What the best tag software for Movies?

[pasipple]

I....like most....used Handbrake to convert all my DVDs and .AVIs to .MP4s.

Then I used MetaX to tag most of my movies. As I said earlier in this thread...just purchased iFlicks and it's so much better than MetaX. I had a lot of problem finding the newer movies on MetaX. iFlicks found them all very easily and the UI is a 1000x better. Best $25 I've invested in my movie collection.

 

[techguy40]

I....like most....used Handbrake to convert all my DVDs and .AVIs to .MP4s.

Then I used MetaX to tag most of my movies. As I said earlier in this thread...just purchased iFlicks and it's so much better than MetaX. I had a lot of problem finding the newer movies on MetaX. iFlicks found them all very easily and the UI is a 1000x better. Best $25 I've invested in my movie collection.

Doesn't iFlicks convert too? So your converting it twice by using handbrake and iflicks?

I thought iFlicks converts and tags. Does iFlicks tag only too without converting?

Is handbrake better to use for converting than iFlicks?

 

[g-boac]

Question about iFlicks tagging

Couple questions - I've always used MetaX, and it's worked great. It simply embeds the metadata directly into my .m4v/mp4 file.

When I tried using iFlicks, I never had any luck - every time it told me something like my file needed to be put into a "quicktime .MOV container", and although it added the metadata (movie poster, rating, actors, etc), it did some sort of conversion, and I always saw ~1-1.5 gigs disappear off my hard drive. And here's a link to the iFlicks page that talks about this:

http://www.iflicksapp.com/faq#i-alr...an-i-just-import-them-into-itunes-as-they-are

So I am getting really confused as to why I need ANY sort of conversion or "reference file"? I just want my .m4v/.mp4 iTunes movies tagged with metadata "as is", which is what MetaX seems to accomplish. . .can anybody shed some light onto this for me? I'd love to give iFlicks a shot if I can get it to work (simply tagging my files - not having to create duplicates or reference files), and would appreciate any help anyone can offer.

thanks!!
Mark

 

[pasipple]

Doesn't iFlicks convert too? So your converting it twice by using handbrake and iflicks?

I thought iFlicks converts and tags. Does iFlicks tag only too without converting?

Is handbrake better to use for converting than iFlicks?

Yes...iFlicks converts and tags. I had already converted my files using Handbrake and had 30-40 movies yet to tag so I've only used it for tagging. The tagging was a breeze....love the improved UI.

I couldn't tell you which is better for converting. Handbrake has such a following and there is tons of info on the web about how to tweak Handbrake...what the best settings are...etc. So Handbrake probably has a lot more flexibility...but I haven't tried iFlicks for conversions yet. I'll have to play around with it.

For purposes of tagging...iFlicks is wayyy better than MetaX.

 

[newagemac]

Couple questions - I've always used MetaX, and it's worked great. It simply embeds the metadata directly into my .m4v/mp4 file.

When I tried using iFlicks, I never had any luck - every time it told me something like my file needed to be put into a "quicktime .MOV container", and although it added the metadata (movie poster, rating, actors, etc), it did some sort of conversion, and I always saw ~1-1.5 gigs disappear off my hard drive. And here's a link to the iFlicks page that talks about this:

http://www.iflicksapp.com/faq#i-alr...an-i-just-import-them-into-itunes-as-they-are

So I am getting really confused as to why I need ANY sort of conversion or "reference file"? I just want my .m4v/.mp4 iTunes movies tagged with metadata "as is", which is what MetaX seems to accomplish. . .can anybody shed some light onto this for me? I'd love to give iFlicks a shot if I can get it to work (simply tagging my files - not having to create duplicates or reference files), and would appreciate any help anyone can offer.

thanks!!
Mark

I might be mistaken but I believe they updated it to where it is able to tag only without reencoding now. Someone with more experience with it might be able to confirm that. I just downloaded it today and playing around with it now.

 

[BlackMangoTree]

iFlicks, You don't have re encode any video if you don't want to. You can use it just to tag your files from within iTunes if you like. It integrates with the TMDB & TVDB, find info for your movies and Tv shows is a breeze. You don't even need too launch the app it can retrive the info from within iTunes.

It really is the best tagger on OS X

Best thing to do is download it, it's fully functional for 14 days. Give it a try.

 

[techguy40]

Yes...iFlicks converts and tags. I had already converted my files using Handbrake and had 30-40 movies yet to tag so I've only used it for tagging. The tagging was a breeze....love the improved UI.

I couldn't tell you which is better for converting. Handbrake has such a following and there is tons of info on the web about how to tweak Handbrake...what the best settings are...etc. So Handbrake probably has a lot more flexibility...but I haven't tried iFlicks for conversions yet. I'll have to play around with it.

For purposes of tagging...iFlicks is wayyy better than MetaX.

cool. how long does it take to tag only?

