Call for testing: MP4Creator (QTF Build 1.0)

tuber99 · 23rd October 2007, 18:58

After digging through forums for weeks to find answers for QuickTime-specific issues, I decided to build my own solution. This is a first-stab at addressing two missing features in the two main open source utils used for MP4 muxing (MP4creator and MP4Box)

I have versioned this as MP4Creator QTF (QuickTime Friendly) Build 1.0

Added feature #1: Support for QuickTime Display Aspect Ratio
There are two new command-line params when adding a video track. -qth=xxx and -qtw=xxx

So, for example, I have DV (type2) NTSC video from a camcorder that I have encoded using x264. This video is 720x480@29.97 fps, but I want it to be correctly displayed at 4:3 when I view it on my AppleTV. Using MP4Creator to add the video track, my cmd-line is:
mp4creator.exe -c myrawvideo.264 -rate=29.97 -qtw=720 -qth=540 myoutput.m4v

The result should be video that is correctly scaled in QuickTime player and/or AppleTV playback.

Added feature #2: Support for QuickTime Chapters
QuickTime supports chapters as an added 'text' track. Chapters can be added using the chapter file syntax that MP4Box allows. (See MP4Box doc for details.) Chapter file must have .chap file extension to be recognized. Also, to support all chapter file syntaxes, it is best to have video and audio tracks already added to file before adding chapter track.

Example usage:
mp4creator.exe -c myrawvideo.264 -rate=29.97 -qtw=720 -qth=540 myoutput.m4v
mp4creator.exe -c myrawaudio.aac myoutput.m4v
mp4creator.exe -c mychapters.chap myoutput.m4v

QuickTime Chapter Information is also displayed when using the 'list' function of MP4Creator.

Unfortunately, I am only able to provide a WIN32 build at this time. The MPEG4IP project is in limbo, otherwise, I would simply contribute there. Any testing on iPhone/iPod/AppleTV/QuickTime is welcome. I look forward to getting some results back.

bond · 23rd October 2007, 21:13

can you post a sample of a mp4 with this qt chapter text track?

tuber99 · 23rd October 2007, 21:30

I can provide a sample, but I have no way to host it. Can you PM me with info to upload a small sample?

bond · 23rd October 2007, 22:01

if its small you can attach it to a post

LoRd_MuldeR · 23rd October 2007, 22:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by tuber99

I can provide a sample, but I have no way to host it. Can you PM me with info to upload a small sample?

You can always use one of the free "one click" web-hosters for that purpose

For example: http://www.mytempdir.com/, http://zshare.net/ or http://rapidshare.com/

tuber99 · 23rd October 2007, 22:25

Sample file posted here.

Thanks

Yo · 25th October 2007, 04:11

Thank you. I'll try it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tuber99

After digging through forums for weeks to find answers for QuickTime-specific issues, I decided to build my own solution. This is a first-stab at addressing two missing features in the two main open source utils used for MP4 muxing (MP4creator and MP4Box)

I have versioned this as MP4Creator QTF (QuickTime Friendly) Build 1.0

Added feature #1: Support for QuickTime Display Aspect Ratio
There are two new command-line params when adding a video track. -qth=xxx and -qtw=xxx

So, for example, I have DV (type2) NTSC video from a camcorder that I have encoded using x264. This video is 720x480@29.97 fps, but I want it to be correctly displayed at 4:3 when I view it on my AppleTV. Using MP4Creator to add the video track, my cmd-line is:
mp4creator.exe -c myrawvideo.264 -rate=29.97 -qtw=720 -qth=540 myoutput.m4v

The result should be video that is correctly scaled in QuickTime player and/or AppleTV playback.

Added feature #2: Support for QuickTime Chapters
QuickTime supports chapters as an added 'text' track. Chapters can be added using the chapter file syntax that MP4Box allows. (See MP4Box doc for details.) Chapter file must have .chap file extension to be recognized. Also, to support all chapter file syntaxes, it is best to have video and audio tracks already added to file before adding chapter track.

Example usage:
mp4creator.exe -c myrawvideo.264 -rate=29.97 -qtw=720 -qth=540 myoutput.m4v
mp4creator.exe -c myrawaudio.aac myoutput.m4v
mp4creator.exe -c mychapters.chap myoutput.m4v

QuickTime Chapter Information is also displayed when using the 'list' function of MP4Creator.

