Streaming Handbrake videos to AppleTV with chapter markers

[rainydaymatt]

I'm using MakeMKV and Handbrake to rip my BluRay collection. I'm streaming it to my BluRay player, and I was distressed to find that my DVD rips don't allow me to skip chapters with my BluRay remote. I'm alternating between the AppleTV 3 and High Profile presets, and I thought I'd done all I needed to with the chapter markers to enable their use. Two questions:

1) Does anyone else have this issue, and how did you resolve it? I have a Sony BDPS3200, if it matters.

2) Does the AppleTV 3 allow chapter skip use? Back when I ripped my plain DVDs with the < 4GB option, I could skip with the Apple remote on my AppleTV 1. Is it the same now with the newer AppleTV models and higher res videos and larger file sizes?

 

[Longkeg]

I've never used MakeMKV but I do use Handbrake all the time. I would check your original BluRay rip to make sure the chapters made it into the .mkv file. If not then Handbrake will treat the whole file as one big chapter 1. Play your MKV file natively with VLC (on a computer) and see if you can skip through chapters. If not, you may have missed something in the ripping process.

BluRay players are made, first and foremast, to play BluRay discs. While most will play video files they may not support all the features you expect from its primary function. The ATV does support chapters for sure. But... the chapters have to be included in the rip for it to work.

 

[mcnallym]

I chapter skip with my Apple TV3 no problem.

DVD's will have the Chapter marker present, just no information available, unless used an additional tool to populate the Chapter Titles.

For TV recordings then they have no chapter information, however I manually add them in using iDentify2 to get the MetaData and add the Chapter information in manually.

My ATV3 happily uses those chapter markers added in myself no problem.

I only have a 720p 26" TV ( small flat so no room for larger 1080p screen ) so I haven't done Bluray yet, however would expect that if the Chapter markers are present in the makemkv rip then should be present when you handbrake the file.

 

[Boyd01]

I have a large library of DVD's ripped in Handbrake. No issue with chapter skipping on them. I use a program called IDentify to add metadata to the files. Sometimes it can find the proper chapter names, other times it can't.

Haven't ripped any BluRay disks so I don't know what might be different there. But the AppleTV should create "pseudo chapters" all by itself if none exist. It just skips ahead a predetermined amount with each click, based on how long the video is. Doesn't that work for you?

 

[rayward]

I rip BDs with MakeMKV and then transcode in Handbrake, and the chapter markers always copy over. I use Subler for tagging, and add chapter titles downloaded of the 'net or by hand if same not available.

All work fine on my ATV3.

 

[priitv8]

I use Subler for tagging, and add chapter titles downloaded of the 'net or by hand if same not available.

The same for me. Nice feature of Subler - it creates jpeg thumbnails of chapter markers as well!
I get chapter files fom http://chapterdb.org

 

[rayward]

The same for me. Nice feature of Subler - it creates jpeg thumbnails of chapter markers as well!
I get chapter files fom http://chapterdb.org

That's where I get mine, mostly. Typically, if it's not there, it's not anywhere.

 

[wilkinxp]

Handbrake will create chapters automatically, assuming the mkv file had them originally. Press the down key on your remote, this will bring the chapter markers on your screen and then press forward to skip chapters.

 

[tjwilliams25]

2) Does the AppleTV 3 allow chapter skip use? Back when I ripped my plain DVDs with the < 4GB option, I could skip with the Apple remote on my AppleTV 1. Is it the same now with the newer AppleTV models and higher res videos and larger file sizes?

As long as there are chapter markers embedded in the metadata of your video file, the Apple TV will see them. To chapter skip on the newer Apple TVs, all you have to do is press the down button while playing a video and it'll pop up the scrub bar, but with the chapter markers that you can press left or right to skip between. The file size only matters with storage (i.e. however you have your hard drive formatted), since the Apple TV is getting the video streamed to it, it only keeps a portion of the video in the buffer. Also, since the new Apple TV Gen 3 supports H.264 High Profile, it streams almost all high res and high bitrate files with ease.

 

[westrock2000]

As long as there are chapter markers embedded in the metadata of your video file, the Apple TV will see them. To chapter skip on the newer Apple TVs, all you have to do is press the down button while playing a video and it'll pop up the scrub bar, but with the chapter markers that you can press left or right to skip between.

The way I do is hold down the middle "silver" button in the middle of the directional pad for a couple seconds and it pops up a menu showing all the chapters.

You can tell if handbrake sees the chapters by going to Chapter tab and there should be the chapter markers it sees populated in there (at least on Windows version of Handbrake). If there are no chapters in that tab, then they will not be inserted automatically.