MKV to MP4 with Hardcoded Subtitles - PS3 Friendly

[DropDeadEddy]

I want to know the fastest way to repack an anime mkv to an mp4 and have the subtitles play on a ps3. I usually encode H264 into x264 but the subs never come up on the ps3.

Any help appreciated.

[Freedom Kira]

Go here, type in "PS3 converter," and press Enter.

[Krudda]

I hate it, but Handbrake is your friend

If you also hate it, which you shoild, download xmediarecode and avisynth.

In notepad or something similar, type

FFVideoSource("full path to video")
Textsub("full path to .ass file etc. ")

Then save it as "name / episode of anime.avs" (remember to check all files so it doesn't save as name.avs.txt

Now go to xmediarecode and open that .avs (which is an avisynth file)
Choose output > sony > ps3

Additional notes
use aegisub to get the ass file and install the required fonts

Alternatively, you can encode it yourself using x264 CLI

Max settings are Mpeg-4 profile high level 4.0, AAC audio (low complexity) and some other shit I don't remember off the top of my head. Google PS3 max specs

[DropDeadEddy]

I hate it, but Handbrake is your friend

If you also hate it, which you shoild, download xmediarecode and avisynth.

In notepad or something similar, type

FFVideoSource("full path to video")
Textsub("full path to .ass file etc. ")

Then save it as "name / episode of anime.avs" (remember to check all files so it doesn't save as name.avs.txt

Now go to xmediarecode and open that .avs (which is an avisynth file)
Choose output > sony > ps3

Additional notes
use aegisub to get the ass file and install the required fonts

Alternatively, you can encode it yourself using x264 CLI

Max settings are Mpeg-4 profile high level 4.0, AAC audio (low complexity) and some other shit I don't remember off the top of my head. Google PS3 max specs

Thank you kindly. I will try this. I'll come back if I have issues.

[cold_hell]

Max settings are Mpeg-4 profile high level 4.0, AAC audio (low complexity) and some other shit I don't remember off the top of my head. Google PS3 max specs

http://www.bigasoft.com/articles/how-to-play-mp4-on-ps3.html
http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/video/filetypes.html

 PS3 can play MP4 video files with extension of .mp4 with video codec of MPEG-4 AVC H.264 /Xvid/DivX and audio codec of AAC. There are still some other MP4 video files are unsupported like MPEG-4 ASP.

As MPEG-4 AVC H.264 codec, support is limited to the following specifications:

    AVC Profile: Baseline, Main or High Profiles
    Maximum bitrate: None specified. However, if bitrate is above 20Mbps, stuttering will occur when playback
    AVC Level: 4.2
    No B-Pyramid and P4x4 support
    4GB limit for streaming H.264 files

Note from me:
PS3 can play files with ~40Mbps  (restrictions --vbv-maxrate 40000 --vbv-bufsize 30000) in .m2ts fine as far as I know

[Krudda]

Good link cold_hell
I couldn't think of it off the top of my head, but I knew something wasn't supported.
Let me know how you go, DropDeadEddy.

I specifically suggested xmedia-recode because it can properly turn 10bit into 8bit easily with minimal effort from the user.
AviSynth is needed because xmedia's built in subtitle renderer is horrible.

[DropDeadEddy]

Good link cold_hell
I couldn't think of it off the top of my head, but I knew something wasn't supported.
Let me know how you go, DropDeadEddy.

I specifically suggested xmedia-recode because it can properly turn 10bit into 8bit easily with minimal effort from the user.
AviSynth is needed because xmedia's built in subtitle renderer is horrible.

That was my problem with a lot of programs I was using. They would encode pretty quickly but would not hardcode subs.

[Temuthril]

I use a batch script with command line tools myself, try it if you want a simple solution:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/13680560/PS3%20Encoder.rar

Needs to have AviSynth installed. Most anime mkv files work if you use the "Drag and drop files here – PS3 – AAC Copy" batch file. It re-encodes the video with subtitles and remuxes the audio. If it goes too slow, edit the file and change the first mention of "--preset medium" to "--preset veryfast".