Unfortunately, I am only able to provide a WIN32 build at this time. The MPEG4IP project is in limbo, otherwise, I would simply contribute there. Any testing on iPhone/iPod/AppleTV/QuickTime is welcome. I look forward to getting some results back.

Kurtnoise · 25th October 2007, 08:53

@tuber: could you post also the sources please...

tuber99 · 25th October 2007, 16:11

Patch attached. My apologies if I missed something - I'm a total newb with CVS...

Starting point is the latest CVS version of MPEG4IP project. Chapter support code mostly from this thread/patch (which he borrowed from HandBrake). Ideas/code for QuickTime transform matrix also from HandBrake project.

Changes I excluded from the patch are changes to MS Visual Studio project files and changes to the win32-specific headers files (since I am building with an older version of MSVC++ and the latest CVS version of MPEG4IP assumes VS2005).

NorthPole · 28th November 2007, 23:15

@tuber99

Thanks for the modified build. I gave it a try and worked OK with the video display setting & audio. The chapters didn't seem to work out though. I'm using this format:

Code:

CHAPTER01=00:00:00.000
CHAPTER01NAME=Chapter 1
CHAPTER02=00:01:00.000
CHAPTER02NAME=Chapter 2
CHAPTER03=00:02:00.000
CHAPTER03NAME=Chapter 3
CHAPTER04=00:03:00.000
CHAPTER04NAME=Chapter 4

Using win xp sp2

What version of QT are you using?

EDIT: Updated my iTunes and Quicktime versions and then played the mp4 in itunes and the chapters worked fine. If I play the mp4 in quicktime, the chapters don't appear.

bond · 2nd December 2007, 15:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by tuber99

Added feature #2: Support for QuickTime Chapters
QuickTime supports chapters as an added 'text' track. Chapters can be added using the chapter file syntax that MP4Box allows. (See MP4Box doc for details.) Chapter file must have .chap file extension to be recognized. Also, to support all chapter file syntaxes, it is best to have video and audio tracks already added to file before adding chapter track.

those chapter tracks are indeed subtitle tracks. kinda strange to misuse subtitles for that

so strictly speaking you can also create apple chapters with mp4box, right?

btw mp4box crashes when i try to extract the subtitle stream in the sample file you posted

jmartinr · 8th February 2008, 18:16

Thanks for the muxer.

It works great for signaling the correct dimensions of an anamorphic MP4 to Adobe Flash: http://www.jeroenwijering.com/?thread=8862#msg52825

Using MP4Box etc. Flash didn't get the aspect ratio right.

It took quite some time to sort that problem out. Your version of MP4Creator is the solution.

Schrade · 14th February 2008, 02:46

I just found out that if you want to get chapters to show up in the Quicktime Player you _HAVE_ to make sure your .mp4 file has a .m4v extension, at least in Windows. I am unsure if this is the case with a Mac.

Thanks for this tool. Using this I was able to have Chapters show up in both Media Player Classic and also in the Windows Quicktime Player.

Edit: I've tested this now on MacOS X as well as on an iPod Touch and an iPhone. Just make sure your .mp4 is renamed to .m4v and the chapters you mux into the file with this tool will show up and be accessable.

RsVolcom · 2nd March 2008, 22:17

MeGui and Yamb will both mux chapter info that is readable by Media Player Classic, but so far not on the iPod. I will test this tool as soon as I figure out how to use it. (command line novice)

Edit: YOU'RE MY HEROES!
Finally it works. I muxed the audio with the video in megui...I added the chapters with tuber99's badass muxing tool (I've tried dozens of things for weeks-this is the first to work). Rename the mp4 to m4v (thanks to Schrade) and BAM...I'm wathching Zoolander on my iPod with properly named chapter markers! Ya'll are the greatest! My many thanks. Let the movie encoding commence.

Yo · 13th March 2008, 23:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by NorthPole

@tuber99

Thanks for the modified build. I gave it a try and worked OK with the video display setting & audio. The chapters didn't seem to work out though. I'm using this format:

Code:

CHAPTER01=00:00:00.000
CHAPTER01NAME=Chapter 1
CHAPTER02=00:01:00.000
CHAPTER02NAME=Chapter 2
CHAPTER03=00:02:00.000
CHAPTER03NAME=Chapter 3
CHAPTER04=00:03:00.000
CHAPTER04NAME=Chapter 4

Using win xp sp2

What version of QT are you using?

