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Recommend me a tool to join 2 or more mp4 files.

matrix07

matrix07

macrumors G3
Original poster
Jun 24, 2010
8,226
4,896
I always use MKVtoolnix (in Windows) to join 2 or more mkv files. It's a simple process, very fast, and no files converting. I thought MP4Tool will do the same (because the name is similar) but no. There's a join button but it's always greyed out.

ScreenShot2012-07-11at80939PM.png


All I want is a simple tool to join 2 or more MP4 files without converting. Free is preferable. Mac "or" PC. I tried Free Video Joiner on Windows. It's very slow and it converted the files. I also tried Avidemux but it's crashed.

Any helps is appreciated.
 
Last edited:
matrix07 said:
YAMB did everything I want.

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Will Handbrake re-convert the file?
Click to expand...

Although I have never actually done it, my understanding is that MKVToolnix will merge mp4 files as well as mkv files. Since these originals were generated by HB, they should be h.264, therefore the MKVToolnix output mkv files should also be h.264. You could then just change the container back to mp4 using Subler without any quality loss. Running the mkv back through HB will result in additional compression.
 
matrix07 said:
YAMB did everything I want.
Click to expand...

I spoke too soon. The audio joined flawlessly but the video freeze after the joined part. Damn.

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mic j said:
Although I have never actually done it, my understanding is that MKVToolnix will merge mp4 files as well as mkv files. Since these originals were generated by HB, they should be h.264, therefore the MKVToolnix output mkv files should also be h.264. You could then just change the container back to mp4 using Subler without any quality loss. Running the mkv back through HB will result in additional compression.
Click to expand...

Looks like I have to try Subler after all.
 
Yup, MKVToolnix & Subler get the job done but anyone has simpler method suggest?
 
matrix07 said:
Yup, MKVToolnix & Subler get the job done but anyone has simpler method suggest?
Click to expand...

I tried a similar thing lately helping a friend consolidate lynda.com videos in IVI, a couple of the the videos were at 29.97 NTSC and others were 15 fps webcast, different 264 profiles also. IVI stopped when changing from the first video to the first webcast. Not sure if that helps but it's a problem that I ran into.
 
spacepower7 said:
I tried a similar thing lately helping a friend consolidate lynda.com videos in IVI, a couple of the the videos were at 29.97 NTSC and others were 15 fps webcast, different 264 profiles also. IVI stopped when changing from the first video to the first webcast. Not sure if that helps but it's a problem that I ran into.
Click to expand...

May I ask what is IVI? :D
 
matrix07 said:
I always use MKVtoolnix (in Windows) to join 2 or more mkv files. It's a simple process, very fast, and no files converting. I thought MP4Tool will do the same (because the name is similar) but no. There's a join button but it's always greyed out.
Any helps is appreciated.
Click to expand...
You mention both MKV and MP4, but I take it you're trying to join MP4's. The typical reason that the join button is greyed out in MP4tools is if non-mp4/m4v files were loaded (if you're trying to join MKV's you want to use MKVtools), or if only have one file was loaded. You have to either drag all the files you want to join to MP4tools as a group or you can add them one at a time using the open and then add button. If you don't have a registered copy of MP4tools, then you have to use the second method, and only the latest beta will allow you to test the joining in this way. If that doesn't work for you, let me know, because that would be a bug.

Just so you know though, if YAMB didn't work for you, then chances are that MP4tools won't work either. They both use mp4box to join mp4's, as do pretty much all video tools. If you're comfortable with the command line, it's a pretty easy tool to use. MP4's can be pretty picky about joining. Slight differences in video properties can yield results like you're seeing. The latest beta of MP4tools actually does a quick pre-check to see if there are any potential property mismatches that could present problems, which might give yo a hint the the conflict.
 
emmgunn said:
You mention both MKV and MP4, but I take it you're trying to join MP4's. The typical reason that the join button is greyed out in MP4tools is if non-mp4/m4v files were loaded (if you're trying to join MKV's you want to use MKVtools), or if only have one file was loaded. You have to either drag all the files you want to join to MP4tools as a group or you can add them one at a time using the open and then add button. If you don't have a registered copy of MP4tools, then you have to use the second method, and only the latest beta will allow you to test the joining in this way. If that doesn't work for you, let me know, because that would be a bug.

Just so you know though, if YAMB didn't work for you, then chances are that MP4tools won't work either. They both use mp4box to join mp4's, as do pretty much all video tools. If you're comfortable with the command line, it's a pretty easy tool to use. MP4's can be pretty picky about joining. Slight differences in video properties can yield results like you're seeing. The latest beta of MP4tools actually does a quick pre-check to see if there are any potential property mismatches that could present problems, which might give yo a hint the the conflict.
Click to expand...

Sound like I didn't get the latest beta 'cause I can only open the latest file. Like when I open the 2nd file the 1st file will be gone. That's why the option to join always greyed out. (I can't drag and drop. I didn't pay for it yet.) Do you have a link to the latest beta so I can test it?
 
I did this with Quicktime 7 (Must be 7)

Open the first part, move the scroll bar all the way to the end. Then drag and drop part two onto the window. The option to save wasn't there (greyed out - I don't have QT Pro), but when I click on the red dot to close the window, it prompted me to save. The resulting file is .mov, but if you rename it to .m4v, it works fine in AppleTV. The only glitch is that chapter numbers restart at 1 when part two starts, but that doesn't matter to me.
 
posnera said:
I did this with Quicktime 7 (Must be 7)

Open the first part, move the scroll bar all the way to the end. Then drag and drop part two onto the window. The option to save wasn't there (greyed out - I don't have QT Pro), but when I click on the red dot to close the window, it prompted me to save. The resulting file is .mov, but if you rename it to .m4v, it works fine in AppleTV. The only glitch is that chapter numbers restart at 1 when part two starts, but that doesn't matter to me.
Click to expand...
Chapter numbers can be edited in Subler.

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pankajdobariya said:
Will Handbrake re-convert the file?
Click to expand...

Yes, but you will get some quality loss, small maybe, but it's not a lossless compression. Sort of like if you edit jpeg pictures, then same as jpeg, there will be additional artifacts generated in the picture.
 
I use Mp4joiner and Mp4tools to join videos, that I shoot using the same camera and all the same video properties.
But, at the start of the new joined video(with mp4joiner) or at the end(with m4tools), the video is not ok.
Green screen and pixelized grey screens which seem to try to display video, although audio plays fine.
The joined videos are identical.
Why this happens?
 
I also have used MP4 Joiner. It proved very useful for combining the Lord of the Rings extended edition on Blu-Ray. Best thing is that it preserved the chapter marks (it resets at Chapter 1 for the second file).
 
I cant understand why I am having this problem.
It joins the videos but it starts with green screen for several seconds, displaying grey blocks for several seconds.
Problematic join.
 
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