iTunes No Longer Recognizing Dual-Resolution Encodes from Handbrake

rayward said:

I have now encoded over half a dozen movies of different types. Everything from The Hobbit to This is 40. iTunes will only accept the HD version and simply ignores the 544p iPhone version.

Anyone else having this trouble?

I use the HB presets for ATV3 and iPhone4. The only changes made are to ensure to check web optimized and, for the iPhone version only, I use a custom resolution - boosting the height to 544 and checking "Keep Ratio". Every HD version has the 1080p tag set, the SD versions have the "No" tag set for HD and every pair has matching Apple Store Content IDs.

Thanks

Click to expand...

Are you seeing any type of error when copying it into iTunes, or does it just seem to vanish? I feel like I had this issue when copying DVD and BD movies with the same identical names. Are your different versions named identically?

rayward said:

No error messages. When I drag both versions onto iTunes (which is how I've always done it), only the HD version copies over. The SD version is ignored.

I use the same movie name, just appending "(1080p HD)" to the name of the HD version, which is what iTunes does anyway. Both movies tagged identically, including the iTunes Store Content ID, but with the HD tags set appropriately for each version.

Hope this helps.

Click to expand...

Can you send me all the settings you are using for the 544p? I will do some testing for you and see if I can recreate the issue. I'm running a nightly build from maybe a few weeks ago.

And to clarify, you can't search and find these movies anywhere in iTunes? And when you add one, do you see the total number of items in iTunes increase (or the total library size)? You might need to turn on the status bar under View if you don't have that setup already.

rayward said:

Thanks!

I'll check on this when at home and get you what you need. Appreciate your help.

Click to expand...

I did a few tests and all worked without issue. Definitely want to check your preset and test again, but here's what I tried:

Handbrake nightly (Version 5373svn x86_64 (2013040201))

Used iPhone Preset, changed Anamorphic to None, Resolution upped to 544p (height), checked Web Optimized box. File imported into iTunes.

Tested again with my custom preset (High Profile, with triple audio). Changed Anamorphic to None, set height to 544p, checked Web Optimized box. File imported into iTunes.

Seems like my nightly build is a bit newer (I think) than yours. Maybe grab a newer nightly and test again? Wondering what other settings or audio you are using that might differ. Does not appear to be an issue with the resolution at all based on my tests, and outside of that I'm stumped what else is happening.

One thing I dislike about the new iTunes is that any movie I import it tags as a Home Video and not a Movie, so I have to manually change this on everything I import. I assume you get that on the HD movies? Just want to make sure all these SD copies aren't being dumped into some odd view.

Did anybody find a resolution to this issue? I'm noticing the same thing using 5433svn 2013050101 of the Handbrake nightly. I can make two copies (one HD and one SD), use Subler to properly flag the movies as SD and HD, set the content ID the same, and the first one I add is the only version iTunes will let me add. If I had the HD first and then try to add the SD it acts like I'm adding the exact same movie instead of the SD version of it (or the reverse order does the same thing).

Thanks,
James

I'm having exactly the same issue. Very frustrating!

Sorry to hijack your thread, but I'm really curious if you are doubling every item in your library or does iTunes have one item and two versions of the file somehow?

rayward said:

Not sure if this is an iTunes issue, or a change in Handbrake settings. However, since switching to a recent nightly build (5350svn x86_64 (2013032001)) to get a version that stops ML going to sleep mid-code, when I copy both HD (1080p) and SD (544p for iPhone) iTunes only accepts the HD version. The SD version won't copy into the library.

Any ideas? This has worked perfectly for years, even after I started upping my SD versions from 480 to 544. Now, it's gone away. I have recently updated both iTunes (to the latest version) and Handbrake (to a recently nightly), hence my confusion as to the culprit.

TIA

Click to expand...

Just a silly though but they are not being imported into iTunes as "home movies" and then you are possibly missing where they go?

My iTunes in the last upgrade started defaulting my movie imports to home movies and it took me a few searches to realise this.

opinio said:

Just a silly though but they are not being imported into iTunes as "home movies" and then you are possibly missing where they go?

My iTunes in the last upgrade started defaulting my movie imports to home movies and it took me a few searches to realise this.

Click to expand...

No. Dragging HD and SD into itunes. They are correctly tagged. Itunes will only accept one. If you add one and try and add the other after... nothing happens... The file doesn't get imported.

corbijnal said:

No. Dragging HD and SD into itunes. They are correctly tagged. Itunes will only accept one. If you add one and try and add the other after... nothing happens... The file doesn't get imported.

Click to expand...

Hmmm...

Well I do exactly as you do, with the only diff being that I run the HD and SD files through MetaZ to add all the meta data such as graphic, movie summary, genre etc. Note you do that after using HB.

That app may help clearly differentiating between the two?

Also I rename the SD file to add "(SD)" at the end of the video name so I know which one to sync with my iOS device or not.

Otherwise I do the same as you.

Anyone else got any information on this.

It's doing my head in. I like watching in 1080p on my appletv but if I want to finish watching something on my iPhone I want to pick up where I left off but not sync a 5GB movie file.

I suspect it's something in the recent 11.0.3 update of iTunes but can't be 100% sure. I've scoured the web looking for solutions to no avail.

And I know it should work as I've been tagging moving files and importing dual resolution files into iTunes for 2 years. Appears to have suddenly stopped working around the time I upgraded iTunes.

