MKV to X264 for iPod with Hardsubs conversion help

[MousE0910]

Hello,

I need help with converting MKV videos to MP4 iPod format. I don't have any problem converting it in AnyVideoConverter but these MKV vids I need to convert contain ASS subs. I know how to burn subs into AVI or MP4 using VirtualDubMod and AviSynth script but if I extract the MKV files using mkvextract.exe, I get 3 files - The .mp4 vid file, the .ass subs file and .ogg audio file. That's the problem - How do I merge the MP4 and OGG files?

Also, I'd like to ask if it is possible to burn the subs directly from MKV or at least, merge the vid and audio + burn the subs in one step. I have a lot of these vids (around 150) and it would be a pain to manually extract everything, merge the vid+aud, burn the subs and then convert it to iPod.

Thanks for help!

[Baldrick]

Try handbrake, load the mkv, choese the ipod profile, under subtitle load the ass subtitle.

[MousE0910]

Thanks for answer, but I can't load the ass subs. I start Handbrake, load the MKV set the dimensions, bitrate, etc.
Then, I click on the Subtitles tab and click on add. However, it just adds some track to the list and doesn't ask me to add the subs. I can click on "Import SRT" but I need the subs in ASS format. If I were to convert it to SRT, it would lose its format.
What am I doing wrong? It may have something to do with the "Track" input, but it cannot be changed to anything else. The only option I get is "Foreign Audio Search (Bitmap)"
Here are pictures before and after I click on "Add":

Thanks for help again!

[Baldrick]

I missed that you wanted to keep your ass. . Then it wont work with handbrake.


Try avidemux, under filters I think you can load ass subs and keep the ass features.

[MousE0910]

Okay, I tried AviDemux but there's another problem. I load the MKV, change the vid to x264, click on "Filters" and load the ASS filter with the subs. However, when I click on "Preview" the vid plays without any subs in it and when I click on "OK" in the filters dialog, AviDemux freezes and I have to use ALT+F4 to quit it...

Is there some codec or something I am missing? Or is it possible to just drop some AVS script into AviDemux, so I won't have to configure everything in it?
Thanks for reply.

[poisondeathray]

You can use avs scripts in avidemux through avsproxygui , but last time I checked it doesn't feed audio (have to load separately)

For your original question, if you want to mux things like audio into mp4 container, use yamb (mp4box) , or mp4muxer

[MousE0910]

Thanks for tips on the mp4 muxers. I'll try them and see if they work.
But I'll have to extract the mkv, mux the mp4, then burn the subs, then convert...
Could you please post an AVS script for the avidemux to merge the vid+aud & hardsub and tell me how to load the audio in?
I don't really know avisynth script, I only copied the one I use for hardsubbing.
Thanks a lot!

[poisondeathray]

Not sure what the easiest way to do this is , but avidemux probably isn't the best tool. To load audio manually it would in the audio menu at the top

I think the audio is already compliant for ipod ? So no reason to re-encode that ? It would be easier to just do everything, then batching would be easier, but you would lose some audio quality

Maybe use mkvcleaver to batch extract the audio & subs

The generic script might be:

DirectShowSource("video.mkv")
TextSub("subs.ass")

and you could feed that to some encoder , and manually mux the original audio with yamb or mp4muxer

You might be able to use an avs batch scripter to generate the scripts faster for multiple movies

Not sure which to use to make it easier/ batch , or you have to do it one by one

[MousE0910]

Tried YAMB and without success - it says muxing failed, feature not supported in the log.

If I understand what you're saying, you're telling me to just use the MKV file in the AVS script I use for hardsubbing instead of the extracted MP4? I thought that is impossible...
I use this script:

LoadPlugin("C:\Program Files\AviSynth 2.5\plugins\VSFilter.dll")
DirectShowSource("Path to vid")
#deinterlace
#crop
#resize
#denoise
TextSub("Path to subs")

I just drag&drop the AVS script to VirtualDubMod and then I select File -> Save as AVI.
Works flawlessly. Can I use the MKV file in the "path to vid"?

[poisondeathray]

You don't have to specify relative path, if the .avs file is in the same directory as your video, subs

It should work fine, but the .ssa or .ass has to be separate (can't be inside mkv container) , hence the suggestion of mkvcleaver to batch demultiplex them (or you can use mkvextract in command line , maybe make a batch file). You could batch extract the video too, and use DirectShowSource("video.mp4") or whatever was extracted. usually it will be raw video (.avc, .h264, .264) , not in a container, then you can't use that.

Some versions of mp4box have compatibility issues with ipod, some work, I forget which ones. mp4muxer is supposed to be more compatible with apple stuff. Do some quick tests

[MousE0910]

Thanks for info. I always use mkvextract in command line, the GUI sometimes doesn't work properly. However, I don't know how to make a batch file, so I'll try mkvcleaver.
The problem is, that when I extract the MKV I get the mp4 vid without the audio. I accidentaly burned the subs into the vid only to find out that the audio is missing. Then I found out that it is in a separate file with the extension .ogg.

I'll try hardsubbing the MKV in VirtualDubMod using the script. If that doesn't work out, I'll try mp4muxer to merge the mp4 and then hardsub that file. Anyway, thanks for help, I'll post if I have any more problems.

[poisondeathray]

You can always add the audio in later. But that's why I mentioned earlier it would save a couple steps if you just encoded everything (audio , video, subs) in 1 step with the script above, but accept the audio quality loss. It still requires separate sub file, however, I can't think of a way around that

There must be some GUI that someone out there has developed to make this process alot easier and streamlined with queues and batches.... I just cant think of one that does it....

[MousE0910]

Thanks a lot! I used the MKV file in the AVS script and it worked flawlessly!
I'll use MKVcleaver to batch extract the ASS subs, then I create the AVS scripts for each file (that can be a lot work...), then I open each AVS script in VirtualDubMod, save it as avi, but don't run the process immediately. Instead, I'll run the VirtualDubMod hardsubbing in batch mode (Yeah, that's the only thing I know how to do . The last step (also the easiest one) is to convert all the AVIs to MP4s for iPod using AnyVideoConverter. Definitely the easiest way I can think of. The audio quality loss isn't that big. Thanks again!

[poisondeathray]

There maybe some room for improvement...

You can check out the avs batch scripters (they use wildcards for names) , avisynth batch scripter, and a few others I think

Encoding with vdubmod then again with anyvideoconverter seems weird (you lose quality 2 stages, and you waste time encoding 2x instead of 1x)

Doesn't anyvideoconvert accept avs scripts? you could encode directly then in 1 step once you have your .avs scripts lined up

Or use a GUI that does e.g. megui , and queue them up

[MousE0910]

Thanks, I'll definitely try the avisynth batch scripter. I know it's bad to encode it two times but this was the only way I could think of. I don't know if AnyVideoConverter supports avs scripts, I'll have to try but I think it doesn't.
I have tried MeGUI in the past and I had some problems with it so I use VirtualDubMod instead.
I'll post after trying avs scripts with AnyVideoConverter.

[MousE0910]

Wow, amazing! AnyVideoConverter actually does support AviSynth! Thanks for your idea! I'll just use the AVS batch scripter to make the scripts and gat them to AVC! Thanks a lot!