# MKV format, nobody fucking cares! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 21, 2012, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkv-format-nobody-fucking-cares/635363 "2012-09-21T07:33:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkv-format-nobody-fucking-cares/635363/41 "2015-06-22T13:48:35Z")
By your in admission you went el cheapo for most of your gear. Maybe it’s time to take a step forward? Spend a little money and save yourself the aggravation! Upgrade to a player that will accommodate the new format. It’s the easy way. (Don’t be afraid!) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkv-format-nobody-fucking-cares/635363/42 "2015-06-22T13:56:16Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Why are quoted **Charlie Wayne** posts showing him as **Lazlo Hapsburg**? Is this some sort of inadvertent sock outing? Because he changed his user name and vBulletin doesn’t automatically update quotes if they are formatted a certain way. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkv-format-nobody-fucking-cares/635363/43 "2015-06-22T14:38:35Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > The pirate/vidhacker community loves its exclusivity. It’s a whole world of junior hacker types who think that because they could use a chain of six cranky, difficult, undocumented apps to convert a DVD to a 3-inch SVCD disc, they were godz. Inventing a new format for the real insiders is just part of the game… after all, what fun is it being a realz kracker when anyone who can download a nearly commercial-grade one-step app can do the same thing? Not only that, the snotnose kids don’t show proper respect to the true pioneers, sitting surrounded by walls of blinking lights and piles of punchcards and whirring tape reels and Jacob’s ladders and cunningly concealed power switches, all of which you invented yourself on a lunch break one day. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkv-format-nobody-fucking-cares/635363/44 "2015-06-22T15:00:27Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Not only that, the snotnose kids don’t show proper respect to the true pioneers, sitting surrounded by walls of blinking lights and piles of punchcards and whirring tape reels and Jacob’s ladders and cunningly concealed power switches, all of which you invented yourself on a lunch break one day. No, it took two full days. I was using professional video tools in the SVCD haX0r days and had many the pointless argument with those who thought it could only be done with the crude, tinker-toy tools being passed around. And I’ve watched one generation after another of such tools go through the cycle of “tinkertoys for genius users” to better and better one-app tools, only to have those kicked aside because - Yes! - some jeenyuss invented a completely new and better file format that happened to need the cave-man tools he and his friends had whomped up, and not the polished tool some Scandihoovian had built from the last generation of sticks and rocks. So yeah, great, I’m sure MKV is just the fuckin’ bees knees… and excludes everyone who isn’t a real HaX0r, yet again. Since I can still go disc-to-disc at a commercial level, I really don’t much care. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkv-format-nobody-fucking-cares/635363/45 "2015-06-22T16:14:19Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Because he changed his user name and vBulletin doesn’t automatically update quotes if they are formatted a certain way. I would expect vBulletin to only update the username on the post as that’s a database reference but any method of quoting a poster I know of uses text strings for the username. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkv-format-nobody-fucking-cares/635363/46 "2015-06-22T17:10:03Z")
I use SMPlayer2 ( it’s being deprecated by the developers in favour of their inferior MPV player ): this is a front for Mplayer. I _can_ also use VLC, Kplayer, Dragon, Mplayer, the original SMPlayer, Kaffeine, Totem etc. most of which aren’t nearly as good as SMPLayer2 — but will all play something — and there are many other players, mostly as free as these. However the point is that they just play any format, so I don’t really _care_ what format a video is in. It doesn’t matter. MKV seems better quality, but I’m not going to care or probably notice if it’s an AVI. AVIs just seem less used now, possibly because they are part of that Old-Time Era Computing and Internet Hand-Cranked Windows-Driven AOL-Provided Flat Boaters and Suspenders with Extra-Waxed Moustaches Technology. Generally, the format should not determine use. Most player formats are Open Source. Unless one format actively _hinders_ replay, why would one think about what format it is ? ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkv-format-nobody-fucking-cares/635363/47 "2015-06-24T03:33:33Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > Unless one format actively _hinders_ replay, why would one think about what format it is ? Because, sir, there are lawns in this country! Green lawns. Pristine lawns. And upon some of them, a stranger stands. ---
