"Cutting" a clip from an MKV file

[izx]

I'm trying to extract a 30s clip from an MKV file (XVID video, AC3 audio, Vobsub/Text/Text subtitles). Vdubmod doesn't work (because of the new lacing/non-text subs), and the Matroska Stream Editor sort of works...but it takes an awfully long time to parse the file, and doesn't seem to correctly cut keyframes, so that the first 1-2 seconds the video is corrupted.

Is there an easier way to do this?

[Griniaris]

Can't you use mkvmerge and choose to split the output and select as much of it as you like...?

[izx]

You mean set mkvmerge to split, for example, at each 1 minute boundary, and then extract the avi/audio from the segments I want?

The only problem there (or with just extracting the whole damn avi/audio tracks) is that it needs as much space as the source file on my HD -- and when the source is 2.5GB...

[Griniaris]

You did not say anything about extracting video or audio (not that you cant do it...) I thought you just wanted a 30s part of the big file. Using mkvmerge you can set splitting on and choose to split by time and set the amount you want. If you dont have the space available I dont know what you can do. I do not consider a 2.5GB file a large one...