What tool(s) for MP4 to MKV conversion with no reencoding?

[zdvd]

I have a bunch of MP4s I need to move to MKV containers. I don't want to reencode the video or audio streams. MakeMKV would work if it supported MP4 as an input file but it doesn't. Any recommendations on what to use?

[Baldrick]

Try MKvmergegui (included in Mkvtoolnix ). MakeMKV wont work.

[zdvd]

That sort of works. It does the conversion without the reencoding but I get a really bad strobing effect on playback of the resulting MKV which is not present in the source MP4 and is not present in MKVs I produce with MakeMKV. Any idea what that is?

[Baldrick]

You might have to set the framerate manually in mkvmerge. Check under format specific options.

Or you can try avidemux, open mp4, under video and audio choose copy, save as new mkv.

[jagabo]

That's probably a player issue. Try a different media player.

[chrchr]

Perhaps theese:
Yamb (video raw format), foobar2000 (AAC to WAV), eac3to (WAV to AC-3), mkvmerge GUI

[poisondeathray]

what kind of mp4? use mediainfo

[zdvd]

You might have to set the framerate manually in mkvmerge. Check under format specific options.

Or you can try avidemux, open mp4, under video and audio choose copy, save as new mkv.

Avidemux gives me a file without the strobing effect. So I guess that is an option. Though I would rather use Mkvmerge if I could get decent output. Any idea what kind of option(s) I might have to add in Mkvmerge to get rid of the strobing? Right now I am not adding any command line options.

[zdvd]

It was the framerate. It looks like Mkvmerge was writing it out at 29.??? instead of 23.???fps. I was able to fix it by manuall setting the FPS to 24000/1001. Thanks.

[zdvd]

I guess that is still not going to work... the audio is all out of sync now. Also looks like avidemux (which is outputting to the correct framerate at least) is losing sync on audio.

This is a sample input file:

Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media / Version 2
Codec ID : mp42
File size : 976 MiB
Duration : 1h 42mn
Overall bit rate : 1 334 Kbps
Encoded date : UTC 2010-01-26 01:09:25
Tagged date : UTC 2010-01-26 01:58:04
Writing application : HandBrake 0.9.4 2009112300

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : Main@L3.0
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 2 frames
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 1h 42mn
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 1 169 Kbps
Width : 720 pixels
Height : 464 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Variable
Frame rate : 23.976 fps
Minimum frame rate : 14.985 fps
Maximum frame rate : 29.970 fps
Resolution : 8 bits
Colorimetry : 4:2:0
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.146
Stream size : 855 MiB (88%)
Writing library : x264 core 79
Encoding settings : cabac=1 / ref=2 / deblock=1:0:0 / analyse=0x1:0x111 / me=hex / subme=6 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.0:0.0 / mixed_ref=0 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=0 / 8x8dct=0 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / chroma_qp_offset=-2 / threads=3 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / mbaff=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=2 / b_pyramid=0 / b_adapt=1 / b_bias=0 / direct=1 / wpredb=0 / wpredp=2 / keyint=240 / keyint_min=24 / scenecut=40 / rc_lookahead=40 / rc=crf / mbtree=1 / crf=20.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=10 / qpmax=51 / qpstep=4 / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=1:1.00
Encoded date : UTC 2010-01-26 01:09:25
Tagged date : UTC 2010-01-26 01:58:04
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
ID : 2
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format version : Version 4
Format profile : LC
Format settings, SBR : No
Codec ID : 40
Duration : 1h 42mn
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 160 Kbps
Maximum bit rate : 245 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Stream size : 117 MiB (12%)
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2010-01-26 01:09:25
Tagged date : UTC 2010-01-26 01:58:04

Text
ID : 3
Format : Apple text
Codec ID : text
Duration : 1h 42mn
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 1 bps
Stream size : 759 Bytes (0%)
Encoded date : UTC 2010-01-26 01:09:25
Tagged date : UTC 2010-01-26 01:58:04

[guns1inger]

Xvid4PSP (5.3x version) with Audio and Video in Copy mode. Select MKV as target and away you go.

