I just need to change the encoding date in an mp4

[carslberg]

Hi
I'm a total video noob as I work in SEO but I need to change the meta data in a video file so that Google will read a recent date.

If I inspect the mp4 files with an application I found (MediaInfo) it shows this

Encoded date : UTC 2011-08-10 22:09:14
Tagged date : UTC 2011-08-10 22:09:14

unfortunately the application only reads the data and won't let me change it

does anyone know of a very simple (and free, if possible) app that can let me update this info without having to re-encode the video files ?

thanks for any help you can give

[Brazil]

Just remux the file, for instance with MP4Box.

[carslberg]

Hi - thanks for your reply

this may be a stupid question, but is remuxing a long process ? I've just tried re-encoding a 300 MB file and it took about 15 mins and I've got a LOT of files to update !

[jman98]

Not it's not long, but if your files are really big, it could take a few minutes. A 300 MB file should remux under a minute unless your computer is slow.

re-encoding != remuxing

You are comparing apples and oranges.

[jagabo]

Remuxing (re multiplexing) is the process of taking the audio and video streams out of a video container and putting them in a new video container. Like taking a cake out of one box and putting it in another. The cake isn't changed and it's much faster than baking a new cake.

A quick remux with ffmpeg will eliminate the date/time metadata. Put this in a batch file and you can drag/drop files onto it:

"g:\program files\ffmpeg\bin\ffmpeg" -i %1 -vcodec copy -acodec copy "%~n1.remux.mp4"

Change the path to ffmpeg to wherever you have the program installed.

[Case]

You could set the Encoded date and Tagged date (both are set with this) to any time you want:
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c copy -map 0 -metadata creation_time="2013-06-21 12:00:00" output.mp4

[carslberg]

so ... there isn't a simple windows-based program with a UI that just lets you open a video file, edit the info and save, huh ? that would be too simple...
I'll try and get my head round that command-line stuff and read up on it if I can find some documentation
thanks for your help

[DB83]

so ... there isn't a simple windows-based program with a UI that just lets you open a video file, edit the info and save, huh ? that would be too simple...
I'll try and get my head round that command-line stuff and read up on it if I can find some documentation
thanks for your help

Avidemux

Video=copy
Audio=copy
format=mp4

[Pumbaa]

I see this thread has been dormant for two years (Two Years to the DAY in fact) but I was wondering where you got with it?
If you look at my other thread

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/372351-Create-Encoded-Date-flag-from-filename

I am sort of having the same problem, mp4box adds a Recorded Date which is correct
BUT, it also adds an Encoded Date and Tagged Date which are always today's date.
I don't quite know enough about this stuff to de-bug it myself.
Did the ffmpeg thing work?

[Budman1]

I am sort of having the same problem, mp4box adds a Recorded Date which is correct
BUT, it also adds an Encoded Date and Tagged Date which are always today's date.
I don't quite know enough about this stuff to de-bug it myself.
Did the ffmpeg thing work?

Just tried it and it copied an mp4 (Manjandani) in seconds to (Output.mp4) with the Encoded and Tagged Date set to yesterdays date as explained in the example above.


Looks like I'll have to add that to my program that does the reciprocal of changing encoded dates to the created dates.
Thanks

[Budman1]

I am sort of having the same problem, mp4box adds a Recorded Date which is correct
BUT, it also adds an Encoded Date and Tagged Date which are always today's date.
I don't quite know enough about this stuff to de-bug it myself.
Did the ffmpeg thing work?

Just tried it and it copied an mp4 (Manjandani) in seconds to (Output.mp4) with the Encoded and Tagged Date set to yesterdays date as explained in the example above.

[Attachment 33265 - Click to enlarge]
[Attachment 33266 - Click to enlarge]

Looks like I'll have to add that to my program that does the reciprocal of changing encoded dates to the created dates.
Thanks


[Attachment 33267 - Click to enlarge]

[Pumbaa]

Thanks Budman1, let me know when you have something to try...

[Budman1]

OOOPS... Please disregard... Wrong thread. This renames files to Encoded/tagged dates and changes rtheir Created/modified dates . It does not change encoded /tagged metadata...will add that function...


Pumbaa, Okay if you'd like to try the latest...

Should drag and drop for source folder, and input files as well. Fixed so UTC works especially in my tiome zone that uses Daylight Savings Time.. It adds this name to a duplicate file I create so I don't take chances with originals but use copies anyway, which is always a good practice. I could add a checkmark that renames or doesn't but haven't yet.

Only known bug now is that if you choose to copy the last accessed time, Microsoft Visual Studios likes to keep the time you changed the others anyway. I don't think anyone needs anyway and if you do there is always 'SetFileDate' and 'SKTimeStamp'.

