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  1. Member
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    Couple questions for anyone in the know:

    1) Is there a way to automatically or batch label videos? Essentially I want to put the name of the file in simple text in the lower left or right corner of the video. I have Camtasia, but I only know how to manually insert a text callout, one video at a time.

    2) Is there a video joiner that won't reformat, but just join multiple videos? I'm trying to join two videos together, but having each one keep it's original attributes (or perhaps it would be better to say have each file retain the same quality).

    3) Is there a ffmpeg command to batch convert any file in a folder to MP4 (x264), but keep all of the orginals values (fps, bitrate)? What I'm trying to avoid is messing with RF values by having it convert using the original file's attributes. And if you can you do that, can and also shrink the resolution (keeping the same aspect ratio).

    4) Can you edit out parts of a video without reformatting, or at least keeping all of the same values. AVS4YOU's Video Remaker says it can, but before processing it asks you what settings you want to use (codecs, FPS, bitrate, etc).

    5) Does anyone know which detail to choose in a Windows system to display if a file has audio or not? Or any other way to show that info (not using MediaInfo and checking one file at a time). Also looking for a way to display the aspect ratio (4:3, 16:9).

    6) Does anyone know a program that does the same thing as MkvToMp4 (convert MKV to MP4 by only changing the container), but works with x265 (and possibly converts it to x264)?

    With the conversion questions above, imagine you could just switch the container from the current format (Flash, AVI, WMV, non-x264 MP4, MOV) to a MP4 (x264) container. I understand in most cases you can't just change the container, you have to reformat the file. What I'm trying to do is keep what's in the container in as close to it's original quality as possible. Basically, I'm trying to make the conversion process idiot-proof/automatic. If I have to decide RF values and bitrates and such on my own, I will no doubt screw something up.


    Thanks for any help.
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  2. Member Cornucopia's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by DiSaSseMbLeDmNd View Post
    Couple questions for anyone in the know:

    1) Is there a way to automatically or batch label videos? Essentially I want to put the name of the file in simple text in the lower left or right corner of the video. I have Camtasia, but I only know how to manually insert a text callout, one video at a time.

    2) Is there a video joiner that won't reformat, but just join multiple videos? I'm trying to join two videos together, but having each one keep it's original attributes (or perhaps it would be better to say have each file retain the same quality).

    3) Is there a ffmpeg command to batch convert any file in a folder to MP4 (x264), but keep all of the orginals values (fps, bitrate)? What I'm trying to avoid is messing with RF values by having it convert using the original file's attributes. And if you can you do that, can and also shrink the resolution (keeping the same aspect ratio).

    4) Can you edit out parts of a video without reformatting, or at least keeping all of the same values. AVS4YOU's Video Remaker says it can, but before processing it asks you what settings you want to use (codecs, FPS, bitrate, etc).

    5) Does anyone know which detail to choose in a Windows system to display if a file has audio or not? Or any other way to show that info (not using MediaInfo and checking one file at a time). Also looking for a way to display the aspect ratio (4:3, 16:9).

    6) Does anyone know a program that does the same thing as MkvToMp4 (convert MKV to MP4 by only changing the container), but works with x265 (and possibly converts it to x264)?

    With the conversion questions above, imagine you could just switch the container from the current format (Flash, AVI, WMV, non-x264 MP4, MOV) to a MP4 (x264) container. I understand in most cases you can't just change the container, you have to reformat the file. What I'm trying to do is keep what's in the container in as close to it's original quality as possible. Basically, I'm trying to make the conversion process idiot-proof/automatic. If I have to decide RF values and bitrates and such on my own, I will no doubt screw something up.


    Thanks for any help.
    1. Label in what way? - As a subtitle?
    FFMPEG allows you to burn subtitles into video, see https://trac.ffmpeg.org/wiki/HowToBurnSubtitlesIntoVideo.
    It is possible to create a batch file for multiple ffmpeg conversions (see the many threads about that here).
    So you could batch create a subtitle file for each movie file (read filename, create text file incorporating filename, add generic formatting, save), and then merge & burn-in & convert the file to the "annotated" version. (but note that it would be 1 generation worse)

    2. Yes, there are a number of video joiners that do not reformat. But they only work on either: similarly coded files (same rez, framerate, color subsampling, codec...), or on format agnostic containers which allow for variable rez/framerate/colorsubsampling/codec, etc. (currently MOV & MKV & partially MP4), but there are a few gotchas (rez "window" will stay the same regardless and so it usually takes the rez of biggest clip, and playback support varies wildly). The MOV format has been able to do this for decades, but what it amounts to is little more than a self-contained "playlist" format (IOW, would still need to fully support all the codecs, rez, rates, etc. contained within).

    3. Yes, there is, but WHY are you wanting to do that specific thing? Particularly, the bitrate of the source file(s) bears little in common with the bitrate required/requested in the target file(s), especially if using/coming from a codec with different efficiency.
    What do you mean by RF values? - Rate factors? The bitrates & rate factors of a 2nd gen 1080p of unknown codec (even AVC) file can bear little resemblence to either the bitrate or rate factors of a 3rd gen 720p file of AVC. Much depends on the retained detail & sharpness of the resulting downrez (which is influenced by the downrezzing algrorithm).

