Free program to merge mp4 & wmv video files with chapters?

[kcwebbah]

Hello, I'm new here so I apologize in advance if this has been answered before (I did a fairly extensive search and could not find anything though). I'm looking for a free program to help me merge mp4 and/or wmv files into a single video file with chapter markers.

I edited 7 home movies into wmv files (using Windows Live Movie Maker). I want to convert these to mp4 (so I can play on my ipad). I want to find a way to combine the 7 videos into 1 file (with 7 chapter markers so I can jump to the video I want).

I understand that this may be a two step process and require two programs:
1) merge the videos with chapter markers
2) convert video to mp4 (I know for this step I can use Handbrake or Any Video Converter)

Thanks!!!

[hech54]

You obviously didn't search the RULES where it says NOT to cross-post(post the same damn thing all over the forum).
https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/72386-Forum-rules-Acceptable-Use-Policy-%28AUP%29?

[kcwebbah]

I'm very sorry I did not see that. I wasn't sure which category to post it under. Do you have a suggestion? I can delete the other postings if that helps.

[johns0]

Thread closed please,continue in your other thread.

[Baldrick]

I removed the two other threads instead. OPening this one.

[Baldrick]

Load all wmvs in freemake video converter. Select join at top right. Select to ipad/mp4 and convert.

I have NO idea how to make chapters for mp4 though.

[kcwebbah]

Thanks for the suggestion and I apologize again for posting in several different forums. I downloaded Freemake Video Converter. I was able to join the videos as directed. However, there were no chapter breaks. Is there any way to add chapter breaks for each individual video? Either as a wmv or mp4 file would be fine. Thanks.

[Cornucopia]

The thing to remember about MP4 is that it is a subset/fork/child of MOV. Many/some of the features of MOV are available to MP4. I haven't tested this, but I would make an educated guess that it (MP4) supports Chapters in the same way MOV does (and likely, it uses the same format for chapter as MOV). In fact, I would venture that one of the best tools for adding chapters to MP4 is QuicktimePro, which allows you to edit MOV (and also MP4) and explicitly works with Chapters (with many tutorials out there to help with this tool & method).

However, even if getting chapters into MP4 is successful, there is player (hardware or software) support & compliance for MP4 chapters. That's a big UNKNOWN.

WMV is supposed to allow index markers, similar to chapters, but in the same way, I couldn't be sure that many players fully support it (I would assume that WMP does correctly though).

Another possible way of getting all this to work would be to NOT join your files, but instead create a playlist metafile. The files will play in the designated order and allow for "chapter skipping" (though it is more like title skipping) but you don't have to do anything to the files themselves - in fact, you can even have differing kinds of formats among the titles.

Of course, the same problem with player support holds true here. Hardware could be hit or miss. Software is probably bound to work, as long as you've picked the correct/appropriate playlist file format (and internal syntax).

Scott

[kcwebbah]

Thank you for the advice! I have been playing around with QT Pro and it does seem to have the features I need. I first converted the WMV files to M4V and brought them into QT Pro. Once I merged all the M4V files together I can add chapters. I am still working out the bugs with adding chapters but I think I'm on the right track!