The example below shows a sample of running and the results:

[Pumbaa]

Didn't seem to work, note the video changed log box is empty, and nothing exported to my temp file...

[Pumbaa]

Okay I put the three files from your zip into my temp folder (where the pictures are) now I get this... it is trying to convert the batch file itself...

[Budman1]

Pumbaa, This program changes Created Date to Encoded or Tagged date. The 3 files should go in a folder somewhere else. The program is set to search the FROM folder files and or any you add to the From list by drag and drop. If you put the EXE in the same folder as the videos, the program will search them for the encoded/tagged dates also.

Also if you have, for instance a file called 1.mp4 in the temp folder. Besides changing and ADDING a file called YYYY-MM-DD HH-MM-SS_1.mp4, it now looks for this file in the folder and changes and ADDS YYYY-MM-DD HH-MM-SS_1YYYY-MM-DD HH-MM-SS_1.mp4. You see it can never catch up.

Put The 3 files from the zip in a folder on your desktop, for instance, and use a separate folder for FROM and one for TO. If you still get the error, let me know and it may be that the video is very large and taking too long to copy before it tries to change the name and dates.

And how did you get the 'video-' in front of the Date and time? My program always adds as a suffix, not in the middle. If I remove my programs date and time, the video files all have the same name. My program does not do this. Also, since you DID include 'Change Date Time Batch.exe' in this folder, it wiill indeed find an encoded date in it and make a file called 'YYY-MM-DD HH-MM-SS_Change Date Time Batch.exe' which is the one it cannot find. Did you change the file names and remove/rename that exe? If you do this you should redrag and drop the FROM folder again to update the FROM list or manually remove the invalid ones by highlighting using the 'Remove Item' button.

RECAP: Separate folder for videos (Only videos you want changed or remove the others from list). A DIFFERENT folder for the NEW files (TO folder). The original 3 program files in a separate program folder.

Let me know what happens.. I am currently working on a version that 3 different threads have asked for:
1. Encoded/Tagged -> Created/Modifed
2. Created/Modifed -> Encoded/Tagged
3. Either above with date time in name.

UPDATE: Link to create encoded from created and created from encoded is:




Update 01-29-2016 Link to new version with manual set and remove function
If you choose Manual check box and do not enter in any date it will remove the original Encoded/Tagged dates.
Rough final test so if you find any errors let me know and USE COPIES OF YOU FAVORITE VIDEOS NOT ORIGINAL to test

[Carman]

Hello,

I just tested your application with all combination of option but cannot change the enoded date.
My encoded date (and tagged date) is incorrect and I want to use modification date as encoded date.

Thanx

[Budman1]

After downloading the link above to be sure it was correct, I set it up like this and show the encoded before:



1. -> means only file modified will be used to set encoded and tagged
2. -> doesn't really matter except to have them checked since the setting mechanism will change both encoded and tagged
3. -> debug will not end any CMD screen so don't use unless you want to see what it did DOS wise
-> Alter original checked will keep same name and alter your Original. DO NOT USE WITHOUT BACKING UP ORIGINALS
4. -> Created to Encoded checked means thats the way you want to move the dates/ times.

This was the end result for me:



Bear in mind, working with slower storage such as USB drives etc. may cause failures since DOS (since about Windows 7) no longer waits for Windows and will go right thru a routine to set 1,2,3 even if 1 isn't complete. That's about the only bug I know of and it is fixable but not easy because it depends on your PC speed, type of drive, etc. Slowing it down program is is the only choice to make it truly universal and hasn't been incorporated into this utility yet.

Also realize the time of 17:59:43 on the file is the SAME as the UTC time on and encoded date of 22:59:43 where I live. This is why I added the manual setting for those who wish to 'DINK' with the time to make it the same, which is not accurate because Media Info posts in UTC time.

[Carman]

ok thanks, it work now.
I think it was that I didn't copy all the file needed

Thank you for your work

[ShadowMan]

Hello everyone, happy new year, I wanted to thank you all for your great input and for the GUI solution offered by @Budman1 (thank you mate) I just wanted to ask the following:

1) Budman1, your link above points to the latest version of your tool, correct? Or is there a newer? I ask as there's no version info on your EXE UI...

2) With latest ffmpeg 3.2.2 in /Windows/ folder, the resulting MP4 file is somewhat greater than original, after the dates are successfully changed inside... any comment? This shouldn't be the case...

3) For the MP4 files converted (from MOV on my cheap action cam) via AviDeMux (so that audio is made AAC from PCM) there is no visible field or text to edit manually in the video file, these tags seem to be encoded or compressed inside the header/video file somehow. This method via ffmpeg seems the only way forward.

