Thumbnails for MKV files

[Steve01351]

This is making me absolutely insane. It's got to be something simple, but I can't imagine what. I just want to be able to specify a thumbnail picture for an MKV file. I've spent a couple of days now googling and trying EVERY suggestion - and nothing works. I've tried:
putting a jpg in the attachments tab - specifying it and making sure that the file was named cover.jpg. I've renamed it to coverart.jpg I've renamed it to cover art.jpg. I've converted it to png. I've made sure the file was 600 on its shorter side. I've made sure it was 300 on its shorter side. I've made sure it was 120 on its shorter size. I've make sure it was exactly square and used those same dimensions. I've tried installing MKVToolnix on two Windows 10 machines and one Linux machine and trying ALL of the above.

I've run out of ideas. Does anyone else have any?

[strawberryshortcake]

This is making me absolutely insane. It's got to be something simple, but I can't imagine what. I just want to be able to specify a thumbnail picture for an MKV file. I've spent a couple of days now googling and trying EVERY suggestion - and nothing works. I've tried:
putting a jpg in the attachments tab - specifying it and making sure that the file was named cover.jpg. I've renamed it to coverart.jpg I've renamed it to cover art.jpg. I've converted it to png. I've made sure the file was 600 on its shorter side. I've made sure it was 300 on its shorter side. I've made sure it was 120 on its shorter size. I've make sure it was exactly square and used those same dimensions. I've tried installing MKVToolnix on two Windows 10 machines and one Linux machine and trying ALL of the above.

I've run out of ideas. Does anyone else have any?

Don't know about mkv ... but side track if anyone wants to put an cover image for their mp4 files the following will work.


Windows 7 machine. For me, any mkv files does not display a thumbnail picture. The only way it does display a thumbnail picture is when i convert the file to an mp4.

I stumbled across the following free software that will easily change the cover picture to the mp4 file. It's a drag and drop, then save method. Also, the picture image doesn't even have to be a set size; use whatever size you want. I personally don't like sourceforge.net, but please use virustotal.com or a virus scanner to scan any files downloaded from sourceforge.net. I scanned the downloaded zip file, and also scanned the unzipped application file just to be safe.

Kid3 Tag Editor
https://sourceforge.net/projects/kid3/?source=typ_redirect

[Budman1]

Just tried MKVToolNix Gui and used an MKV that I had already changed the Thumnail to Scrooge McDuck. I disabled the MKV's original Attachment and added a JPG that was 378x478 and renamed to 'cover.jpg' as described at https://www.matroska.org/technical/cover_art/index.html (since my folders show large thumbnails).

I remuxed and got a new file with the new thumbnail.


[Attachment 45311 - Click to enlarge]

[Attachment 45312 - Click to enlarge]

UPDATE:
Just used FFmpeg and a 605x327 JPG and created a third thumbnail, same MKV.

ffmpeg -i <input.mkv> -c copy -attach cover.jpg -metadata:s:t mimetype=image/jpeg <output.mkv>

ATTN: The first time I did not call it 'cover.jpg' and it showed default thumbnail.



[Attachment 45313 - Click to enlarge]

[strawberryshortcake]

I'm not the original poster, but his post got me thinking all day. I just tried both methods listed by Budman1 above and still couldn't get the thumbnail image to show for an mkv file for some reason.

[leonsk]

I just do it like Budman1 has described above. I rename the PNG (or JPG) to "cover.png" and add it as an attachment using MKVToolNix.
One thing worth mentioning is that the thumbnail doesn't show up until I install K-Lite which uses Icaros. I do this on Win 7, I don't know about any other OS.

[Steve01351]

I've tried by EVERY set of instructions I've found. Nothing has worked. I just now added the MP4 and subtitle file in the image, went to the attachments tab and added the image file "coverart.jpg" to the mux, made sure to rename it to "cover.jpg", and then multiplexed it. I'm attaching the files try-1, try-2, coverart.jpg, and try-ResultingFile.jpg This is what I get every time. (I've tried on a LOT of movies. Some, like this one that had a default image, some that had nothing - the result is always the same.)

[Steve01351]

The strange thing is that I just cleared the files (including attachments) from MKVToolnix and then loaded the file I just muxed in. It clearly shows that the cover file that I added is there. It's just not being displayed.

