Overlay picture on AVC vid. in MP4, NOT hardcoded:?

[bulgom]

Hello,

I "just" want to overlay an image (still, or video if possible), in .png format preferably (because transparency), over: a video stream

—— in "MP4" container,

not "MKV" neither "MOV", "VOB" or else.


————— But (please note): NOT hard coded. —————


BTW: using Windows .


Why? To use that picture as a title — more advanced or "sophisticated" than ".idx + .sub", with its FEW colors only. And not before the main movie, but overlayed on its 1st seconds.

[ Why "not before"? Because, in this case, I don't want to recode anything. ]


So far, besides ".srt" plain text files, the only image titling I've been able to overlay in MP4 container is an ".idx + .sub" — after modifying the contained .bmp picture, using "DVDSubEdit 1.52".


Problems: some Windows players display the result with the transparency that I set, some don't, and none of them displays the colors (or hardly) that I chose in "DVDSubEdit"...


"Plus"... the whole manipulation is rather complex:

create a ".VOB" or open one containing subtitles, in "DVDSubEdit"; then replace the subtitle with an other bitmap; then extract the ".idx + .sub" using "VobSub" within "VirtualDub" (the ".ifo" file is required); then mux that ".idx + .sub" with the AVC video stream using "Yamb/MP4box".


Would anyone know of a simpler and/or more efficient solution?

Or, if as complicated as "mine", is there at least a way to master the displayed colors? By modifying the ".ifo" file? And if so, how (".ifo" files being coded, i.e. not readable as plain text/by humans)?

Thanx in advance
~B


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[Budman1]

This can be done relatively easy with the "Logo" or "Overlay" filter but they are AVISynth filters. Are you going to be using a PC (Windows) to play these videos? If so, then use LOGO for a still image or OVERLAY for a video in an AVISynth script.

[bulgom]

Thank you.

I + the people I'm trying to help title their videos, will be using a Windows PC... mostly. Or even: exclusively, if required. With an overlayed title + no recoding, I don't expect much more — as I doubt many players (other than Windows based) would be compatible...

Now, does your advice mean that we'll have to rely on AviSynth whenever we want to play the movie — or: can a MP4 AVC "standalone" * video be produced using AviSynth?

* By "standalone", I just meant: ordinary AVC H.264 (+ AAC audio) in MP4 container, i.e. compatible with usual players: "VLC, MPC, PotPlayer, S/U-Mplayer"...


· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·


Main reason why I don't want to recode: I'm helping people who film using their cell phone (of course). Those gadgets produce AVC vids in MP4 container, mostly. When recoding cannot be avoided, I am usually patient enough — but not my friends, in general (or I can be in a hurry too).

All in all, they (and I, sometimes) end up with tons of clips, that we find time to join (thanks to "AviDemux") right away, but not to recode, or much later. In the mean time, we'd still want those flicks to be titled...


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[smrpix]

You should seriously reconsider .mkv -- which meets all of your stated requirements. Adding soft subs to .mp4 is a delicate dance between file and player and fails far more often than it works -- as you've discovered.

[manono]

To use that picture as a title — more advanced or "sophisticated" than ".idx + .sub", with its FEW colors only

It has few colors because DVD subs are limited to 4 colors with one being a background transparency color, so three, effectively.

...is there at least a way to master the displayed colors?

Of VOBSubs (IDX/SUB)? Perhaps the easiest is with VobSub Configure which comes included in the VOBSub package. Or, if the subs are in a DVD, PGCEdit is very easy to use to change the displayed colors.

[bulgom]

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Thanx Smrpix & Manono, for your answers.

@ Smrpix · Yes, right: my results are VERY if not terribly random, in that — quite disappointing — MP4 container...

I'll give .mkv a new try, knowing that I won't convince many people I'm helping (or trying to help). To them and for several reasons (including some good ones), sticking to .mp4 container "feels" like the easiest option...