Thank you in advance, thanks again Budman1!

[Budman1]

1. Latest version is being posted at https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/373763-Tool-to-batch-rename-video-files-based-on-en...91#post2472191. Thread #34 Latest version will be 1.12.3.6 as soon as I get it uploaded and show in the GUI.

2. MP4 files can be encoded in a couple ways whether they are copied or not. Most of the time it is just the header information being encoded and/or corrected. Also as I have noted in the posting listed above, if the MP4 has Menus, descriptions, subtitles, etc. They do not copy to the new file. Below is a sample of the same file before and after changing that had descriptions embedded in it



3. This data is encoded in the MVHD, TKHD and MDHD 'Atoms' of MP4 (mov) type files. it is a 32 bit data repeated for encoded and tagged but can be changed manually for different parts of the video which is not really practical but can be done:

[ShadowMan]

Hi budman1 and many thanks for providing your latest version!

a) I got a low-cost action cam, and I am converting via AviDeMux the MOV files to MP4 with the following settings:
Video=copy, Audio=convert from PCM to AAC mono 128kbps

b) The resulting MP4 obviously has encoding and other dates inside tagged, as the date AviDeMux was run. So I wanted to use your tool to fix this. Changing 2017 with hex editor to 2016 wasn't an option, the dates don't appear as simple text strings inside (like e.g. in JPG files)

So after I figured out how your tool works...

c) The re-converted MP4 via your tool (and ffmpeg) is larger in size, we are talking more than 1kb;

ActionCam MOV = 150.293.587 bytes
AviDeMux MP4 with AAC mono = 135.965.449 bytes
Using ffmpeg via your tool, MP4 = 136.008.468 bytes

...perhaps re-packaging size differs due to ffmpeg style? (I am using your own one in your zip)

I also notice that the actual file date/stamp (on Windows NTFS) is not changed, despite me ticking the boxes (left side) on your UI. Is this expected?

Many thanks!

[Budman1]

@shadowman Yes the difference in size could well be the version of ffmpeg. I update the version but not regularly because I have been caught where something changes and I have to test EVERY possibility to check. Also, I do not know what version is compiled into avidemux so there could be a difference. Timing data etc. could also be different but the actual video frames should be copied.

The date/time in windows and the date/time in the video (encoded/tagged) are directional. That is, if you check the crt2enc box the result will be:
1. Set the Encoded and Tagged dates to the Created date
UNLESS
2. Modified is checked, with or without created for those who asked to use modified date

Checking the Enc2crt check box will result in:
1. Created/modified (whichever is checked) changed to encoded date in video if it is contained
2. Created/modified (whichever is checked) changed to tagged date in video if it is contained but encoded not contained in video.

Manual is included for 1 video at a time (it will ask if more than one) to set the Encoded date or created date (whichever is checked enc2crt/crt2enc) and then the reverse can be done to change the other direction.

I know this is complicated to some extent, but so far many requests have been made to do many things and I have tried to incorporate them all even the changing original WHICH I DO NOT RECOMMEND unless backups are made. There are many ways ffmpeg will fail to change metadata and created/modified. The setting in an mp4 for example uses 32 bits for the number of seconds since 01/01/1904 but ffmpeg will not allow previous dates to 01/01/1970. MP4 data tracks will not be copied. People asked for copy original so its there with a lot of warnings.

Debug is there to leave the dos windows open to see what the error was that made a video fail. It's not made for a folder with hundreds of videos in it but it was requested in case a video fails and someone wants to hit clear and drag that ONE video to the left input window, check debug and read the ffmpeg output.

It may still have bugs or requests not capable yet but I've tried to make it useful for the many different versions/abilities that were requested.

Budman1

[ShadowMan]

Hi budman1 many thanks for your reply!

So if you've detected the location of the (encoded bytes) dates per the spec of MP4, would it be not easier to hexed those by converting new dates to the needed format?

I am referring to your find of "data is encoded in the MVHD, TKHD and MDHD 'Atoms' of MP4 (mov) type files" which could perhaps be replaced properly by a search-replace loop in compiled code?

I am sure you've thought of the idea and there must be a reason you didn't follow that path, just my 5c

But even with different ffmpeg binaries, repacking the MP4 file for just a date-change, shouldn't really result to such bigger difference as I have noticed, no? Just being curious.

Finally, I checked "Alter originals" to see what happens, and the resulting file was like a portion (in size) not sure what ffmpeg did there. If I repeat it, I will post more info.

Thanks again for your tool & work!!

