkv, presumably it originated on another device

As a download, not necessarily on another device under the user's control - and not all of us have a fast PC with hardware video processing accelerators!

 

[fenlander]

As a download, not necessarily on another device under the user's control - and not all of us have a fast PC with hardware video processing accelerators!

That's what I meant. I don't think my i3 qualifies as a graphics power house.

 

[Private61]

Hello Anyone,

I am surprised that this thread is still going, my question was answered early on. No .mkv file streaming seems to work at all and only some .mkv files will play, depending on their coding, and if placed on the Humax.

From this I concluded that things may change but for now and the immediate future transcoding will be required.

For that I thank the early contributions and wonder why the rest are still reading let alone commenting, but each to there own.

Thanks again