,m4b with chapters to .ogg/.ogm with chapters.

[StifflerStealth]

I have an audiobook that is in .m4b format and I would like to convert that to an .ogg or ogm file that has chapters. The .m4b file has chapter art that I would like to transfer as well. I want to do this because the only thing that plays it right is iTunes and I do not wish to install that again.

iTunes displays a book image and a chapter image for each chapter. What program will display OGM chapter pictures and all me to select a chapter play? And as the title says, how can I even make this conversion? The .m4b is not protected by anything, if this helps. Just a straight m4b file with chapters and art.

Is there a way to extract the images out of the m4b file?

EDIT: Or would Matroska files be better for this?
EDIT2: The audiobook was made with Apple chapter tool and other apple software. Is there any other program that can play these correctly with chapters and art? Media Player Classid doesn't support the chapters or art.

Thanks,
SS

[bond]

run mp4box -info over the file and post the output here please

[StifflerStealth]

mp4box decides to crash on this file. I am using the latest one from the site. The 2007 build. It detects this and then crashes.

Here is the info it outputted before it crashed:
* Movie Info *
Timescale 600 - Duration 08:17:15.643
Fragmented File no - 3 track(s)
File Brand M4B - version 0
Created: GMT Sun Sep 24 19:47:25 2006

File has no MPEG4 IOD/OD

iTunes Info:
Name: Year 1: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Artist: J.K. Rowling
Album: Year 1: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Comment: Read by Jim Dale
Genre: Audiobooks
Created: 1999
Disk: 1 / 1
Encoder Software: iTunes v6.0.5.20, QuickTime 7.1
TrackNumber: 1 / 1
Cover Art: JPEG File

Track # 1 Info - TrackID 1 - TimeScale 22050 - Duration 08:17:15.644
Media Info: Language "Undetermined" - Type "soun:mp4a" - 642457 samples
MPEG-4 Config: Audio Stream - ObjectTypeIndication 0x40
MPEG-4 Audio AAC LC - 2 Channel(s) - SampleRate 22050
Self-synchronized

Track # 2 Info - TrackID 2 - TimeScale 22050 - Duration 08:17:15.644
Media Info: Language "Undetermined" - Type "text:text" - 17 samples
3GPP/MPEG-4 Timed Text - Size 0 x 0 - Translation X=0 Y=0 - Layer 0

Track # 3 Info - TrackID 3 - TimeScale 22050 - Duration 08:17:15.644
Media Info: Language "Undetermined" - Type "vide:jpeg" - 17 samples
Visual Track - Compressor "Photo - JPEG" - Resolution 223 x 196
Vendor code "appl" - Version 0 - revision 0
Codec configuration data size: 12 bytes



Did I totally screw up this file when I made it from the CDs? Is that why mp4box crashes on me? Or why other players can't read the chapters? I could go back to the CDs to make a ogg/ogm/mkv/m4a with chapters properly, but I need to find all the chapter art again and reedit the CD so the it's chapter-ized., which takes me a day to make it perfect. I thought it would be better just to fix this up into something other players can read and the chapters work fine. I am not partial to the format, just that it works in other players. I don't need iPod compatibility anymore. Though, I would still like cover art and chapter art.

Thanks.

[bond]

ok, track 1 is the audio of course
track 3 are the jpeg(s) you are seeing
track 2 is a ttxt subtitle stream (propably misused for the chapters)

run "-ttxt 2" on the file and post the output .ttxt file plz

[StifflerStealth]

