How to join two vidoes / movies (mp4)

[sepandee]

I have two MP4 clips that I want to join together and have them as one file. One is around 300mb (20 mins) and the other 100mb (8 mins).

I tried MKV tools but it just copied the first video with the audio of the second video as the second part. I tried it on my laptop with some other videos and it was working fine. Very fast as well.

I tried iMovie, but it takes ages to import a file into the project library. I think around 40 minutes for the 300mb file.

Is there a free way to do this?

Thanks

 

[-DH]

I'd first try using MPEG Streamclip (freeware) to convert the MP4 files into a format that iMovie works with natively. Once converted, import them into iMovie and output a new file.

-DH

 

[sepandee]

a format that iMovie works with natively.

Thanks. May I ask what's a native iMovie format?

 

[-DH]

I don't use iMovie, but the Help Files should tell you. I do know that it works with the DV codec as a DV Stream (.dv).

-DH

 

[revelated]

I have two MP4 clips that I want to join together and have them as one file. One is around 300mb (20 mins) and the other 100mb (8 mins).

I tried MKV tools but it just copied the first video with the audio of the second video as the second part. I tried it on my laptop with some other videos and it was working fine. Very fast as well.

I tried iMovie, but it takes ages to import a file into the project library. I think around 40 minutes for the 300mb file.

Is there a free way to do this?

Thanks

1. Install QuickTime Player 7 from the Snow Leopard install CD.
2. Run QuickTime Player 7 and open the first MP4.
3. Seek to the end of the file.
4. Drag and drop the second MP4 onto the movie window. It won't look like it did anything, but the time will increase.
5. "X" out of the movie window. It will prompt you to save the file. Accept what it offers as a contained file, MOV format.

Just had to do this myself, and QuickTime 7 was the easiest way possible.

 

[emmgunn]

I have two MP4 clips that I want to join together and have them as one file. One is around 300mb (20 mins) and the other 100mb (8 mins).

I tried MKV tools but it just copied the first video with the audio of the second video as the second part. I tried it on my laptop with some other videos and it was working fine. Very fast as well.

I tried iMovie, but it takes ages to import a file into the project library. I think around 40 minutes for the 300mb file.

Is there a free way to do this?

Thanks

Hi Sepandee,
To join MP4 videos in MKVtools, the videos have to have similar tracks. So for example, if the resolutions are different, or one file has 5.1 sound and the second has 2-channel audio, then you're going to get some strange results. I'm guessing that is what happened with your two files. The joins that were working for you probably had matching tracks.

Or it could be you're using an older version of MKVtools which did have some issues with joining . The latest beta should be much improved in that regard.

The workaround, if you still want to use MKVtools, is to re-encode whichever track you need to, to get the files to match. Hopefully it's just an audio track as that converts fairly quickly in MKVtools.

I hope that helps.

 

[Bobcat16]

1. Install QuickTime Player 7 from the Snow Leopard install CD.
2. Run QuickTime Player 7 and open the first MP4.
3. Seek to the end of the file.
4. Drag and drop the second MP4 onto the movie window. It won't look like it did anything, but the time will increase.
5. "X" out of the movie window. It will prompt you to save the file. Accept what it offers as a contained file, MOV format.

Just had to do this myself, and QuickTime 7 was the easiest way possible.

Hey, first of all, thanks for the tip. This is a potential lifesaver since I thought I would have to do it all in imovie.

I do have a problem I've encountered though. I have a 3-part file that plays fine in Quicktime and Itunes. However, on my iphone, only the 1st part has sound. Then it shuts off but the video plays without any sound. Any solutions to that? Happen to anyone else?

 

[revelated]

Hey, first of all, thanks for the tip. This is a potential lifesaver since I thought I would have to do it all in imovie.

I do have a problem I've encountered though. I have a 3-part file that plays fine in Quicktime and Itunes. However, on my iphone, only the 1st part has sound. Then it shuts off but the video plays without any sound. Any solutions to that? Happen to anyone else?

Iphone's player may not support the container properly. You might try reprocessing it in Handbrake or MPEG Streamclip as an m4v or mp4. Never tried it though.