Just updated to 11.0.4 and the problem still persists

iTunes 10.5 seems to be having the same issue sadly. I am still unable to import both the 1080 and 720 versions video files that I have encoded. Interestingly, iTunes is able to download both versions of a purchased video and store them with the "HD" and "1080 HD" monikers, so the functionality is still in there.

Has anybody found a work around yet? Also, has anybody tried this with the iTunes 11.1 beta to confirm if the issue is still present?

Do you set the Content ID meta tag correctly for both versions of your movies?

priitv8 said:

Do you set the Content ID meta tag correctly for both versions of your movies?

Click to expand...

As has been said earlier in the thread... this problem is nothing to do with how the files are tagged.

It is an iTunes issue. We have been tagging dual HD-SD files successfully previously, and after an iTunes update, it stopped working.

corbijnal said:

As has been said earlier in the thread... this problem is nothing to do with how the files are tagged.

It is an iTunes issue. We have been tagging dual HD-SD files successfully previously, and after an iTunes update, it stopped working.

Click to expand...

OK, now I got your point!
It seems to only copy one file when it does it's "Copy files to iTunes Media folder" during library import.
You will need to manually move the other file(s) into the same iTunes Media Folder and from there drag&drop onto iTunes. Provided they share the same Content ID, iTunes won't add another icon to the library.
That's the only way I can get it recognise both resolutons and present the Video Quality option in popup menu.
I'm running iTunes 11.0.4.
I know, it's awkward, but at least gives the result you're expecting.

I have been having the same problem with the Dual HD/SD video quality imports into iTunes no longer recognising the second import. Which ever version is imported first, then that is the only version that iTunes will accept.

So, I have tested different encoding presets in Handbrake 64 bit Version 0.9.9 to see which ones cause issues with the dual HD/SD video quality feature in iTunes.

The only way I could get an SD quality video to upload into iTunes when a HD version of the same video already existed was to change the Audio mix down to stereo 2ch with a 128kpbs bitrate.

Regardless of the video quality, iTunes appears to only look at the Audio Stream to determine if the movie is SD Quality or not.

All of the standard Presets in Handbrake 0.9.9 are set to Mixdown in Dolby Pro Logic II at 160kbps. You will need to change this to Stereo 2ch 128kpbs if you want an SD version.

Not sure when/why this changed, but this work around is working for me at the moment to do a dual HD/SD import of movies into iTunes version 11.0.4

Cheers
91ANT

91ANT said:

Regardless of the video quality, iTunes appears to only look at the Audio Stream to determine if the movie is SD Quality or not.

Click to expand...

It's hard to believe that it does this. I think that's what the HD meta tag is for (for iTunes to determine if movie is HD and what resolution).
Have you tried the workaround I described earlier?
PS I didn't try with SD content, but with 720p and 1080p HD content. Otherwise identically composed/tagged, except for the HD flag. iTunes 11 won't import both files into the library, I need to take the workaround I described above, then it works.

Like the other guy in this thread how do you get itunes to recognise 2 types of quality on your tv? not to steal your thread thank you

priitv8 said:

OK, now I got your point!
It seems to only copy one file when it does it's "Copy files to iTunes Media folder" during library import.
You will need to manually move the other file(s) into the same iTunes Media Folder and from there drag&drop onto iTunes. Provided they share the same Content ID, iTunes won't add another icon to the library.
That's the only way I can get it recognise both resolutons and present the Video Quality option in popup menu.
I'm running iTunes 11.0.4.
I know, it's awkward, but at least gives the result you're expecting.

Click to expand...

I can confirm that this works! Thanks for the heads up. Not tried the audio codec thing mentioned but I'm not going to bother trying now.

ZeRoLiMiT said:

Like the other guy in this thread how do you get itunes to recognise 2 types of quality on your tv? not to steal your thread thank you

Click to expand...

Basically what we want is for the item to show up once in our iTunes library. In the library beside the movie it will say HD-SD instead of just HD. If you right click on the movie in iTunes it will then give you the option to view the file in HD or SD if you click 'video quality'.

If you click on 'show in finder' there will be two files HD and SD. But in iTunes it only shows one. You set your AppleTV to play 1080p by default. But that might be a 7GB file you ripped from a bluray. If I want to sync the same movie to my 16GB iPad I can sync the SD version (In iTunes set you iOS device to prefer SD movies). It means I can start watching a movie on my AppleTV in 1080p. Stop it and pick up the next day exactly where I left off on the SD version on my phone or iPad. It's really useful.

priitv8 said:

It's hard to believe that it does this. I think that's what the HD meta tag is for (for iTunes to determine if movie is HD and what resolution).
Have you tried the workaround I described earlier?

Click to expand...

Yes I have now. Copying the files into the iTunes media folder is also working for me. But i was still curious trying to find out what in the Handbrake Presets was preventing me from creating a Low Quality copy for the iPod/iPhone that just imported directly into iTunes. I now have a preset that has the audio quality in stereo with 128kbps and iTunes is allowing this to dual quality import directly into iTunes. All the HD Meta Tags, ContentiD etc also has to be the same between the two versions. If I push the audio quality up to 160kbps stereo, it doesn't do the dual import.

rayward said:

Do you (or anyone else) know if this can be done retroactively? I.e. can I take an SD version and down-convert the audio to iTunes' satisfaction?

Click to expand...

For this files that I have already created that don't dual import I have used priitv8's method above. I have tested passing the original file back through Handbrake with the same Video quality and dropping the audio quality and it works and still looks Ok on the super small screens.

Cheers
91ANT