Chapters on Ipod?

[Yo]

I recently got a Video Ipod, 80GB.

Is there a way to encode a DVD to Ipod which would make it possible to navigate in the resulting MP4 file using chapters?

For a pre-existing MP4 file, already in Ipod format, is there a way to add the chapter info to it, so that the Ipod will be able to use it?

I know Nero Recode will encode a DVD to Mp4 with the chapter info (but no chapter names) intact. I know with YAMB one can import a text file with the chapter names into an MP4 file. However, those chapter names don't show on an Ipod, from what I have seen.

Any way to make Ipod-compatible chapters?

[Yo]

I came across the following, regarding how to create a chapter track in Quicktime Pro (which I have). I believe I have read that such a Quicktime chapter track will be readable as navigable chapters on an Ipod, although I am not sure of that.

http://www.apple.com/quicktime/tutorials/chaptertracks.html

In any case, to do that manually would be very time-consuming, manually adding timestamps to each chapter name.

Is there any utility that can convert an OGM chapter .txt file, into a .txt file that will import into Quicktime with the correct format, timestamps included?

Or--some other way?

[tuber99]

To answer your original question, if you are only looking to rip DVDs to MP4, I would recommend looking at HandBrake (http://handbrake.m0k.org/). Those guys have done an excellent job of making an easy to use, powerful tool that is QuickTime playback friendly (including automatic chapter points from the DVD).

Unfortunately, that leaves your second scenario out since the HandBrake devs are pretty adament about not supporting/building any additional functionality other than DVD rips (ie - no way to read an AVISynth script and create the same QuickTime friendly MP4). I see lots of us asking the same questions and no one ever seems to reply other than saying something like "well, Apple decided to add proprietary formatting to the MP4 container, so we won't change our tool to accomodate Apple" - (and it's usually said much ruder than that).

I've decided to go my own on this and using patches and hacks from other (read: smarter) folks than me, I plan on putting together an updated version of Mp4Creator that will allow for more QuickTime-centric playback. This will include the ability to set anamorphic display information, the ability to add chapters, and (hopefully) the ability to correctly set edit list atoms so that QuickTime doesn't choke so much on b-frames.

I will post something in this forum as I get it together. Unfortunately, I'm a WIN32 dev, so I'm new to the whole open source arena. If someone wants me to post my updates somewhere as a CVS diff, I'll need help with that... :confused:

[Kurtnoise]

Yeah, HandBrake should be fine for chapters support in iPod...



I've decided to go my own on this and using patches and hacks from other (read: smarter) folks than me, I plan on putting together an updated version of Mp4Creator that will allow for more QuickTime-centric playback. This will include the ability to set anamorphic display information, the ability to add chapters, and (hopefully) the ability to correctly set edit list atoms so that QuickTime doesn't choke so much on b-frames.
About chapters in libmp4v2's MPEG4iP, it's already included iirc.

I will post something in this forum as I get it together. Unfortunately, I'm a WIN32 dev, so I'm new to the whole open source arena. If someone wants me to post my updates somewhere as a CVS diff, I'll need help with that... :confused:
Install TortoiseCVS first. Creation patches is tricky with it...

[tuber99]

About chapters in libmp4v2's MPEG4iP, it's already included iirc.

Actually, it's not. However, thanks to the fact that HandBrake is open source, too, there was a great diff posted (https://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?thread_id=1837284&forum_id=59136) to the MPEG4IP discussion forum to incorporate chapters in the current CVS version (1.6.1).

Install TortoiseCVS first. Creation patches is tricky with it...

Thanks, I will look at that CVS tool. I installed WinCVS to get the latest MPEG4IP versions, but I'm new to CVS, so it wasn't really obvious how to build my own diff/patch.

[Yo]

Thanks for the info, Tuber and Kurt! :-)

I'm downloading HandBrake right now, and will try it. I looked some at the info on the web site.

A couple more questions about it:

It seems that Handbrake will read the chapter points from a DVD, when ripping. As I mentioned, Nero Recode 2 will also do that. Two problems doing it with NR, however. 1) I see no way to input chapter names, so they can only go by "Chapter 1", etc. 2) Even the chapter markings that are created do not appear on the Ipod.

So, a couple questions regarding Handbrake-ripped MP4s and chapters:

1) Is there a way to input chapter names? Can one import a text file, with the names, or via clipboard like ChapterGrabber?

2) Will those chapters show up on playback on an Ipod? (not just Quicktime, but on an Ipod)

3)If one already created the MP4 file, and just wants to add the chapters to it (again, readable by Ipod), any way to do that without re-encoding? (As can be done in Vdubmod with a save to OGM or MKV, and direct stream copy, after adding the chapters.)

You might have answered #3 already (with a No), but I'm not sure. If you did, please forgive me for asking again. (As I wrote, I figured out how to do that with YAMB and MP4Box, but the chapters created by that program are not readable by the Ipod.)

Thanks again.

[tuber99]

1) I'm not familiar with all the HandBrake options. You probably want to look at the full list of CLI options. My initial guess is probably not.

2) I believe so, but I have not tried it myself. I know that they do appear correctly on AppleTV playback.

3) The answer here ties back to my earlier response. QuickTime's implementation of chapters uses an entirely separate track in the MP4. So, using a tool like MP4Box or MP4Creator, it should be theoretically possible to replace an existing chapter track with an updated track or to add a new chapter track without requiring any recode of the audio/video tracks. To date, none of those tools have included QuickTime support for chapters. There are known patches to do it and I hope to have a custom MP4Creator build soon that will implement those.

[Yo]

Trying out Handbrake right now (latest version--0.9.1), and have a couple questions:

I see the option, under "additional output options", for "Chapter Markers". However, I see no way to input the names of the chapters. I don't think chapters are very useful if they cannot have names.

Under "Output Settings", it is impossible to type anything into the width/height boxes. How can the size/resolution be set?

[tuber99]

Sorry, I'm not a HandBrake expert by any stretch... Your best resources will be the HandBrake FAQ and user forums.

[tuber99]

Yo -

If you get a chance, try out the build of MP4Creator I just posted here (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=131095) and let me know if it works for you on the iPod.

Thanks

[Yo]

Yo -

If you get a chance, try out the build of MP4Creator I just posted here (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=131095) and let me know if it works for you on the iPod.

Thanks

Thank you.

I downloaded it and tried running it, and find it's a command-line program, with no directions included, on how to use it.

Is there a GUI for it?

[tuber99]

No, there is no GUI. This is an update to an existing cmd-line tool. My post provides instructions and example usage. If you can provide details on what you are trying to do and what file resources you have to start with, I can try to give some guidance.