[Budman1]

So if you've detected the location of the (encoded bytes) dates per the spec of MP4, would it be not easier to hexed those by converting new dates to the needed format?

I actually do this of sorts by running MediaInfo and then searching the results for the Phrases 'Encoded Date' and 'Tagged Date'. MediaInfo output is small, But imagine the people (I'm sure they exist) that have a folder full of MP4's that are Gigabytes long and they each have multiple MVHD, TKHD and MDHD fields (and they can). You would be sitting watching a screen while your regular speed computer searched for 4 bytes in a row, incrementing the GB file 1 byte at a time and then re-searching. It was much easier to have FFMPEG just add metadata in a canned method. Bamm! Done. I am rethinking this however since MP4's have so many types of data streams that cannot be copied, each with their own date fields, such as :

Other #1
ID : 3
Type : Object description
Format : System Core
Codec ID : 2
Duration : 8 s 40 ms
Title :

Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2009-02-19 18:49:05
Tagged date : UTC 2009-02-19 18:49:05
mdhd_Duration : 1000

Other #2
ID : 4
Type : Scene description
Format : System Core
Codec ID : 2
Duration : 8 s 40 ms
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2009-02-19 18:49:05
Tagged date : UTC 2009-02-19 18:49:05
mdhd_Duration : 1000

But even with different ffmpeg binaries, repacking the MP4 file for just a date-change, shouldn't really result to such bigger difference as I have noticed, no? Just being curious.

Finally, I checked "Alter originals" to see what happens, and the resulting file was like a portion (in size) not sure what ffmpeg did there. If I repeat it, I will post more info.

It depends on how the MP4 is structured because the original may have the extra fields or missing timings or 'null' '00' strings from pauses in capture. There are any number of reasons. The fields I have shown above will NOT be included after you do a metadata change because, as I have mentioned above, no stream copy for data type and a message that tells you.

[mp4 @ 00f979a0] Codec for stream 0 does not use global headers but container fo
rmat requires global headers
[mp4 @ 00f979a0] Codec for stream 1 does not use global headers but container fo
rmat requires global headers

and

Data stream encoding not supported yet (only streamcopy)

Another reason I may rethink method for MP4's if there is enough people need or an ongoing reason for those who need.

[JohnJackson]

Hi,

You can try to use MP4Workshop, that you can download for free. It is aimed at setting the internal metadata time and date including the time-zone offset. It will perfectly align you video (and photos) in Google Photos. It can handle single files, but can also edit batches (which is usually the case) by setting the offset for a single file. It can optionally also rename your files to include the date-time in the filename.
And, it does this without re-encoding, so it is fast and no loss of quality.

Greetings, John

[kalemvar1]

is it possible to remove this 2 tag in metadata

Encoded date :
Tagged date :

without re-encoding just remux ?

I've tried ffmpeg but if there's a code line for that, I haven't found it yet

I know that with mp4box I can erase all those extra media info but I would love to keep max bitrate. So erasing "encoded date & Tagged date" only would be the best option

Thanks

[jagabo]

Try:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c copy -map_metadata -1 -fflags +bitexact -flags:v +bitexact -flags:a +bitexact output.mp4

General
Complete name                            : input.mp4
Format                                   : MPEG-4
Format profile                           : Base Media
Codec ID                                 : isom (isom/iso2/avc1/mp41)
File size                                : 5.60 MiB
Duration                                 : 1 min 0 s
Overall bit rate                         : 773 kb/s
Encoded date                             : UTC 2015-01-27 02:55:14
Tagged date                              : UTC 2015-01-27 02:55:14
Writing application                      : Lavf58.45.100

Video
ID                                       : 1
Format                                   : AVC
Format/Info                              : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile                           : High@L3.1
Format settings                          : CABAC / 4 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC                   : Yes
Format settings, Reference frames        : 4 frames
Codec ID                                 : avc1
Codec ID/Info                            : Advanced Video Coding
Duration                                 : 1 min 0 s
Bit rate                                 : 672 kb/s
Width                                    : 1 280 pixels
Height                                   : 720 pixels
Display aspect ratio                     : 16:9
Frame rate mode                          : Constant
Frame rate                               : 30.000 FPS
Standard                                 : NTSC
Color space                              : YUV
Chroma subsampling                       : 4:2:0
Bit depth                                : 8 bits
Scan type                                : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)                       : 0.024
Stream size                              : 4.87 MiB (87%)
Language                                 : English
Encoded date                             : UTC 2015-01-27 02:55:14
Tagged date                              : UTC 2015-01-27 02:55:14
Color range                              : Limited
Color primaries                          : BT.709
Transfer characteristics                 : BT.709
Matrix coefficients                      : BT.709
Codec configuration box                  : avcC