No GUI exploring or manual writing of avs files needed. Only a single drag & drop (onto the .bat file).

[DropDeadEddy]

I use a batch script with command line tools myself, try it if you want a simple solution:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/13680560/PS3%20Encoder.rar

Needs to have AviSynth installed. Most anime mkv files work if you use the "Drag and drop files here – PS3 – AAC Copy" batch file. It re-encodes the video with subtitles and remuxes the audio. If it goes too slow, edit the file and change the first mention of "--preset medium" to "--preset veryfast".

No GUI exploring or manual writing of avs files needed. Only a single drag & drop (onto the .bat file).

A lot of things I have used before encode fine, they just never encode subs so they dont ever show when playing on the ps3. I hope command line script can remedy this.

[Krudda]

These seem to be pretty common questions, so I think I'll make a guide for re-encoding for specific devices the manual way (sans 'all in one media converter crapware/bloatware/adware)
Over the years I've seen them all, they either do a terrible job, or a good job but massive filesize

I'll start with PS3, PSP, PSV and DVD, since I have all these and have a decent amount of experience with each.
If anyone else has a device they use frequently for watching anime, list it and I'll cover it if I can.

I'd start tonight, but maybe not. I might be pressed for time after I mow my beard.

DDE, have you tried yet? I was pretty vague in my explanation.

[DropDeadEddy]

These seem to be pretty common questions, so I think I'll make a guide for re-encoding for specific devices the manual way (sans 'all in one media converter crapware/bloatware/adware)
Over the years I've seen them all, they either do a terrible job, or a good job but massive filesize

I'll start with PS3, PSP, PSV and DVD, since I have all these and have a decent amount of experience with each.
If anyone else has a device they use frequently for watching anime, list it and I'll cover it if I can.

I'd start tonight, but maybe not. I might be pressed for time after I mow my beard.

DDE, have you tried yet? I was pretty vague in my explanation.

Xmedia worked fine at encoding , but the subs weren't showing up on the ps3. It's like the video was in the right format but nothing had happened with the subs.

[Krudda]

Hmm, odd. I just tried it myself and indeed as you say, they didn't work.

I'll look into it a bit for you, I think maybe one of the updates to xmedia might have broken the function or not implemented it correctly as I remember it working previously.

For now, a program guaranteed to work (but slowly, about 40 minutes to an hour per 20 minute episode) is Minitheatre's Minicoder

It's several years outdated, but still works.

[Temuthril]

Here's a PSP version of the same batch file mentioned earlier, if anyone's using those:
http://pastebin.com/9Zb6KamG

This one assumes that the aspect ratio is 16:9 though. I haven't fiddled further with it, since everything is widescreen these days.

[sneaker2]

Over the years I've seen them all, they either do a terrible job, or a good job but massive filesize

Since 90+% of the software out there uses x264 it's only a matter choosing the right settings. Filesize can be almost arbitrarily controlled through --bitrate/--crf.

It's very easy with aforementioned HandBrake: open the file, add the subtitle in the subtitles tab and check "burn-in" (=hardcode). Choose mp4 container and aac audio(most subs today use aac audio already so you can select "AAC Passthru". Should be PS3 compatible out of the box, though settings can be tweaked a bit here and there if you know what you are doing.

[egozi44]

In case (just in case) you have moded PS3 I think you can use some HB to run mkvs with soft subs

that also apply for moded xbox 360 users btw xD


The the trick (and the risk) is that you need moded consul for it (or at least one that can be moded)

[DropDeadEddy]

Here's a PSP version of the same batch file mentioned earlier, if anyone's using those:
http://pastebin.com/9Zb6KamG

This one assumes that the aspect ratio is 16:9 though. I haven't fiddled further with it, since everything is widescreen these days.

  is this good with subs? that is basically the crux ruining my conversion efforts. =/

[Temuthril]

Yes.

It handles the subs the same way CCCP does, with VSFilter.