I am just wanting to confirm something before I start my process of converting all my ISO files I did for XBMC way back when. I plan to be basically in the Apple ecosystem since we have iPhones, iPads and have order the new Apple TV 4K. As I understand it, the biggest difference in converting to MKV vs MP4 is the playback. Both have the same quality but as I understand it, if Plex encounters a MKV file and is sending it to the Apple world, it will trans code it as it goes to MP4. Thus, possibly adding to the potential lag, as apposed to if it encounters a MP4 file, there is no trans coding. Is my understanding correct?
Apple TV can direct play nearly everything in mkv: vc1, 264, 265, mpeg2. The only issue is audio like TrueHD but even then it’ll direct stream and just convert audio. Image subtitles will also direct play.
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That’s not entirely correct.
MKV and MP4 are containers for various media formats – MP4 is more limited in what media streams/tracks are supported. You will e.g. most of the time not be able to transfer the media as-is from a Blu-Ray image to an MP4 file (e.g. due to DTS audio or image based subtitles).
The current generation apps for tvOS and iOS are quite powerful in what media they’re able to handle. I’m e.g. regularly watching MKVs with image based subtitles which require transcoding on other platforms – those work just fine on my Apple TV (no matter if they’re in a mp4 or MKV container).
The biggest downside you might experience is the lack of native support for the newer generation high-quality audio formats (e.g. DTS:X).
I suggest you give MakeMKV a try to do a full remux of your files, keeping the main media and whatever extras you want to keep in Plex. If they’re giving you a hard time you can still transcode them to a more compatible format (e.g. using Handbrake).
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