| This is an honest question I have. I asked yesterday, but apparently a mod thought I was trolling people or something and closed the thread, so I'm really sorry if I sounded rude because I don't mean to. It seems (to me at least) that the quality is much lower than some other file types, but the file sizes tend to be larger. Outside of anime, almost no one seems to use it for anything so I'm just wondering why it has become so popular for this particular medium. Unfortunately, this appears to be a hot issue with some people for some reason. I'd appreciate it if you would please take the time to write a real answer and don't just spam "MKV IS AWESOME!" or "MKV SUCKS!" since those don't help me, even if you post them 100 times or more :-) |
| It has to do with quality. But I think people already moved on from .mkv... |
 Waratte Oemashou Sore ha Chiisana Inori |
| .mkv is not an encoding format...it's just a media container. |
| If you're going to post stuff like "the quality is much lower" then how about providing some examples? The fact is, MKV is a modern container that is a lot more flexible than any others. Of course it can be used poorly; but so can anything. The potential it contains allows for higher quality, which is generally used by any decent encoders (of which any decent fansub group has at least one). I'll leave this thread open for the time-being, but it's highly likely to be closed, or at least merged in to a similar one in the future. I will, however, move it to anime discussion since you specifically question why it's used for anime. |
Asako said: If you're going to post stuff like "the quality is much lower" then how about providing some examples? The fact is, MKV is a modern container that is a lot more flexible than any others. Of course it can be used poorly; but so can anything. The potential it contains allows for higher quality, which is generally used by any decent encoders (of which any decent fansub group has at least one). I'll leave this thread open for the time-being, but it's highly likely to be closed, or at least merged in to a similar one in the future. I will, however, move it to anime discussion since you specifically question why it's used for anime. Sorry, I'm not sure how to provide a specific example of "lower quality". I shouldn't have used the word "much" since it's really more of a general impression I've gotten with the variety of MKV vids I've seen and not something I can quantify. Perhaps, as you say, I've just watched a skewed sample of videos where it is poorly used. Could you please give an example of what you mean by "a lot more flexible than any others?" |
UserZeroMay 15, 2010 6:14 AM
UserZero said: Could you please give an example of what you mean by "a lot more flexible than any others?" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_container_formats |
| From what I understand of it is that mkv is a container and not a format (like what has been mentioned before). If mkv is a container, it means you can put stuff in it. The container itself doesn't mean much, except that it's labeled with its contents. So what do you put in there? Video (e.g. avi), audio (e.g. mp3), subs (e.g. ass) maybe even add fonts (e.g. ttf) and likely other stuff I dunno about. That makes mkv very flexible. Like for instance, you can add more than one .ass file or multiple fonts to create subs in different languages and subs in different fonts. Or how about multiple audio tracks to allow not just the Japanese voices, but also dub voices. You can also make "soft subs" which allows the user to enable/disable subs. And that's what makes mkv so much more flexible, as "regular formats" like avi only has one video and audio track. Edit: Obviously I'm not talking about other containers like ogg and whatnot.......See Asako's link for that. |
Boursk said: So what do you put in there? Video (e.g. avi), Avi is another container like mkv. |
 |
| The ability to use any video and audio formats, along with subtitles is nice, but chapters, particularly ordered chaptering really sets MKV apart from the rest. I adore series that are encoded with ordered chapters, on several fronts; a) Once OP/ED are encoded, they're their own files. Download them once, and don't have to waste time/bandwidth on that data for every episode. Which also increases fansub productivity (getting episodes out faster). b) I can simply not download them if I want to save download quota, and disk space. I hate most OP/EDs anyway. c) When the OP/ED change (with longer series etc) the group can still release the episode on time without delaying it due to stupid time wasted on karaoke effects that always bog down release times. Though I'm yet to see a group actually do that, the possibility exists. D: Shame so many people are obsessed with their damn OP/ED crap karoke. GAO. I could go on. The MKV format offers many advantages over other formats (Older OGMs, and certainly the static AVI) that particularly benefit anime fansubbing due to its nature (subtitles, focus on OP/EDs etc) though it is also widely used for HDTV and movies outside of anime, even if all of the features aren't exploited. |
| Thanks for some great answers everyone! I'd seen some people use the "soft subs" ability to include optional subtitles before, but I had never really understood what the point of it was, or what a lot of these other features did. Thank you all for enlightening me. |
Boursk said: Edit: Obviously I'm not talking about other containers like ogg and whatnot.......See Asako's link for that. Probably I haven't been enough clear. The video is encoded in Xvid, Divx, H.264 ect. it isn't encoded in AVI. Avi is just the container so this part of your sentence is wrong. Boursk said: So what do you put in there? Video (e.g. avi), I hope that now it is clear. |
|
| mkvs have better quality then avis |
 |
| I'm such a noob concerning such kinda things. But as far as I notice, .mkv is used for high def video files not only for anime but also for movies as well. Though as little as I know, a 60 mb mini mkv file is of better quality than avi or rmvb format of the same file size, if handled properly. I think thats the main thing here. |
We are the United. Even in defeat we stand united. |
