Topic: MP4 vs MKV

[qguy]

What is the difference ?

[Stagea]

MKV is the extension for video files following the Matroska Multimedia Container format (the actual video encoding utilized can be anything, though it is frequently MPEG-4 based), whilst MP4 is the official filename extension for the MPEG-4 Part 14 standard and is frequently used for IEC-compliant MPEG-4 Video files.

[RXV]

What is the difference in terms of video/sound quality as well as audio/video compresiion?

[Stagea]

What is the difference in terms of video/sound quality as well as audio/video compresiion?

Since MKV is just a container with no defined video format (can be anything from terrible to very good depending on the encoder used and encoder settings), they are not comparable. MP4 files also vary in compression quality, but generally not as much given the same resolution and bitrate.

In the end, it's a case per case basis.

I hope HEVC takes over soon. It may give 4K material a fighting chance in terms of distribution. 4K streaming may even become a reality in some areas (and HEVC can make 1080p streaming far less demanding bandwidth-wise).

[barrister]

What is the difference in terms of video/sound quality as well as audio/video compresiion?

MP4 and MKV are just containers.  Audio-video quality do not depend on the containers, but on the the audio and video files themselves inside those containers.
 
Therefore, if you demux an MKV file, take the demuxed video and audio from the MKV and remux them into a new MP4 file, audio-video quality will be exactly the same, bit for bit.  That's because they're the same audio and video, just with a different container.

[Stagea]

+1 to what Atty. Barrister mentioned

One can think of them as food containers. They do not dictate the quality and edibility of what's inside.

[defined]

Does this means either of the 2 is good?or it always depend on the source where the mp4 or mkv encoded?thx

[≧◉◡◉≦xrampage≧◉◡◉≦]

Does this means either of the 2 is good?or it always depend on the source where the mp4 or mkv encoded?thx

It depend on the video encode and audio that is loaded on the mp4 and mkv.

[SiCkBoY]

I suppose the better question is: Using the exact same audio/video files, which container will have an advantage?  MP4 or MKV?

[Quitacet]

I suppose the better question is: Using the exact same audio/video files, which container will have an advantage?  MP4 or MKV?

I guess barrister's post answers this question.

MP4 and MKV are just containers.  Audio-video quality do not depend on the containers, but on the the audio and video files themselves inside those containers.
 
Therefore, if you demux an MKV file, take the demuxed video and audio from the MKV and remux them into a new MP4 file, audio-video quality will be exactly the same, bit for bit.  That's because they're the same audio and video, just with a different container.

[Timithekid]

I guess barrister's post answers this question.

I'll try to rephrase sickboy's question to broaden it a bit further, we've already established that in terms of performance, one is not better than the other.  so to rephrase the question, which container has an advantage over the other in reference to its versatility?, which container is more widely accepted? Ps3's cannot play mkv files directly, not unless its jailbroken or a ps3 media server is used but it can recognize mp4's.  meron pa bang ibang player na hindi kaya mag play ng mkv?

[Clondalkin]

Here's my question. How come XXX movies sourced from Bluray are usually in MKV while small small small X-Arts or Babes or Joymii are usually in MOV or MP4?

Encoded based on X264 din ba ang MP4 MOV FLV and those other 3 letter acronyms other than MKV. X264/H264 seems to be the de facto standard for encoding/compressing from Bluray source because it is very efficient.

[barrister]

I'll try to rephrase sickboy's question to broaden it a bit further, we've already established that in terms of performance, one is not better than the other.  so to rephrase the question, which container has an advantage over the other in reference to its versatility?, which container is more widely accepted? Ps3's cannot play mkv files directly, not unless its jailbroken or a ps3 media server is used but it can recognize mp4's.  meron pa bang ibang player na hindi kaya mag play ng mkv?

More widely accepted, I'd say MP4.  Start with the iPod, iPhone and iPad.  They are MP4-compatible, but not MKV-compatible.  Then there's the PS3.
 
But I want to answer from the media player viewpoint.  Your media player is capable of playing both, and you want to standardize all your media files by using only one container format.  Which one would you choose?
 
Me, I choose MKV because of easy access to good MKV tools.
 
If I get a movie in H.264 video and AAC 2.0 audio, I demux the audio and video, convert the audio to MP3, normalize the MP3 audio to 85dB, remux the AV to an MKV container, check for synchronization and fix sync.  If it's a concert, I need chapters because it's going to be a pain trying to skip to the song I want.  I make chapters in XML, then I mux the XML file to the MKV.
 
Easy to do on MKV.  I don't know how it's done on MP4.
 

[Clondalkin]

Havent seen an MP4 with HD audio. I dont even recall seeing DTS in MP4 except that made for headphone AAC audiostream

[Stagea]

Encoded based on X264 din ba ang MP4 MOV FLV and those other 3 letter acronyms other than MKV. X264/H264 seems to be the de facto standard for encoding/compressing from Bluray source because it is very efficient.

MP4 files typically contain MPEG-4 Video (which isn't always H.264 in format) and MPEG-4 Audio.
MOV is just a container used by Quicktime. Many different formats can be used in a MOV container.
FLV is Flash Video container format. Video content can be VP6, FLV1 or screenshare, aside from H.264.

