File only creates a movie with voice

[jcdifi26]

Hi,

New to the board. I'm using Handbrake to create an MP4 video with my MKV file. I usually just pick the biggest title from the DVD to make the MKV and disregard the rest. I've made about 40 movies this way with no problems. Recently, I've had 2 movies that created an MP4 with voice only. When the movie opens you just see a line across the screen that moves with the audio of the movie. I'm not sure why this is happening. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Joe

[Woodstock]

And, given the information you've given so far, we can't begin to guess what is going on.

First, the "biggest file" is not always the right file, especially nowadays. If you search this forum and others, you will find tales of many of DVDs and BDs where the publisher inserted dozens or even hundreds of fake titles. Is the disk you have one of those? We cannot know.

Second, the problem COULD be in your handbrake settings, but this isn't the handbrake support forum (that's over on forum.handbrake.fr, and you'll need your activity logs for support requests).

What happens when you play the unprocessed MKV file?

[jcdifi26]

Thanks for the reply. Again, I'm very new to this. I use handbrake to make the MP4 file because I'm not sure what program will play the MKV file. I know an MP4 will play on many media devices. I am trying to convert my DVD's to a digital format so I can play them on other devices (iPhone, laptop, TV, etc.) When MKV maker reads my DVD there is usually 1 or 2 titles that are 3 or 4 gigs. The rest of the titles are much smaller. So far, when I make the MKV from the 3-4 gig title there is no problem converting it to an MP4 in Handbrake. The MKV that is not working with Handbrake seems to be the same as the others that I have converted so far. If there is a more efficient way to do what I'm doing, I would appreciate any advice.

Thanks

[Woodstock]

MKV-capable players are available for all platforms that MakeMKV runs on. VLC, available from videolan.org, is popular, but it isn't the only one.

Watch the original MKV file, to see what you have BEFORE you bring handbrake into the equation. If the video is normal, then the issue would be with handbrake. If it is screwed up, check the other MKV files, to see what they look like. The largest file on the disk is not necessarily the one you want in today's world; it could be a decoy to keep people from rippng the correct one.

[jcdifi26]

Woodstock, thanks for the reply. I downloaded VLC Player, it works great. I've now started to look at all the titles available in the MKV files. They all appear to be the same. The video is Mpeg2 followed by the audio and subtitles. The difference seems to be in the amount of chapters. I'm not sure how you know which title to choose. I am converting these files to MP4 so I can view them on my ipad or iPhone. I'm not sure I would be able to do that with an MKV file. Also, the MKV file I make is usually 4 or 5 gig. When I convert it to MP4 it is only 1 gig. I was reading in an earlier post that MKV is usually a smaller file than MP4? If I can use the MKV file on other devices it would save me a lot of time converting them to MP4. Thanks again.

Joe

[Woodstock]

What movie title are we talking about here?

There are many new disks out there that have multiple fake titles, where the chapters are in different orders from correct. Disks like Ender's Game, Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Expendables 3, etc. There are ways to find out which is the correct title, but it is best to search for messages where someone else has already done the "weeding" for you.

Converting the MKV file to be playable on Apple devices can be done with handbrake, using the appropriate preset. You are NOT going to be able to have "switchable" subtitles without some work, because the Apple devices only accept certain types of subtitles, and DVD isn't one of them. But that is a support question for the handbrake forums. Using VLC, you can find out which audio and subtitle tracks are best for your use, and then use that information to set up the recode job in handbrake.

Smaller/larger is debatable. Generally, with the same settings in handbrake except for the output file type, the MKV will be ever-so-slightly smaller. But, MKV allows you to include more things that MP4, so it CAN be bigger.

As for playing MKV files on Apple devices ... there are programs that will do it, but they're not built in. And a lot of them have restrictions I just read about, such as VLC on iOS had to remove the AC3 decoder in order to get Apple to accept them into the store, so files with AC3 audio (most DVDs) have to be converted to AAC audio. The Apple presets in handbrake default to doing this conversion as part of the recode.

[jcdifi26]

Here's an example of what I mean by titles. When I insert the Madagascar DVD I click the box on the main screen to open the DVD. After it reads the DVD I see a screen that looks similar to this:

Type Description
Title 1 chapter(s), 524.3 MB
Title 4 chapter(s), 188.7 MB
Title 16 chapter(s), 5.2 GB

There are more titles, but you get the idea. Within each title it will say:
Video Mpeg2
Audio DD stereo English
Subtitles English
Subtitles French

There are check boxes for each choice. This is what I was referring to when I said I wasn't sure which title to choose. I would just choose the 5.2GB because I thought that contained the movie.

I've never tried to make an MKV from any of the smaller Titles. I hope this helps.

[Woodstock]

It's been so long since I ripped Madagascar I can't say what variations it had, but the DVD is from a simpler time, when the variations were limited to theatrical and director cuts, with extra scenes added back in. But that was also the original DVD release; not sure what you have.