Boursk said: you forgot chapters. ahhhh chapters that allow me to skip the OP with ease <333From what I understand of it is that mkv is a container and not a format (like what has been mentioned before). If mkv is a container, it means you can put stuff in it. The container itself doesn't mean much, except that it's labeled with its contents. So what do you put in there? Video (e.g. avi), audio (e.g. mp3), subs (e.g. ass) maybe even add fonts (e.g. ttf) and likely other stuff I dunno about. That makes mkv very flexible. Like for instance, you can add more than one .ass file or multiple fonts to create subs in different languages and subs in different fonts. Or how about multiple audio tracks to allow not just the Japanese voices, but also dub voices. You can also make "soft subs" which allows the user to enable/disable subs. And that's what makes mkv so much more flexible, as "regular formats" like avi only has one video and audio track. Edit: Obviously I'm not talking about other containers like ogg and whatnot.......See Asako's link for that. |
 |
Onibokusu said: Generally anime encoded in x.264 with an AAC audio codec inside of the .MKV media container will be of a much smaller size than an anime encoded in XviD with an MP3 audio condec within an AVI or MP4 media container. I'll just point out the fact that the size depends entirely on the bitrates used, the main difference is that 264 is a more efficient codec, meaning it can compress MORE data to the same size of xvid or other similar codecs, so with two files (xvid and 264) of the same size (say SD 175Mb) from the same source, the 264 will be higher quality because it retains more of the original data, since it compresses better instead of simply discarding data that xvid does. However with more bitrate the quality will be even greater (eg HD eps at 350Mb 'standard') though it's also possible to use less and be crappy, eg tiny reencodes of stuff for people with limited download quota or disk space. These are the devil and should never be considered by anybody. There are many other factors involved, too, but largely it comes down to the bitrates used, and whether the series needs a lot (action = fast motion = more bitrate, static drama = no need for huge amounts of data) |
Onibokusu said: -Reads OP- Wait...what? Generally anime encoded in x.264 with an AAC audio codec inside of the .MKV media container will be of a much smaller size than an anime encoded in XviD with an MP3 audio condec within an AVI or MP4 media container. Of course, that depends on video resolution and the such. The video's quality can also be due to the source itself. I've seen plenty of mkvs that were bigger file sizes than avis, but I'm assuming that has to do with the quality of the video and size proportions. He may not have taken that into consideration when he compared file sizes. |
 |
| asako, I'm tired of hearing your mumbling about whatever thing that isn't your liking( OP/ED/LQ). *sigh* don't elitist have something better to do than sprouting what they think about what they hate? inb4 hypocrisy. |
| There is like 2 weeks delay in my recent reading list I randomly bought discount/second hand manga with cute/mysterious cover.  Use Personal Blacklist extension in Chrome if you just want to Google for a series synopsis, without google slapping MAL score in it. 3/1 |
| Holy shit, that was three years ago! And, I haven't seen Asako on this site in forever.... |
| "Yes, I have been deprived of emotion. But not completely. Whoever did it, botched the job." - Geralt of Rivia |
| Yes, reply to a person three years after they made their post, that's what this site is for.... |
 |
| i dont know what you are talking about what legal option allows you to have mkv files? |
| Just because you know how to use a torrent does not give you the god given right to pirate. My actual list: https://kitsu.io/users/mattbenz99/library check out my youtube channel for my review: https://www.youtube.com/user/mattbenz99 |
| mp4 > |
 |
| i miss mp4, .avi, divx, and xvid with hard subs |
| I take what I can get, so it doesn't matter. and......... mitch3315 said: Yes, reply to a person three years after they made their post, that's what this site is for.... ^this. |
  |
| Late reply I know, but a few relevant things: Boursk said: .ogm can do the same thing.Or how about multiple audio tracks to allow not just the Japanese voices, but also dub voices. You can also make "soft subs" which allows the user to enable/disable subs. orbi said: Which .mp4 and .ogm can also do.you forgot chapters. ahhhh chapters that allow me to skip the OP with ease <333 As has been touched on by others, the main advantage of .mkvs in fansubbing is their support for styled softsubs. Afaik .mp4 can support most if not all features of h.264, aside from maybe 10-bit color depth, so that's not exclusive to .mkv. But before .mkv came out, groups had to either (A) hardsub everything, (B) distribute scripts (and needed non-common fonts) as external subs with .avis, or (C) use unstyled .srt softsubs in the .ogm container. While .srt work fine as optional subs with "scene" releases of US movies and TV shows, and with some simpler anime DVDs, they don't allow any of the karaoke effects, positioning, multiple colors, or other formatting fansubbers like to use. .mkv allowed fansubbers to do the same things they did with hardsubbed .avis in softsubs. And for DVD-rips, .mkvs allowed rippers to preserve the DVD picture subs "as-is," which was good for more complicated DVDs with more onscreen texts that would've been turned into jumbled mush in the conversion to .srt. RandomChampion said: You must not be looking hard enough, because aside from divx, most of those formats can still be found for most shows in a given season. Groups like EveTaku, SubDesu, Hatsuyuki, Mazui, and UTW generally release .mp4 or .avi versions, and you can often find unofficial re-encodes that convert other groups' .mkvs to those formats. What I really miss are low-res .mkvs, which are pretty much non-existent these days. Thank goodness for Doki.i miss mp4, .avi, divx, and xvid with hard subs |
on More topics from this board
» Anime Misandry ( 1 2 )ColourWheel - Apr 21 |
60 |
by Zarutaku
»»
39 seconds ago |
|
» What else would be in your Favorites if you had MAL Supporter? (10 additional slots)IpreferEcchi - 4 hours ago |
3 |
by nishant0
»»
28 minutes ago |
|
» Isekai anime are better than any other genre.Alpha_1_Zero - Apr 20 |
40 |
by FanofAction
»»
28 minutes ago |
|
» Do you watch anything else besides anime? ( 1 2 )Alpha_1_Zero - Apr 21 |
72 |
by luckyrune
»»
31 minutes ago |
|
» Does being an anime fan make you proud or embarassed?BuddhaIsBetter - 1 hour ago |
7 |
by Theo1899
»»
35 minutes ago |