Encoding help

[Un1234l]

So I need to make a Matroska video file size smaller for it to fit onto my DVD (only need to reduce it by 20 MB!) and I come across this post:

http://idforums.net/index.php?showto...dpost&p=801148

I follow all of the steps, but I have questions.

3. Re-Encode the video using reduced quality
4. Re-Encode the audio if you want to a lower quality MP3 or an OGM
5. Remux them back to a MKV file
6. Test the final product (keeping the original file safe)
7. If all works well, do your backup

Can anyone help me with those steps?

And if there is a better method, exmpain that method of reducing the MKV size but retaining similar quality?

[TheFluff]

are there any extra audio tracks you don't need? if not, you can always try splitting it by size in mkvmerge, either just split off the last 20mb and hope there's nothing really important there, or split it into two halves and burn it on two different DVD's.

[cyberbeing]

If it's just 20MB, you may want to see if you can have any success overburning the DVD to make it fit.

[Un1234l]

@fluff
I didn't know one could do that... However, I do not wish to cut out any part, for the sake of completion. That is the reason I wish to make the quality lower; enough so that it will fit the DVD.

@cyberbeing
alright, I'll see what will happen.

@Both
I'm burning Vampire Knight (13 episodes) and all I need is 65MB more (not 20! sorry for mistake - i guessed on it)

[Shadow Kira01]

First of all, why would you want to burn matroska files onto a DVD since most dvd players are incompatible with the matroska format to begin with. However, if that is what you want, then:

-Reduce the resolution.
-Reduce the audio bitrate.
-Reduce the video bitrate.

However, no matter which of the above options you choose, the quality will not be the same. To keep it matroska, yet reduced size, you must compromise the quality. However, if you want to keep the quality, then don't use matroska.

[cyberbeing]

Originally Posted by Shadow Minato

why would you want to burn matroska files onto a DVD

Some people like to backup their files on CDs/DVDs or archive them to free up hard drive space. It's not a coincidence the a lot of fansub file sizes (175MB,233MB,350MB,700MB) are still a multiple of CD capacity. You start to see multiples of DVDs capacity now too (172MB, 344MB, etc).

[Un1234l]

I tried overburning. It didn't work.

However, I've learned a few things now. Thanks.

Now I guess I have to find a way to reduce A/V quality (preferably Video)

@Minato
I want to reduce the video quality of the video in the Matroska container. I believe we can extract it and reduce the file size while still retaining similar (but lower) quality.

I just need to find out how to do that, however.

[Shadow Kira01]

Personally, I don't use the matroska encodes, but try this link:

http://www.xs4all.nl/~carlo17/howto/encode.html

I believe this is exactly what you are looking for. It is a guide on how to reduce the overall size of a mkv file without reducing an audio quality, but the video quality will slightly get reduced.

[Un1234l]

Wow thanks Shadow. I skimmed through it a little, and it does seem to be exactly what I'm looking for.

Hopefully I will find the time to follow the steps, and that I will succeed.

[Daiz]

One idea would be learn how to use ordered chapters and split OPs & EDs off from the episodes. That way there will be zero quality loss but you save a notable amount of space.