Convert .MKV files for PlayStation 3 using mkv2vob

The mkv2vob is a real Swiss Army knife of video conversion for the Sony PlayStation 3. It is a front-end application for a number of audio and video conversion tools that automates the process of converting Matroska .MKV files into a PS3 compatible format. Unlike tsMuxer, which we have covered in our two recent guides (here and here), the mkv2vob does not require the source file to contain audio and video streams be particular format. In case the audio and video streams are of suitable format, the mkv2vob will just remux the .MKV file into .m2ts, .vob or .mpg file that PS3 can succesfully play. On the other hand if the streams need to transcoded for PS3 the mkv2vob performs these tasks automatically. Read on to learn how to use this excellent tool and get ready to watch high definition content on your PS3 console!

Preconditions

• mkv2vob software. Download from here and install to appropriate folder
• .MKV Matroska video file
• Optionally a matching subtitle file (.srt)

Using mkv2vob

While using tsMuxeR for converting .MKV files for PS3 one may have encountered files that have no audio or video playback, even though the file itself is accepted and the PS3 goes into the video playback mode as expected. In such cases the mkv2vob can solve the problem by transcoding the audio and/or video streams to a compabile format. mkv2vob is a front-end application for txMuxeR, Mencoder, BeSweet and a number of other audio/video conversion tools. It analyzes the files and automatically performs the required actions. It can even encode subtitles to the video stream.

Note on transcoding: Converting audio or video content from a lossy compression format to another always produces degrading in the audio or video quality. In some cases the difference is slight and neglectable, but the impact can also be quite severe, depending on how the conversion process is perfomed and the content itself.

Configuring mkv2vob

Before starting the conversion process, it is important to go through a few configuration options of the mkv2vob. Under the configuration tab you will find a few options to adjust.

• Preferred audio language defines the audio track to be used. If the chosen language audio is not found, the first audio track is used
• Set Video Transcoding to Automatic. Using this setting the mkv2vob will transcode if necessary, but only performs remuxing if the content is already in a usable format
• Choose your Preferred Subtitle Language. If the subtitle language differs from the language of the audio track, the subtitles will be encoded to the video. You can override this setting by forcing the mkv2vob to always encode subtitles. Subtitles can be included from a matching .srt subtitle file.
• File Splitting defines the target file size
• Output File Extension defines the extension of the resulting file. We have used the default .m2ts with success, but mkv2vob help suggests that .mpg would offer most playback compatibility. We have not tested the .mpg however. (Give it a try and post your experiences below!)
• The Transcoding Codec is an important setting as it defines the output quality and encoding speed. MPEG-2 is fast, but produces rather rought results at these bitrates for high definition content. x264 is the slowest, but should produce best quality. XviD (MPEG-4) should be somewhere in between these options in terms of quality and speed.

Starting the conversion

With the configuration set, the actual usage of mkv2vob is very easy and straight forward.

• Choose a Source File to be converted
• Choose a destination directory
• Click Add File to send the file into the processing list, and mkv2vob will immediately start the conversion.

Our example file here has a non-compatible video stream for PS3 usage, so the video needs to be transcoded. The transcoding process can be quite lengthy, especially if you have chosen the x264 codec and you have a lengthy video file so be patient. In case no transcoding needed, the mkv2vob remuxes the .MKV file very quickly - typically in just a few minutes.

After the conversion process has completed, you will have file with the chosen extension (see Configuration) that can be played in the PlayStation 3. Burn the file on a DVD or transport to PS3 using other mediums (USB stick or hard drive) and you are good to go!