MakeMKV/VLC File-Formatting questions

[Xiauj]

NOTICE TO MODS: 

Spoiler

Please go ahead and hide/remove this topic and PM Me if it's not allowed! Apologies in advance if it isn't, but I couldn't see MakeMKV on either of the pinned-topics in this sub-forum so I just assumed this type of application would be ok to discuss.

 

Hey,

So I'm in the process of converting some of My BluRays (And DVDs) that I've had on the shelves for quite a while and I'm gonna put all of them onto a separate system (or drive) so that they are accessible at any given time but I'm having a slight issue or two with some BluRay Sets in particular. What's happening is that, some complete sets (Both in DVD-Format / BluRay Format) have also been given a documentary(?)/voiceover(?)/whatever-it's-called by the directors/producers for obvious (and probably legal) reasons that keeps playing "over the rest of the other audio-tracks" and I can't figure out how to disable it / which files on the disc correspond to which audio-track if You see what I mean (Sorry if I've explained that in a weird way lol) \__/ ...and so, My questions for this topic are as follows:

 

 

 

1) Is there any way to make it so that MakeMKV shows the filenames as well as the Track-Information _{(Type/Name/Language/Codec/etc.........)} ..? If so, how?

2) Is there any way to make it so that VLC can play M2TS files? If so, how?

Because as it is currently, I can open the file but a small yellow-bar bounces from Left To Right indicating that it's loading and once that's done after about a minute later.. I press play and nothing else happens. NOTHING at all.

 

And before anyone says what I'm about to say, I've already tried this so please don't repeat it but, I've already tried the MakeMKV Forums.

 

 

TLDR:

If anyone knows a way to get rid of these irritating documentaries/voiceovers/whatever-it's-called that they add in, let Me know!

Thanks

[Sauron]

4 minutes ago, Xiauj said:

2) Is there any way to make it so that VLC can play M2TS files? If so, how?

Yes, but the problem is that retail discs have DRM on them which prevents VLC from reading them even if it can read the format correctly. MakeMKV is able to work around the DRM but VLC is not.

 

As for your problem, what MakeMKV sees depends on what metadata is available on the disc. If you've ripped the disc using the default settings you should be able to switch to the "normal" audio track in VLC by right clicking and going into the audio track menu.

[PlayStation 2]

M2TS are MPEG-2 Transport stream files and VLC should be able to play them just fine, provided that the file itself contains audio and/or video VLC can play and also provided that it's not copy-protected. I'll have to check and see on my desktop but yeah.

Also, if commentary tracks are playing over the regular audio, either they might've been improperly ripped (which I'm not going to assume here as you're using MakeMKV) or VLC is selecting the first stereo AC3 audio track out of the file (which will almost certainly be a commentary track over the main film track). 

[Xiauj]

Just now, Sauron said:

Yes, but the problem is that retail discs have DRM on them which prevents VLC from reading them even if it can read the format correctly. MakeMKV is able to work around the DRM but VLC is not.

Yeah that was My initial thought process too, the Legal DRM stuff You mentioned.

Is there any type of plugin like with AACS-one that can play BluRays but for M2TS Files? Or maybe AACS can handle M2TS as well? I haven't tried it because everytime I try to install AACS onto My installation of VLC, it doesn't wanna play ball to say the least...  Lol.

 

3 minutes ago, Sauron said:

As for your problem, what MakeMKV sees depends on what metadata is available on the disc. If you've ripped the disc using the default settings you should be able to switch to the "normal" audio track in VLC by right clicking and going into the audio track menu.

I should have also mentioned this in the OP but I'm using Handbrake after the MakeMKV Process to convert the DVDs + BluRays into MP4. So, would VLC be capable of storing the settings if You were to switch to the "Normal audio track" though? My guess is No but what do You think?

 

8 minutes ago, handymanshandle said:

commentary

That's the word I was thinking of.......  Lmfao. Had a serious brainfart-moment whilst writing the OP!