[poisondeathray]

It's VFR = variable frame rate

You need to mux with timecodes, or it will never be in sync

[zdvd]

It's VFR = variable frame rate

You need to mux with timecodes, or it will never be in sync

I see there is an option with mkvmerge to pass in a text file with timecodes in it but how would I generate that file off my existing video file?

[chrchr]

It's VFR = variable frame rate

You need to mux with timecodes, or it will never be in sync

I see there is an option with mkvmerge to pass in a text file with timecodes in it but how would I generate that file off my existing video file?

mkvmerge needs a video and an audio for input.
Why you don't try Yamb? (Extract the video from the "mp4")
YOU asked for no reencoding!!!
The audio has to be different than AAC for "MKV"
In "format specific options" from mkvmerge type the FPS from the mp4.

[poisondeathray]

It's VFR = variable frame rate

You need to mux with timecodes, or it will never be in sync

I see there is an option with mkvmerge to pass in a text file with timecodes in it but how would I generate that file off my existing video file?

you can use ffmpegsource2 with avisynth to generate timecodes from the .mp4

[FrozenInferno]

It's VFR = variable frame rate

You need to mux with timecodes, or it will never be in sync

I see there is an option with mkvmerge to pass in a text file with timecodes in it but how would I generate that file off my existing video file?

you can use ffmpegsource2 with avisynth to generate timecodes from the .mp4

Could you elaborate on how to do this, or point me to somewhere with an explanation?

[Gavino]

you can use ffmpegsource2 with avisynth to generate timecodes from the .mp4

Could you elaborate on how to do this, or point me to somewhere with an explanation?

ffmpegsource2("myvid.mp4", timecodes="blah.txt")

[FrozenInferno]

What would I run that through?

[FrozenInferno]

What would I run that through?

??

[jagabo]

Open it an anything that can open AviSynth scripts -- VirtualDub, a media player, etc. It will generate a timecode file -- "blah.txt".

[FrozenInferno]

How exactly would I go about using the ffmpegsource plugin? The website gives me an archive file with a dll and an executable. What do I do with these? How do I install/call on them?

[Gavino]

Have you already installed Avisynth? If not, do that first.

Then copy the ffms2.dll into the Avisynth plugins folder (default location C:\Program Files\Avisynth 2.5\Plugins).
You don't need the executable (ffindex.exe), but there should also be a file ffms2.avsi, which should be copied into the plugins folder.

You need to create a script - a text file containing the line
ffmpegsource2("myvid.mp4", timecodes="blah.txt")
(changing "myvid" to the name of your file)
Rename this file with a .avs extension and you're good to go - as jagabo says, just open it in any application that can process Avisynth scripts.

[FrozenInferno]

Ok, I extracted a timecode from an mp4 file with VFR, muxed it in with mkvmerge, and it now seems to show up with a constant frame rate in MediaInfo. Thing is though, when I open the new mkv file with Avidemux, it seems unable to decode it (MPC plays it fine). I just get a solid green frame and I can't move the slider.

[sum_guy]

I'd give Freemake a shot...

[remon]

the solution to your problem is MP42MKVac3

[somespirit]

demux input file with Yamb (mp4Box) then mux video and audio file to mkv with mkvmerge gui

[wuwearin]

the solution to your problem is MP42MKVac3

I set up an account just to thank you!!!! this worked awsome for me... been trying to do just this for months thank you very much. ok... actually.. after two successful container changes, it just stopped working!!! any idea?

[Megalev]

Same here, this worked twice.. Any further input (apologies for being seriously lazy)

[electronicsguy]

It works for some mp4 but not for others. Can't see the error message when it fails since the cmd window closes too fast

[jagabo]

Put "pause" on the next line. That will keep the window open until you press a key.