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Container Format
Should the container format make any difference in the quality of the video, or is it just the codec that dictates the video quality?
I have an M4V file that will not open in Vegas. I’m thinking about turning into an MKV.
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7 Replies
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> Should the container format make any difference in the quality of the video, or is it just the codec that dictates the video quality?
You are correct, the container is just a wrapper; the codec determines the quality.
> I have an M4V file that will not open in Vegas. I’m thinking about turning into an MKV.
Does Vegas open MKV files? Can an MKV file contain MPEG4? Can you convert the file to MKV without re-encoding? If so, what tool do you plan to use? Most tools would re-encode the video when placing it in a new file format especially if the container did not support the codec.
~jr
http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com -
Thanks, John.
I did find out that Vegas Platinum with not open MKV files. I still do have the original VIDEO_TS folder (and the actual DVD for that matter) So I would just be creating an MKV file from the VIDEO_TS, which I won’t since Vegas won’t recognize it.Did you read my post about the larger M4V files not opening in Vegas, and if so, do you have any ideas about it. I would hate to do hours of experimentation with MP4 just to find out it will yield the same problem.
Thanks again for answering so many of my questions.
Justin -
M4V is a delivery format. You need to convert it in another program to a format that Vegas can edit. Vegas loves AVI files. I would use the HuffYUV or Lagarith codec to make an AVI file to give to Vegas.
~jr
http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com -
I was afraid I would have to use yet another program. That’s okay though, I can handle that.
So do you think that M4V will be around for a long time, or will I be stuck with movies in an unsupported format?
More importantly, if I do find myself stuck in that situation, will I be able to convert the container format but keep the same codec and not lose any quality?
Thanks, John. So far you have been the one to answer all of my questions this month!
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> So do you think that M4V will be around for a long time, or will I be stuck with movies in an unsupported format?
Where are you getting M4V files from? As far as I understand, M4V is the format that the Apple iTunes store uses. When you purchase a movie from iTunes, you are purchasing the “right” to “watch” the movie. You are not purchasing the right to edit and use the movie in your own original work. This is why they use a format that is optimized for watching, not editing.
Yes I do think M4V will be around for a long time and no, I don’t think you will be stuck with a “movie” in an unsupported format, but I do think that what you are doing with the movie by wanting to edit it is “unsupported” by the licensing agreement that your agreed to when you purchased it.
> More importantly, if I do find myself stuck in that situation, will I be able to convert the container format but keep the same codec and not lose any quality?
That’s why I asked what tool you were using. I am not an expert on the inner workings of codecs and containers but I would imagine, as you have, that a program should be able to take the H.264 video from a MOV file and place it in an AVI file without changing the video. I just don’t know of any that do that. This is why I recommended a codec like HuffYUV or Lagarith because they are lossless. This way, at least you don’t loose quality while editing.
> Thanks, John. So far you have been the one to answer all of my questions this month!
Glad I could help.
~jr
http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com -
Actually, I created the M4V files with Handbrake. I did not purchase them from apple, and they are not copywritten.
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> Actually, I created the M4V files with Handbrake.
I guess the questions is why are you creating M4V files? If you are creating files to edit, then you should create AVI files or some other format that Vegas can edit.
~jr
http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com
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