**Author:** ![spinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@spinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spinky)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkv-format-nobody-fucking-cares/635363/48 "2015-06-24T06:48:26Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > So yeah, great, I’m sure MKV is just the fuckin’ bees knees… and excludes everyone who isn’t a real HaX0r, yet again. Did you compose this post in 2012 and just now hit the submit button? Because that’s the only explanation I can think of. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkv-format-nobody-fucking-cares/635363/49 "2015-06-24T12:36:24Z")
> [@spinky](#): > > Did you compose this post in 2012 and just now hit the submit button? Because that’s the only explanation I can think of. I’m guessing he doesn’t think of MKV as an über-format. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkv-format-nobody-fucking-cares/635363/50 "2015-06-24T13:15:20Z")
Whachootalkinboutwillis? [MKBHD](https://www.youtube.com/user/marquesbrownlee)makes awesome videos. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkv-format-nobody-fucking-cares/635363/51 "2015-06-24T15:25:36Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > No, it took two full days. Fucking amateur. I pulled that shit off one morning before work while I was brushing my teeth. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkv-format-nobody-fucking-cares/635363/52 "2015-06-24T20:18:00Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > So yeah, great, I’m sure MKV is just the fuckin’ bees knees… and excludes everyone who isn’t a real HaX0r, yet again. If you want to rant about not understanding something, that’s fine. But you put on a pretense of knowing these things and then dismissing them. But you really, really, REALLY haven’t got the beginning of a clue what you’re ranting about here. You’re coming off as a neo-luddite, stuck with Real Audio files from '97 and whining that your new Blackberry will only play MP3s. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkv-format-nobody-fucking-cares/635363/53 "2015-06-24T20:19:41Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > Fucking amateur. I pulled that shit off one morning before work while I was brushing my teeth. Now I _know_ you’re lying. ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2015, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkv-format-nobody-fucking-cares/635363/54 "2015-06-25T03:06:43Z")
[Amateur Barbarian cursing those long-haired open source hippy wiz kids](http://i.imgur.com/bTSLGb4.jpg) upon discovering that Open Office couldn’t open his VisiCalc spreadsheet from 1979. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2015, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkv-format-nobody-fucking-cares/635363/55 "2015-06-25T03:25:19Z")
> [@Charlie\_Tan](#): > > If you want to rant about not understanding something, that’s fine. But you put on a pretense of knowing these things and then dismissing them. But you really, really, REALLY haven’t got the beginning of a clue what you’re ranting about here. You’re coming off as a neo-luddite, stuck with Real Audio files from '97 and whining that your new Blackberry will only play MP3s. Vintage video codecs are like fine wines, they bring out the snobs. “Ahhh, a 2001 Sorenson. Such a beautiful nose, with notes of oaky nuts and a lossy finish…” ---
**Author:** ![Mithras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mithras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mithras)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2015, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkv-format-nobody-fucking-cares/635363/56 "2015-06-25T13:18:46Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > Vintage video codecs are like fine wines, they bring out the snobs. > > “Ahhh, a 2001 Sorenson. Such a beautiful nose, with notes of oaky nuts and a lossy finish…” Fucking Sorenson. I (or a system I put together) do a fair amount of encoding at work and for a while every source video that was causing us problems was a goddamned Sorenson. From 2012. And screw MKV. I watch everything in [wc3movie](http://multimedia.cx/wc3movie.txt) format. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2015, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkv-format-nobody-fucking-cares/635363/57 "2015-06-25T15:25:49Z")
> [@Baboonanza](#): > > MKV containers allow nice things such as embedded subtitles and multiple audio tracks among other things. is this important to anyone aside from anime dorks? ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2015, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkv-format-nobody-fucking-cares/635363/58 "2015-06-25T15:59:44Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > is this important to anyone aside from anime dorks? Sure. There’s also those of us who are foreign film dorks. Who doesn’t like Japanese zombie films? ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2015, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkv-format-nobody-fucking-cares/635363/59 "2015-06-27T03:32:14Z")
1. I like MKV all right. 2. It’s not like VLC is expensive, or even non-free. 3. Why are you freaking out at file-sharers, anyway? You just really want an illicit download in AVI? Start your own torrent, boy. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2015, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkv-format-nobody-fucking-cares/635363/60 "2015-06-27T06:10:35Z")
Just like before, there are usually AVI torrents for use on older devices that only support AVI. They just come out after the MKV ones. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkv-format-nobody-fucking-cares/635363.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkv-format-nobody-fucking-cares/635363.md?page=4)