[SOLVED] Join multiple .mkv files into one using avconv or ffmpeg

[Feathers McGraw]

Hi all,

I'm looking to join lots of small video segments into one big one. The segments are all .mkv files.

Looking through the manual for avconv, it seems as though I need to use the concat protocol, but I can't get it working.

Please help!

Feathers

[life0riley]

I use mkvmerge GUI. Its found in the repositories and its called mkvtoolnix-gui.

Here is some information in it.

http://www.bunkus.org/videotools/mkv...merge-gui.html

I used this to put together a lot of short home movie clips. VLC will play .mvk files. I have VLC installed on all computers (Windows PCs included) at home so the entire family can enjoy the videos when they want to.

It was easy to install. Here is the abbreviated output from my terminal. I'm running Kubuntu 12.04.

$ sudo apt-get install mkvtoolnix-gui

The following NEW packages will be installed:
  libboost-filesystem1.46.1 libboost-system1.46.1 libwxbase2.8-0 libwxgtk2.8-0 mkvtoolnix mkvtoolnix-gui

I found mkvmerge GUI to be very useful. I hope you have the same experience.

[dode]

I tried -f concat and it works fine with ffmpeg, but not with avconv. Maybe there are some binary packages that allow to install ffmpeg alongside with avconv on kubuntu? I compiled ffmpeg from the source, went quite quick actually.

[Rog132]

Join multiple .mkv files into one using avconv or ffmpeg
Hi all,

I'm looking to join lots of small video segments into one big one. The segments are all .mkv files.

Looking through the manual for avconv, it seems as though I need to use the concat protocol, but I can't get it working.

FFMPEG - How to concatenate (join, merge) media files: https://trac.ffmpeg.org/wiki/How%20t...0media%20files

What is the output/error ?

Maybe there are some binary packages that allow to install ffmpeg alongside with avconv on kubuntu?

The FFMPEG can be compiled so that it is in the /opt...

ffmpeg version 2.0 Copyright (c) 2000-2013 the FFmpeg developers
built on Jul 15 2013 07:09:57 with gcc 4.7 (Ubuntu/Linaro 4.7.3-1ubuntu1)
configuration: --prefix=/opt/ffmpeg --libdir=/opt/ffmpeg/lib/

Earlier: http://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthr...l=1#post332936

[Feathers McGraw]

Thanks for both suggestions, interesting that concat works for you with ffmpeg and not avconv, I'll see what happens on my machine and report back!

Will try both ways when I get home tonight.

Feathers

[Feathers McGraw]

Firstly, ffmpeg:

I tried this option and got an error.

feathers-mcgraw@62-West-Wallaby-Street:/data/Videos/Lake_District_2013/MKV$ ffmpeg -f concat -i mylist.txt -c copy joined.mkv
ffmpeg version 0.8.6-6:0.8.6-1ubuntu2, Copyright (c) 2000-2013 the Libav developers
  built on Mar 30 2013 22:20:06 with gcc 4.7.2
*** THIS PROGRAM IS DEPRECATED ***
This program is only provided for compatibility and will be removed in a future release. Please use avconv instead.
Unknown input format: 'concat'

The mylist.txt file contains the following:

file '/data/Videos/Lake_District_2013/MKV/Filter_part_1_overview.mkv'
file '/data/Videos/Lake_District_2013/MKV/Filter_part_2_collecting_water.mkv'
file '/data/Videos/Lake_District_2013/MKV/Filter_part_3_inline_valve_demonstration.mkv'
file '/data/Videos/Lake_District_2013/MKV/Filter_part_4_tablets.mkv'
file '/data/Videos/Lake_District_2013/MKV/Filter_part_5_demonstration.mkv'
file '/data/Videos/Lake_District_2013/MKV/Filter_part_6_timing_abridged.mkv'
file '/data/Videos/Lake_District_2013/MKV/Filter_part_7_no_taste.mkv'

Secondly, mkvmerge
I tried mkvmerge, and the output file was just the first file with a different name. Not sure if I made a mistake...

