Tag: MKV

How To: Batch Converting FLV files to MKV

FLV to MKV batch conversion (article illustration picture)

To convert, or not convert? That is the question
And the answer is binary…

I wanted to convert some FLV files to a format that would play on my stand-alone LG Blu-Ray player via Home-Link and found a working solution worth sharing.

To convert one or more FLV (Adobe Flash Video Container) files to the more compatible MKV (Matroska) container “format”, simply follow the instructions below:

  1. You’ll need a copy of the FFmpeg executable:
    Download the latest Static 32-bit build from Zeranoe’s FFmpeg Builds page.
  2. You’ll now extract the compressed FFmpeg build you just downloaded.
    To extract the .7z file, I recommend using either 7-Zip (free!) or WinRAR (unlimited use shareware).
  3. Now copy the executable ffmpeg.exe from the bin folder that you just extracted to the same folder as your FLV files reside in.
  4. Open Notepad. (Shortcut: Windows key + R / Windows key + Q and type “notepad”. Hit enter.)
    1. Write or copy the following line into the empty notepad text editor box:
      for %%a in (“*.flv”) do ffmpeg -i %%a -vcodec copy -acodec copy %%~na.mkv
  1. Go to File and click “Save As…”
  2. Browse to the folder where your FLV files reside.
  3. In the file name box, enter (including the double quotes) a name for the file, with a .bat extension. For example:
    “FLVTOMKV.bat”.
  4. Hit Save.
  5. Browse to your newly created batch file and double click it to start the batch conversion process. It should only take up to a couple of minutes for a 300 MB file on a relatively new computer. You should see the progress clearly in the black command box that pops up.

NOTE #1: If nothing happens or you get an error message that you can’t read, try running the .bat file from the command line: Hit the Windows key + R / Windows key + Q . Type CMD. Hit ENTER. Type the full path to the batch file and hit ENTER again. You should now be able to read any error messages.

NOTE #2: You may need to rename the files to remove any spaces or special characters, or else the script can fail. I would suggest making copies of the original files, then you can simply copy and paste the old filenames back after conversion.

NOTE #3: Some FLV files may have MP4 extensions, and vice-versa. Either rename the extension to FLV if this is the case, or try changing the .bat command line to:
for %%a in (“*.mp4”) do ffmpeg -i %%a -vcodec copy -acodec copy %%~na.mkv

How To: Disable Thumbnail Preview In Windows 7

On my Media Center PC, after reinstalling some video codecs, my MKV* video files made Windows Explorer crash regularly when opening a folder with one of these files in it. To solve this problem, I had to disable automatic thumbnail generation in Vista or Windows 7. Disabling thumbnail preview in Windows Explorer can make Vista/Windows 7 perform notably faster in any case, as Explorer will no longer be generating thumbnails for every video and image file in every folder you open. This is especially useful when browsing back and forth between multiple folders. Follow these steps to disable the automatic thumbnail generation:

  1. Press and hold the Windows key on your keyboard, then press E to open Windows Explorer (alternatively click Start > Accessories > Windows Explorer).
  2. In the Windows Explorer window, click on the Organize button on the menu/shortcut bar.
  3. In the pull down menu, click on Folder and Search Options.
  4. The Folder Options dialog window will appear. Click on the View tab.
  5. Under the Files and Folders tree heading, check (tick) the box next to Always show icons, never thumbnails option.
  6. Click the OK button and you’re good to go!

* MKV is a common container format for video, audio and subtitles, often used to distribute standard and high definition video, audio and associated subtitles in one single file, with support for multiple audio and subtitle tracks, just like on a DVD.

Edit: Some codec packs by default turns off MKV thumbnails, but also makes it possible to easily control this and MANY other settings through an easy to use Windows application interface.

Expand Your Windows Vista Media Center Options

By installing the Media Control Plugin for Vista Media Center by Damien Bain-Thouverez, you can finally play back video files with subtitles, especially files using the Matroska container format (MKV). Multiple subtitles support, multiple audio streams support, FFDShow settings tweaking, and much much more is enabled.

The plugin can even hook on to the remote control driver and enable access to customizeable special functions and shortcuts when using a Media Center compatible remote control. There’s even a newly added feature that enables Windows Live Messenger integration. I haven’t tested this one myself yet, though.

If this is just what you’ve been looking for, then head on over to the homepage and download it now! Be sure to read the requirements section carefully before you install it.

Thank you Damien for this great plugin! Please show your support by donating to him if you find it useful.