Problem extracting video from h264 MKV file

[aguelo]

Hi all. recently I downloaded a mkv release of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (maybe some of you may know.... the Hit****'s one)... anyways, I was really excited because it's ripped from the DVD version, so it has scenes not present in the TV release and stuff, and I wanted to make some amv stuff with it.

Here are the .mkv files properties:

Video: H.264/AVC (x264 r614-635), 704x480 Anamorphic (853x480 playback)
Framerate: 23.976/29.970 VFR
Audio: Japanese 2ch Vorbis Q5, ~160 kbit/s
Subtitles: English ASS, English ASS (Simple), English SRT
Source: R2 DVD

I also have to say that I posses and have installed all of the necessary codecs to reproduce all kind of media files, from simple MPEG video to the (not so desirable) rmv.

Now to the problems:

First, I used the MKVEtractGUI app to extract (lol) the video stream; the operation ends successfully, but when I open the video file, it doesn't run, and it appears to have a lenght of 1:21:01, instead of 23:45, the normal duration of the episode. And when I try to import it with Vegas, it can't be opened.

After that I tried to extract the video with VirtualDubMod, but then appears a message with the following message:

MKV: A frame of stream 1 (at 42ms) had only a forward reference (maybe broken) file.
MKV: etcétera...
blah
blah blah
blah blah blah
MKV: ídem 3000+ times
MKV: Subtitle stream (3) contains overlapping subtitles. Some of them may not be kept when editing.
MKV: Subtitle stream (4) contains overlapping subtitles. Some of them may not be kept when editing.
MKV: Subtitle stream (5) contains overlapping subtitles. Some of them may not be kept when editing.
MKV: The video may have a variable framerate. If so we strongly recommend you to use another tool to safely process your file.
Couldn't locate decompressor for format 'ŸŸŸŸ' (unknown). VirtualDub requires a Video for Windows (VFW) compatible codec to decompress video. DirectShow codecs, such as those used by Windows Media Player, are not suitable. Only 'Direct stream copy' is available for this video.

Well, I knew it has VFR, but I tried the 'Direct stream copy' anyways... and I got another error;

The source video stream uses a compression algorythm which is not compatible with AVI files. Direct copy cannot be used with this video stream.

crap! then don't tell me I can use that feature!

Anyways, after that I tried with Avidemux, or something like that.... my PC got so slow that I had to restar it...

Then I tried with AVI-Mux_GUI, but failed again.

After some time and failures, I found this post [link], and I tried VLC Media Player to transcode the extracted video... I tried with any combination possible, but in the end, though I got some "video", it had horrible quality and lots of errors (big squares, lots of noise, pixelated, etc).

Now, I forgot to mention that this "MKV DVD release" has some Matroska playlists (I think they're .mks), and presents some features:

1. Each episode is divided in chapters

2. Non of the episodes has opening: it is actually externalized and is linked with the episode via a Matroska ordered chapter tool. This means that the OP is integrated with the episode timeline, and thus, just one clean Opening is needed. However, this doesn't affect the episode's mkv file.

3. Each matroska playlist file have an obscenely and ridiculously large amount of code lines, and a lot of stuff... but I don't intend to mess with it, however.

Well, I think that this should be enough to provide you with a "complete" panorama of my situation... I thought of downloading the RAW episodes from torrents, but they all are from the TV release, ans thus, not appropiate (the DVD version has some interesting scenes XD). Anyways, I'd really appreciate any help you can provide. I'll be checking this post from time to time til' I-don't-know-when. Cya

[BasharOfTheAges]

Hell, idk... buy the DVDs?

[taifunbrowser]

If you get an h264 out of mkv with mkvextractgui, just delete the h264. its useless.

DirectShowSource the mkv into virtualdubmod, and clip it up into small huffyuv-compressed pieces, like most editors these days still do.

If you really like to edit with whole episodes (like me), you'll find that this and a few other rare formats give you troubles, but hey, go buy the dvd.

by the way, in before the lock for advertising downloaded anime

[aguelo]

@BasharOfTheAges: lol, I wanted to buy 'em, but I don't have enough money right now, I have to wait 3 months til' my next "serious" payment...

@taifunbrowser: srry 'bout the "d/l ad", I didn't intend to make it... I simply forgot the rules (man, it has been almost 2 years since I posted anything serious here XD)

wtf is DirectShowSource? I understand the huffyuv part, but pardon me, I'm not very used to VDubMod

And again, I don't have money right now... though I'm seriously considering to buy the DVDs ASAP.

[taifunbrowser]

wtf is DirectShowSource? I understand the huffyuv part, but pardon me, I'm not very used to VDubMod .

Well, actually, this is one of those rare things you dont have to learn avisynth to use:

IN VDUBMOD, go to file > open with avisynth...

In the filetypes thing, select All Files, and in the mode select "DirectShowSource". Then, find your mkv, and hit ok. It should immediately appear.

Anyway, just save clips then.