Thread: .avi & .mkv

They are both "container" files extentions. By container, I mean that they contain and allow for playback of audio (multiple tracks in some cases), video, and subtitles (and future developement might see other interesting interactivity such as Flash or web interaction). These are NOT compression codecs.

.AVI - Audio/Video Interleave
.mkv - Matroska

AVI is older and the most accepted container, while MKV is newer tech, but might not play right away with every video player on the market. Quality between the two is arguable, as the compression method is really the determining factor.

know1 is pretty much correct.

I'm assuming though, that you want to play them.

Personally, I use VLC. VLC is a media player that works really great on .mkv's and other 'strange' codec's you see out in the world. You can get it at VLC media player - Overview

If that doesn't work for you, then you'll need a more 'robust' solution and need to download a codec pack that includes support for .mkv. But we can burn that bridge if we need to.

Try VLC and see if it works for you. I use it for all my multimedia needs under windows.

I've posted this in a similar post but i think its always useful.
plus it says "no" to VLC,

Why no VLC?
We use softsubs for our releases. VLC can (and will) break softsubs very easily, and also doesn’t preserve subtitle styling. It strips all coding in the {} brackets, and will reveal whatever was in the {} brackets as normal text. Hence, we do not recommend using VLC. If you come to us telling us you were using VLC, we are probably going to ignore you, or at least tell you to quit using it…

(There are also some technical reasons against VLC that’re relevant to them encoder folks.)

Some fansubs(thats if you are watching subbed anime) do use softsubs, thus VLC will just mess around with it.
Dont get me wrong i love the fact VLC requires a no dln' of codecs but you just arent satisfied with the job it does to softsubs.

for SS, i use Zoomplayer, its alot flashier :P

Heres a link to Zoomplayer

Inmatrix.com

Its great for playing videos like that as Sasurai said, and I've never seen a fansubs come in MPEG, WMV, or anything else for that matter just because .AVI and .MKV save space and have wonderful quality.

Yeah, Zoomplayer is perdy!! Perdy thingamajik! Also, its good as it works all files and doesn't rip apart some subs like VLC. Also, it DLs updates quitwe well itself and you don't need to really hunt for them.

Er... Now I'll re-ask the question again. . . Does the quality differs in these two types of file types?

Originally Posted by alex1_phang3

Er... Now I'll re-ask the question again. . . Does the quality differs in these two types of file types?

Not only did you not specifically ask about the quality between the two file types, but you didn't bother to read the answer given, which incidentally answered that specific question: "Quality between the two is arguable, as the compression method is really the determining factor."

To reiterate: The container file type does not directly control the visual or audible quality of a video. Those attributes are controlled by the originating compression (eg. mpeg2 video & pcm audio for full dvd quality vs. mpeg4 [divx/xvid] video & 128kbps mp3 audio for a ripped copy). That is just one example of the plethora of compression types on the market. You can have the same quality video & audio from either avi or mkv containers. It depends on how it was ripped.

If you want the best quality, and are given a choice of container file types, look to see if there is any supporting information such as reoslution (640 x 480 or higher is good for 4:3 aspect ratio) and bitrates for both video and audio. Generally speaking, higher is better for bitrates, but remember that your download will take longer, and it depends on what you are viewing it on. There is no reason to download DVD quality if you were just going to view it on, say, an ipod.