[Budman1]

Did you have an original thumbnail? If your pc does not show one from the original video then you need to use some utility such as klite codec or icaros as leonsk mentioned. I have both installed and show original before i change. Also... sometimes windows does not like to show a new icon/thumbnail if you name the file the same name until you move it or rename it.

Your PC needs to be able to show some thumbnail BEFORE you change it or nothing will work.

Just reread your post and noticex you are using an ml4 as original... did yiu try repacking as mkv and then adding attachment? Hard to get mp4 to get a cover art thumb unless you use like Metax or specific ffmpeg sequence otber wise you may be adding cover and then converting to mkv and losing it.

[jagabo]

Do you realize that Windows versions before 10 don't support MKV thumbnails or cover art unless you install a 3rd part Shell Extension with those features?

[Steve01351]

I have a library of about 1300 movies. Probably 1250 of them already show covers. For the few that don't, I play the movie, take a screenshot of the part of the movie I want for a screenshot, and then edit that image with Photoshop to be the right size and filetype.

I CAN use Icaros. But I want the thumbnail picture to show up on other computers - specifically Linux computers, and Icaros only helps on computers where it's installed. And I REALLY don't want to install an adware supported codec pack.

[Steve01351]

Do you realize that Windows versions before 10 don't support MKV thumbnails or cover art unless you install a 3rd part Shell Extension with those features?

That's not really an issue - or shouldn't be, since both Windows computers I've tried are Windows 10.

[jagabo]

Do you realize that Windows versions before 10 don't support MKV thumbnails or cover art unless you install a 3rd part Shell Extension with those features?

That's not really an issue - or shouldn't be, since both Windows computers I've tried are Windows 10.

Then use MkvExtractGUI to examine/extract a cover art image from an MKV file that does show the cover art. Check it's name and properties. Duplicate that.

[Steve01351]

Do you realize that Windows versions before 10 don't support MKV thumbnails or cover art unless you install a 3rd part Shell Extension with those features?

That's not really an issue - or shouldn't be, since both Windows computers I've tried are Windows 10.

Then use MkvExtractGUI to examine/extract a cover art image from an MKV file that does show the cover art. Check it's name and properties. Duplicate that.

Not sure I understand the point. I'm not arguing - I just don't see what that'll accomplish. I play the movie, take a screenshot and than edit the screenshot with Photoshop to make sure it's the right size and format. I'll extract an image now though.

[flashandpan007]

I have Win 10 Pro 1709 and the cover doesn't show up. I also tried the sample file from https://www.matroska.org/technical/cover_art/index.html.
Do I need Icaros for that also on Win 10 Pro 1709?

[Steve01351]

Do you realize that Windows versions before 10 don't support MKV thumbnails or cover art unless you install a 3rd part Shell Extension with those features?

That's not really an issue - or shouldn't be, since both Windows computers I've tried are Windows 10.

Then use MkvExtractGUI to examine/extract a cover art image from an MKV file that does show the cover art. Check it's name and properties. Duplicate that.

That's not working either. I downloaded and installed the newest MkvExtractGUI, but every file I load in shows NOTHING that can be extracted. Even if I run MkvExtractGUI as an administrator.

[jagabo]

I believe flashandpan007 is right -- Win10 cannot show cover art from MKV files without a 3rd party extension, only thumbnails.

[Steve01351]

I believe flashandpan007 is right -- Win10 cannot show cover art from MKV files without a 3rd party extension, only thumbnails.

Except that at least 1250 out of the 1300 mkv files I have on my PC show thumbnails. Very confusing.

[Steve01351]

Do you realize that Windows versions before 10 don't support MKV thumbnails or cover art unless you install a 3rd part Shell Extension with those features?

That's not really an issue - or shouldn't be, since both Windows computers I've tried are Windows 10.

Then use MkvExtractGUI to examine/extract a cover art image from an MKV file that does show the cover art. Check it's name and properties. Duplicate that.

That's not working either. I downloaded and installed the newest MkvExtractGUI, but every file I load in shows NOTHING that can be extracted. Even if I run MkvExtractGUI as an administrator.

I just tried on another Windows 10 PC. No matter what file I load into MKVExtractGUI, I get an error about an access violation and no files of any kind available to be extracted.

[Steve01351]

I believe flashandpan007 is right -- Win10 cannot show cover art from MKV files without a 3rd party extension, only thumbnails.