"mkvmerge output:"

mkvmerge v6.1.0 ('Old Devil') built on Mar  4 2013 20:24:55
'/data/Videos/Lake_District_2013/MKV/Filter_part_1_overview.mkv': Using the demultiplexer for the format 'Matroska'.
'/data/Videos/Lake_District_2013/MKV/Filter_part_2_collecting_water.mkv': Using the demultiplexer for the format 'Matroska'.
'/data/Videos/Lake_District_2013/MKV/Filter_part_3_inline_valve_demonstration.mkv': Using the demultiplexer for the format 'Matroska'.
'/data/Videos/Lake_District_2013/MKV/Filter_part_4_tablets.mkv': Using the demultiplexer for the format 'Matroska'.
'/data/Videos/Lake_District_2013/MKV/Filter_part_5_demonstration.mkv': Using the demultiplexer for the format 'Matroska'.
'/data/Videos/Lake_District_2013/MKV/Filter_part_6_timimg_abridged.mkv': Using the demultiplexer for the format 'Matroska'.
'/data/Videos/Lake_District_2013/MKV/Filter_part_7_no_taste.mkv': Using the demultiplexer for the format 'Matroska'.
'/data/Videos/Lake_District_2013/MKV/Filter_part_1_overview.mkv' track 0: Using the output module for the format 'MPEG-4'.
'/data/Videos/Lake_District_2013/MKV/Filter_part_1_overview.mkv' track 1: Using the output module for the format 'Vorbis'.
'/data/Videos/Lake_District_2013/MKV/Filter_part_2_collecting_water.mkv' track 0: Using the output module for the format 'MPEG-4'.
'/data/Videos/Lake_District_2013/MKV/Filter_part_2_collecting_water.mkv' track 1: Using the output module for the format 'Vorbis'.
'/data/Videos/Lake_District_2013/MKV/Filter_part_3_inline_valve_demonstration.mkv' track 0: Using the output module for the format 'MPEG-4'.
'/data/Videos/Lake_District_2013/MKV/Filter_part_3_inline_valve_demonstration.mkv' track 1: Using the output module for the format 'Vorbis'.
'/data/Videos/Lake_District_2013/MKV/Filter_part_4_tablets.mkv' track 0: Using the output module for the format 'MPEG-4'.
'/data/Videos/Lake_District_2013/MKV/Filter_part_4_tablets.mkv' track 1: Using the output module for the format 'Vorbis'.
'/data/Videos/Lake_District_2013/MKV/Filter_part_5_demonstration.mkv' track 0: Using the output module for the format 'MPEG-4'.
'/data/Videos/Lake_District_2013/MKV/Filter_part_5_demonstration.mkv' track 1: Using the output module for the format 'Vorbis'.
'/data/Videos/Lake_District_2013/MKV/Filter_part_6_timimg_abridged.mkv' track 0: Using the output module for the format 'MPEG-4'.
'/data/Videos/Lake_District_2013/MKV/Filter_part_6_timimg_abridged.mkv' track 1: Using the output module for the format 'Vorbis'.
'/data/Videos/Lake_District_2013/MKV/Filter_part_7_no_taste.mkv' track 0: Using the output module for the format 'MPEG-4'.
'/data/Videos/Lake_District_2013/MKV/Filter_part_7_no_taste.mkv' track 1: Using the output module for the format 'Vorbis'.
The file '/data/Videos/Lake_District_2013/MKV/joined.mkv' has been opened for writing.
The cue entries (the index) are being written...
Muxing took 3 seconds.

"Warnings":

Warning: matroska_reader: Could not keep the track UID 1 because it is already allocated for the new file.
Warning: matroska_reader: Could not keep the track UID 2 because it is already allocated for the new file.
Warning: matroska_reader: Could not keep the track UID 1 because it is already allocated for the new file.
Warning: matroska_reader: Could not keep the track UID 2 because it is already allocated for the new file.
Warning: matroska_reader: Could not keep the track UID 1 because it is already allocated for the new file.
Warning: matroska_reader: Could not keep the track UID 2 because it is already allocated for the new file.
Warning: matroska_reader: Could not keep the track UID 1 because it is already allocated for the new file.
Warning: matroska_reader: Could not keep the track UID 2 because it is already allocated for the new file.
Warning: matroska_reader: Could not keep the track UID 1 because it is already allocated for the new file.
Warning: matroska_reader: Could not keep the track UID 2 because it is already allocated for the new file.
Warning: matroska_reader: Could not keep the track UID 1 because it is already allocated for the new file.
Warning: matroska_reader: Could not keep the track UID 2 because it is already allocated for the new file.

