How can I default audio language playback with Matroska files (mkv)?

[trickycdr]

Searched for an answer to an earlier question that was asked and I had been trying to figure out the same thing:

"The audio track can not be selected through its language (as with OGM) but through a sequence number (Audio 1, Audio 2). It's really a detail, but I can imagine that it should not cost too much to fix."

With OGM (OggVorbis) files and Media Player Classic, I can default the player to always playback Japanese audio with English subtitles, as an anime watcher this is a needed feature.

With MKV (matroska) files the audio streams are labeled Audio 1, Audio 2 etc, even when correctly tagged as English and Japanese. The resulting problem is every mkv anime file I open starts playing back in English with English subtitles, or sometimes with all audio streams playing simulatneously, which can be annoying when watching a 26 episode anime.

So my question is (wow I finally got to it), has anyone found a player or a way to default the audio stream for mkv file playback?
I have tried Zoom Player, CorePlayer, BSPLayer, MediaPlayer Classic etc.

Thanks!

A side note: I have tried demuxing the mkv files into seperate streams and putting back together as an ogm file, but keep getting various error messages on some files (no duration length for subtitle, error in video stream etc), so would prefer a mkv solution.

[RathO]

Hi, i've had the same problem...

I mux my files with GraphEdit. EASY and fast! :p

Lets say you have 3 files to mux together: 1 XviD, 2 Vorbis. (for subs i use external idx/subs... Just make sure when you connect your pins to matroska muxer filter, that your video file is connected first, your japanese track and your english track in second and third place.

For the subs to be loaded all the time, i think its a DirectVobSub setting. Just go in ur dvobsub properties General/Loading/Always Load.

Works for me, and i guess its the way to process. :D

Lemme know if im not clear enough.

PS, When i demux files, i also use graphedit....

Regards

[trickycdr]

I was asking about how to playback audio Japanese as the default in a mkv file, not how to enable subtitles by default which as you said is a simple DVobSub setting. I am not having a problem with subtitles.

To be more clear, I have an anime series with 26 episodes in the mkv format, everytime I open an episode, it starts playing audio in English, I want it to play audio in Japanese and so have to select the audio stream 3 (in this particular case). With ogm files the audio streams are correctly labeled English and Japanese, and I can set Japanese as the default audio so that when I open a new ogm file, if there exists an audio Japanese stream it is selected, very nice! But so far I cannot achieve this with mkv files, and am forced to select the audio stream manually every time I open an mkv file.

[RathO]

Are the mkv files muxed by you? if so why put an english audio track first in the muxing process if you want the japanese track by default? :confused:

Fot the subs, nevermind what i said...

[trickycdr]

No the mkv files were not muxed by me, I am currently using the ogm container format for my anime encodes (encoding Inuyasha Season One right now) because of the ability to default to a correctly tagged audio stream.

My current encode method for anime is:
Video -> DvdDecrypter,Dvd2Avi,Avisynth script to deinterlace/ crop/resize 640x480,VirtualDub 2 Pass DivX 5.05 Pro 1050 bitrate
Audio -> BeSweet ac3 to ogg quality 0.400 for english and japanese streams
Subtitles -> Subrip to srt
Muxer -> VirtualDubMod, load video, audios, srt and tag with correct language comment, save as 230mb ogm file.

In MediaPlayer Classic with ogm files, the audio streams for ogm files are labeled if tagged:
English
Japanese
and it does not matter which order the streams were muxed for it to correctly playback the default audio you can set in options.

In MediaPlayer Classic with mkv files (and other media players), the audio streams are labeled even if correctly tagged:
Audio 2
Audio 3

with Audio 2 being selected by default, apparently because it is listed first. I have not found an option in any of the players to default to Audio X, which though is a clumsy workaround, at least would work for an entire 26 episode series.

I have tried adding tags to the mkv file with the "Matroska Shell Extension", but perhaps I am tagging wrong, I read somewhere something about a three digit language code, perhaps that is how it could be done...at this point figured I would ask the Doom9 experts (blatant sucking up attempt)...

[Hiro2k]

I'm actually interested in what your saying. I also have had problems with the tags in Matroska. I don't know what I'm doing wrong and I can't get them to be seen with either muxer for MKV(vdubmod and mkvmerge). Also it would be nice if you could set VobSub to not turn on the subs by default. I know you can tell it not to load on startup, but that means if I want subs that I have to restart the movie. It should still load the filter by deault, but with subs disabled. And it should also keep the setting that were last used so if your watching lets say an Anime series, you don't have to reset your setting on each episode.

[trickycdr]

Hiro2k, well at least I can help you out.

"set VobSub to not turn on the subs by default"

Using Media Player Classic (probably same for other players):

Use "Hide Subtitles" with the DVobSub filter and it remember from episode to episode, use "Show Subtitles" and they are back on while watching. Can right click on the system tray green arrow to access these choice or go into the filter properties.

Also in MediaPlayer classic under options->dvd/ogm you can choose the default audio and subtitle language, which is why it is my preferred player for ogm files.

I have found a workaround for matroska mkv files, I am getting rid of them by converting mkv to ogm. Not that hard to do, I load the mkv in VirtualDubMod, tag the streams correctly, then save as ogm.
Repeat 26 times for 26 episodes...now my episodes correctly play Japanese with English audio by default :)

But, if anyone does have a mkv solution, I am eager to know about it. Until then converting em to ogm.

[multicone]

Did you try the matroska shell extension from jccston already ? Works fine for all sort of tags for me once the files are muxed in mkvmerge with mmg GUI, but i havent tried tagging audio as japanese, sorry :) ...

Latest version is normally here : http://matroska.free.fr/downloads/cdl , jcsston is quite quick with making new improved versions.

[trickycdr]

Yep as mentioned above in one of my posts:

"I have tried adding tags to the mkv file with the "Matroska Shell Extension", but perhaps I am tagging wrong, I read somewhere something about a three digit language code, perhaps that is how it could be done...at this point figured I would ask the Doom9 experts (blatant sucking up attempt)..."

I think it will turn out that the media players themselves will have to correctly display the tag, or perhaps the matroska splitter, as the info is there, the streams are correctly identified as english or japanese, but in the gui interface you only see Audio 2, Audio 3...

I have converted all my mkv files to ogm and they work perfectly, but would rather not have to do the conversion...

[spyder]

You should use mkvmerge and Mosu's list of predifned languages. Just read the docs that come with mkvtoolnix.

[robUx4]

Each audio track has a language. By default it's english unless the encoder specify it. Same goes for subs. So if your file is correctly encoded (with the right language for each track) you should be able to select it from the player. It may be a feature not coded yet in MPC or TCMP, but it will come sooner or later. Also each track can have a fancy name instead of the "Audio 1, Audio 2, etc"... At least the player should display this text instead of the basic one... Again probably a badly encoded file, or a feature not coded yet.

You might to remux your files with mkvmerge (using MMG) and specify the correct parameters for each track.