MP4BOX: How to specify/change thumbnail (poster frame) in mp4 video

[tetrahall]

Hi,

Is it possible to change the frame (pic) a tablet galley uses as a thumbnail for a given video?

The problem is that, for some reason, it displays a frame as a thumbnail that is totally un-informative.

I have been told that mp4box can do it. But having read the various help info (pls see below), I couldn't find anything relevant.

So I tried the following command to specify a separate image (not actually part of the video):-

mp4box -itags cover=Image.jpg video.mp4

The command worked ok, but the thumbnail remained the same. The command must be doing something completely different to what I want.

Have also tried MediaInfo to see if it helps to determine the frame number of the thumbnail - no luck there either!

Your help would be greatly appreciated. Regards,

David

PS: Have looked at all these options in help but could not find anything of relevance:

-h general general options help
-h hint hinting options help
-h import import options help
-h encode encode options help
-h meta meta handling options help
-h extract extraction options help
-h dump dump options help
-h swf Flash (SWF) options help
-h crypt ISMA E&A options help
-h format supported formats help
-h rtp file streamer help
-h live BIFS streamer help

[poisondeathray]

Thumbnail generation is a function of the software, os, and splitter you are using, not the MP4 container itself, not MP4BOX. If you can't adjust thumbnail settings on the software or tablet, then one option is to append a video and audio with the same characteristics to your video, because the start is where most take their thumbnail image from (I'm guessing your un-informative frame is from the beginning)


What tablet/software are you using ? For example some media mangers will allow you to take a poster frame. Others will automatically display it if a jpeg is in the same directory with the same name.

eg.
myvideo.mp4
myvideo.jpg

And sometimes mkv container is better supported, with a jpeg as an internal attachment that becomes the thumbnail poster frame

[tetrahall]

Thank you for your reply.

I am using Pinnacle Studio 9 for editing MPEG files, and Handbrake to trim and convert to mp4, which are then transferred to an android tablet pc.

The displayed frame (thumbnail) is actually from somewhere in the middle of the video - not the first frame. If it was the first frame it wouldn't be a problem, because I could include it in the video anyway.

Have tried to place a JPEG file, with the same name, as you suggested but it didn't work for me.

If I am not mistaken, when I started searching for a solution, I read some posts here on this forum, suggesting that mp4box could achieve that.

Can some other software do it, or example, ffmpeg , without re-encoding?
Thank you in advance

[Selur]

a. just to be sure: did you clean your thumbnail.db file to make sure Windows simply hasn't updated the info?
b. if the your os doesn't understand mp4 tagging and the itunes cover-tag it will ignore the image you attach as cover and not show it as thumbnail
-> if your OS decides that it always will show frame X as thumbnail, that's the way it is and changing the file will not help unless you make sure your cover is frame X

[tetrahall]

a. just to be sure: did you clean your thumbnail.db file to make sure Windows simply hasn't updated the info?
b. if the your os doesn't understand mp4 tagging and the itunes cover-tag it will ignore the image you attach as cover and not show it as thumbnail
-> if your OS decides that it always will show frame X as thumbnail, that's the way it is and changing the file will not help unless you make sure your cover is frame X

Thank you, Selur, for your reply.

The mp4 file is on android tablet pc. I could not find a file with the name "thumbnail.db".

Regarding the position of the frame x, isthere a software / utility to determine the position (frame number).

The point is that different mp4 files have thumnails at variable frame number !

Regards.

[Selur]

about clearing the thumbnails on android:
If I remember correctly on android the thumbnails are created by the Gallery and it saves the thumbnails inside a 'thumbnails' subfolder of the DCIM folder. (clearing the gallery data might also help)

No clue if there is any option to tell the gallery which frame to use for thumbnail.

[tetrahall]

You are right. There is a 'thumbnails' subfolder in DCIM.
I have deleted its contents and cleared the gallery. It hasn't solved it.

I think I'll have to look for an android app that picks up the 1st frame as a thumbnail.
Thank you anyway for your replies.

David

[poisondeathray]

That's not necessarily the easiest way, because sometimes it can be difficult to append videos (they have to be the same specs, and even then don't always join properly)

The other option is to look for some free apps that display posters with the same name jpeg as described earlier, or search for some paid apps that have more features, better media manager functions

eg
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tools4movies.moviegallery.free

[tetrahall]

That's not necessarily the easiest way, because sometimes it can be difficult to append videos (they have to be the same specs, and even then don't always join properly)

Actually what I had in mind was to insert the image (first frame) during the editing process (in Pinnacle Studio) and the render the MPEG video. So it would be one video without the need to append.

The other option is to look for some free apps that display posters with the same name jpeg as described earlier, or search for some paid apps that have more features, better media manager functions

eg
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tools4movies.moviegallery.free

Many thanks for the suggestion. I will look at them.

Regards,
David

[Jericho]

David, were you able to find a way to modify/change the thumbnail on the mp4 files? my issue is some what similar, i spent many many hours researching, but no solution.
My issue is; I have been using WinxDVD to rip DVD's , to make mp4 files then moved to samsung kids Tab3 device. Everything works great, except the thumbnail for the mp4 file. I would like to find a way to modify the thumbnail image, and i was able to find couple of ways to do so, I added JPG photos for the thumbnail , problem solved, and it looked good on my PC, however, when i move the file to the Tab3 device, the new thumbnail I added, DOESN'T move with it. It usually display unclear frame

WinxDVD doesn't have an option to install jpg at the start of the video, otherwise that would be an easy fix.

Not quite sure if this the same exact issue that David had, either way, has anyone has actual experience on this issue?


Thanks