MKV vs MP4

[FahadAhmed]

Hi guys, I have quite a big number of Blu rays and DVDs ripped into MKV format. Pretty big files, the blu ray rips are over 16GB each. I have been playing them with my WD Live TV hub with 2 1TB HDDs attached to it. So obviously, its quite a bit of a mess.

Recently, i picked up a 4th Gen 2TB time capsule from my cousin's house. And just had this "birght" idea of using it as a NAS. (obviously replace my router as well). I was thinking about converting all my MKVs into MP4s, store them in the time capsule, buy an Apple TV and stream them from the TC. This would certinly tidy up my AV setup. I hear Handbrake also makes the MKVs much smaller. Now here are a few questions..

1. MKV to a smaller sized MP4s, am i losing out on a "lot"?

2. Does time 4th gen time capsule make an ok NAS for streaming 1080p?

Suggestions would be appreciated before I take up on this not so expensive but time consuming project.

 

[daveh75]

Hi guys, I have quite a big number of Blu rays and DVDs ripped into MKV format. Pretty big files, the blu ray rips are over 16GB each. I have been playing them with my WD Live TV hub with 2 1TB HDDs attached to it. So obviously, its quite a bit of a mess.

Recently, i picked up a 4th Gen 2TB time capsule from my cousin's house. And just had this "birght" idea of using it as a NAS. (obviously replace my router as well). I was thinking about converting all my MKVs into MP4s, store them in the time capsule, buy an Apple TV and stream them from the TC. This would certinly tidy up my AV setup. I hear Handbrake also makes the MKVs much smaller. Now here are a few questions..

1. MKV to a smaller sized MP4s, am i losing out on a "lot"?

2. Does time 4th gen time capsule make an ok NAS for streaming 1080p?

Suggestions would be appreciated before I take up on this not so expensive but time consuming project.

1. They're both container formats so don't have any bearing quality.

2. The concept of NAS" is completely alien to Apple.

So you won't be able to play files directly from the Time Capsule on the ATV.

You'll need a computer running iTunes...

 

[Paul.]

I like a lot of apples stuff, but the time capsule is shite. It's not even that reliable for time machine. I assume that's why your cousin is no longer using it

if you already have two 1tb drives, you could look at one of the synology nas drives, they work very well with Apple stuff including time machine.

 

[FahadAhmed]

1. They're both container formats so don't have any bearing quality.

2. The concept of NAS" is completely alien to Apple.

So you won't be able to play files directly from the Time Capsule on the ATV.

You'll need a computer running iTunes...

Thanks, just wondering why this significant reduction in size.

 

[FahadAhmed]

if you already have two 1tb drives, you could look at one of the synology nas drives, they work very well with Apple stuff including time machine.

ok, but synology will be connected to the TC via LAN cable as TC is my router now. Will that impact streaming?

 

[cheeseboy]

Thanks, just wondering why this significant reduction in size.

It totally depends on the settings you have in handbrake. Handbrake was originally developed as an easy way for people to covert things to play on their iphone/ipod so the size had to be small and didn't need full resolution.

By the sounds of things, your MKV's sound almost full fat as it were, so think more along the lines of a Flac file, whereas the smaller size from the MP4's, think a compressed MP3 track. You will loose things, and it's usually more evident with very black scenes where you still start to see blocks and suchlike.

 

[FahadAhmed]

Thanks, just wondering why this significant reduction in size.

It totally depends on the settings you have in handbrake. Handbrake was originally developed as an easy way for people to covert things to play on their iphone/ipod so the size had to be small and didn't need full resolution.

By the sounds of things, your MKV's sound almost full fat as it were, so think more along the lines of a Flac file, whereas the smaller size from the MP4's, think a compressed MP3 track. You will loose things, and it's usually more evident with very black scenes where you still start to see blocks and suchlike.

considering this, seems kind of cruel towards the MKVs. I could take Paul's suggestion and get a synology so i can keep the MKVs as they are, just wondering about TC's capabilities of throwung the big files over the network.

 

[cheeseboy]

considering this, seems kind of cruel towards the MKVs. I could take Paul's suggestion and get a synology so i can keep the MKVs as they are, just wondering about TC's capabilities of throwung the big files over the network.

wouldn't bother with the TC unless you just want to back up a mac to be honest. The Synology is pretty much an all singing all dancing bit of kit and will see you good for other things you may want to do in the future.

 

[FahadAhmed]

considering this, seems kind of cruel towards the MKVs. I could take Paul's suggestion and get a synology so i can keep the MKVs as they are, just wondering about TC's capabilities of throwung the big files over the network.

wouldn't bother with the TC unless you just want to back up a mac to be honest. The Synology is pretty much an all singing all dancing bit of kit and will see you good for other things you may want to do in the future.

Well since TC is still in charge of the network, do I need to upgrade the router to get the best streaming expereince? I tried streaming the MKVs stored on the TC through PLEX (TV App) but it starts buffering every 2 mins!

 

[cheeseboy]

is the wd connected to the TC using an ethernet cable? TC's have gigabit network ports in irrc, so in theory it should be fine.

 

[FahadAhmed]

is the wd connected to the TC using an ethernet cable? TC's have gigabit network ports in irrc, so in theory it should be fine.

WD not connected to TC now, if I get Synology, it would be

 

[cheeseboy]

is the wd connected to the TC using an ethernet cable? TC's have gigabit network ports in irrc, so in theory it should be fine.

WD not connected to TC now, if I get Synology, it would be

ok, well in theory, providing it's linked up via an ethernet cable, you should just be able to use TS as a simple file server. However, with those big MKV's you have, I wouldn't try to pipe them across anything wireless as I think they would just be too big. If you can, try linking the WD up to the TC with a cable and see how that works.

The only reason we'd mention something like the Synology is you can run UPNP/DNLA servers etc on it so you can effectively stream music/movies to practically any device. The TC is pretty much a network attached drive and naught much else when it comes to NAS functionality.

If you did get something like a Synology, there should be no reason why you couldn't just plug that in the TC an keep the TC as the router etc.

 

[GilmaCressy]

I think you can use the Total Media Solution to convert mkv file .