What's the definitive with Windows 7 MC and MKV files?

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › What's the definitive with Windows 7 MC and MKV files?

blur

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Ultimate Geek

#58557 14-Mar-2010 17:23

Hi Guys

It's a sunny day outside and I find myself inside reinstalling my media centre. The reason for this is another thread in itself, but I want to put the question out there to the forum:

What is the definitive method to get MKV files running within Windows 7 Media Centre?

I have read SO many threads, some for codecs, some against. I have to say with my last install I had K-Lite Codec pack and this worked well, however I don’t want to install a codec pack if I don’t need to. The other consideration is that I am running Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit edition. This meant that I needed to install BOTH the 32bit AND the 64bit versions of the codec pack to work with all things. This does not seem right to me, and there must be a more elegant solution.

I’ve read regs thread that said that all you need to do it some registry hacks, but will this give me Dolby or DTS as well as subtitles???

I’m confused and you guys are the only ones that I trust!

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gehenna

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#307141 14-Mar-2010 18:15

The Windows 7 Codec Pack has always seen me right.

blur

384 posts

Ultimate Geek

#307151 14-Mar-2010 18:45

Hi there - which one have you used? Is this on a 64bit system?

sbiddle

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#307157 14-Mar-2010 19:01

I've played briefly with the Win7 x64 Matroska download that you can get from here.

The bit problem is things have changed fundamentally with the Media Foundation library and there are all sorts of issues with a simple splitter like this now including the inability to use it for an extender. I haven't read anything recently but DiVX was the only codec that supported MKV and took full advantage of the Media Foundation classes.

RustyGonad

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#307227 14-Mar-2010 22:40

If you just want MKV support, and don't use extenders then just use the Haali Splitter, and AC3 Filter. This combo will output Dolby Digital/DTS etc without issues. Both work well on 32/64 bit. Using just these will allow you to play every Linux Training video available on Bittorrent, with good sound to boot.

http://haali.su/mkv/
http://ac3filter.net/

However it blows on extenders ie the 360.

If you use extenders, The Divx Codec pack uses Media Foundation, and works well on extenders, but it has a bug, which screws up the aspect ratio on 720p content (lots of Linux Training videos, are now using 720p). This is more than annoying. Despite numerous posts on their forum for almost a year, they seem to be unable to resolve it.

Shark's codec pack also does the job, but installs a heap of other BS along with support for every codec which nobody uses anymore.

Nety

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#307248 15-Mar-2010 06:24

I went for the minimalist route this time around. The only issue is no subtitles or at least I cannot get them to work.

http://www.hack7mc.com/2009/02/mkvs-for-minimalists-on-windows-7.html

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blur

384 posts

Ultimate Geek

#307254 15-Mar-2010 08:03

Thanks Nety, that was exactly the same guide that I came across.

I've not touched my clean install of Windows 7 x64 since my first post last night, but it seems to me that this looks like the best way to go. However, I wonder why they have used Gabest?s Matroska Splitter rather than Haali?s Matroska splitter? I wonder if this is because it was the best option for a 64bit splitter at the time of writing the artice (9th Feb 2009)?

I'm contemplating using this method, but instead using Haali?s Matroska splitter - what do you think?

RustyGonad

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#307280 15-Mar-2010 09:04

That hack7mc article is well out of date...

If you use the Haali Splitter you don't need the registry patches. It includes them.

A year ago, when the article was written, the Haali splitter had a load of troubles with Windows 7, and now it doesn't.

Its about as minimal as you can get, unless Microsoft do something themselves, which they won't...