transcoding mkv video files with apple compressor

Currently transcoding a huge mkv file to apple prores and the process is taking a while, so I figured I whip up a quick tutorial…

Mkv or matroska video files have been around for a while, and have been the encapsulation format of choice for the hd geeks when it comes to viewing hd.

Mkv is not a codec but a container format, just like avi and mov. movs and avi can contain videos with mpeg compression, etc. anyways, more about container formats here.

Processing mkv files can be cpu-intensive, expecially when the content is encoded hd (which is usually the case).

If you’re on a multi-core mac (or equivalent), here is a simple workaround if you want to speed up mkv transcoding via Compressor  into an editing-friendly codec.

1. You have to be able to play mkv files natively. You need to download Perian, a free Quicktime component add-on that lets you play dozens of the newer formats (codecs) available, including matroska files.
2. Open the mkv file that you want to convert in Quicktime Player and wait for everything to finish caching then save it as a self-contained movie.
   This will then changed the container format from mkv to mov. And no, renaming the file extension will not work.
3. With the encoded video file being in an mov container, you can now take it to Compressor and it will be more responsive.You can speed things up more by using the Apple QMaster trick, but let’s talk about that next time ‘coz my batch just finished rendering.