Windows 7 and .mkv with AC3 files

MartMax

Hi

I'm wondering if anyone manage to get .mkv files played on a Windows 7 64-bit. Installed DivX 7 and it played the video perfectly but no sound. Tried AC3filter codec still no luck. :mad:

Anyone has any tidy simple solution to this problem?

AlmightyCushion

Have you tried vlc player, gom player or media player classic?

TonyM.

i have the same problem,also my computer crashes when i try to close Windows media center it works ok but crashes every time i close it.

Voodu Child

k-lite 64-bit ?

Shouldn't even need it, k-lite 32-bit should run fine. I'd never use Media Centre or DivX player or any of that crap for playing MKVs.

MunsterCycling

+1 vlc and delete the other rubbish

MartMax

Thanks all. I got rid of the DivX and AC3Filter. Installed VLC (32-bit version thou) and it works perfectly! Superb. It'd be nice thou to be able to play .mkv files on WMP without installing those codec craps.

AlmightyCushion

mart_max wrote: »

Thanks all. I got rid of the DivX and AC3Filter. Installed VLC (32-bit version thou) and it works perfectly! Superb. It'd be nice thou to be able to play .mkv files on WMP without installing those codec craps.

From what I've heard, installing the k-lite codec pack will allow windows media centre to playback mkv files. Not sure if it will work with wmp.

Biggins

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

From what I've heard, installing the k-lite codec pack will allow windows media centre to playback mkv files.

Correct.
Done it myself for Vista and Win 7.

AlmightyCushion

Biggins wrote: »

Correct.
Done it myself for Vista and Win 7.

Sweet. Must do this on my studio hybrid as I have a media centre remote lying around here somewhere.

Biggins

Make sure you go into the advanced set-up to check and tick the correct options to be sure of success.

Professey Chin

I just use this
Yet to find something I cant play

Biggins

Ultimate Chin wrote: »

I just use this
Yet to find something I cant play

Nice one. Always good to have an alternative as back-up.

Burgo

I switched from klite to cccp a while back,very good codec pack. http://www.cccp-project.net/

Soundman

Considering you only seem to need a codec for mkv files, since Win 7 plays most other formats straight off what is the point in downloading and installing codec packs that aren't needed?

All you need is the one codec after all. Follow instructions HERE

AlmightyCushion

Soundman wrote: »

Considering you only seem to need a codec for mkv files, since Win 7 plays most other formats straight off what is the point in downloading and installing codec packs that aren't needed?

All you need is the one codec after all. Follow instructions HERE

Because installing a codec pack will let you play pretty much anything out there. Why just install one when you can install them all. Saves hassle later on when you try to play something and don't have the necessary codec. It's not like they take up much space.

Soundman

I found that when I had the codec pack installed it was causing playback issues in WMP 12. Possibly because of the conflict between what I had installed and what WMP was programmed to use? Once I removed the codec pack my playback issues were gone too. Perfect avi watching ever since.

TouchingVirus

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

Because installing a codec pack will let you play pretty much anything out there. Why just install one when you can install them all. Saves hassle later on when you try to play something and don't have the necessary codec. It's not like they take up much space.

I despise Codec packs from years ago when K-lite was a giant turd causing non-stop headaches trying to keep updated.

To answer the OPs question without resorting to a pack solution.

Think of MKV as being a little container. In it you've got a video and an audio stream (or track), each one of the individual streams having their own codecs (XviD, DivX, x264 for video, AC3, AAC for audio etc). The advantages of using MKV include multiple audio/video streams in the one file and the fact AVI wouldn't be the most efficient container for video.

WMP12 doesn't natively support the MKV container so it can't get to the video or audio stream. Windows 7/WMP12 does support the AVI container natively so that's why you don't need to install anything for AVI's.

The solution is to install something that'll let WMP12 get at the streams - hello Haali Media Splitter. Install Haali Media Splitter and WMP12 can get at the video and audio streams.

WMP12/Win7 introduced a lot of native support for multimedia codecs such as MPEG4 ASP (common implementations of which are DivX, XviD), x264, mp4 and m2ts. In previous versions of Windows if you wanted to play files with these video streams you've had to install codecs capable to handle them but not anymore. Most MKV's have h264 video so once you install Haali Media Splitter you should be able to play an MKV in WMP12 and get video.

AC3 is not natively supported so you'll have to install something to handle AC3 audio and without a doubt the best thing is the one you've already tried - AC3filter. It works out of the box but you might have to change the output settings from 2/0 to 5.1 via the config program. Just remember, if you're using the filter when you make the changes you'll have to restart playback in order for the changes to have an effect.

That's it, two quick installs and you'll have full MKV support with AC3 audio in WMP12 (I'm a bit of a WMP fan ) The only thing you may have a problem with is if you get an MKV file with a video/audio codec that's not natively supported but all my MKVs are x264 with AC3/MP3 so I've never had any bother. There are tools out there that'll analyse MKVs if you encounter that scenario