Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with encode

I need an automated way to convert MKV to MP4 on Mac OS X

joshrholloway — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:00:41 -0800

I am trying to build an automated solution to convert MKV files to MP4 without re-encoding on Mac OS X, using AppleScript, Automator, etc. and I need help! Multiple times a day I get MKV container files that I need to convert to MP4 files. There is a great application for Windows called XenonMKV that can extract the individual components out of an MKV container and re-assemble them as an MP4. It does this process without re-encoding the video, which saves tons of time. A process that would normally take an hour or two can be done in three to five minutes with XenonMKV.

Unfortunately, there is apparently nothing like this application for OS X. There is, however, a little trick you can pull off using QuickTime 7 Pro and Perian. Perian will let you open MKV files with QuickTime, which you can't normally do, and you can use the Pass Through option during export from QuickTime which achieves basically the same effect as XenonMKV.

So now that I know this process is possible, and since I have to do it multiple times a day, I want to try to automate it. It's pretty easy to slap together an AppleScript that can take a video file as input and then export it, but there are two hitches:

1. QuickTime Pro needs to use the specific Pass Through export settings no matter what the last export settings used were.

2. When you open an MKV file in QuickTime, the entire video must be indexed fully before you can run an export. This can take anywhere from a minute to three minutes or so, depending on the length and file size of the video.

The second problem seems to be the biggest because it doesn't appear there's any way to tell QuickTime to wait until a video is indexed before running a command. The best I could come up with was to parse the file size and then tell QuickTime to wait for a certain amount of time that's really just a best guess of how long it will take to index the video file based on its size. This is really not a good solution, because I'd like to share this with other people who might not have a system as fast as mine, and the numbers may be off.

So does anyone have any ideas on how I could make this process work? Ideally I'd like to see the final form as a standalone .app that can be used as a droplet and do everything automatically without any input from the user. Any help at all would be appreciated.

How to merge mp4 files without re-encoding?

ptsampras14 — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:40:05 -0800

How can I merge mp4's with out re-encoding, or losslessly? I have 21 minute TV shows, divided up in to 3 clips seven minutes each. I need to merge them or join them into one large clip in mp4 format, the three clips are mp4 format. I tried Mediacoder, but that re-encodes them so it takes about a half hour.. I have 50 shows so thats not possible..
I need to merge the clips losslessly so it should be quick. I know YAMB can do this, but when I try, part 1's audio shows with video from part 2. I don't know how to fix it.

Best way to convert avi for youtube in ubuntu?

The_Partridge_Family — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 16:18:15 -0800

Recommended route for encoding avi to smaller file size for upload to youtube in ubuntu? Earlier today I shot an 8 minute movie on my Nikon point & shoot - the avi is 485Mb. I wish to upload this to youtube, so I'd like to reduce the file size. WinFF/ FFMPEG seemed the obvious route here, but when I convert the avi using the "flv for web use 4x3" setting, it compresses the file down to a nice 17.4Mb, but video only. If I select the "WMV2" setting, I get a 47.8Mb file that looks kinda crappy but it does have audio.

Is that as good as it gets? Am I using the correct settings? Is there a better route? Happy Holidays!

How do I encode songs with an equalizer applied?

kenbennedy — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:36:48 -0800

Can I apply an equalizer or other effect to songs as they are encoded? Can I decode/re-encode songs and do this so they sound better on my ipod? I have an Intel Macbook running Leopard, and have started listening more frequently to music on my ipod. When I listen to it on my laptop (with the same headphones), I like to use the equalizer and some subtle tweaks with SRS iWow to give the songs a better feel/sound. The equalizer settings on the ipod really don't cut it. Is there a way to permanently apply custom equalizer settings or other effects (similar to what SRS iWow does) to songs so they sound better on the iPod?

Can I rip CD's and apply equalizer settings or other effects? I like to use Apple lossless for my songs, and listen to them through a headphone amplifier/DAC coming out of the USB on my laptop or the line out of my ipod.

I know the songs can "take" the built in equalizer settings with them and use them when I play them on the ipod, but those settings don't do much (don't do enough for me). Any software suggestions? Thanks in advance.

Bonus points if I can also apply time shifted crossfeed to the left and right channels to improve the feel of the soundstage.