 

[michial]

On a related issue, I am new to imac for a week now. Just started using handbrake about an hour ago for the first time. After converting some looney tunes halloween cartoons I noticed the fans on my new 27" i7 2.93 8gb kicked in. I felt the top of the imac and it was pretty toasty. I hear it conducts heat away from the internals, but its hot and the fans went on for about 5 minutes or so. Is that normal? I want to put some files into this and run it overnight but wonder if the machine can handle it or if it will overheat?

One other thing how do I put multiple items or a whole folder into handbreak? I can only seem to add one file at a time. When I try to add a folder it doesnt seem to register.

 

[BlackMangoTree]

cool. how long does it take to tag only?

If the movie is already in iTunes folder about 2 seconds.

If not it will make a duplicate of the movie which is pretty quick depending of the size of the movie 1 - 2 minuets.

 

[BlackMangoTree]

On a related issue, I am new to imac for a week now. Just started using handbrake about an hour ago for the first time. After converting some looney tunes halloween cartoons I noticed the fans on my new 27" i7 2.93 8gb kicked in. I felt the top of the imac and it was pretty toasty. I hear it conducts heat away from the internals, but its hot and the fans went on for about 5 minutes or so. Is that normal? I want to put some files into this and run it overnight but wonder if the machine can handle it or if it will overheat?

One other thing how do I put multiple items or a whole folder into handbreak? I can only seem to add one file at a time. When I try to add a folder it doesnt seem to register.

Make sure all the video you would like to add are in the same folder, select source and select that folder they will all show under title.

Your iMac will be good to go for many encodes in a row i have been using one of my iMac since 2007 almost non stop for video encoding, no issues at all.

 

[michial]

Make sure all the video you would like to add are in the same folder, select source and select that folder they will all show under title.

Your iMac will be good to go for many encodes in a row i have been using one of my iMac since 2007 almost non stop for video encoding, no issues at all.

Does your imacs fan kick in and does the top get toasty-Ive read on these forums about overheating so I was concerned. If its normal no big deal.

Also I have tried adding a folder that had all the star wars movies in it and it said it wanst a valid source. But when I tried to add them individually it was recognized?

 

[Omne666]

Does iFlicks work well with the New Apple TV? Does it do a better job than handbrake when converting?

Unfortunately no....HB is better at it due to the amount of control it gives. iFlicks converts but all to .mov files, which I detest, though I cant remember why now...its been so long.

But for adding metadata, putting the file then in a required location, adding it to itunes and deleting the original, its a dream to use.

 

[BlackMangoTree]

Nothing wrong with .Mov they play on all Apples devices and support multi Audi AC3 tags ect... they are perfectly fine.

iFilcks will keep your file as a m4v now.

 

[Poobah22]

I use Subler. Yeah, there's no documentation, but if you play around with it, it's very easy to use. Here are the basics:

1.) Rip a movie
2.) Launch Subler (you'll see the Subler icon in the dock)
3.) Open Finder and locate the movie file you want to tag
4.) Drag the movie file to the Subler icon on the dock - Subler will open
5.) Click on the magnifying glass icon in the top right corner
6.) Type in the movie name that you're looking to tag - hit enter
7.) Select the tag file you want to use - hit the "Add" button
8.) Clicking any blank line under "Chapter Track", etc., will show you the "Metadata", "Artwork", and "Other Settings" buttons.
9.) All of this info can be manually edited by double-clicking the field
10.) To change the artwork, double-click the artwork field, and hit "delete" to clear the field. You can then find artwork online (I prefer themoviedb.org), copy the image, and paste it into Subler's artwork field using "Command-V"
11.) Note: for those who intend on putting their movies on the iPad, check the "Create Preview Images" box under Subler's preferences. This will create those chapter preview images that you see for iPad videos
12.) Once all of the tagging information is to your liking, select "File-Save"
13.) Important: after you save it, select "File-Optimize" to finish the tagging operation
14.) Your file is now tagged. Enjoy!

This is very comprehensive. Thanks for it. Dumb question, though...what if the movie has already been moved to iTunes? Do I still just drag the file into Subler and when I'm done, it's updated in iTunes?

 

[petvas]

I use MetaX on my Mac and I am happy with it. I haven't used iFlicks but I will be testing it soon.

 

[laurim]

If you're on a mac and just want to tag movies and tv shows, check out the automator script referenced in the sticky about automating the ripping process:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/805573/

Works great for me, free and easy.

 

[tbayrgs]

This is very comprehensive. Thanks for it. Dumb question, though...what if the movie has already been moved to iTunes? Do I still just drag the file into Subler and when I'm done, it's updated in iTunes?

Yes. You may not see the changes immediately--just right click on the title in iTunes and select 'Get Info' and you should see whatever changes you made.

 

[henrikrox]

mkvtools, for converting mkv's high bitrate movies to mp4, takes about a half and hour on my imac.

THen use iflicks to add tags, iflicks is so much better then the useless junk out there.

 

[aelalfy]

I have a question for those that use iflicks.