EDIT: Updated my iTunes and Quicktime versions and then played the mp4 in itunes and the chapters worked fine. If I play the mp4 in quicktime, the chapters don't appear.

So--Is the syntax in the example above the correct syntax to use, when making a .chap file for use with this tool? (In other words, create a .txt file in notepad with this syntax, and later change the extension to .chap?)

Is this the same syntax used by tools such as Chaptergrabber?

Yo · 13th March 2008, 23:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by tuber99

Sample file posted here.

Thanks

I guess I'm too late coming back to this thread, but when I click that link, 4shared reports that that file is no longer there.

Could you please re-upload it? Thank you.

Yo · 14th March 2008, 00:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by tuber99

Patch attached. My apologies if I missed something - I'm a total newb with CVS...

Starting point is the latest CVS version of MPEG4IP project. Chapter support code mostly from this thread/patch (which he borrowed from HandBrake). Ideas/code for QuickTime transform matrix also from HandBrake project.

Changes I excluded from the patch are changes to MS Visual Studio project files and changes to the win32-specific headers files (since I am building with an older version of MSVC++ and the latest CVS version of MPEG4IP assumes VS2005).

How do you apply the patch file?

RsVolcom · 14th March 2008, 02:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yo

So--Is the syntax in the example above the correct syntax to use, when making a .chap file for use with this tool? (In other words, create a .txt file in notepad with this syntax, and later change the extension to .chap?)

Yes, but DVDDecrypter will make this file for you. Under ifo settings tell it you want an OGG file. Then you just have to change the names (if you care) and then change the extension to .chap.

jmartinr · 18th April 2008, 14:27

@tuber99

Quote:

MP4Creator-QTF somehow introduces an error with non mod 16 values. Leading GSpot and VLC to to believe it's mod 16. Media Info still shows the right values.

This is what probably causes a black screen in VLC with standard (DirectX) output.

Is there a solution for this problem?

[EDIT] Just tried and found out that the original mp4creator has the same quirk (changing 720 x 540 to 720 x 544).

See this post and before (messages from nhope & jmartinr) for more info http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.ph...05#post1126905

nhope · 19th April 2008, 13:07

I'm having trouble with muxing the audio with the modified mp4creator.

No problem with the first line, turning .264 into .m4v

Code:

mp4creator.exe -c myrawvideo.264 -rate=25 -qtw=853 -qth=480 myoutput.m4v

But then when I issue this line...

Code:

mp4creator.exe -c myrawaudio.aac myoutput.m4v

I get problems. I'm encoding Nero audio to the NDAAC-HE-64Kbps profile in MeGUI. MeGUI offers extension options MP4-AAC which gives .mp4 extension, or .m4a. mp4creator doesn't recognise either file extension, for the audio, only .aac.

So I renamed either .mp4 to .aac and mp4creator gave me about 20 warnings like this:

Code:

Warning: dropped 35993 input bytes at offset 0

The .m4v grew a little in size but can't be played back. I tried renaming .m4a to .aac as well but that didn't help.

I successfully did the muxing in mp4box instead but then the aspect ratio is wrong again in Flash full-screen so presumably the qt info is lost.

Any ideas?

23rd October 2007, 21:13	#2 \| Link
bond Registered User Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 9,770	can you post a sample of a mp4 with this qt chapter text track? __________________ Between the weak and the strong one it is the freedom which oppresses and the law that liberates (Jean Jacques Rousseau) I know, that I know nothing (Socrates) MPEG-4 ASP FAQ \| AVC/H.264 FAQ \| AAC FAQ \| MP4 FAQ \| MP4Menu stores DVD Menus in MP4 (guide) Ogg Theora \| Ogg Vorbis use WM9 today and get Micro$oft controlling the A/V market tomorrow for free

23rd October 2007, 22:01	#4 \| Link
bond Registered User Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 9,770	if its small you can attach it to a post __________________ Between the weak and the strong one it is the freedom which oppresses and the law that liberates (Jean Jacques Rousseau) I know, that I know nothing (Socrates) MPEG-4 ASP FAQ \| AVC/H.264 FAQ \| AAC FAQ \| MP4 FAQ \| MP4Menu stores DVD Menus in MP4 (guide) Ogg Theora \| Ogg Vorbis use WM9 today and get Micro$oft controlling the A/V market tomorrow for free

