Tools and other software MKV Buddy - Tool to help handling of Videos (2 Viewers)

[bugmenot]

Hi, is there a way to change the date format that nfo4mp uses? I use yyyy-MM-dd in the Windows language control panel (default, and best for sorting) but nfo4mp will only use DD-MMM-yy and crashes if it is set otherwise.

Wednesday, June 17, 2015, 5:10:00 PM
Computer: xxx\xxx
Source: Microsoft.VisualBasic
TargetSite: System.DateTime ToDate(System.String)
Message: Conversion from string "26.03.2015" to type 'Date' is not valid.
StackTrace:
at Microsoft.VisualBasic.CompilerServices.Conversions.ToDate(String Value)
at nfo4MP.mMain.GetVersion(Boolean withDate)
at nfo4MP.mMain.Main()
ErrorLine: 0


Also, MKVBuddy removes the existing attached cover on my mkv files when I use the tag movies feature. I have "Attach grafx to mkv" checked and delete /refresh graphics unchecked. The only thing left attached is the nfo file.

One request: allow setting more mkv tags than the 6 currently applied. Maybe this can be set in the options/ini file. I would like to add more like director, writer, actors, etc. TIA

 

[Lehmden]

Hi.

MKVBuddy removes the existing attached cover on my mkv files when I use the tag movies feature. I have "Attach grafx to mkv" checked and delete /refresh graphics unchecked. The only thing left attached is the nfo file.

Delete /refresh graphics only is for gfx that is near to the MKV in file system.
MKV Buddy can not remove attachments from a MKV file. This is due to a bug in mkvpropedit that is used for attaching and tagging. The attachment only is hidden, not deleted. This (the hiding) is done automatically before new files are being attached.
But if you tell MKV Buddy to attach new gfx then it will do. You need to uncheck "Attach graphics" to keep your old attached cover as MKV Buddy then only attaches the .nfo file (that you also can suppress), leaving the rest as it is. If you want to reuse your cover but add extra fanart (background, clearart,...) then you first need to extract the cover from the mkv. This is possible in MKV Buddy too ("Extract Tracks") but needs an extra step in workflow. If you uncheck "refresh gfx" then your extracted cover will be reused and only gfx that did not exist is downloaded.

is there a way to change the date format that nfo4mp uses?

Nfo4mp is using the same format, TMDB or TVDB is delivering. And that is yyyy-mm-dd. An example from one of my .ini files:

<premiered>2004-07-14</premiered>

Every ini file I have (and there are over 20.000 of them) is using this format.

Only different date format is the build date of nfo4mp itself. But this is written in a comment and is not used in any way.

<!-- created on 2015-06-15 12:54:53 - nfo4MP v0.8.164 (14.06.2015) -->

So I can't see the issue here...

request: allow setting more mkv tags than the 6 currently applied.

You're not the first one who asks for this, but this really is not that easy to achieve. Every single app generating .nfo files uses different syntax for this. So I need to write various different parsers for every single data to tag. How much depends on how much programs like Kodi, XBMC (nfo are not 100% identical), Ember, tMM,... should be supported. It's a huge amount of work for a little effect. That's why I have decided to only tag data that (nearly) is identical in every nfo file from every program that did generate .nfo files or data that really is important like IMDB- ID... Solely for this simple ID number I had to write three parsers as not even here the programs are able to use the same format for writing down this data into the .nfo file.

And I don't see this changing as long as any program uses it's own way to write such data into the nfo file. As even the "godfather" of nfo files XBMC is not able to use the same format for those not that important data on different versions of XBMC/KODI I don't see this changing soon.

I could tag a lot more data but then I have to drop support for other programs nfo files. This is not wanted by most users. To me it did not matter as I only use MKV Buddy but I know lots of people are using e.g. Ember or tMM together with MKV Buddy. Personally I also did not need more tags than the ones that are available. I'm using the MKV tags in MP2 only . And here the ID (and season/episodes number on series) is the only data that is used (for identification)... All other data is read from .nfo file or, if not available, from online.

A single extra tag is available with the new upcoming version. Here the segment title will be set to the filename of the video (after renaming it, if this is planed by the user somehow).

 

[Lehmden]

Hi.
Finally the new version 1.2.0 is online. There are lots of changes and enhancements. Most important, there are now 2 versions available, a 32 bit and a 64 bit version. Please download the version fitting to your OS. As the folks on handbrake decided to drop support for 32 bit version (due to limited ram on 32 bit) I need to separate 32 and 64 bit versions. Right now both versions are equal in functions. But this may be changing later.
The chagelog:

1.2.0

Bugs
Fixed: Issue with not properly closed .nfo file while generating fanart.
Fixed: Issues with some not properly cleared GUI elements.

