Custom Audio Formats And Track Names

[69dragons]

Will the ability to pick audio formats and add custom track names ever be added?

I like to have both AAC Stereo and AC3 Surround for my main audio, and AAC Stereo for any remaining audio tracks. Also, I usually rename the non-main audio tracks with descriptive names like: Directors Commentary Crew Commentary Crew Member1, Crew Member2, etc Descriptive Audio

[lisamelton]

@69dragons Thank you for your question.

You can already choose between DD+, AC-3 and AAC audio formats. You can also pass through audio in other formats. The built-in documentation explains how to do that. You can access the complete documentation like this:

other-transcode --help full

It's also possible to duplicate your main audio track, i.e. have a surround version and a stereo version of the same audio. The wiki explains how to do that here:

https://github.com/donmelton/other_video_transcoding/wiki/Audio

That page says:

...it's possible to duplicate an audio track in a different width. For example, to duplicate the main audio track in stereo format:

other-transcode --add-audio 1=stereo C:\Rips\Movie.mkv

However, if the main audio track is already in stereo format, it won't be duplicated.

As for descriptive names, my advice is to name the tracks in your original rips. That's what I do. That way I can use the --add-audio option to add tracks by name like this:

other-transcode --add-audio commentary C:\Rips\Movie.mkv

The title comparison search is case-insensitive, so the example I gave would match both "Directors Commentary" and "Cast Commentary". Plus, the name is always copied to the output for any audio track added by name.

The names of subtitles tracks are always copied to the output no matter how they're added.

I hope that answers your question.

[69dragons]

I do not see an option in --help full for AAC. However, I will check out the page you suggest. My issue is I am working with a TV Program with a Stereo soundtrack and it's soundtrack was copied as AC3. It definitely was not trans-coded to AAC.

Thank you for a quick response.

[lisamelton]

@69dragons When a track has a stereo width, then that track is, by default, in AAC format if it needs to be transcoded. However, if that track is at or below the current stereo bitrate and it's in AC-3 format, then that track is, by default, copied. Why do I do this? Well, it's not a good idea to transcode audio if you don't need to do so. It's especially not a good idea to transcode audio to a higher bitrate.

[69dragons]

I see, the track in question is an AC3 Stereo with a bit rate of 192kbps, it would have been transcoded if its bitrate was over 256kbps then.

Thank you for the clarification.

[asheimo]

If you name your tracks ahead of time, either at rip or after with mkvpropedit then when you use other-transcode you can use the --copy-track-names to have them copied over without having to use --add-audio <name> you can stick with --add-audio <#>. Hope this helps.

[69dragons]

I have had some sleep and got my thoughts together and will try to clarify my position here.

Thank you asheimo, that is good advice. I am surprised I did not think of that myself because that will save me a lot of confusion in the future with my makemkv rips.

The details that I forgot because I was a little tired last night were many fold. Please allow me to clarify what it is I like in an output file and why. I realize this is a holdover from the transcode-video project, but I have some equipment limitations that make this appealing.

output file organization: Main Video Track (possibly with burned forced subtitles (ala Star Wars, Kill Bill, etc.)) Main Audio Track AAC DRC=4 Main Audio Track AC3 COPIED Commentary Audio Track(s) AAC DRC=4 Descriptive Audio Track(s) AAC DRC=4 Remaining Subtitle(s)

Starting with the video and subtitle tracks I like this because on initial and subsequent viewings I do not have to remember which subtitle track is the alternate languages only, and which is english plus alternate languages. I prefer this organization for audio tracks because on my initial viewing I get the original track, or in the case of Blu-Ray a less compressed track. On subsequent viewings, or for viewing with headphones or ear buds the AAC with compression is preferable, at least with my equipment. My ears are not what they used to be; and this is usually for long trips with road noise and such. You know the usual problem, turn it up to hear the whispers then the explosions make your ears ring, type thing.

So for my use case, a wrapper script (I'll do some more research here as I'm not exactly sure what this is) that calls other-transcode --main-audio 0 [--burn-subtitle TRACK|auto] --dry-run /path/to/in/file.mkv should give me the ffmpeg command line to get the video compressed well, and I can process the audio and other subtitles in my wrapper.

I like how the transcode-video (and by extension HandbrakeCLI) always handled the video, but always had frustrations with how it handled the audio and subtitles. I think this new workflow will streamline my process, as I am very consistent in the way I handle all files.

Thank again asheimo, and Don I really appreciate it.