No voices with .mkv files (2024)

Hi,

Just upgraded to VLC 1.10 The Luggage. When I try running .mkv files, I hear music and background sounds but there are no voices. I've gone through basic and advanced audio settings but nothing seems to help.... Any ideas?

I beta tested 1.1 and had no problem with mkv files with ogg, mp3, acc or flac. Even played one with a pcm soundtrack. Use MediaInfo to find out what sound format the file's using.

Since you are getting some sound, you might want to check that you're using the correct speaker set up in windows.

You might want to check that the speakers are plugged in properly: Thought my right speaker had died, but it turned out I'd accidentaly pulled the speaker plug partially out, so the right speaker sound was coming through the left speaker, and the right speaker wasn't being used at all.

I have a similar problem (no sound on a mkv video). I do not have a problem playing other audio or video files on VLC, so I doubt there is any issue with my speakers, sound settings, etc.

JackBassV - thanks for the suggestion re MediaInfo.

Can anyone please help ?

Here is the MediaInfo output (with apologies that it is rather long):

General
Complete name : /Volumes/TEMP/(9) JDownloader to RESORT/Tony Bennett - An American Classic (2006) BDrip/Tony Bennet - An American Classic_2006.BDRip.720p.nod.mkv
Format : Matroska
File size : 4.27 GiB
Duration : 42mn 31s
Overall bit rate : 14.4 Mbps
Encoded date : UTC 2008-06-09 06:19:11
Writing application : mkvmerge v2.2.0 ('Turn It On Again') built on Mar 4 2008 12:58:26
Writing library : libebml v0.7.7 + libmatroska v0.8.1

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L5.1
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 5 frames
Muxing mode : Container profile=Unknown@5.1
Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC
Duration : 42mn 31s
Nominal bit rate : 8 807 Kbps
Width : 1 280 pixels
Height : 720 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate : 29.970 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.319
Writing library : x264 core 59 r859M ce13bb6
Encoding settings : cabac=1 / ref=5 / deblock=1:-3:-3 / analyse=0x3:0x133 / me=umh / subme=7 / me-prepass=0 / brdo=1 / mixed_ref=1 / me_range=24 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=1 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=2 / deadzone=21,11 / chroma_qp_offset=0 / threads=6 / nr=0 / decimate=0 / mbaff=0 / fgo=0 / bframes=3 / b_pyramid=1 / b_adapt=1 / b_bias=0 / direct=3 / wpredb=1 / bime=1 / keyint=250 / keyint_min=25 / scenecut=40(pre) / rc=2pass / bitrate=8807 / ratetol=1.0 / rceq='blurCplx^(1-qComp)' / qcomp=1.00 / qpmin=10 / qpmax=51 / qpstep=4 / cplxblur=20.0 / qblur=0.5 / ip_ratio=1.40 / pb_ratio=1.30 / aq=2:1.00
Language : English

Audio #1
ID : 2
Format : WavPack
Codec ID : A_WAVPACK4
Duration : 42mn 31s
Bit rate mode : Variable
Channel(s) : 6 channels
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth : 24 bits

Audio #2
ID : 3
Format : WavPack
Format profile : 4.06
Codec ID : A_WAVPACK4
Duration : 42mn 31s
Bit rate mode : Variable
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth : 24 bits
Encoding settings : -m

VLC_help: Thank you for your reply. Three questions, please:

1. Why do you write "may be"; don't you know? (I am /not/ being snarky, but I thought VLC promotes that it reads this file type?)

2. If that is the problem (the WavPack format), then is there a solution?

3. Last, but perhaps not least: As an alternative, can you suggest a software that would convert this thing to a playable format?

To clarify the question: I spent the last two days looking at products from iSkySoft & others, and all seem to want to convert a 4gb file into less than a 1gb file -- I don't want to lose any video or audio quality in the process. So, if you can help, plese be patient & suggest a software /and/ the "destination" format to preserve the current video's quality.

You can use mkvtoolnix. Install/extract the files. If you're not used to command-line, use MKVExtractGUI* to extract the WavPack stream.
*extract on the same folder as mkvtoolnix

Converting:
Download WavPack binaries here.
Extract wvunpack.exe to the same folder as the audio stream.
Open the command prompt and type (replace "stream" with the proper name):
wvunpack.exe stream.wv

Download FLAC binary here and save again in the same folder.
On command prompt, type:
flac-1.2.1b.exe -8 stream.wav

-8 will activate the strongest compression. If it's taking too long, you may cancel (hit Ctrl+C), reduce to 7, 6, etc. It will increase speed, but the final size will be larger.

Then open mmg.exe (from mkvtoolnix), drag both the mkv file and the flac file to it's window. Untick the WavPack stream and hit Start Muxing.

A note to the developers, I couldn't play a 5.1 WavPack, but a Stereo stream plays fine. FLAC 5.1 works too.

Why do you write "may be"; don't you know? (I am /not/ being snarky, but I thought VLC promotes that it reads this file type?)

Wavpack audio inside MKV is quite rare. Usually people use FLAC or pure (L)PCM. If there would be some kind of problem with the file, VLC would show error dialog, so I am guessing VLC ignores the tracks. If there is some sample file I could test this.

Thanks for the replies all...

Speakers are good and the audio is set up correctly for the speakers/system. I can watch other video formats without sound problems, it's only .mkv that has the issue.

Pulled a copy of MediaInfo, this is what it shows for the .mkv file's audio section:

Audio
ID : 2
Format : DTS
Format/Info : Digital Theater Systems
Codec ID : A_DTS
Duration : 1h 26mn
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 1 510 Kbps
Channel(s) : 6 channels
Channel positions : Front: L C R, Side: L R, LFE
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth : 24 bits
Stream size : 937 MiB (21%)

Ok, found my problem....

Turns out it is a device issue combined with my newb-ness

I went through and started checking other files that work with MediaInfo and noticed they are all flagged as 2-channel. I launched one of those files in VLC, then compared it with the options I had in VLC when I was watching the problematic files. I finally found the section under Audio -> Audio devices where on the file it works it only shows Stereo/Mono as option where the file that doesn't shows 5.1/2 front 2 rear/Stereo/Mono... I reset the option there to Stereo and it worked find. Looks like VLC is using the highest audio setting the file can support vs. what the system can support. Now that I know, I'll be sure to reset the option.

Thanks all.