Comments on: HD Video - A Primer http://software.jonandnic.com/article/hd-video-a-primer Hacks, scripts and ideas for the refined geek. Thu, 28 Aug 2008 06:22:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Jonathan Wise http://software.jonandnic.com/article/hd-video-a-primer#comment-502 Jonathan Wise Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:55:24 +0000 http://software.jonandnic.com/article/hd-video-a-primer#comment-502 Thanks! Thanks!

]]> By: JD Dallas http://software.jonandnic.com/article/hd-video-a-primer#comment-495 JD Dallas Sat, 12 Apr 2008 15:42:53 +0000 http://software.jonandnic.com/article/hd-video-a-primer#comment-495 Jonathan: Great summary of the current state of the video world!! Jonathan:

Great summary of the current state of the video world!!

]]> By: Jonathan Wise http://software.jonandnic.com/article/hd-video-a-primer#comment-476 Jonathan Wise Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:50:01 +0000 http://software.jonandnic.com/article/hd-video-a-primer#comment-476 For the patient, here’s a guide for converting MKV to WMV without quality loss — on the video OR the audio. Windows required, obviously: http://forums.xbox-scene.com/lofiversion/index.php/t611163.html For the really patient, here’s some discussion on converting MKV to MP4: http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=620160 Generally both the audio and the video will need to be at least touched because the video profile will need to be altered and the audio dropped to stereo. Similar challenges face those with an AppleTV and are discussed here: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=301017 In short, no one has a GOOD solution… For the patient, here’s a guide for converting MKV to WMV without quality loss — on the video OR the audio. Windows required, obviously:

http://forums.xbox-scene.com/lofiversion/index.php/t611163.html

For the really patient, here’s some discussion on converting MKV to MP4:
http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=620160
Generally both the audio and the video will need to be at least touched because the video profile will need to be altered and the audio dropped to stereo.

Similar challenges face those with an AppleTV and are discussed here:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=301017

In short, no one has a GOOD solution…

]]> By: Adam Preston http://software.jonandnic.com/article/hd-video-a-primer#comment-474 Adam Preston Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:32:07 +0000 http://software.jonandnic.com/article/hd-video-a-primer#comment-474 Nice, just a couple of things: 1. If you want the technical term for 'chunkyness' it's posterization 2. Lowering the profile with H264info doesn't actually compress the video stream, it just adjusts it to conform to 4.1, nothing is lost and you can go back up to 5.1 3. VLC can play MKV 'out of the box' if you're looking for a software media player 4. I't by no means bragging, I actually converted a Journeyman episode (1.17GB) yesterday in 4:45 minutes (I timed it to make sure I wasn't distorting the time) and I wasn't really paying attention, maybe 10 minutes if I ran only process at a time, but after MKVextract you can have everything going at the same time. Oh and MP4 can do more than just AAC-LC, it can also do MAIN, SRS and LTP, which are much better. Also MP4 and MOV are really same thing, except for a few extra features that were added when MP4 was formed from MOV. I'm surprised that you like MKV, since you complain that the HD arena is too crowded and confusing, and yet MKV is a loosely defined, open source container with no set standard. Nice, just a couple of things:
1. If you want the technical term for ‘chunkyness’ it’s posterization
2. Lowering the profile with H264info doesn’t actually compress the video stream, it just adjusts it to conform to 4.1, nothing is lost and you can go back up to 5.1
3. VLC can play MKV ‘out of the box’ if you’re looking for a software media player
4. I’t by no means bragging, I actually converted a Journeyman episode (1.17GB) yesterday in 4:45 minutes (I timed it to make sure I wasn’t distorting the time) and I wasn’t really paying attention, maybe 10 minutes if I ran only process at a time, but after MKVextract you can have everything going at the same time.

Oh and MP4 can do more than just AAC-LC, it can also do MAIN, SRS and LTP, which are much better. Also MP4 and MOV are really same thing, except for a few extra features that were added when MP4 was formed from MOV. I’m surprised that you like MKV, since you complain that the HD arena is too crowded and confusing, and yet MKV is a loosely defined, open source container with no set standard.

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