Converting MKV Files

[Rinzler]

I have a bunch of MKV files that I want to edit in Sony Vegas. I first used MKVextract to collect the raw .h264 streams from the MKVs, which I then converted with AVC2AVI. Importing these converted AVIs results in a black screen in Vegas. I have tried consumer-level converters (Ultra MKV Converter, AlltoAVI, XviD4PSP, etc.) to no avail -- not that I was expecting smooth sailing from such dubious conversion methods, but I had to try. Since I am relatively new to this, I have exhausted my knowledge regarding how to get these blasted MKVs into Vegas. If anyone could instruct on me on the proper methods of achieving what I seek, I would be very grateful. I appreciate the help in advance.

[Kariudo]

First off, you should be using DVDs and support the industry n' stuff

that aside...
http://www.animemusicvideos.org/forum/v ... 46&t=90329

avisynth + virtualdub (or virtualdubmod) ftw
you can then use vdub/mod to save your .mkv files as .avi files. You'll want to use a lossless codec such as Lagarith or Huffyuv (no divx/xvid/x.264)

Lossless = big files, and for that reason it is recommended that you make clips using vdub/mod instead of losslessly encoding your entire file

[Rinzler]

avisynth + virtualdub (or virtualdubmod) ftw

Okay, but like I said, I am very new at this. What exactly do I do with these things?

[mirkosp]

Read <a href=http://www.a-m-v.org/guides/avtech31/>ErMaC & AbsoluteDestiny's Friendly AMV Guides Lovingly Overhauled Largely by Zarxrax</a>.
Contains all the info you might need in the most comprehensive and down-to-heart form a newcomer might need.

[Qyot27]

A couple quick guides for VirtualDub and AviSynth:
http://www.animemusicvideos.org/guides/ ... -vdub.html
http://www.animemusicvideos.org/guides/ ... synth.html

Those are good starting grounds to learn what they are and how to use them. Specifically, on the AviSynth page, it's either DirectShowSource or FFVideoSource that you would look at to open MKV files. You can use DirectShowSource if you can play the MKVs in Windows Media Player, or you can use FFVideoSource if you can't play them in WMP, don't want softsubs to show up in the video stream*, or just prefer to make sure that they're opened in a stable manner (as DirectShowSource has issues with frame accuracy - for basic once-through conversion this isn't a problem, per ce, but it is if you plan on using the script itself in your editing program).

*This is also possible if you use DirectShowSource, but it requires you to disable or otherwise prohibit the subtitles from being shown through VSFilter or ffdshow, whichever one you use to handle subtitles in WMP.

[Rinzler]

Thanks, everyone. These guides are exactly what I needed.