Hi Jeff,

Thanks for the welcome!

True, a video file can't have a "Table of Contents", but it can have "Chapters" to allow for quick jumps to different scenes throughout the video (both .MP4 and .MKV support this). When I mentioned DVD menu titles in my original post it was to indicate that I had set the Chapter Marks up correctly and they are being recognized by Movie Edit Pro (I should have made that clearer).

If I create a DVD (iso or physical) and then rip just the main title, the resulting output file has the chapter marks.

I found the following program, Drax (https://github.com/stevie910/drax/releases/tag/v1.6.5.0) which allows me to add the Chapter Marks outside of Movie Edit Pro. I was hoping I wouldn't have to duplicate work, since I already put the chapter marks in my project.

I know that my demand for physical DVDs has dramatically decreased (meaning no DVD menus allowing for scene selection) and the demand for a single video file is on the rise, so having the chapter marks included when exporting using the "Output as Video File" option would be a big time saver for me.

Hope the above makes sense 😀

Keith

@Keith-Graber

Hi Keith.

I found this thread interesting so had a look on the web and found you are right. HandBrake can alter existing Chapter markers in a video file but not create them. I have never seen an example though. How does this work in practice? Does the file have to be played in a software DVD player or similar to show the chapters?

I've got so used to just clicking on a timeline to roughly the spot I want to watch that I hadn't even thought of using chapter markers. I can see its appeal though and if used to using them I can see the logic in wanting them. I do however think you may have to use third party programs to do this as it seems a niche part of the market in general.

Ray.

@CubeAce

Hi Ray

Chapter support is built into a number of different media players (see the Extended features section, Chapter column here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_video_player_software)

I use VLC as my player. When playing the video and putting the mouse on timeline you can see the Chapter marks and names appear. There are navigation buttons to skip to previous / next chapters.

Here is the same functionality while using the Plex web player (from my Plex media server):

Movie Edit Pro already has the functionality, the Export to File function just needs to be updated to include the marks like when creating a DVD. I'll have to add this as a Feature Request to Magix.

Have a great day!

Keith

@Keith-Graber

Hi Keith

While MP4 and MKV file formats do support having 'Chapter markers' do be aware that not all players support them, or MKV files, so you cannot guarantee that the viewers will be able to use them.

John EB

@johnebaker

Hi John,

So true, not all players support "Chapter makers", but having them won't effect players that don't support them and benefit those that do.

This is just a small feature I like to include. Granted, some users might not even be aware of this feature due to using a player that does not support chapter marks, but for my user base (primary my wife, a music teacher who likes her concerts recorded and then shown to the students) it's nice to have.

Keith

I have Movie Edit Pro Plus. Just upgraded to it. I tried using one of the movie templates...cool. When I asked it to "export" the video to MP4 I got something called m2ts. Who is going to be able to view that?

@dhsetzer

Hi.

Did you use this export method?

If you didn't you should try it. Also what resolution are your video clips please?

m2ts is a container for the MPEG-2 codec. Normally used for DVD players but I have no problem playing them on a pc.

Ray.

@dhsetzer

On the export screen, click on the Display all button to see all of the presets.

John CB

@dhsetzer@dhsetzer

Hi

m2ts is a container for the MPEG-2 codec. Normally used for DVD players....

M2TS is a filename extension used for the Blu-ray Disc Audio-Video MPEG-2 Transport Stream container file format. It is based on the MPEG-2 transport stream container but it can contain high definition MPEG2, or MPEG4 material. This container format is commonly used for high definition video on Blu-ray Disc and AVCHD camera recording. It is also used as a recording format on older standard definition DVD disc type camcorders.

It is fairly universal in it's ability to be played on most HD devices and PC players and can be imported and exported from MEP.

Peter

@johnebaker Thread Drift Alert! 😉 I suggest these last posts be split off into their own thread.

@Keith-Graber Chapters in MP4s: what a great idea! I always assumed it wasn't possible because MEP doesn't do it but it can be. It would be a fantastic feature as it can be hard to remember what's on a MP4 that is 30 minutes long covering various stories.

Back to @dhsetzer 's issue. I doubt that you would have been asked to create an MP4/M2TS file per se if creating a DVD (normal or Bluray). I suspect you tried to use the export menu, as shown by Ray above. If your video resolution is high enough eg 1920x1080, MEP will present you with a M2TS export setting preset (which as pointed out above, can be a type of MP4). If your resolution is low, eg 720x576, MEP will suggest a "MP4" preset. If you do have a HD project, you can always change the preset to an MP4 HD preset. Just tick "Display All" in the Presets area of the MP 4 export dialogue.

So, how did you arrive at the M2TS/MP4 prompt?

What are you actually trying to do: create DVD or simply burn a MP4 file of your project?