How can I create a 2 sec solid black video clip without a video camera?

[haggis999]

I've hit another problem with the trial version of TAW. It doesn't let me output in anything other than DVD format, which probably explains why my black matte insert mentioned earlier was restricted to 720 x 480.

I have now sent a pre-sales enquiry to TMPGEnc to find out if TAW5 can do the things I want.

David

[smrpix]

After trying your clips in several products, I'm becoming convinced your only realistic option is mkvtoolnix and finding a second or two of matching silent black somewhere within your program.

[haggis999]

After looking a little more closely at TAW, I realised that DVD output was a default setting for the project file, which can only be changed at the time you open a new project. I did just that and changed the default to BDMV. This then let me save a black clip lasting 0.3 sec as an M2TS file. I appended multiple copies of this file in MKVMerge to get a longer lasting MKV black divider file. The only downside is that I have a TETrial logo in the top right corner but obviously I could get rid of that by buying the full product.

I have not yet tested the merging of EXTRACT + DIVIDER + EXTRACT + DIVIDER + EXTRACT to prove that this way of creating my divider clip creates no issues for MKVMerge.

David

[haggis999]

After trying your clips in several products, I'm becoming convinced your only realistic option is mkvtoolnix and finding a second or two of matching black somewhere within your program.

I had already tried extracting a very short clip from an MKV file using the Global tab of MKVMerge but it refused to let me select anything as short as 2 seconds.

David

[poisondeathray]

It appends ok with solveigmm video splitter .

I couldn't get mkvtoolnix to append without audio sync issues, even joining as wav, then re-encoding to flac

I didn't upload the joined file, you can test for yourself, but here is a new 2sec gap mkv, with only video, 2ch flac, 6ch flac (no subs). The difference with this version is --stitchable is used for x264 encoding which is supposed to help with joining (but it doesn't matter, the old version joins too)

[haggis999]

It appends ok with solveigmm video splitter .

I couldn't get mkvtoolnix to append without audio sync issues, even joining as wav, then re-encoding to flac

I didn't upload the joined file, you can test for yourself, but here is a new 2sec gap mkv, with only video, 2ch flac, 6ch flac (no subs). The difference with this version is --stitchable is used for x264 encoding which is supposed to help with joining (but it doesn't matter, the old version joins too)

As it happens, I experimented with SolveigMM Video Splitter but didn't mention it before because it currently cannot display any of my MKV subtitles (which are vital for my needs). I have been in discussion with them and have sent sample files. Solveig accepts that there is a problem and are aiming to fix it but are unable to commit to a resolution date. The primary attraction of SolveigMM Video Splitter is that it provides a visual interface for splitting and joining a wide range of video file formats without any re-encoding. I am unaware of any other software with that capability.

However, I have not yet checked SolveigMM Video Splitter to see if its output preserves all the subtitles. It may be that the only limitation is the lack of subtitles during the editing process.

Many thanks for your continued assistance. I will give your new divider clip a trial run asap.

David

[haggis999]

I loaded the same two sample clips I uploaded earlier into the Join Manager of SolveigMM Video Splitter Home Edition (version 4.0.1402.5) and then added your blank_stitchable.mkv file. The Join Manager immediately displayed the message "Different formats or incompatible parameters! Files could not be joined!".

How did you manage to make this work?

David

[haggis999]

Further testing using the Join Manager of SolveigMM Video Splitter with some of my MKV extracts (but no divider) has proved that this software does NOT preserve the subtitles. It looks as if I will have to continue using MKVMerge as my splitter/joiner until Solveig fix their subtitle issues.

David

[poisondeathray]

mkvmerge was able to join , but there are sync issues that get worse with each join when using the blank clip. I can guess after a few joins, it's going to be a mess


As I said earlier, I don't know what the effect of subs will be, but I suspect you would have to fix the timing on them

You could use solveigmm, then mux in subs manually, but you probably would have to manually edit the subs to insert blank 2 secs (or shift the timing on each 2sec insert)

[smrpix]

Let's break this down a little bit.
These are the stated requirements:

1) Lossless
2) Keep all Video/Audio/Subtitle tracks
3) Add 2:00 black between clips
4) MKV

1,2 and 4 Are easy in a number of tools -- MKVToolnix for example
1, 3 and 4 are easy in a number of other tools -- TMPGenc MPEG Smart Renderer for example (if pulled from original source)

If some compromise can be reached giving up 2 or 3 this becomes easy. (Specifically subtitles in 2)

[haggis999]

Subtitles are vital. Black divider clips are not.