 

10 minutes ago, handymanshandle said:

Also, if commentary tracks are playing over the regular audio, either they might've been improperly ripped (which I'm not going to assume here as you're using MakeMKV) or VLC is selecting the first stereo AC3 audio track out of the file (which will almost certainly be a commentary track over the main film track). 

What do You mean by improperly ripped? As in.. they've just slapped it on there any old how and cba'd to format the tracks ..? /s

[Sauron]

5 minutes ago, Xiauj said:

Is there any type of plugin like with AACS-one that can play BluRays but for M2TS Files? Or maybe AACS can handle M2TS as well? I haven't tried it because everytime I try to install AACS onto My installation of VLC, it doesn't wanna play ball to say the least...  Lol.

Again, AACS lets you play unencrypted blu ray format files. You're trying to play encrypted discs. It wouldn't work.

6 minutes ago, Xiauj said:

I should have also mentioned this in the OP but I'm using Handbrake after the MakeMKV Process to convert the DVDs + BluRays into MP4.

Well there's your problem, you need to check your handbrake settings. Why are you doing this by the way? The MKV format is superior and has basically no downsides compared to MP4.

8 minutes ago, Xiauj said:

So, would VLC be capable of storing the settings if You were to switch to the "Normal audio track" though? My guess is No but what do You think?

You can set audio track preferences in VLC but that relies on the file having the correct metadata.

[Xiauj]

3 minutes ago, Sauron said:

Again, AACS lets you play unencrypted blu ray format files. You're trying to play encrypted discs. It wouldn't work.

Ah I see.

 

3 minutes ago, Sauron said:

Well there's your problem, you need to check your handbrake settings.

Why check the Handbrake settings?

 

3 minutes ago, Sauron said:

Why are you doing this by the way? The MKV format is superior and has basically no downsides compared to MP4.

35 minutes ago, Xiauj said:

I'm gonna put all of them onto a separate system (or drive) so that they are accessible at any given time

Because of what I wrote (Quoted above ^) and also because MP4 has a lower file size. There's also the fact that MP4 (..from what I've discovered) is able to maintain the quality when do You a side-by-side comparison, not much quality is lost.

 

6 minutes ago, Sauron said:

You can set audio track preferences in VLC but that relies on the file having the correct metadata.

And does that also mean You can save said track with the set audio track preference to then be played in another application?

[Sauron]

1 minute ago, Xiauj said:

Why check the Handbrake settings?

Because you're probably selecting the wrong audio track for conversion.

2 minutes ago, Xiauj said:

Because of what I wrote (Quoted above ^) and also because MP4 has a lower file size.

The file size is barely any lower given the same bitrate and you can convert mkv to mkv to lower the bitrate if you want to, blu rays usually have an incredibly high bitrate and most people would be fine with less. All devices can read MKV nowadays.

[Xiauj]

8 minutes ago, Sauron said:

Because you're probably selecting the wrong audio track for conversion.

Yeah but that's what I'm saying  I don't know which audio-track is which in MakeMKV; which one's the commentary; which one's the main-film-audio; etc...

 

It sounds pretty pointless ripping to MKV via MakeMKV with the commentary audio-track(s) on the clip then dragging that into Handbrake because Handbrake shows the audio-tracks because it won't play them individually for Me to then identify them individually.

[Sauron]

4 minutes ago, Xiauj said:

Yeah but that's what I'm saying  I don't know which audio-track is which in MakeMKV; which one's the commentary; which one's the main-film-audio; etc...

 

It sounds pretty pointless ripping to MKV via MakeMKV with the commentary audio-track(s) on the clip then dragging that into Handbrake because Handbrake shows the audio-tracks because it won't play them individually for Me to then identify them individually.

You can open the mkv file in VLC and go through the tracks to see which one is correct

[Xiauj]

Ok I think I've just discovered a fix. I'm able to export to the MP4 Format, not MKV with fully functioning main-film-audio! Thanks for the advice though @Sauron  I've learned a couple of things lol.

 

Edited March 26, 2020 by Xiauj