28th November 2007, 23:15	#10 \| Link
NorthPole Registered User Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 141	@tuber99 Thanks for the modified build. I gave it a try and worked OK with the video display setting & audio. The chapters didn't seem to work out though. I'm using this format: Code: CHAPTER01=00:00:00.000 CHAPTER01NAME=Chapter 1 CHAPTER02=00:01:00.000 CHAPTER02NAME=Chapter 2 CHAPTER03=00:02:00.000 CHAPTER03NAME=Chapter 3 CHAPTER04=00:03:00.000 CHAPTER04NAME=Chapter 4 Using win xp sp2 What version of QT are you using? EDIT: Updated my iTunes and Quicktime versions and then played the mp4 in itunes and the chapters worked fine. If I play the mp4 in quicktime, the chapters don't appear. Last edited by NorthPole; 29th November 2007 at 04:32.

8th February 2008, 18:16	#12 \| Link
jmartinr Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Enschede, NL Posts: 301	Works great for dimensions in FLV webplayers Thanks for the muxer. It works great for signaling the correct dimensions of an anamorphic MP4 to Adobe Flash: http://www.jeroenwijering.com/?thread=8862#msg52825 Using MP4Box etc. Flash didn't get the aspect ratio right. It took quite some time to sort that problem out. Your version of MP4Creator is the solution.

14th February 2008, 02:46	#13 \| Link
Schrade Registered User Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 339	I just found out that if you want to get chapters to show up in the Quicktime Player you _HAVE_ to make sure your .mp4 file has a .m4v extension, at least in Windows. I am unsure if this is the case with a Mac. Thanks for this tool. Using this I was able to have Chapters show up in both Media Player Classic and also in the Windows Quicktime Player. Edit: I've tested this now on MacOS X as well as on an iPod Touch and an iPhone. Just make sure your .mp4 is renamed to .m4v and the chapters you mux into the file with this tool will show up and be accessable. Last edited by Schrade; 4th March 2008 at 10:33.

23rd October 2007, 21:30	#3 \| Link
tuber99 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 19	I can provide a sample, but I have no way to host it. Can you PM me with info to upload a small sample?

23rd October 2007, 22:25	#6 \| Link
tuber99 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 19	Sample file posted here. Thanks

25th October 2007, 08:53	#8 \| Link
Kurtnoise Swallowed in the Sea Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Aix-en-Provence, France Posts: 5,191	@tuber: could you post also the sources please...

2nd March 2008, 22:17	#14 \| Link
RsVolcom Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Santa Monica Posts: 38	MeGui and Yamb will both mux chapter info that is readable by Media Player Classic, but so far not on the iPod. I will test this tool as soon as I figure out how to use it. (command line novice) Edit: YOU'RE MY HEROES! Finally it works. I muxed the audio with the video in megui...I added the chapters with tuber99's badass muxing tool (I've tried dozens of things for weeks-this is the first to work). Rename the mp4 to m4v (thanks to Schrade) and BAM...I'm wathching Zoolander on my iPod with properly named chapter markers! Ya'll are the greatest! My many thanks. Let the movie encoding commence. Last edited by RsVolcom; 2nd March 2008 at 23:01.

19th April 2008, 13:07	#20 \| Link
nhope partially-informed layman Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Bangkok, Thailand Posts: 314	I'm having trouble with muxing the audio with the modified mp4creator. No problem with the first line, turning .264 into .m4v Code: mp4creator.exe -c myrawvideo.264 -rate=25 -qtw=853 -qth=480 myoutput.m4v But then when I issue this line... Code: mp4creator.exe -c myrawaudio.aac myoutput.m4v I get problems. I'm encoding Nero audio to the NDAAC-HE-64Kbps profile in MeGUI. MeGUI offers extension options MP4-AAC which gives .mp4 extension, or .m4a. mp4creator doesn't recognise either file extension, for the audio, only .aac. So I renamed either .mp4 to .aac and mp4creator gave me about 20 warnings like this: Code: Warning: dropped 35993 input bytes at offset 0 The .m4v grew a little in size but can't be played back. I tried renaming .m4a to .aac as well but that didn't help. I successfully did the muxing in mp4box instead but then the aspect ratio is wrong again in Flash full-screen so presumably the qt info is lost. Any ideas?