I think I may have to give up on this project for a while. The requirement relates to an annual talk I give to a music society. My next talk is only two weeks away, so I am rapidly running out of time. This will be the first time I have used ripped extracts rather than juggling with the original Blu-ray disks. That should make things much slicker but the final touch of having visible clip dividers may have to remain a rather elusive goal.

All the help provided in this thread has been greatly appreciated. Even though I have not achieved my goal, I have learned a lot.

David

[Khaver]

I think finding a program that will do smart rendering is your only option if you want the black dividers and no rerendering of the source clips. Then you could export an EDL from the program that could be used to adjust the subtitles and then mux them back into your final MKV.

[smrpix]

Subtitles are vital. Black divider clips are not.

In that case, MKVToolnix does an excellent job with the samples you've posted.

[haggis999]

Subtitles are vital. Black divider clips are not.

In that case, MKVToolnix does an excellent job with the samples you've posted.

Yes indeed. The MKVMerge component of MKVToolnix is what I am depending on for both the initial splitting by chapters and then the subsequent joining of selected chapters. That all appears to work perfectly, apart from the occasional need to split by chapter a second time to remove a small fragment of the next chapter that was left behind after the first split.

David

[haggis999]

I spoke too soon! I have just been attempting to assemble a set of clips from another MKV rip using MKVMerge (without any divider clips) and have hit chapter splitting and audio sync issues. MKVMerge is not quite as perfect as I thought.

My first step was to use the Global tab of MKVMerge to split the original MKV file by chapters. However, when some of these individual chapter files are opened in MKVMerge the Chapter track shows that it contains two entries. Typically, this is due to there being a small fragment of the next chapter at the end of the clip. If I append another clip to such a chapter then it is always out of sync.

The only way I have found to bypass this issue is to extract both chapters as a single clip, thus avoiding the problematic chapter boundary. I will probably manage to complete the assembly of this compilation but it is going to take far more time than I expected. Grrrrrr.

David

[poisondeathray]

I spoke too soon! I have just been attempting to assemble a set of clips from another MKV rip using MKVMerge (without any divider clips) and have hit chapter splitting and audio sync issues. MKVMerge is not quite as perfect as I thought.

My first step was to use the Global tab of MKVMerge to split the original MKV file by chapters. However, when some of these individual chapter files are opened in MKVMerge the Chapter track shows that it contains two entries. Typically, this is due to there being a small fragment of the next chapter at the end of the clip. If I append another clip to such a chapter then it is always out of sync.

The only way I have found to bypass this issue is to extract both chapters as a single clip, thus avoiding the problematic chapter boundary. I will probably manage to complete the assembly of this compilation but it is going to take far more time than I expected. Grrrrrr.

David

Likely this happens because the BD wasn't made properly and the chapter points don't align with an IDR frame (a true keyframe). Thus you're left with non frame accurate edits. MKVToolNix only cuts on keyframe boundaries.

The only way around that is to use a smart rendering editor, but apparently none will edit the subs simultaneously

[smrpix]

Since this is for a talk, is there any reason you can't just leave the individual clips as individual clips? I realize that's not what you're asking for, but it's probably easier than juggling a BR remote.

In other words, to restate your problem, it isn't really how to add 2 seconds of black to extracted clips, but how to more easily manage clips for a presentation.

[haggis999]

My original thoughts were to store the individual chapter clips in a folder and leave the Oppo iPad app I will be using to play them back automatically (with me pausing playback as and when required). However, this app has a bug and the automatic playback sequence appears to be quite random. There is also no way of stopping the move to the (wrong) next track. Manually overriding this wrong selection is rather tedious and it's almost impossible to stop a short section of the wrong track being played. Merging the selected clips appeared to be the only solution.

As far as I can tell, I have now successfully completed the merging of all or part of 14 chapters from the MKV file I have been working on today. I resolved the worst chapter transition problem by using MKVMerge's 'Split by parts based on timecodes' facility to make a selection that encompassed the problematic transition.

Thanks to poisondeathray for explaining why MKVMerge had these difficulties with some of the chapter boundaries.

David