Audio
ID                                       : 2
Format                                   : AAC LC
Format/Info                              : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID                                 : mp4a-40-2
Duration                                 : 1 min 0 s
Bit rate mode                            : Constant
Bit rate                                 : 93.6 kb/s
Channel(s)                               : 2 channels
Channel layout                           : L R
Sampling rate                            : 44.1 kHz
Frame rate                               : 43.066 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode                         : Lossy
Stream size                              : 694 KiB (12%)
Language                                 : English
Default                                  : Yes
Alternate group                          : 1
Encoded date                             : UTC 2015-01-27 02:55:14
Tagged date                              : UTC 2015-01-27 02:55:14

General
Complete name                            : output.mp4
Format                                   : MPEG-4
Format profile                           : Base Media
Codec ID                                 : isom (isom/iso2/avc1/mp41)
File size                                : 5.60 MiB
Duration                                 : 1 min 0 s
Overall bit rate                         : 773 kb/s
Writing application                      : Lavf58.45.100

Video
ID                                       : 1
Format                                   : AVC
Format/Info                              : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile                           : High@L3.1
Format settings                          : CABAC / 4 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC                   : Yes
Format settings, Reference frames        : 4 frames
Codec ID                                 : avc1
Codec ID/Info                            : Advanced Video Coding
Duration                                 : 1 min 0 s
Duration_LastFrame                       : -6 ms
Bit rate                                 : 672 kb/s
Width                                    : 1 280 pixels
Height                                   : 720 pixels
Display aspect ratio                     : 16:9
Frame rate mode                          : Constant
Frame rate                               : 30.000 FPS
Standard                                 : NTSC
Color space                              : YUV
Chroma subsampling                       : 4:2:0
Bit depth                                : 8 bits
Scan type                                : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)                       : 0.024
Stream size                              : 4.87 MiB (87%)
Color range                              : Limited
Color primaries                          : BT.709
Transfer characteristics                 : BT.709
Matrix coefficients                      : BT.709
Codec configuration box                  : avcC

Audio
ID                                       : 2
Format                                   : AAC LC
Format/Info                              : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID                                 : mp4a-40-2
Duration                                 : 1 min 0 s
Bit rate mode                            : Constant
Bit rate                                 : 93.6 kb/s
Channel(s)                               : 2 channels
Channel layout                           : L R
Sampling rate                            : 44.1 kHz
Frame rate                               : 43.066 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode                         : Lossy
Stream size                              : 694 KiB (12%)
Default                                  : Yes
Alternate group                          : 1

[Budman1]

Jagabo's suggested is excellent , as always. Just my two cents of information:

MediaInfo GENERAL encoded and tagged date are storeed in the MVHD atom of the MOOV atom

[Attachment 59608 - Click to enlarge]

'M V H D' 4 bytes long
xxxxxxxx 4 bytes long (leave as is)
C9A0D33C 4 bytes in hex of Encoded equal to number of seconds since 1904/01/01 00:00:00 (UTC 2011-03-12 07:37:32)
C9A224BC 4 bytes in hex of Tagged equal to number of seconds since 1904/01/01 00:00:00 (UTC 2011-03-13 07:37:32)

MediaInfo VIDEO encoded and tagged date are stored in the 1st TKHD atom of the TRAK atom
MediaInfo AUDIOencoded and tagged date are stored in the 2nd TKHD atom of the TRAK atom

[Attachment 59609 - Click to enlarge]

'T K H D' 4 bytes long
xxxxxxxx 4 bytes long (leave as is)
C9A0D33C 4 bytes in hex of Encoded equal to number of seconds since 1904/01/01 00:00:00 (UTC 2011-03-12 07:37:32)
C9A0D33C 4 bytes in hex of Tagged equal to number of seconds since 1904/01/01 00:00:00 (UTC 2011-03-12 07:37:32)

These can actually be reset using a hex editor. Currently I am rewriting my Date/Time utility to make the process faster, more user friendly and buttons for single operation or just check a box and convert automatically. It is currently in Beta testing ATM.


[Attachment 59610 - Click to enlarge]

[kalemvar1]

@jagabo

your ffmpeg code "ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c copy -map_metadata -1 -fflags +bitexact -flags:v +bitexact -flags:a +bitexact output.mp4" indeed erase Encoded & Tagged Data in the output but the max bitrate changed

Original :

Bit rate : 7 732 kb/s
Maximum bit rate : 20.1 Mb/s

Output :

Bit rate : 7 414 kb/s
Maximum bit rate : 7 732 kb/s