Quicktime to high-res WMV conversion

captainscared — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 11:38:18 -0800

I need to transcode QuickTime files for Windows Media Pplayer that works on both XP and Vista. I know macs like the back of my hand, but SQUAT about windows. I have high-res files QuickTime files exported from Final Cut Pro that need to be transcoded to WMV files. The Quicktime files come with a variety of codecs, from DV to HDV, to DVCPro. I need the best but cheapest solution for converting these files to High-Res WMV files. I'm using a PC machine running XP for the conversion. Any tools, tips, workflows, or codec suggestions would make me and my boss very happy :)

Animating Still Frames with ffmpeg

potch — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 08:34:43 -0800

Could someone show this Linux n00b to use ffmpeg to convert a folder full of PNGs to an MPEG? The system I'm running doesn't have Mencoder, and I don't have root (it's a Dreamhost shell account). Thanks!

Capturing DV video straight to MPEG2?

eatcake — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 23:17:59 -0800

I have a project coming up where I will need to capture (digitize) a full 8-10 hours of footage (to be captured on DV tape) and make DVD copies for 3 people by the end of the next day. Ok, so I know how to go from DV to MPEG2 via either Final Cut Pro (v. 5.1.4) or Avid Xpress. What I'm wondering is, is there a way to bypass capturing the footage to DV (then converting to MPEG2) and going straight from the tape to MPEG2 so I can save myself hours of encoding from DV to MPEG2 and then burning discs? I have Final Cut Studio 5, an Intel iMac 2ghz w/2gigs of RAM, in addition to a Dual Processor G4 (which I'm hoping to use to multi-task), enough external storage (I figure I will have around 120 gigs of raw DV footage) and enough coffee to keep me going for a while.

I'm open to software and hardware recomendations within reason, meaning with what I have or minimal (under $150 or so) expense.

Thanks.

Do I need Flash Media Server to capture and encode Webcam video using Flash?

dvjtj — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 14:26:11 -0800

Do I need Flash Media Server to capture and encode Webcam video using Flash? Trying to research capturing webcam video using Flash..Do I need Flash Media Server to record and encode Webcam video, or can I do it just using what is supplied with Flash 8 Professional?

Adobe Premiere Pro 1.5 encoding (export) problems.

cheero — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 09:55:59 -0800

Adobe Premiere Pro 1.5 encoding (export) problems. Hopefully someone can help me out! I am having an issue with my Adobe Premiere Pro 1.5. Recently, I worked on 30 minute video for a local band and whenever I tried to export, I get some type of an error. For example, I have tried to do Export To DVD option, but it only burns half way and then it says stops with 'Unknown Error'

The other options I have to burn with come via the Adobe MPEG Encoder which has mpeg1, mpeg-vcd, mpeg2, quicktime and windows media. No matter which option I choose, the rendering time is extremely slow (up to an hour of rendering for a 30 minute file) and when I actually exported it as mpeg1, it came out very very tiny (in resolution) and the actual video was much darker than the original one I have within the timeline.

I have tried to work it out for the past 9 hours, I am completely baffled.

Does anyone have any tips/suggestions to what I should do? Is there a way to encode this 30 minute file that will not be huge in size and actually export the file correctly and not small and darkened?

Thank very much in advance!

12GB per hour = too much

Silky Slim — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 00:38:21 -0800

can someone recommend an app for recording video on a mac from dv input, but in a format more compact than dv? i used to use an app called "gcam", but apparently it stopped workin gcorrectly under tiger. it allowed me to record video in real time as mp4 as well as other formats.
thanks!

How to print RFID enabled badges?

Ekim Neems — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 11:08:27 -0800

I've been given an assignment that involves encoding RFID smart tags into attendee badges for an event. What software should I be using to encode/print at the same time? I've purchased an initial test unit: A Zebra R2844-Z RFID printer. Problem is, it came with no software nor any inkling as to how I can design, print, and encode the tags at the same time.

We need to print to 3"x4" badgestock, using either direct or thermal, and we need a 256 character tag. It seems there's a Texas Instruments tag that fits this description, but besides that I'm really stuck as to where to go from here.

Any help much appreciated!

CD Hidden Track Encoding

nthdegx — Thu, 27 Jan 2005 01:43:42 -0800

How do I encode hidden tracks on my CDs that appear before track 1. In my CD player I just hit backawards search to listen to them. Is there an easier way than recording a .wav and encoding that? Why aren't iTunes and Winamp equipped to find these?