I recently installed a fresh copy of Windows Vista Ultimate on my media center. Everything has been working great for the most part.

However, I cannot get Media Center to recognize MKV files. I installed the latest version of CCCP (version 16) per directions in previous forum posts on this topic. According to previous posts, CCCP should have set up Windows Media Center to recognize MKV files. The MKV files play just fine in Windows Media Player. Also, if I rename the .mkv extension to .avi, Windows Media Center will find the file and display it in my Video Library.

How can I get Windows Media Center to recognize MKV files? Thanks for any help!

I downloaded a codec called Lazy man's mkv and that works perfectly for me.

zkmusa:

I recently installed a fresh copy of Windows Vista Ultimate on my media center. Everything has been working great for the most part. However, I cannot get Media Center to recognize MKV files. I installed the latest version of CCCP (version 16) per directions in previous forum posts on this topic. According to previous posts, CCCP should have set up Windows Media Center to recognize MKV files. The MKV files play just fine in Windows Media Player. Also, if I rename the .mkv extension to .avi, Windows Media Center will find the file and display it in my Video Library. How can I get Windows Media Center to recognize MKV files? Thanks for any help!

Copy between the lines, paste in Notepad

_______________________________

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.mkv]
"PerceivedType"="video"
"Content Type"="video/mkv"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Multimedia\WMPlayer\Extensions\.mkv]
"Runtime"=dword:00000007
"Permissions"=dword:0000000f
"UserApprovedOwning"="yes"

_________________________________

Save as MKV.REG. Double click on it, add to registry, reboot, when you go back to your videos, your MKV files will show up....I do this myself...

Enjoy !

Thanks so much, Dave! That worked perfectly.

zkmusa:

Thanks so much, Dave! That worked perfectly.

No problem, Glad I could help !

I am experiencing this same issue.  I have the CCCP pack installed and I have done the reg edit and I still am not able to play MKV files in MCE.

I can't play back either.  I get playback in WMP,  Can see the files in Vista MC with the registry edit above--but no playback--says its not a compatible format.

Has anyone figured this out yet?  I am having the same trouble.  I am running vista ultimate 64bit.  I have CCCP installed and reg entry has been added.  I can play mkv in windows media player the files show up in media center but they cannot be played.

For 64bit you need 64bit codecs and drivers. There is one that works for Vista 64bit called VistaCodec Pack and it will allow you to play those videos in VMC.

http://www.start64.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=573&Itemid=72

I'm going by memory here... I quickly gave up on 64bit VMC and installed 32bit because of this issue - but I'm lazy - so YMMV.  That should get you where you want to be.

The reg hack and the cccp files enable me to play mkv files within MC on my PC. Unfortunatly this does not work on my extender (360), is this a known limitation or a config problem?