The MKV, lile AVI, is a container of video, audio and what not. It may contain a video track, multiple audio tracks, multiple subtitle tracks (w/ or w/o its own fonts).
For more info on MKV check this out.
H.264 is a digital video codec standard which is noted for achieving very high data compression.The intent of the H.264 project was to create a standard that would be capable of providing good video quality at bit rates that are substantially lower than what previous standards would need (e.g., MPEG-2, XVID, DIVX, etc). Both of the major candidate next-generation DVD rival formats (HD-DVD and Blue-ray DVD) planned for product deployment in 2006 include the H.264 High Profile as a mandatory player feature.
For more info on H264 check this out.
Now that we know what everything is, the easiest way to play an HD file is using VLC media player. It contains everything needed to open MKV containers and decode H264 content. No codecs/apps need to be installed. VLC uses X264, and open-source codec. It delivers good quality at good speeds.
For better results, though, it is recommended to use the CoreAVC Video Codec. It costs money, but delivers excelent quality at excelent speed. Other options, such as PowerDVD 7, are also recommended to those who can afford them.
Since VLC uses only the codecs/libs that are built in it, another media player, has to be used in order to use CoreAVC. Recommended players are WMP and MPC.
Since the MKV container is not supported by default in WMP or MPC, external media splitter has to be used. The recommended one is Haali Media Splitter, as it is the most updated one, but there are other alternatives avaible as well.
After installing the splitter and the desired codec, just open the file in the media player. WMP asks a dumb qustion, just check the "Don't ask me again for this extention" and click yes. The file should be playing.
[UPDATE] Another option is to use the CCCP, which is an all-in-one codec pack. It contains a splitter and a codec for H.264 video (probably x264 in some sort). I have not tested that but it has been gested to work fine.
A note on performance: Even though there are very capable codecs out there, a modern PC is needed to be able to fully enjoy the HD experience. for 480p and 720p I'd recommend a 512MB RAM A64 3000+ with a decent video card (R9800/GF-FX and up). For 1080i/p I'd recommend a 1024MB A64 3800+ with a mid-high end video card (X800/GF6600GT and up). Obviously, the higher the specs of the PC are, the smoother the experience would be. At any rate, I'd recommend shutting all background tasks.
Encoding to MPEG2
It is possible to convert MKV files to MPEG2 files, and then auther a DVD out of them. I won't write here how to author, just how to convert. Check out Doom9 for more info on authoring. To convert MKV files, you need all the codecs mentioned above and Tmpgenc 3XP. Start a new project, add the MKV file in "Set Source" tab (you need to select "Show All Files (*.*)" first). Click OK in the "Add clip" dialog. In the "Set Output" tab, click "Add...", and select either DVD (NTSC) or DVD (PAL) to match the source MKV file (usually NTSC). You can also choose XDVD, for better quality but slower encoding. On the side, there a few options. The first, "Aspect Ratio", should allways be "Image 16:9" for the best quality. "Rate control mode" should be "VBR" for best quality on longer movies. Click "Select" to continue. Here, most of the settings should not be touched. Choose the desired DVD format (DVD5, DVD9, etc..) and click "OK". It is recomended for NTSC encodings to set "Video Mode" to "3:2 pulldown playback". For PAL endcodings, "Progressive" is recomended. That should be all. If authoring with IfoEdit, it is recomended to set "Output stream type" to "ES (Video + Audio)", otherwise, "System (Video + Audio)" is fine. Click on the "Encode" tab, select the output dir. and set "Preview frequency" to "No preview" (it slows the encoding). Click "Start output" and wait for it to end. It usually takes 1-3 hours, depending on the PC specs. When done, MPEG2 files will be ready for DVD authoring.
This is the *simplest* way of encoding an HD MKV file to DVD files. Audio quality will be 2.0 MP3 with no subtitles.
gested to work fine.