I use handbrake to encode to .mp4 and then use iflicks to tag them. And it works great but the artwork is not the same size as iTunes. Ie it's not square but the usual DVD cover size. So on the appletv it looks cropped on the main menu of the appletv UI. Is there a solution to this?

On a side note: when I watch a tv show on my appletv fully, it doesn't change the unwatched icon to watched. Meaning the tv show remains unwatched. I'm wondering if this has to do with the way I encode or tag or just an appletv things? I can go and long hold and change it to watched. Also if I watch a tv show partially, it changes the status to half watched, which is correct but never changes it to watched.

Thanks in advance,
AE

 

[ftaok]

I'm new to this, but I'm learning more and more what works for me.

I have a load of DVDs ripped onto an external HDD and a bunch of downloaded TV shows from torrent sites that are typically h264/MKV and MPEG-4/AVI files (note - these are shows that I can legally view via my cable subscription, but I don't have HDD space on the DVR for them all).

I typically use Handbrake to convert the VIDEO_TS DVD folders using the AppleTV preset. I have tried MetaX and it hosed my files. I tried Subler and couldn't figure it out ... although I may try again in the future. I'm now using Vidalin to tag my movies. It works pretty good, except I can't figure out why some of the artwork is lo-res. This forces me to swap the artwork in iTunes.

For the TV shows, I tried converting a 1.5 hour, 720p MKV file using handbrake (1280x720, 1500 kbps) and it took over 6 hours on a 2Ghz CoreDuo Macbook. Not acceptable, but the output file was decent enough. I'm guessing at the AppleTV preset (tweaked for 1280x720) would give me a much bigger file and a shorter encode time.

Ultimately, I am now just passing through the MKV and AVI files through MKVTools to convert the audio file. The process takes about 20 minutes and the file size is the same as the MKV file. I've tested 720p and 360p files and they play in iTunes and the new AppleTV. I haven't tested these files with Metadata Hootenany to add chapter marks ... yet.

ft

 

[jaw04005]

I love iFlicks. It's the best $30 on Mac shareware I've spent in a while. New version is supposed to support MKV encoding.

 

[emaja]

I was using MetaX, but was getting frustrated with how slow it became under Snow Leopard and its lack of updates. I downloaded and tried iFlicks, but since I am encoding with Handbrake, I just want to tag. I am not seeing how to do this.

I tried it with a few files just to see what it did, but it seems that the file sizes are different - smaller - after I run them through iFlicks. I am using the default settings and do not see an option for "tag only."

EDIT: I think I found it. Instead of dragging the raw, untagged file, you seem to have to grab the file from within iTunes. Seems odd to me to add it to iTunes untagged, then drag to iFlicks, then have it do its magic and re-inport to iTunes.

 

[pasipple]

I was using MetaX, but was getting frustrated with how slow it became under Snow Leopard and its lack of updates. I downloaded and tried iFlicks, but since I am encoding with Handbrake, I just want to tag. I am not seeing how to do this.

I tried it with a few files just to see what it did, but it seems that the file sizes are different - smaller - after I run them through iFlicks. I am using the default settings and do not see an option for "tag only."

EDIT: I think I found it. Instead of dragging the raw, untagged file, you seem to have to grab the file from within iTunes. Seems odd to me to add it to iTunes untagged, then drag to iFlicks, then have it do its magic and re-inport to iTunes.

I couldn't find any straightforward instructions for iFlicks either. And like you...I use it specificallly for tagging. But with a little experimentation I learned that it takes about two clicks to tag and add a movie to iTunes.

1) At the very bottom left...hit the "+" button and navigate to the file you wish to add to iTunes. Select the file...and it will be added to the iFlicks workspace.

2A) If the file was identified by iFlicks you should see the cover art. If this is correct...hit the "start" button on the very bottom right. After 20-30 seconds iFlicks will finish and you are done. The file should now be tagged and visible in iTunes.

2B) If the file was NOT identified by iFlicks...hit the "magnified glass" button on the very bottom left. A dialog box will appear giving you a list of movies that most closely match the title of the file you are trying to tag. Browse this list and select the appropriate selection. Then hit the "start" button and your file will be added to iTunes.

Hope that helps....

 

[emaja]

I couldn't find any straightforward instructions for iFlicks either. And like you...I use it specificallly for tagging. But with a little experimentation I learned that it takes about two clicks to tag and add a movie to iTunes.

Those are the same steps I did, but I am not sure why the tagged files end up being smaller than the untagged files. Like I said, I am using the default settings and that includes the "Flatten to QuickTime." preset. I'm not sure if I need to use another preset. The others look like they do encoding.

 

[pasipple]

Those are the same steps I did, but I am not sure why the tagged files end up being smaller than the untagged files. Like I said, I am using the default settings and that includes the "Flatten to QuickTime." preset. I'm not sure if I need to use another preset. The others look like they do encoding.

Yea...I don't know. I use the same preset....but I've never noticed the file size. Next time I add a movie I'll check it out myself.