which container should i use for this

[Arcon]

i've got several small video clips with vbr-mp3 audio and each clip got it's own srt-subtitles. now i want to merge them to something like this:

bigcontainer[
smallcontainer1[video01,audio01,srt01]
smallcontainer2[video02,audio02,srt02]
...
]

i can't join the srt's since the presentation-times are absolute to each clip. thats why i'd like to pack each set of video, audio and srt to one container and join all these containers afterwards.

the mp3 format for audio is not mandatory, but vbr is.

so what container would you recommend and which tools do i need to join all the small containers afterwards?

or is there a much simpler solution for this problem?

[bond]

Originally posted by Arcon
or is there a much simpler solution for this problem?winzip :D

[Arcon]

the files should still be playable after that operation ;)

[bond]

to my knowledge this isnt possible now (perhaps matroska will support this somewhere in the future, too far to wait for i think)

hm, i dont think that it is too difficult to join the subs:
just add the full length of the previous clip(s) to the times in every sub...

of course joining different audio formats isnt possible

[zulu]

...or you ask gabest to write a winzip DSF :D

[Animaniac]

Although this does not have as much structure as you make like, you could use BeSplit to join the VBR MP3s (I think?), use SubResync(?) to retime/set an offset to the subtitles and join them. Then create a chapter list aligned with each joining point, i.e. the beginning of your original files. You could then use OGM (and soon Matroksa) and use the chapters to seek to the position you'd like for each file. It's a rather simple approach, with a little less structure, but it gets the job done. ^_^

Originally posted by zulu
...or you ask gabest to write a winzip DSF :D

Or that. ^_~

[Koepi]

leave the files as-is and try this:

http://roeder.goe.net/~indexer/

(a very old program which i used to test delphi with)

Regards
Koepi

[Kurosu]

I haven't probably understood the part "i can't join the srt's since the presentation-times are absolute to each clip." but here's what I would do from what I understood:
0) n=0
1) Use some mp3 tools (D9's software page has such tools) to join MP3, even VBR ones. It will still need to have same parameters (sampling, channels). Same works with Ogg vorbis
2) Check total time of currently joined video (0 if n=0), use subrip to offset srt file n by the displayed time, save new srt file
3) Add (open if n=0) video file n (it requires files to have exact same encoding features enabled and video settings)
3) if n<total number of parts, jump to 2)
4) Add the audio created in 1)
5) Add the subs (if you want to mux it within the file)
6) Save in the appropriate file format (depending on selected audio format and muxed subs)

[Arcon]

well, subresynch would do the trick, avimux should be able to join the audio/movies, but i hoped that there would be a solution where i wouldn't have to enter all the playtimes manually as offset for the next srt-file.

i've got 84 clips here (bonus-material from dvd), so a simple double-join into some fancy container would have been the easiest way :)

[robUx4]

I think mkvmerge already support that.
I think you'll probably have to convert each file into matroska to have the video/audio/sub all in sync. Then you just merge the files into a bigger one. Without chapter support it will be harder to know exactly where each of the original file started. But it's coming very soon :)

Otherwise you can keep all files separated and just link the (matroska) files together, a bit like some .VOB follow each other. mkvmerge can do that already, but no player will be able to play each files one after the other (yet).

[Koepi]

Merging them together for container-usage sake is a bit too much IMO.

Fastest solution (I think you overread my reply): I'd put things in a folder of it's own and generate a playlist with the indexer - which even linux players can play.

Just a hint.

Regards
Koepi

[robUx4]

It depends on what you need. If you want to share these files it's easier to merge them, and still have the file be recognized as a "movie".

[Arcon]

Originally posted by Koepi
generate a playlist with the indexer
well, a playlist is a solution, too. but e.g for different subtitle-streams it's still pretty annoying to select the language for every clip instead of just once for the whole joined file.

and in fullscreen-mode bsplayer closes the window on every file-change and reopens it. with clip-length down to 5 sec's its not the best solution. but it's easy, indeed :)