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AVI VS MKV Container's

5720 Views 6 Replies 3 Participants Last post by OzzieP, Jan 15, 2009

OzzieP

Discussion Starter · Jan 14, 2009

I have was looking at the different encodings the are being done, and was hoping someone could answer a few questions for me.

1. What is the advantage if any between AVI & MKV containers?

2. Can both containers carry multi channel Dolby sound?

3. Is leaving a movie in VOB format better for display on a big screen vs encoding them to a different format?

4. Is the only reason for encoding vob's so that certain players can play them and/or to make the file size smaller?

5. If file size is not an issue is one better off just leaving it in vob or m2ts format for playback on a big screen?

Thanks for the info, I am fairly new to media servers, and I am trying one out with a JVC PJ, trying to find the best solution to replace my giant video jukebox full of DVD's.

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toge

· #2 · Jan 14, 2009

Quote:
Originally Posted by OzzieP /forum/post/15547465

I have was looking at the different encodings the are being done, and was hoping someone could answer a few questions for me.

1. What is the advantage if any between AVI & MKV containers?

2. Can both containers carry multi channel Dolby sound?

3. Is leaving a movie in VOB format better for display on a big screen vs encoding them to a different format?

4. Is the only reason for encoding vob's so that certain players can play them and/or to make the file size smaller?

5. If file size is not an issue is one better off just leaving it in vob or m2ts format for playback on a big screen?

Thanks for the info, I am fairly new to media servers, and I am trying one out with a JVC PJ, trying to find the best solution to replace my giant video jukebox full of DVD's.

1. MKV has more flexibility - you can embed fonts, subtitles, chapters etc.

2. Yes, although avi i don't think supports DTS.

3. Depends on how you convert it - x264/XviD can look as good as DVD with a smaller filesize.

4. Just to make filesize smaller really

5. Yup

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OzzieP

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jan 14, 2009

Hey thanks toge for your reply!

I went to your WD TV link that is under construction. I also have one of those units and love it. I really hope they come up with more firmware upgrades for it. Under your common issues, I notice when I play vob files on it the if you try to Fast Forward to a scene and then select play it will start to play on a totally different scene other than what you selected. This is not an issue with avi nor mkh files.

I have this player in my bedroom and am currently experimenting with various file types and containers since this plays on a much smaller TV I have been trying to shrink the file size. Do you have a preference between avi and mkh?

So far I have been using DVDFab for my avi & mkh files, but truth fully so far I see little difference between these two in video quality. The subs do travel with the MKH, but the WDTV does not seem to see various chapters.

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toge

· #4 · Jan 15, 2009

I prefer AVI just for compatibility. Yeah i dont think the wdtv supports mkv chapters yet, can't test this myself atm.

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OzzieP

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jan 15, 2009

I have noticed now that some avi files have audi/video sync issues when played on the WD TV. First VOB has the FF & RV problems and now this avi has sync issues. I am trying to find a single format to put my entire library in, but it seems all the ones I try have issues?

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tlniec

· #6 · Jan 15, 2009

I've been using DVDFab to re-encode my discs to AVI (using the generic xvid / audiocopy profile) -- that's been the best way I've found to maintain image quality and carry over the AC3 sound while playing through my XBox360. I haven't been at it very long yet, and only have about 25 discs backed up. I did notice when testing them out that 2 out of the 25 had issues -- one movie started with good A/V sync, but the audio gradually drifted further and further ahead of the video as the movie went on... by the end, it was probably close to 2000 ms off. The other exhibited some "general funkiness" -- I think at least a part of the issue was botched 3:2 pulldown, but can't say for sure. All the others played through without a hitch.

All that is to say that it may not be the AVI format / WDTV that's the problem. It could be the particular disk, or even that particular encoding run in DVDFab (I have yet to re-do the problem discs yet, but I'm hopeful that if I try a few things, I'll be able to get them to work too).

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OzzieP

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jan 15, 2009

Quote:
Originally Posted by tlniec /forum/post/15563111

I've been using DVDFab to re-encode my discs to AVI (using the generic xvid / audiocopy profile) -- that's been the best way I've found to maintain image quality and carry over the AC3 sound while playing through my XBox360. I haven't been at it very long yet, and only have about 25 discs backed up. I did notice when testing them out that 2 out of the 25 had issues -- one movie started with good A/V sync, but the audio gradually drifted further and further ahead of the video as the movie went on... by the end, it was probably close to 2000 ms off. The other exhibited some "general funkiness" -- I think at least a part of the issue was botched 3:2 pulldown, but can't say for sure. All the others played through without a hitch.

All that is to say that it may not be the AVI format / WDTV that's the problem. It could be the particular disk, or even that particular encoding run in DVDFab (I have yet to re-do the problem discs yet, but I'm hopeful that if I try a few things, I'll be able to get them to work too).

MKV seems to be the way to go, Use DVDFab to Mobile, select generic and in the conversions button there are various options for an mkv container. These do not have FF & RV issues, 10 DVD's so far all in perfect sync. I have not tested them for 5.1 sound, currently testing them in stereo TV. If 5.1 is good, then this seems to be the safest way to encode the entire library.

I don't think you can get 5.1 from DVDFab in any DVD to Mobile mode at this time.

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