How to Conver .mkv files into mpeg-4

[steplan15]

heres my story

Editing Program: Sony Vegas 8.0
Program: Prism Video Converter/VirtualDubMod
Computer Specs: -Processor: AMD Athlom Dual Core
-RAM: 3.00 GB
-OS: Vista 32 Bit

well, i wanna use VDM as a video converter but everytime i freakin drag .mkv files on it, this stupid error message pops up, PVC on the other hand isnt the best converter out there, everytime i covert something the video and audio doesn't even SYNC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (wmv isnt really working for me either, lags too DAMN MUCH ) another problem with my stupid PVC is IT doesn't make my video playable with vegas!!!!! so i use WMM to make the file playable on sony vegas (which f**ks up my video quality) i've been doing this conversion for a year and im sick of it (actually VERY VERY SICK OF IT). ideas are open, whatever works with a low budget pc (im planning on upgrading my hardware in then next month or so), i'll love you forever if your suggestion works!!! please i hate trying new converters....its too much hassle installing one program after another, so lets stick with VDM, im not really a pro in converting stuff because i have little experience with formats and stuff.....

thanks for the feedbacks (if any). i got schoolwork to do....and signature stuff..

[Mastamind]

Use ffmpegsource to load your footage into avisynth. Save the .avs, open it in vdub, then export it as a lossless avi. From there, use something like megui or zarxgui to convert it to an mp4.
If you don't have ffmpegsource, download it and put it in the plugins folder for avisynth. I don't have a download link, but there's a few threads here that should help you find and use it.

Or if you want a one-step solution (though you might not get as good quality), try Xvid4PSP. It's free and very versatile.

[Mister Hatt]

What he said only less stupidly outdated. Grab FFMS2 from Myrsloik's googlecode page for it, avisynth 2.6, open with latest virtualdub (NOT MOD), and encode to UTVideo or some other lossless format. If you need it straight in AVC, then just open the avs file with x264 (--preset veryslow --tune animation --crf 18, stop calling commandline hard) or if you need a crappy GUI, use Zarx's.

Also seriously stop using MP4; it's a horribly underdefined multi-standard which makes it work in some things and not others and have all sorts of dumb problems, especially x264 output because GPAC is a heap of crap and nobody seems to have L-SMASH patched builds.

[HalOfBorg]

I have converted MKVs to AVIs several times, and Xvid4PSP does it, except I can never get it to leave out the subtitles - even though it has the option to remove them, it just tells me there aren't any! Then it includes them in the AVI encode.

I have never tried using Xvid4PSP to create a AVISynth script, then load THAT and see if it works without the subs.

I always use MKVTools to remove all the subs (and audio if I don't need it), make new MKV, then let Xvid4PSP make the new file.

[Mister Hatt]

Your subs are there because instead of being clever, Xvid4PSP is using VFW to read the source and is thus receiving hardsubbed video. Xvid4PSP is also a terrible way to encode XviD in general.

I'm just going to point out that most MKV content is already MPEG-4. Either MPEG4-AVC or more rarely MPEG4-ASP. More commonly known as H.264 and XviD/DivX. The easiest way to get AVC at least into MP4 is to demux with mkvextract and then use L-SMASH to stuff it into MP4. MP4 is a poor format to use though and you should try to avoid it.

[HalOfBorg]

It used to be that when I convert MKVs to AVIs it was for my collection, back when MKV was new to me and few if any players I had would handle it. Now I just keep the MKV.

When I need to pull a short scene out of an MKV, I let Xvid4PSP convert it to FFV1 (think that's right) so Vegas can use it.

I do use it to create Q1 Xvid final renders with lagarith/MP3s from Vegas. Always been happy with the quality.

[Mister Hatt]

That's a terrible workflow but other than using Xvid4PSP nothing is really WRONG with it.

[HalOfBorg]

My collection of DVDs is small, but growing. Slowly since money's so tight. But when forced to resort to files, I do the best I can.

Also, being an idiot doesn't help. I'm not kidding. Considering how little I know of things, I think my videos are getting pretty good.

I like 'em, in any case.

[Mister Hatt]

Well some pointers for better workflow then. Filter directly into high keyframe lossless. Do your IVTC and filtering into a fast read/write/seek codec like UTVideo rather than Lagarith. It will make your editing more responsive, and you don't need to worry about Xvid4PSP anymore. FFV1 is a horribly slow codec for the most part and using something with better seeking will do you a world of good. Learn to use Virtual Dub. Don't use XviD, if you want to see how it will look at output quality, use x264. Use x264 from commandline. Get Vegas to output a lossless format such as ffvhuff or ffv1, or even lossless AVC if it can, and then open that directly by x264.exe input.avi --preset veryslow --tune animation --crf 18 -o output.mkv. Use MKV on your final videos, not MP4. MP4 has a lot of inherent issues and is best avoided. Use an updated x264 build like the ones JEEB compiles.

See how all that goes.

[HalOfBorg]

See, there you go again assuming I'm intelligent. I can hardly follow along reading that.

"Filter directly into high keyframe lossless." - Filter directly means nothing to me. I do understand the basic concept of keyframes.
"Do your IVTC and filtering into a fast read/write/seek codec like UTVideo rather than Lagarith." - IVTC is just a bunch of letters, and any filtering I do is inside Vegas. Better editing codecs are good tings.
"don't need to worry about Xvid4PSP" - I don't worry, It's a good tool I use. In AMVs, when using compressed footage I use it to convert it to lagarith. A few minutes and I have clip that is better for use in vegas - no problem.
I DO use virtual Dub, I have several versions. I have used Xvid (Q1) for hi quality contest version, but H.264 and a lowQ number is even more common for me now.
"open that directly by x264.exe input.avi --preset veryslow --tune animation --crf 18 -o output.mkv." - huh? what?
"Use MKV on your final videos, not MP4." As I understand it, MKV is a container. You can put in MP4 video, or xvid or whatever it can use, along with different audio/subtitle streams.
"Use an updated x264 build like the ones JEEB compiles." more huh? what?

Like I've said before, I have small, slow brain. I have tried using AVISynth, but all of the info on the various filters all expect you to understand it already. And anyway, when I install the AMVApp, it breaks my sony vegas.