windows 8 Playing MKV files in the Windows 8 Video App

[George P Global Moderator]

You would have to write your own player app. WinRT doesn't seem to have a way to share functionality with other apps except by contracts. Microsoft would have to create an MKV container codec for the Xbox Video app and bundle it inside the package.

The Matroska splitter doesn't work because there isn't a way for an app to use regular Win32 DirectShow filters.

So I'm guessing there's no media playback type contract? It sounds like the Xbox video app is much like the zune client software in that regard since it can't play mkv either iirc.

[macmax]

http://x264.nl/

Open source & clean. Get the decoder for x86 or x64 depending on your requirement.

[duydangle]

As the MS blog post on this states....

"During the development of Windows 7 we talked quite a bit about CODEC support natively in Windows and the formats available through extensibility. Since then, the environment around CODECs has consistently moved towards a smaller set of well-defined and broadly-supported formats, particularly h.264 for video. Due to factors such as intellectual property and hardware support, this makes a great deal of sense. Even browsers are making this transition with HTML5. But we also recognize that some individuals have preferred formats for a variety of reasons, and we wanted to make sure Windows 8 app developers could choose to use the formats they prefer. Formats popular among the enthusiast community or with specific developers such as FLAC, MKV, and OGG, can have their own CODECs packaged as part of a Metro style app, since the Windows 8 media platform is highly extensible."

Basically someone needs to write a "metro", or rather, winrt? mkv splitter/codec. Most if not all mkvs are your normal h264 which IS supported by the new media platform. In either case, they're not working for you right now because no codec has been writen to work with the new media platform in metro. The desktop side is the same so any desktop apps will just work like they have been.

Give it some time and someone will port their mkv, flac and even ogg codecs/splitters for the metro video app I bet.

I think that no one has read this post. Metro apps require other ways to work with, so people will have to wait till codecs are written for metro apps.

[Anthonyd]

I think that no one has read this post. Metro apps require other ways to work with, so people will have to wait till codecs are written for metro apps.

To be more precise, you'll have to do an app that can play MKV files, it won't be a codec inside the video app made by MS.

[George P Global Moderator]

To be more precise, you'll have to do an app that can play MKV files, it won't be a codec inside the video app made by MS.

Seems like it, but maybe you can just have the built in player pass mkv playback to the other app, do mkv files not show up in the xbox video app at all?

[Brandon Live Veteran]

Alternatively you can just convert the files to a standard MP4 container.

[patseguin Global Moderator]

I wish that Windows supported MKV's natively so that I could use Windows Media Center if I wanted to. (I use XBMC now)

[ArialBlue]

MKV has more overhead. MP4 is indeed superior.

No clue why, I spend too much time looking at task manager.

[Mackster]

Well, FYI, I was unable to playback any mp4 files in the new Metro video player app, however, the normal Windows Media Player app played it perfectly.

It was a standard mp4 with h264 stream, that also playbacks perfectly in QuickTime Player X.

Have to say that I am pretty tired to still resort to third-party apps and codecs to playback normal video files. And I bet cover art and subtitles still do not work by default in Windows 8. As long as MS goes this route, it's hard to take their OS seriously.

[ArialBlue]

Are you on RTM? If MP4 doesn't play, then surely you are not on RC...

[Brandon Live Veteran]

Are you on RTM? If MP4 doesn't play, then surely you are not on RC...

MP4 is a container format. They're working fine for me with h.264 video (RTM build). But there are probably some more obscure codecs which won't work (at least out of the box).

[George P Global Moderator]

It all depends on the type of h264 encode that was done for that mp4 file. The built in codec is pretty specific in the type/profile it supports. If you move away from that, even if it's still h264 it probably won't play or won't play well.

[BajiRav]

Well, FYI, I was unable to playback any mp4 files in the new Metro video player app, however, the normal Windows Media Player app played it perfectly.

It was a standard mp4 with h264 stream, that also playbacks perfectly in QuickTime Player X.

Have to say that I am pretty tired to still resort to third-party apps and codecs to playback normal video files. And I bet cover art and subtitles still do not work by default in Windows 8. As long as MS goes this route, it's hard to take their OS seriously.

I think if it's a non-standard MP4 (h.264 + mp3 for example), it won't play. I think I have played MP4 (h264 + stereo/5 channel AAC audio) and AVCHD (h264 + ac3) just fine. Most MKVs are just h264+ac3 and if you use something like tsMuxer to convert MKVs to AVCHD (.MTS or .M2TS), they will play fine although you will lose all subtitles track.