Havent seen an MP4 with HD audio. I dont even recall seeing DTS in MP4 except that made for headphone AAC audiostream

HD-AAC is the HD audio MPEG-4 Audio subset

[SiCkBoY]

Here's my question. How come XXX movies sourced from Bluray are usually in MKV while small small small X-Arts or Babes or Joymii are usually in MOV or MP4?

#alamna 

[JojoD818]

subscribing...

I'm still in the dark though. I have always chosen to collect MKV files as much as I can.

[Timithekid]

I am curious though why mp4's are usually smaller in size.  Sir Ivan, baka alam nyo po sagot, please enlighten...

[defined]

I am curious though why mp4's are usually smaller in size.  Sir Ivan, baka alam nyo po sagot, please enlighten...

curious dn...

[barrister]

If you use MP4, your audio is going to be AAC, usually 2.0.  Sometimes 5.1, but no AV receiver is AAC-compatible. 
 
If you don't have an AV receiver, why bother with 5.1 DTS and AC3 sound?  Ok na sa 'yo ang AAC 2.0.  Hindi ka naman pala maselan, e di liitan na rin natin ang video size.  That's why you have the 720p 700MB MP4 with AAC 2.0 audio.   
 
But if you do have an AV receiver, you're going to want AC3 or DTS multichannel sound.  MKV dapat ang container.  Kung maselan ka sa sound, chances are, maselan ka rin sa video quality.  Taasan na rin natin ang video bit rate.  Ang effect, lalaki ang file size ng video.  But your TV will be happy with the video, and your AV receiver will be happy with the audio.  That's why 4.5GB to 16GB MKV files with AC3 or DTS multicahnnel audio are popular.  Because quality audio and quality video go together.   

At iyan ang alamat kung bakit traditionally maliit ang MP4 at malaki ang MKV.
 
May AC3 compatibility na raw ngayon ang MP4?  Too late na, nasanay na ang users sa MKV e.
 

[raptor]

quality difference is not so much of an issue when comparing both as explained by sir Barrister and sir Stagea ... i think it will bear down to which format would become more standard, like the Betamax and VHS comparison ... at this point, although MP4 has more media players and devices supporting it, MKV looks to be the more popular format when it comes to downloadable HD movies ... hence in my case, i have preference on MKV formats ... i do not really manipulate the files such as what sir Barrister explained above, i prefer to just obtain the best quality file available

with regards to the smaller files, it will depend on the compression used ... generally speaking, the smaller files would be more compressed, but would have lesser quality

[≧◉◡◉≦xrampage≧◉◡◉≦]

I am curious though why mp4's are usually smaller in size.  Sir Ivan, baka alam nyo po sagot, please enlighten...

yung raw video kasi brader is encode nila then ilalagay sa container ussualy ang MP4 is not for HDTV it is created for tablet and other MP4 device kaya mas maliit talaga siya and the audio is not like DTS. Ussually AAC lang ang audio na nakalagay.

[barrister]

yung raw video kasi brader is encode nila then ilalagay sa container ussualy ang MP4 is not for HDTV it is created for tablet and other MP4 device kaya mas maliit talaga siya and the audio is not like DTS. Ussually AAC lang ang audio na nakalagay.

Hindi pang pamilya yan, pang-isports lang ...   

[Verbl Kint]

Here's my question. How come XXX movies sourced from Bluray are usually in MKV while small small small X-Arts or Babes or Joymii are usually in MOV or MP4?

Because it is a lot easier to manipulate mkv's, most blu-ray XXX rips are ripped and compressed into mkv containers.

X-art, Babes and Joymii are all streamed content.  Since the target market is online, they choose the mp4 container which has much wider support compared to mkv (thanks to iDevices).

[≧◉◡◉≦xrampage≧◉◡◉≦]

Hindi pang pamilya yan, pang-isports lang ...   

Hehehe panalo Hindi ba pang kapamilya and kapuso brader? 

Because it is a lot easier to manipulate mkv's, most blu-ray XXX rips are ripped and compressed into mkv containers.

X-art, Babes and Joymii are all streamed content.  Since the target market is online, they choose the mp4 container which has much wider support compared to mkv (thanks to iDevices).

Usually ang X-art source is not bluray it's online and most X-art are so small like less than 1GB or more than 1GB. So this can played on tablets or cellphone. 

[barrister]

Usually ang X-art source is not bluray it's online and most X-art are so small like less than 1GB or more than 1GB. So this can played on tablets or cellphone. 

Kita mo na.  Pang-isports nga.   

[Stagea]

May AC3 compatibility na raw ngayon ang MP4?  Too late na, nasanay na ang users sa MKV e.
 

You can put any format into an MP4 file as a private stream. Nauso lang ang AC3 with MP4 kasi supported din ng madaming players like TVs and PS3s.

[barrister]

Thanks for the info. 
 
I've never tried DTS on MP4.  I knew it could be muxed, but I thought players wouldn't play it correctly. 
 
At any rate, wala naman talaga akong MP4 tools, so I couldn't mux it even if I wanted to.
 

[JojoD818]

I will stick with MKV in the meantime, maselan sa audio at video eh...

[joko11]

I will stick with MKV in the meantime, maselan sa audio at video eh...

ayaw mo mag collect x-art?
mp4 container para madali i-play wherever whenever using cellphone