The output:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<!-- GPAC 3GPP Text Stream -->
<TextStream version="1.1">
<TextStreamHeader width="0" height="0" layer="0" translation_x="0" translation_y="0">
<TextSampleDescription horizontalJustification="left" verticalJustification="top" backColor="0 0 2b 0" verticalText="no" fillTextRegion="yes" continuousKaraoke="yes" scroll="InOut" scrollMode="Credits">
<FontTable>
</FontTable>
<TextBox top="-6106" left="8337" bottom="-12012" right="4146"/>
<Style fromChar="26977" toChar="28004" styles="Normal" fontID="0" fontSize="0" color="0 9 95 0"/>
</TextSampleDescription>
</TextStreamHeader>
<TextSample sampleTime="00:00:00.000" xml:space="preserve">Chapter 01 - The Boy who lived</TextSample>
<TextSample sampleTime="00:29:20.255" xml:space="preserve">Chapter 02 - The vanishing Glass</TextSample>
<TextSample sampleTime="00:51:07.999" xml:space="preserve">Chapter 03 - The Letters from no one</TextSample>
<TextSample sampleTime="01:15:24.489" xml:space="preserve">Chapter 04 - The Keeper of the Keys</TextSample>
<TextSample sampleTime="01:39:49.433" xml:space="preserve">Chapter 05 - Diagon Alley</TextSample>
<TextSample sampleTime="02:23:44.941" xml:space="preserve">Chapter 06 - The Journey from Platform Nine and Three-quarters</TextSample>
<TextSample sampleTime="03:02:00.090" xml:space="preserve">Chapter 07 - The Sorting Hat</TextSample>
<TextSample sampleTime="03:30:49.184" xml:space="preserve">Chapter 08 - The Potions Master</TextSample>
<TextSample sampleTime="03:49:22.531" xml:space="preserve">Chapter 09 - The Midnight Duel</TextSample>
<TextSample sampleTime="04:20:22.353" xml:space="preserve">Chapter 10 - Halloween</TextSample>
<TextSample sampleTime="04:45:53.845" xml:space="preserve">Chapter 11 - Quidditch</TextSample>
<TextSample sampleTime="05:07:09.546" xml:space="preserve">Chapter 12 - The Mirror of Erised</TextSample>
<TextSample sampleTime="05:42:48.704" xml:space="preserve">Chapter 13 - Nicolas Flamel</TextSample>
<TextSample sampleTime="06:02:36.960" xml:space="preserve">Chapter 14 - Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback</TextSample>
<TextSample sampleTime="06:23:54.007" xml:space="preserve">Chapter 15 - The Forbidden Forest</TextSample>
<TextSample sampleTime="06:56:16.353" xml:space="preserve">Chapter 16 - Through the Trapdoor</TextSample>
<TextSample sampleTime="07:37:31.597" xml:space="preserve">Chapter 17 - The Man with two Faces</TextSample>
<TextSample sampleTime="08:17:15.644" text="" />
</TextStream>


Yep. That's the chapter info. How is it that Track two is misused for chapter info? And you can blame the Apple tool for doing that. :P

[StifflerStealth]

Bond, I was reading your tutorial about adding Menus to MP4 files, like a dvd. Would it also be possible to add menus to audio only files and display chapter pictures? ALso, can the other formats ogg or Matroska files? Basically, I would like something that a common player would support. :) Thanks for your help.

[Kurtnoise]

How is it that Track two is misused for chapter info?
The common way to store chapters entries is the udta atom, not in a track tree. However, Apple has decided to do something else...that's why you can find the chapters flags as subtitles track (ttxt) and the pictures in other place.

[bond]

as kurt said, ttxt is normally a subtitle track

.m4b is actually a bastardisation of .mp4 as they use this jpeg track (and propably some other things), which is imho not 100% mp4 compliant

either way, why do you want to go to ogg/mkv? if you want a smaller filesize you could try to simply reencode the aac audio stream to a smaller bitrate and replace the aac audio stream in the .m4b by the new one (delete the existing one and remux the enw one with yamb)

edit: yes, this would also be possible by using mpeg-4 systems (aka "menu") but its hard to do and you will need a special plugin for playing it (enviviotv) or gpac osmo4

[StifflerStealth]

Oh.

I wanted to change to a different format because I don't want to use iTunes anymore, and the chapters were not showing up in other players. I read that Media Player Classic has features for MP4 chapters, so if I can fix this m4b file to play in MPC, that would be great.

I also wanted a smaller filesize, because this is an audiobook, so it doesn't need to be such a high bitrate.

Can I extract the pictures out as well? Then all I need is yamb and it will put everything back: the AAC stream, chapter points, and pictures to the proper place to play in MPC?

[bond]

i think you can extract the jpegs out of the m4b with mp4box, check the mp4box/gpac docs

you wont be able to convert the jpegs to another file tough that is handled in mpc, your only chance is mpeg-4 systems (hard to do) and keeping itunes

[david_tm]

if i want to add chapters to my m4b using mp4box
that i need to do?