[ArialBlue]

MP4 is a container format. They're working fine for me with h.264 video (RTM build). But there are probably some more obscure codecs which won't work (at least out of the box).

Should be rare though I would assume. I mean if someone encodes something and uses Mp4 container, it should imply compatibility. Just like if someone uses an AVI container, you do not expect an h264 video stream. Maybe I am a tad naive here.

[xendrome]

These Codecs seem to work fine for me, http://shark007.net/win8codecs.html

[Piggy]

I'm hoping someone will sort this issue out since RTM is more accessible now.

@xendrome: within the Video app? or in general. I don't care about general playback as that works fine.

[Ryoken]

MKV has more overhead. MP4 is indeed superior.

No clue why, I spend too much time looking at task manager.

If by superior, you mean far more limited, then you are indeed correct..

MKV is probably the best container out there. It supports all, or damn near all audio, video, and subtitle formats, loading of external files (if you use the right splitter.. this means you can encode the intro to a series once, and every episode encode will just call that file when it's needed.. saving space ).. also ordered chapters, meaning you can have more than 1 version of a movie at a time.

MP4 has a lot of limits on formats that can be used in it, it's not nearly as flexible, but it's also not the container of choice for "pirates" and as such, is more widely supported..

[ArialBlue]

If by superior, you mean far more limited, then you are indeed correct..

MKV is probably the best container out there. It supports all, or damn near all audio, video, and subtitle formats, loading of external files (if you use the right splitter.. this means you can encode the intro to a series once, and every episode encode will just call that file when it's needed.. saving space ).. also ordered chapters, meaning you can have more than 1 version of a movie at a time.

MP4 has a lot of limits on formats that can be used in it, it's not nearly as flexible, but it's also not the container of choice for "pirates" and as such, is more widely supported..

Less Overhead

More Compatibility

Can be more assured will play on vanilla Windows install

Satisfactory for most everyone, except pirates

[FiB3R]

"Pirates" are a very discerning crowd, don't you know. Only the best will do.

[Ryoken]

Less Overhead

More Compatibility

Can be more assured will play on vanilla Windows install

Satisfactory for most everyone, except pirates

Overhead.. lol.. Ya it uses an extra 0.5% cpu :p

Everything beyond that is who cares ? The idea that everyone should switch to it because you find it more satisfactory is absurd..

What if I want Chapters ? Subtitles ? FLAC Audio ? DTS ? Any of the HD Audio Formats [ TrueHD, DTS-HD, etc ] ? How about 3D Support since that is getting popular..

How about if I don't want to pay the MPEG-LA for the rights to use it in my hardware ? MP4 is not a "free" container, it's full of patents.

MKV is superior in every single way outside of Native support. Why ? Because pirates use it.. why? Because it's Better.

It's the same reason it took a while to get MP3 support in lots of hardware players, or Xvid/DivX support..

I've encoded or remuxed almost all of my DVD's and Blurays into H264 MKV's.. Best video with best audio, chapters, subtitles if needed. Telling me or anything else to go backward to MP4 is like telling people to go back to AVI, or RM. It's inferior, in almost every way.

And beyond all of that, I don't want MS telling me what formats I am allowed to watch. Didn't they just announce a new H265 format in the works for even better quality and smaller filesize.. OH but you can't use it because MS doesn't allow it's app to use normal codecs the system has, a system that was designed to that ALL programs could have access to and decoders/splitters/etc that you chose to install.

It would be like Microsoft having the favorites folder for IE in your personal folder, only making the Metro IE need a whole new list in a new folder.. it would be nothing but a hassle. Just as this is.

[vcfan]

modern apps use mediafoundation not directshow. all the old codecs are directshow. if there are MF codecs then they will work in modern. and btw windows 8 enterprise doesnt include media foundation,so no media apps work

[George P Global Moderator]

modern apps use mediafoundation not directshow. all the old codecs are directshow. if there are MF codecs then they will work in modern. and btw windows 8 enterprise doesnt include media foundation,so no media apps work

Really? Now that's something I didn't expect, you would think Enterprise version would have everything in it the other ones have.

[BajiRav]

modern apps use mediafoundation not directshow. all the old codecs are directshow. if there are MF codecs then they will work in modern. and btw windows 8 enterprise doesnt include media foundation,so no media apps work

huh, that seems weird!

[FloatingFatMan]

Really? Now that's something I didn't expect, you would think Enterprise version would have everything in it the other ones have.

I guess there's no such thing as a media industry! :p

[lol51312]

Install Codec pack :D