HOW TO: MKV to Apple TV / iTunes With Surround.

Zippy2 · 09-28-2008, 07:09 PM

OK, this took a while to figure out, but it works. This is MAC / Apple instructions to convert a downloaded MKV 480P or 720P movie. I have not tried 1080P, but it should work as well as long as you save it as 720P... i.e. 1280x720. Apple TV doesn't go to 1080P as far as I know, if it does... then do it.

You need the latest Perian installed, get it here...

You need the "literally" latest HandBrake (Not Available Yet). For all you Paradox's I have compiled and built the latest HandBrake SVN 1799 (Updated 10/01/2008) on my MacBook Pro Core Duo 2. You can download it here...

Extract it then install. To install just drag to your "Applications" folder.

When you first open HandBrake it will ask you for video source location, simply select your MKV file.

For encoding preset use AppleTV preset, BUT we need to change a few settings.

First "UNCHECK" the "64 Bit MP4" box.

Second click on "Chapters" tab and "UNCHECK" the "Create chapter markers" box.

Third click the "Video" tab and click "Picture Settings..." button set "Anamorphic" to "None" and check the "Keep aspect ratio:" box if it doesn't by itself.

Fourth (Optional) I set the "Average bitrate (kbps) to 2000 instead of 2500, you can set it to what ever you want, up to 5000.

(FYI) under the "Audio and Subtitles" tab you'll see the AAC and AC3 audio settings, as long as the MKV has AC3 and you play the video through iTunes or stream to your Apple TV with shared iTunes you WILL GET SURROUND SOUND. If you hacked your Apple TV

and share through AFP or SMB or just drop your videos on your Apple TV or play in QuickTime you WILL NOT GET TRUE SURROUND SOUND, only AAC Dolby Pro Logic II.

Click "Start" and in about 1-2 hours your in HD heaven.

I have Fast Forwarded, Rewound, Stopped, Paused, and Resumed with NO ERRORS.

Now... PC users, an assumption... if you build the latest SVN for HandBrake on a PC it should work as well. Other libraries I loaded libdca-0.0.5, libdvdcss-1.2.9, libdvdread-0.9.7, and a52dec-0.7.4. I'm not sure if you even need these on a PC or if they effect the Mac build. I primarily loaded them for MacTheRipper.

**sharp** · 09-29-2008, 07:28 AM

zippy, how long is the conversion?
im trying on madagascar, 2gb file, its abit an hour aredi, and its not ready yet
i adjust the bitrate to 2500, does less bitrate means faster conversion?

im running it on an imac, 2.0 with 4gb of ram, any idea?

Zippy2 · 09-29-2008, 11:40 AM

I have MacBook Pro 2.33 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3 GB Ram, Lucky Number Slevin (3.88 GB 4,163,511,697 bytes) to 1.5 hours at 2500 bitrate.

Really not bad when QuickTime Pro and VisualHub take up to 2 days.

If your not using iTunes or Apple TV and just want to watch on PS3 or XBOX 360 you can do it in minutes with QuickTime Pro, but it wont play on Apple TV 1.1 or above. The time is video conversion.

Let me know how it worked out. I'm having some issues with 300 because of the DTS, i.e. can't do AC3 passthrough on a file with no AC3... working on it.

May be a few days though, Anniversary tonight and have a few jobs out of town this week.

**sharp** · 09-30-2008, 08:32 AM

i cancel the conversion, redid another one with 1500 bitrate, still very slow. o.33 difference in ghz tat much difference? took me abt 3 hours or so :(

anyway, happy anniversary and enjoy ur nite, come back to me wen you are available

thanks a lot
cheers

Zippy2 · 10-01-2008, 02:55 PM

Are you running iMac with 2.0 Core Duo or 2.0 Core Duo "2".

.33 doesn't make much of a difference, but 32 vs. 64 does. I'm building a new SVN right now with some major changes by the HandBrake crew. I'll post the link in my original post above as soon as it's compiled.

Another note, I did find a program called MKVDTS2AC3. It's command line based, the issue I'm having is every time I try to install I need another dependent file that I don't have. When I get a working copy I'll put it up. I don't know why HandBrake doesn't just build it into the app.

Zippy2 · 10-01-2008, 03:19 PM

Why would you cancel? I understand 3 hours is a lot of time, but just uploading an HD movie takes about 10 hours, and converting it with QuickTime Pro or VisualHub takes days... no exaggeration, DAYS! It took me 32 hours to convert The Matrix with QuickTime Pro, and 27 hours for Matrix II using VisualHub with XGrid between iMac, Mac Mini, and MacBook Pro... all with Core 2 Duo.

**sharp** · 10-02-2008, 04:19 AM

hahhaha, i cancel becos i tot the bitrate was affecting the slow conversion

do you know there is a windows based program tat does the remuxing into mp4 or vob, hear it takes minutes. its mainly for users to play it on xbox360 and ps3, i guess if its in mp4, it shud work iwh appletv as well
i try it once on my sony vaio, but due to the lo spec of the notebook, it took me quite some time as well, abt an hour

i would prefer to work this on my mac though :D

btw, thanks for ur effort
playing the movie through front row was smoothhhhhh

btw, im running on 2ghz intel core 2 duo

Zippy2 · 10-02-2008, 03:20 PM

The Windows version software you speak of does make PS3 or XBOX 360 compatible versions, but they wont play on Apple TV since version 1.1. Old version 1.0 does play them, but no AC3 support.

If you want PS3 or XBOX 360 versions that's easy. Open in QuickTime Pro, export, passthrough video change audio to AAC... Done! One requires extension .mp4, the other requires .m4v, even though they are the same file.

My problem is with the extra cooling systems on my PS3 and XBOX 360's they are so loud it's distracting to watch a movie.

FYI I found a program to convert DTS to AC3 called mkvdts2ac3, it works... but you need to know how to install some required libraries. Then use mkvtoolnix to remux the mkv unchecking the DTS audio track and leaving the AC3 and MP4 track checked.

Then HandBrake will allow AC3 passthrough.

**sharp** · 10-07-2008, 10:34 AM

basically i have a player tat plays mkvs, tvix 4100
but its connected to my projector

so im thinking of getting an apple tv to paired with my secondary display, to play with the itunes library as well

worst comes to worst, i will avoid DTS movies for conversion, but then again, any idea to make the process faster?

btw, after conversion of madagascar, with 1500 bitrate, the file size is 1 + gb as compared to the mkv version of 2.2gb

**Mrfootlong** · 10-07-2008, 01:58 PM

Guys, not sure if any of you know this already or are interested but XBMC have today released Beta 2 of 'Atlantis'. They have made it work with AppleTV as of this release!

Hopefully this will be of use/interest to you guys :). The multicore support of Beta 2 has made 1080p/720p far better on the windows port at least.