Markers In MP4

Question

Markers In MP4

GOAL: Render out sequences from FCP timeline through Compressor to MP4 with markers.

Been working on ways to do this for days now. Can't find a way to get the markers directly into the MP4.

CURRENT METHOD:
Render sequence from FCP timeline through Compressor to MP4.
Render "audio only" QT movie from FCP timeline with markers.
In Quicktime, copy the text track with the markers from the "audio only" QT movie and add them to the MP4.

This works, BUT, even though both renders came from the same sequence in FCP, they end up being slightly different lengths. It is my assumption that this is because my MP4 is at 15 fps. Attempts at getting a 15 fps "audio only" QT movie from FCP have been unsuccessful.

Would really appreciate any ideas on how to make my workflow, well... work. Or suggestion of a new one!

Thanks so much.

FCP version = 6.0.5
QT version = 7.6.4

17" Macbook Pro - Unibody, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Jan 5, 2010 6:58 PM

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Answer 1

Jan 6, 2010 3:28 PM in response to Joshua-Waveworker

Felt like I needed to clarify that because the QT movie (with the chapters) and the MP4 (with the content) are slightly different lengths, that the markers end up falling out of sync over the course of the content.

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Answer 2

Jim Cookman

Level 7

23,435 points

Jan 6, 2010 3:41 PM in response to Joshua-Waveworker

Please pardon my ignorance: what application reads mp4's with chapter markers? Exactly why are you doing this?

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Answer 3

Jan 6, 2010 4:07 PM in response to Jim Cookman

Thanks for your reply.

Quicktime Player.
Here is a link to a Apple tutorial on chapter markers in QT movies.

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

Its a little too manual and cumbersome for my needs. But the general concept is WAY overdue. I find it very difficult to believe the number of digital files flying around every day without markers in them.

I am doing this for an instructional dance video project. They are 1+hr. titles with lots of different sections. It will be extremely helpful for our end users to be able to jump around.

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Answer 4

Jan 7, 2010 2:19 PM in response to Joshua-Waveworker

VLC player also handles chapter markers pretty well.
I tested it out on both on mac and pc versions.

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Answer 5

Wes Plate

Level 4

2,859 points

Jan 7, 2010 2:33 PM in response to Joshua-Waveworker

I do it all the time, I think. MP4 is the format that you use for Apple TV, right?

I create the chapter markers in the sequence then export a QuickTime reference movie, with audio and video and Chapter Markers. Then I take that ref movie into Compressor and make the file for the Apple TV.

No copying and pasting, it just works.

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Answer 6

hanumang

Level 6

9,250 points

Jan 7, 2010 3:00 PM in response to Joshua-Waveworker

Funny you should mention VLC player -- I haven't been able to get it read chapter markers in an .mp4 file, but I suspect that my not being on the absolute latest version is the culprit.

Anyway, nothing in the Final Cut Studio package (nor QuickTime 7 Pro) will produce an .mp4 file with chapter markers. An .m4v file can be created with chapter markers though. My guess is that you need an .mp4 file because they are more (widely) compatible, especially with Windows systems. Is that correct? If not, .mov files are the easiest way to go out of Final Cut Studio.

The only Mac software that I've been able to create chaptered .mp4 files with is HandBrake. Unfortunately, those .mp4 files behave strangely. QuickTime X reads them correctly (with chapters) but QT 7 (7.6.3 on my SL system) doesn't see the chapter markers. iTunes 9.0.2 sees the chapter markers, but does not jump to the timecode when chapters are selected, making them worthless. And, as mentioned, VLC player (I believe my system was on 1.0.3) didn't see the chapter markers. I haven't tested since I've upgraded though.

Hopefully someone will pop-in with a suggestion on a 3rd-party application that plays nicer with QT.

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Answer 7

hanumang

Level 6

9,250 points

Jan 7, 2010 3:09 PM in response to Wes Plate

Wes Plate wrote:
I do it all the time, I think. MP4 is the format that you use for Apple TV, right?

The iTunes universe's preferred format is .m4v, which is what the various presets in Compressor create by default. The Apple Devices settings within Compressor can be adjusted to produce .mov files instead, but not .mp4 files.

This comes up in the Compressor forum from time to time, as .mp4 files are a bit more Windows-friendly supposedly and Compressor's implementation of them is severely crippled, with folks stuck using QT Pro for most things. Even then, .mp4 files can't be made to have chapters. Not with Apple products, at least.

Yeah, .mp4 files can be read by the iTunes universe, just not with chapters. (Which is what Jim Cookman was referencing, at least in part, I think.)

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Answer 8

Wes Plate

Level 4

2,859 points

Jan 7, 2010 3:12 PM in response to hanumang

Ah. Sorry for my ignorant post.

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Answer 9

Marco g

Level 1

13 points

Jan 21, 2010 10:11 AM in response to Wes Plate

.mp4 and .m4v is basically the same.

Apple is trying to establish the .m4v suffix to distinguish audio files from video files (m4v=video, m4a=audio, mp4=audio OR video).
Thus renaming .m4v to mp4 is just fine.

Does anyone know how to crate chapter markers in mp4 videos for VLC (VideoLanClient)?

Message was edited by: Marco g

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Answer 10

Jan 26, 2010 3:01 PM in response to Wes Plate

This would have been an option except... there is color and audio adjustments throughout the videos so the ref movie export basically requires rendering the whole thing, which my client does not want because of disk space and time issues.

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Answer 11

Jan 26, 2010 3:24 PM in response to hanumang

That is correct. I have opted for mp4 because of its wide compatibility.

I have found an app that allows you to add mp4 markers that work in QT and VLC (have not tried iTunes). It is called SimpleMovieX. It also claims to allow you to natively edit in mpeg formats. Suppose to be the app that gives you the features that QT is missing.

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Answer 12

Jan 26, 2010 3:47 PM in response to Joshua-Waveworker

I have answered my own question. By following my "CURRENT METHOD" through except when I add the text track to the mp4 I chose "Add to selection and scale". it time stretches the text track to the exact time of the video track, and all the markers line up. BUT... Then I realized the error in my thinking. Once I had an mp4 with my marker text track in QT I would have to save it. That would require encoding it again or saving it as a .mov file. Not what I was looking for.

The only way I can practically see at this moment accomplishing what I am trying to do is to manually copy the marker locations and titles from my FCP timeline and add them to the mp4 with a 3rd party app called SimpleMovieX.

How do I close this issue if I answered the question myself?

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