Handbreak/Vidcoder problem

[dfisher052]

I've been trying to convert an MKV to MP4 but I end up with an empty file. After conversion I check with VLC and nothing plays. Run a mouse over the file & it says 4.29GB. I check it in MediaInfo and container says 4.30GB but the rest of the info is blank. This has actually happened with all the MKV to MP4 files I've tried. They convert fine in other converters. The reason I need Handbreak or Vidcoder is it's the only one I've found that will let be burn UTF-8 subs and also set the output size to fill a DVD5. Any ideas?

[mike20021969]

Any ideas?

If you have problems with Handbrake, the chances are you'll have the same problem in VidCoder.

Are you using/have you tried the latest versions of either program?

HandBrake-svn5091:
https://build.handbrake.fr/view/Nightlies/job/Windows/

VidCoder 1.4.11 beta:
http://vidcoder.codeplex.com/releases/view/99179

Or try contacting their support forums if you still have problems with the required activity logs:
https://forum.handbrake.fr/viewforum.php?f=11

http://vidcoder.codeplex.com/discussions

[dfisher052]

Handbreak is version 0.9.8
Vidcoder is version 1.3.4 (x64).
I've just deleted them and will use you post to get new versions.

[dfisher052]

Installed latest version of Vidcoder & still doing the same thing.

[dfisher052]

Converting MKV to MKV works in Vidcoder, but MKV to MP4 still does not.

[Hoser Rob]

Can you open one of these input files with mediainfo and post the results?

[dfisher052]

The one that worked or the one that didn't?

[billw6560]

There's one painful reality with mp4 is that the container generally doesn't like to be larger than 4GB. I've converted a lot of HD files (primarily to stream them to my PS3 via Mezzmo), but most devices like the PS3 doesn't support mp4's larger than 4GB. Even in raw conversions, a large mp4 won't play even with VLC.

The file that's larger than 4GB like yours, but it just won't play, period.

For Handbreak / Vidcoder, a movie longer than 2 hours with a reasonable compression rate of ~5000 kbps (18-20 CQ), its usually an mkv conversion. For me personally, I've started to standardize on m2ts, mostly for streaming to my PS3, but also because its native to the BD file format. When I need to use Handbreak/Vidcoder, I'll convert to mkv, than in most cases, use TsMuxer to convert to m2ts (but it doesn't work 100% of the time). See my new post about the very subject.

You can take a movie longer than 2 hours and make it fit in an mp4 file smaller than 4GB, but you'll have to compress it so much that the quality may or may not be acceptable.

[dfisher052]

billw...thanks for the reply. I think you hit the nail on the head. The conversions i've tried have been longer than 4GB, like 4.4GB. When I've checked them after a short time they've been ok, but at the finish nothing is there. It's really no big deal. I've decided that i'll just convert to MKV. All I'm doing is converting 8 & 9GB files down to fit on a DVD5, which is working.

[RandomEngy]

Did you try checking "Large file size" when trying MP4?

[billw6560]

I don't know about all platforms, but ones like the PS3 (and I think iPad also), only like MP4's as a 32-bit file. The large file size option changes it to 64-bit that allows files larger than 4GB, but the PS3 rejects it as an invalid file.