@ Manono · Yup, three actual colors only... Gawhn, what else but a bunch of mickey mice is that so-called "DVD Consortium"?.. (BTW, I assume you don't belong to it )

I'll open "VobSub Configure" again. And I take your word for: PGCEdit very easy / you bet!

"About .mkv" (or not really, yet: it's just that the MKV page mentions "USF format" as an .mkv compatible component):

so, after reading a few miles of posts on subtitles, here at VideoHelp + the MKV page, I tried the more or less "dead" (?) ".usf" (universal subtitle) format — that is not documented on MKV's site, but still if not for ever blank / "under construction" a page...

and... Murphy('s law) strikes again: "VLC" displays a stubborn error msg., despite some promise, somewhere: "VLC (supposedly) USF compatible".

"Well"... "PotPlayer", then?

That one displays .usf advanced subtitles OK (overlayed on MP4 video too, not .avi only, and as a separate file, MP4 container being incompatible with .usf (.xml), OK)...

... EXCEPT: ONE~little~annoying~thing: not the "included" or referenced images. Everything, including such gimmicks as hic animated rainbow coloured karaoke type lines of text... everything works... BUT the display of image(s)!

Gasp + sigh Is life worth getting born, now?!

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[manono]

And I take your word for: PGCEdit very easy / you bet!

Open the DVD in PGCEdit, double-click the movie with the subs, change the colors to your liking in the CLUT. Save your work and test.

[Budman1]

If reference to your questions about my previous post,

Now, does your advice mean that we'll have to rely on AviSynth whenever we want to play the movie — or: can a MP4 AVC "standalone" * video be produced using AviSynth?

Yes you will need to play the AVS file (Potplayer plays these fine, x86 version, x86 avisynth installed) and no to a standalone video because if you created another video it would either be a copy(no re-encoding) which didn't have your logo/overlay video to begin with or one that did that would require recoding.

If you get the colors to be correct then the other great suggestions made here will work as well.

With AVISynth you can use almost any format subtitles you wish for the title of the video. Below is a logo (png) with transparent background and .ass subtitles played automatically by Potplayer.:

[El Heggunte]

Blu-Ray subtitles use PNG compression and a 256-color palette.
But the MP4 container does not support them, you would have to choose MKV or M2TS instead.

[bulgom]

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Hi

Potplayer plays these fine, x86 version, x86 avisynth installed

Good news (I didn't know about "PotPlayer" "AviSynth" compatibility). Anyway, I tested "AviSynth" — again. Its compositing abilities sure are mostly interesting.

Now, the only problem is that, since there's no "standalone video" with "AviSynth" — thanks very much for the clear square answer —, I cannot propose that solution to people who just want to title their videos "in a snap"...

If you get the colors to be correct then the other great suggestions made here will work as well.

From what I remember, I was always able to get the colors right, using "AviSynth" video overlays on video background. Still images: to be tested again... And true: many excellent suggestions, here! (the least I can say / I sure appreciate, especially on such fussy matter as video)

Blu-Ray subtitles use PNG compression and a 256-color palette. But the MP4 container does not support them, you would have to choose MKV or M2TS instead.

Even Blu-ray limited, now (to 256 colors)...

Goody if I can get it to work! And thanks for the hint: I tried MKV but couldn't figure how to insert pictures, even simple BMP with no transparency — I used "Mkv Toolnix" —, that would overlay on the main video.

In fact, in "Mkv Toolnix", all I found is the "attachment" option. The only way I've been able to overlay something on MKVs so far, is (still) the ".idx + .sub" method.

Also tried the "USF" subtitle format, but "Mkv Toolnix" just does not recognize those files; "plus", on AVIs and MP4s, although the same ".usf" file works, images just refuse to display...

Is there a way to overlay PNG (or even JPEG, or BMP) images onto MKV videos? I guess I'm missing something, but what? May be the right tool / software?

Haven't tried overlaying on "M2TS", yet.