    4. This one's an easier answer: YES...DEPENDING on the codec (particularly on whether it is Intra-frame or Interframe based), and on where you cut. Much about this has been discussed here before.

    5. Audio samplerate? #Channels? There are more, but this will often depend on which OS version you have, and whether you've installed additional media "shell context extension handlers" (like a media catalogging/thumbnailing utility). Why not MediaInfo? - What's wrong with it? I know it's not perfect, but it is usually quite accurate regarding audio stream existence and aspect ratios. Or is it the output format? There are workarounds for that.

    6. I could be wrong on this, but it was my understanding that MKVtoMP4 only does 1 thing: re-wraps from one container to another. In which case, it should be agnostic as to codec (so long as it was supported in both containers, which h265 is). Then you ask about converting, aka re-encoding. Well, if you're going to do that, you can use any old encoding app (Handbrake, MeGUI, etc), that supports both containers.

    7. You will "screw up" less, if you learned WHY you should be making those choices, and you would have less problems with software not giving you what you wanted most efficiently.
    Remember, "joining", I-frame cutting, and even Smart-Rendering are special cases, where you may just be lucky (depending on if you get all your clips from the same GOOD source, etc). In most cases, you WILL be re-encoding. Then, you should be concentrating on what is your target audience/app/device/system, and tailor your re-encodes for that (and hopefully retaining the originals for possible further use).

    HTH,
    Scott

    BTW, it sounds more like you are wanting some kind of DLNA/NAS universal media catalogger & player. Many of the popular ones would have features that do enough of what you're asking (or make what you're asking no longer necessary).
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    Scott, thank you for replying to my post. Unfortunately, your suggestions left me with more questions than answers. That's my fault, I should have been more specific about what I'm trying to do. Let me try this again....

    I have a folder that has several dozen video clips that I want to join together to make one MP4 (x264). Some of the videos have parts that need to be edited out before I join them. The filenames are the dates each clip was taken, which I want to add as a small text callout in the lower left/right corner. All of the videos are different formats (Flash, non-x264 MP4, AVI, WMV, MOV) and have different bitrates, fps and resolutions. For the most part, I am happy with the quality of all of the videos when played individually, so after they are trimmed and joined together, I would like for them to stay the same quality as the original (as much as possible). Some of the videos have audio and some don't. Some of the videos are 4:3 and some are 16:9. When I open the folder with all the videos, I would like to know the aspect ratio and if it has audio automatically so it's easier to group them (as opposed to using MediaInfo on each one individually). I think that covers questions 1-5.

    Question 6: Yes, MkvToMp4 re-wraps a MKV with a MP4 container, but unfortunately it does not work with x265 (neither does all my gadgets). And since all of my other movies are MP4, I would prefer to convert it, and keep as much of the quality as possible.

    Hopefully this adds some clarification. Thanks for any advice. I really appreciate the help.
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  4. Member Cornucopia's Avatar
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    Yes it makes it very clear. You cannot and will not be able to do what you are intending by simple joining & trimming. Your sources are too dissimilar for such commonality-needing processes. But there IS a process that can get you to where you wanted to be. It's simply called EDITING.

    Get a decent NLE (like maybe Vegas Movie Studio). Use those batch processes I suggested earlier to subtitle/annotate the clips, but output convert them to a ~lossless format. Then trim & join & AR adust, etc within the NLE. Output to lossless. Then convert a copy to the final format you need.

    You will NOT be able to do this without some loss of quality, but by using lossless formats for the intermediate steps and using an efficient final codec (like h264 or h265) with good settings (including a high enough bitrate) you should be able to keep the loss to a minimum. And depending upon your acuity and tastes, it may not even be noticeable.

    No need for all the Rube Golberg steps. Just stop worrying about making a left turn and then you won't have to make 3 right turns.

    Scott
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  5. Mod Neophyte Super Moderator redwudz's Avatar
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    DiSaSseMbLeDmNd, I've changed your subject title to allow others to search for similar topics.

    Thanks,

    Moderator redwudz
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  6. Member Cornucopia's Avatar
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    Also, if the clips you are referring to number in the dozens, not the hundreds or thousands, etc., you are wasting more time with all this "batch script" stuff.
    Just load the files into the NLE (converting to lossless intermediate only when necessary) and manually create/add the subtitle to each individual clip. You would be done by now.

    Scott
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  7. I agree, if it's only like a few dozen files, it's probably not too bad to do it manually. It gets very hectic trying to organize srt's, overlays, intermediate files (if you hardcode or overlay, you need to re-encode, which can take a long time, and you lose quality unless you use a lossless intermediate - large filesizes) .

    Some NLE's have a "clip name" that you can apply as an effect eg. Premiere Pro has this. You can use an adjustment layer and apply the effect to that layer as 1 instance and all clips below that layer will have their filenames according to the settings you set in that 1 effect. So if you had 1000 clips, they would have all their individual names overlayed
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  8. Member Cornucopia's Avatar
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    There you go, easier done than said.

    Scott
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  9. Member
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    Thanks guys!
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