Updates:
nfo4mp to version 0.9.172
MKVToolnix to version 8.0.0
FFMpeg to git-bb3703a
HandbrakeCLI to version 0.10.2
MediaInfo.dll to version 0.7.74
ImageMagick to version 6.9.1.6

Enhanchments:
Finished: Adjustments in .nfo files for series to better fit with Kodi and MP2
Finished: Add support for FLAC fallback audio codec.
Finished: Add support for h265 video codec.
Finished: Add support for more than 2 episodes in a single video file.
Finished: Tag filename to segment title after recoding, remuxing and generating fanart.
Finished: Tag filename to segment title after grabbing/tagging for movies/series.
Finished: Add Support for DXVA hardware decoding.
Finished: Add Support for Open-CL hardware recoding.
Finished: Add support for MK3D files and 3D Tags.
Finished: Separate x64 and x32 versions.

Some words to DXVA and Open-CL... Sadly there is no full support available jet. DXVA only is usable during decoding. As stronger CPU are faster while decoding this option only makes sense on weak systems. Open-CL is used only in parts. So you need to check, if your system can benefit from it. Intel user with QuicSync are still supported the best.

You now can select h265 as video codec. H265 still is way slower than h264. But you can use this future proof codec today already if you like.

MKV-Buddy now supports unlimited episodes in a single file. Before there only 2 episodes are supported, like in TVSeries. As the upcoming MP2 Summer Edition will support unlimited episodes in one file, this feature just comes right in time. By the way, if you have generated your series .nfo with older versions, you may think about generating them fresh with 1.2.0. Some adjustments are done to better fit with Kodi and the new series .nfo support in MP2.

MKV-Buddy has hit the 3D era. Full support for .mk3d, the "official" extension for 3D matroska video files. And you can tag the 3D mode into your mkv or mk3d files. Aside this, MKV-Buddy can rename your 3D videos to .mk3d. Both, mkv and mk3d are identical containers. So if your media program did not support mk3d, this is no harm. Simply un-tick this option and you're good to go. As MediaPortal (both, MP1 and MP2) can support mk3d and most other programs too, I thought it's time to offer this option. In a future version MP2 will recognise the 3D tags and switch to the corresponding playing mode automatically. This will not be available in the upcoming Summer Release, but in a later version.

 

[Lehmden]

Hi.
After a lot of work there now is the completely rewritten brand new MKV-Buddy V2.0 available for download. It has a new, bigger user interface separated into three parts. On top is the navigation area, in the middle there is the working area and on bottom there is the settings area.

MKV-Buddy V2 brings you a whole bunch of wizards that makes live easier even more as the "old" MKV-Buddy could. The program now can decide if a video file needs to be recoded, remuxed or simply renamed before it will be enriched with metadata, .nfo files and fanart. For videos without online sources now a sub- folder inside the working folder can be used to set a "genre" for all videos residing in this folder. And you have lost of different options to design cover and backdrops for them. You can use templates for cover, backdrops and even borders. It's easy to create some by yourself to give the generated fanart a complete personal look...
Aside this you are not limited to MKV only. Grabbing metadata for movies and series or generating of fanart and metadata for videos is possible for nearly every video format now. And you can use MP4 as output while recoding videos as an alternative to MKV. Remuxing to MP4 is not working reliable. That's why it isn't possible inside MKV-Buddy. During my tests about 80% of my test videos are failed while muxing them into MP4 container also all of them are using (various) MP4 video codecs. On the other side, not a single failure while muxing them into MKV...

A manual isn't ready now. This will take some time to complete. So I'm prepared for lots of questions...

 

[Hunter23071985]

Hi.
MKV Buddy 2.0.0

Hello!

Thank you for the program. I did new Russian translation.
Allow a few requests:
1. Make the program completely portable.
2. Simplify the interface and eliminate flicker when switching windows.
3. Add phrases from the screenshots into lng-file - now they are not translated.
4. Replace the default path on the "D:\" instead of "D:\Dokumente".
5. Invites the language of the metadata according to the language of the operating system.

Can the program load metadata and cover art from the Internet (http://www.kinopoisk.ru/, etc.)?
And is it possible to edit the information before writing to the file?

Regards.

 

[Lehmden]

Hi.

1. Make the program completely portable.

It is completely portable. You can copy the complete folder to whatever place you like and run the program from there. The installer and the shortcuts are only for better user experience. But you will need to copy the whole folder where MKV-Buddy is installed to as all that is in there is needed for the program to work.