Wait, Steve. What? What's the difference between thumbnails and cover art? I'm simply trying to specify what picture shows up when I view my movies. Most of them already have a thumbnail/cover showing. A few don't. And I know I can get around that by installing Icaros. But that will only get around that for the computer that I'm using right that second. Since I use several different computers every day - and some are running Windows 7, some are running Windows 10, and some are running Linux, that's not really an option.

[jagabo]

A video thumbnail is a frame from the video stream. Cover art is a separate image attachment, metadata.

[Steve01351]

A video thumbnail is a frame from the video stream. Cover art is a separate JPG attachment, metadata.

Ah. OK. And the movies that I have that don't display a picture don't display them because of the app used to encode them. So for those files, I need to have MKVs display cover art. Which is theoretically an easy thing to do. But something that's been escaping me for days of constant tries.

[flashandpan007]

But I still don't know if there is the need of thirdparty tools like Icaros.

Can Win 10 Pro 1709 on its own show the cover instead of a regular created thumbnail?

If there is a setting I need, let me know, but now I always get thumbnails, no covers.

Just try the sample file at the bottom from https://www.matroska.org/technical/cover_art/index.html

[Steve01351]

But I still don't know if there is the need of thirdparty tools like Icaros.

Can Win 10 Pro 1709 on its own show the cover instead of a regular created thumbnail?

If there is a setting I need, let me know, but now I always get thumbnails, no covers.

Just try the sample file at the bottom from https://www.matroska.org/technical/cover_art/index.html

I'm not sure how I'm supposed to tell which file I'm seeing. It's the preview of Dexter himself, but I can't use MKVExtractGUI too tell which is which. It just refuses to show ANY tracks of any kind in an MKV.

[johns0]

Don't ever install stuff like k-lite codec pack to install icaros,just install icaros itself,i use MediaPreview in windows 10 pro for thumbnails that don't show on certain mkv.

[flashandpan007]

I opened this sample file im MKVToolNix and you can see the four jpg inside the MKV, but I don't know if there is the possibility to extract it. Would be interesting for me, too. Maybe someone can help me.

[Steve01351]

I haven't tried MediaPreview. I've tried Icaros. It works, but, as I said, I'd have to install it on every Windows PC I use and there's no version for Linux. Since most of the computers I use are Linux, that's a problem. I'm looking for a portable solution. It just seems like it shouldn't be that complicated in a container.

[flashandpan007]

Don't ever install stuff like k-lite codec pack to install icaros,just install icaros itself,i use MediaPreview in windows 10 pro for thumbnails that don't show on certain mkv.

Yes, I share your opinion.

We are dealing with jpg files - covers inside a MKV file and how to show them. Thumbnails are not a problem.

Is anybody able to show covers on Win10 Pro 1709 or Win7 without thirdparty tools like Icaros. Seems like MediaPreview is bit outdated. I remember me using it some month ago, it has problems with VP9, which leads File Explorer to hang. I contacted the author but seems he has no time anymore for this tool, like many good devs of other tools...

[Steve01351]

Don't ever install stuff like k-lite codec pack to install icaros,just install icaros itself,i use MediaPreview in windows 10 pro for thumbnails that don't show on certain mkv.

And I'm really hesitant to install ANY codec pack. Particularly one that flat out says that it uses adware.

[Steve01351]

OK. So I installed and ran MKVCleaver. I extracted the attachments from that cover-art.mkv file. What's being shown to me is either cover.jpg or small-cover.jpg. But the properties on those files are exactly the same as the properties of the cover.jpgs that I'm trying to use. This makes no sense at all. Maybe I need to try running it on a Windows 7 machine - although if it's failing on both Win 10 and Kubuntu, I'm doubting the OS is the problem.

[jagabo]

But I still don't know if there is the need of thirdparty tools like Icaros.

Can Win 10 Pro 1709 on its own show the cover instead of a regular created thumbnail?

If there is a setting I need, let me know, but now I always get thumbnails, no covers.

Just try the sample file at the bottom from https://www.matroska.org/technical/cover_art/index.html

I'm not sure how I'm supposed to tell which file I'm seeing. It's the preview of Dexter himself, but I can't use MKVExtractGUI too tell which is which. It just refuses to show ANY tracks of any kind in an MKV.

The latest version of MkvExtactGUI shows this for that file:



The cover.jpg in that file looks like this:



My Win10 computer does not show that cover art.