Please Help! Muxing for Itunes

[FaiT]

I have spent days attempting this and I am fed up enough to simply beg the help of the community. I use handbrake to encode my videos but the audio encoder present (faac) is sub par to nero. So I encode the video, Closed Captions, and Chapters with Handbrake and the audio with nero through megui.

My Problem is thus: I Need to mux the video file with multiple audio files such that it is itunes compatible.

I have tried Many gui's over the past couple of days and experimented with the MP4box CLI to no avail. Quicktime will do what I want in an .mov file but I need an .mp4 or .m4v. Both quicktime and MP4Box will only give me a single audio track as output. MP4Muxer gives me both tracks (audio and commentary) but they play simultaneously in Itunes.

I've read that MP4Box is capable of this but I haven't been able to acomplish it. A simple guide (or extensive if you're feeling generous) would set my world right, however any help, tips, advice, or links would be appreciated.

[Baldrick]

Try a mp4box gui like mymp4boxgui or yamb.

[aedipuss]

[edit] sorry didn't read the op's post well enough

[FaiT]

Wow, thanks for the quick responses but I've tried both, either I'm doing something wrong (probable) or I need to use the CLI or another program. Any advice is, of course, welcome.

[bat999]

or I need to use the CLI .

Hi
If you use MP4Box from CLI the command is like this:-

MP4Box -add video.mp4 -add sound1.aac -add sound2.aac output.mp4

Test it with a short clip first to see if the result is itunes compatible.

[FaiT]

Thank You. I will try now but I've already tried some thing similar (add -new) and it didnt work. Testing now and will report the results. Again, Thank You for showing an interest to help me.

Exact CLI "mp4box -add video.mp4 -add audio1.m4a -add audio2.m4a output.mp4"

[FaiT]

The result played in VLC with only one audio track (the first one). It froze itunes when I tried to add it. My video file is h.264 and my audio tracks are 80kbs ABR AAC-HE (SBR).

[FaiT]

Something interesting, it may have only played one audio track but the file size indicates that it contains both.

[bat999]

it may have only played one audio track but the file size indicates that it contains both.

VLC > Tools > Codec Information > Codec Details
Will show you what's inside the file.
Also MediaInfo program.

[FaiT]

VLC indicated it had only one audio stream

mediainfo said this:

General
Complete name : C:\Users\FaiT\MP4Box\output.m4v
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media
Codec ID : isom
File size : 937 MiB
Duration : 1h 44mn
Overall bit rate : 1 256 Kbps
Encoded date : UTC 2011-03-23 22:21:51
Tagged date : UTC 2011-03-23 22:21:51

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L3.1
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 11 frames
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 1h 44mn
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 1 090 Kbps
Maximum bit rate : 12.0 Mbps
Width : 720 pixels
Height : 368 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 2.35:1
Frame rate mode : Variable
Frame rate : 23.953 fps
Minimum frame rate : 3.112 fps
Maximum frame rate : 227.848 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.172
Stream size : 814 MiB (87%)
Writing library : x264 core 114
Encoding settings : cabac=1 / ref=11 / deblock=1:0:0 / analyse=0x3:0x133 / me=tesa / subme=10 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.00:0.15 / mixed_ref=0 / me_range=24 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=2 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=-3 / threads=6 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=16 / b_pyramid=2 / b_adapt=2 / b_bias=0 / direct=3 / weightb=0 / open_gop=0 / weightp=2 / keyint=240 / keyint_min=24 / scenecut=40 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=40 / rc=crf / mbtree=1 / crf=18.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=3 / qpmax=69 / qpstep=4 / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=1:1.00
Encoded date : UTC 2011-03-21 07:03:30
Tagged date : UTC 2011-03-23 22:23:02
Color primaries : BT.601-6 525, BT.1358 525, BT.1700 NTSC, SMPTE 170M
Transfer characteristics : BT.709-5, BT.1361
Matrix coefficients : BT.601-6 525, BT.1358 525, BT.1700 NTSC, SMPTE 170M

Audio #1
ID : 2
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile : HE-AAC / LC
Codec ID : 40
Duration : 1h 44mn
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 80.0 Kbps
Maximum bit rate : 112 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz / 24.0 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 59.7 MiB (6%)
Encoded date : UTC 2011-03-23 22:22:59
Tagged date : UTC 2011-03-23 22:23:02

Audio #2
ID : 3
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile : HE-AAC / LC
Codec ID : 40
Duration : 1h 44mn
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 80.0 Kbps
Maximum bit rate : 98.6 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz / 24.0 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 59.7 MiB (6%)
Encoded date : UTC 2011-03-23 22:23:00
Tagged date : UTC 2011-03-23 22:23:02

But Vlc will only recognize the first audio stream and itunes freezes when it tries to add it.

[bat999]

I believe MediaInfo.
Make sure you're using an up to date VLC.

[FaiT]

Thanks but the point is moot, even if it did play in vlc I need it to play in Itunes (ipod) and it freezes itunes when I try to import it.

[FaiT]

Just tried this on another computer in case it was something local and the results were the same.

[FaiT]

Ok, Bat999, you were right about vlc. I switched to media player classic and it does recognize the audio which leads me to believe that the files I have been making this whole time have been fine. It won't add to Itunes but I suspect it could be because my video is too complex (ref frames might be too high) so Im gonna experiment.

I continue to welcome any insight or experience anyone here might have or any guides or links to guides on the subject. My continued apreciation to you all .

[aedipuss]

make sure your level is 3.1 and profile is main.

[FaiT]

SOLVED! Thanks Everyone for your help. It was my fault the video wouldn't add to ITunes as for the audio this http://sourceforge.net/projects/gpac/forums/forum/287547/topic/2345177 will tell you everything you need to know (In case you're a lurker with the same problem) Basically Itunes requires you define the audio alternate group and that you disable all but the main track by default so a video with two audio tracks would look like this

mp4box -add video.m4v:lang=en -add audio1.m4a:group=1:lang=en:name="Dolby Surround" -add audio2.m4a:disable:group1:lang=en:name="Director's Commentary" output.m4v

"name=X" doesn't seem to work in Itunes but I thought I'd leave it in anyway since some players do read it (just not my ipod ).

If anyone could show me how to add language names to the audio streams, such that when I select them in my player it shows English, French, etc..., It would be much appreciated .

[autodidact]

Perhaps this?

-name trackID=NAME : sets track handler name. Handler name is sometimes used to identify the track content (for example, audio language).

Source:http://gpac.wp.institut-telecom.fr/mp4box/mp4box-documentation/

[FaiT]

Thank You for posting! I tried that and Itunes won't recognize it. media player classic and mediainfo will but not Itunes. If anyone knows how to get Itunes to recognize track names with mp4box or any other program please let me know.