2. Simplify the interface and eliminate flicker when switching windows.

The old version had a more simply user interface, but too much options are not easy to change this way. And flicker should not happen at all. Never saw it here.

Add phrases from the screenshots into lng-file - now they are not translated.

The screenshots you've uploaded did not show up...

Oops! It looks like something went wrong...
Unable to open document. Please try again later.

But I'm pretty sure it is due the not complete Russian language file. The phrases are all in the language files but as I can't speak, write or read Russian I'm not able to complete the language file. Same is for French Language.Both are containing translated phrases used in the old program version, all that is new is in English (or German as my native language) only .

Replace the default path on the "D:\" instead of "D:\Dokumente".

Normally this shows the system's "my documents" path. But this will be overwritten on the very first usage nevertheless... The program saves the path for every action so you never need to start from there again.

Invites the language of the metadata according to the language of the operating system.

This is not what I've intended to have. Many people are searching for different metadata e.g, many people are using English Windows versions but preferring metadata in other languages...

Can the program load metadata and cover art from the Internet

Yes, it does. It is grabbing metadata and fanart from TheTVDB for series, TheMovieDB for Movies and clearart from fanart.tv. Other sources are not posible.

is it possible to edit the information before writing to the file

Not yet. But I've thought about an Editor for the generated .nfo files, also I rarely would need this... But when, if ever, this will be done, I don't know now.

 

[Hunter23071985]

Translation I made from English.lng, but it's not full - see screenshots in zip format here (packed in 7-zip 15.06).
D:\Dokumente - it's in German? It's not system's "my documents" path for me. )))
It's a pity that "Other sources are not posible". Plan to add? At least kinopoisk or iTunes?
Editor is also very necessary! Or at least the opportunity to see the nfo-file in notepad before integration into mkv.

 

[Lehmden]

Hi.

Plan to add?

No, I even can't read a single letter on this page so I'm completely lost here.

I did new Russian translation.

Many thanks for that. I will add the language file to the next version of MKV Buddy.

Or at least the opportunity to see the nfo-file in notepad before integration into mkv.

This you can do easily, if you don't delete the nfo files automatically. You can attach the .nfo later in a second pass if you like.

D:\Dokumente - it's in German? It's not system's "my documents" path for me. )))

This is my "My Documents" path and it is used as a place holder only. Normally I wouldn't deliver any .ini files with the installer package as on first run they are generated automatically. But on some systems MKV-Buddy is running with restricted privileges and is not allowed to write it's own .ini files. On such systems the user will be asked for Admin credentials during the installation. Those are needed to set proper read/write permissions to the .ini files. And for this a dummy- "MKV-Buddy.ini" is delivered with the installer package to have a file that can be written to. When Updating the installation existing .ini files won't be overwritten. So this only is a "issue" on the very first installation

If those dummy path are something you can not stand until the first usage you can edit the "MKV-Buddy.ini" and remove all lines in the [folder] section. On next run of MKV-Buddy all path are set to your personal "My Documents" folder. And those are also overwritten the first time you select a real folder for working.

but it's not full

Oh, now I can see what you are meaning.. Those are no phrases, those are values from external programs I can not change without breaking the functionality. This is something you need to live with... I also don't have them in German...

 

[Hunter23071985]

OK, thank you. I will wait next version of MKV Buddy.
Perhaps in new versions interface will be more logical and compact too, without duplicate settings on different tabs.
Good Luck!

 

[Lehmden]

without duplicate settings

Those settings are not duplicate, they are for different parts of the program...E.G. the Optimizer functions set in movies wizard are used for movies wizard only. You can choose separate settings for every part of the program to give you more flexibility. All settings you see are used in the part you see them only. If you don't want to change them, you don't need to, but you can, if you like... The program remembers every setting you've done so if you e.g. always use the optimizer function to remove all but one audio track and all subtitles, you set this up once and it will be used forever...

General used settings are in the Settings section and are used for every part. Those settings are something you only adjust once to your personal preferences and the always use them the same.

MKV-Buddy has soo many options and functions. It's simply not possible to have a flexible but easy (or empty) interface. The work itself is really easy and one of a kind. You won't find any other program that can do what MKV-Buddy did. As example I put all my new recorded or downloaded movies into a single folder no matter if they are too big and for this they must be recoded or if they contains unwanted audio or subtitle tracks or whatever. With one click all those movies were reworked to fit the users preferences and enriched with metadata and fanart. You won't find another program that is able to do such things with a single mouse click. Once you are familiar a bit with the usage you will see how easy it is to work with