Any ideas?

Feathers

[Rog132]

You get the:

Unknown input format: 'concat'

error because:

https://trac.ffmpeg.org/wiki/How%20t...0media%20files

The concat demuxer was added to ffmpeg 1.1...

The standard Ubuntu ffmpeg is telling:

ffmpeg version 0.8.6-6:0.8.6-1ubuntu2
*** THIS PROGRAM IS DEPRECATED ***
This program is only provided for compatibility and will be removed in a future release. Please use avconv instead.

=> It is too old.

Tried the concat with the ffmpeg 2.0 (1) - it is working: http://pastebin.com/2tfGnp0D


The avconv docs - 3.12 How can I join video files?: http://www.libav.org/faq.html#How-ca...deo-files_003f


(1)
The ffmpeg, at here, is from: https://launchpad.net/~samrog131/+archive/ppa
Installed with ffmpeg-set-alternatives (2) : http://pastebin.com/Gg11M2rz
And then switching to the the ffmpeg 2.0 with the alternatives/kalternatives: http://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthr...l=1#post332936




(2)

:~$ apt-cache show ffmpeg-set-alternatives
Package: ffmpeg-set-alternatives
Priority: extra
...
Recommends: kalternatives
Depends: ffmpeg-real, ffmpeg
...
Description: a package to create the Debian alternatives for the ffmpeg.
A helper package to create and remove the alternatives for the ffmpeg.
.
The Debian alternatives system (man update-alternatives):
.
It is possible for several programs fulfilling the same or similar functions
to be installed on a single system at the same time. For example,
many systems have several text editors installed at once. This gives choice to the
users of a system, allowing each to use a different editor, if desired,
but makes it difficult for a program to make a good choice for an editor
to invoke if the user has not specified a particular preference.
Debian's alternatives system aims to solve this problem.
.
This package creates alternatives for the ffmpeg, ffplay, ffprobe and the ffserver.
.
The alternatives are removed when this package is removed.
.
Configuring of the alternatives can be made by the command line (man update-alternatives)
or with the kalternatives.

[Feathers McGraw]

Brilliant thanks... I need to learn to check that kind of thing, have had problems with old versions of programs from the repos quite a few times.

Will install a newer version and try again.

[life0riley]

My work flow to join multiple mkv files into one file is simple.
I use mkvmerge GUI v5.1.0.
I create a chapter.txt file ahead of time to set the chapter markers for my compilation.

The chapter.txt file looks like this.

CHAPTER01=00:00:00.000
CHAPTER01NAME=Chapter 1
CHAPTER02=00:05:02.000
CHAPTER02NAME=Chapter 2
CHAPTER03=00:11:07.000
CHAPTER03NAME=Chapter 3
CHAPTER04=00:17:07.000
CHAPTER04NAME=Chapter 4
CHAPTER05=00:24:36.000
CHAPTER05NAME=Don't Say Hi

You can leave the chapter names generic like Chapter 1, Chapter 2...etc. or you can name them like I did in Chapter 5, "Don't Say Hi"
CHAPTER01=00:00:00.000 <-- This is the start time for chapter one.
CHAPTER02=00:05:02.000 <-- This is the start time for chapter two and so on...

Launch mkvmerge GUI
1. On the input tab click the add button to add your file.
2. Click the append button to add the next movie clip to the end of the first one.


3. Click to open the Global tab.
4. In the Chapters section click the Browse button to browse for your chapter.txt file.
5. At the bottom click Browse to choose the output destination for your file. You can name your compilation here.
6. Click the Start muxing button. This was a fairly short video. Muxing took only 11 seconds.

[Feathers McGraw]

@Rog132

I've just installed the new version of ffmpeg and all went according to plan

Thanks for your detailed instructions.

Kalternatives is really interesting too!



@life0riley

Thanks for your graphical solution. I'll try that out next time.



Feathers