Joining MP4's

[Bert Kemp]

I have 2 MP4 videos that I'm joing together one is about 3.5gb and the other is 2.5gb so far its been processing for about 4 hours and still not done. this is the first time I ever tried to do this so I have no Idea how long it should take but 4 hrs and still not done doesn't seem right does anyone know how long it takes.

[Dave Richards]

How are you trying to join the files? What software? Can you upload them to some place like DropBox and share the links? I could try joining them together for you.

[Bert Kemp]

I was using free video joiner, but gave up after almost 5 hours and uninstalled it, downloaded and tried 2 other so call joiners they didn't work either . I can't upload the files it would take 2 days . Know of a free program that will do it?

How are you trying to join the files? What software? Can you upload them to some place like DropBox and share the links? I could try joining them together for you.

[Grant Wilkinson]

I use the paid version of Powerdirector by Cyberlink. They have a 30-day free trial. You could see if you can live with the limitations of the trial.

[Marshall Harrison]

If you are on a Windows machine drop into a DOS command window and use copy /b to do a binary copy.

Its ben a while so my syntax may be off a bit it would be something like this: copy /b a.mp4 + b.mp4 results.mp4

[Bert Kemp]

Tried 3 times kept telling me incorrect syntax

If you are on a Windows machine drop into a DOS command window and use copy /b to do a binary copy.

Its ben a while so my syntax may be off a bit it would be something like this: copy /b a.mp4 + b.mp4 results.mp4

[Tom Stenzel]

Tried 3 times kept telling me incorrect syntax

Memories of the 20th century are fading but I *think* there's no spaces in front and behind the plus sign. If you asked about CP/M's PIP command I could help you.

I don't think the result will work. Isn't there header information in the mp4 file? A binary copy would have two headers in it, one at the start and one in the middle. Plus there might be end of video information in the file, the playback would terminate at the end of the first video and ignore the rest of the file. I would test it on two 1 minute mp4s to see if it works at all.

Edit: if there's spaces in the file names I think COPY will error out. Try renaming both files to an 8.3 DOS style compatible name first, copy them together, then rename it to whatever you want.
Forgot about that part.

-Tom

[Bert Kemp]

I have no clue what your talking about

Memories of the 20th century are fading but I *think* there's no spaces in front and behind the plus sign. If you asked about CP/M's PIP command I could help you.

I don't think the result will work. Isn't there header information in the mp4 file? A binary copy would have two headers in it, one at the start and one in the middle. Plus there might be end of video information in the file, the playback would terminate at the end of the first video and ignore the rest of the file. I would test it on two 1 minute mp4s to see if it works at all.

Edit: if there's spaces in the file names I think COPY will error out. Try renaming both files to an 8.3 DOS style compatible name first, copy them together, then rename it to whatever you want.
Forgot about that part.

-Tom

[Marshall Harrison]

copy /b image1.jpg + image2.jpg image3.jpg
I've copied video files like that before with no problems. Can't remember if they were MP4 or mpeg or avi. I moved to OSX 4 years ago and haven't regretted it.

Just Google for the DOS copy command for more info.

[Tom Stenzel]

I have no clue what your talking about

That's OK, neither do I. I'm running Linux on the 'puter.

In the old dark days of DOS, file names were limited to 8 uppercase characters (letters and numbers), a period, then three more characters. No spaces allowed, almost no punctuation characters. The COPY command will cough on spaces in the file name. There might be ways to get around it with a pair of ' or " around the names but I don't remember. But renaming the files to short names with no spaces and then copying them together should work. The names in Marshall's example are DOS acceptable, although the file image3.jpg might end up as IMAGE3.JPG, the name forced to uppercase letters.

You are running Windows of some sort, right? You don't mention it but with your laser stuff I'd guess you are.

Had to throw something in about CP/M. It was a popular OS for 8 bit computers back when men were men and buying something called software sounded funny.* Years ago when I told people I had built and used a computer at home they thought I was weird. Now everybody has computers but I'm still weird. The good things just don't change.

CP/M's PIP command (Peripheral Interchange Program) had built in support for punched tape. That'll give an idea of the kind of history I'm dredging up.

-Tom

*Read that line somewhere, forgot where I'm stealing it from.

[Marshall Harrison]

Tom, I go back that far too.

Never did much with CPM but did a lot of Unix and even did some paper tape on an old PDB8 back in the day. I remember 300 baud modems as well as modems where you put the telephone handset into a cradle on top of the modem.

I remember Big Indian and Little Indian, Hex editors and VI. Also Quine-McCluskey truth tables, ANDS, NANDS and NORS etc.

I did some assembler but really cut my teeth on C - still have my original K&R.

I got too old for that stuff and retired to take up woodworking.

[Bert Kemp]

yes running win 7 , I found a free program yesterday that works. I tried a bunch of times in the command prompt but couldn't get the right syntax . the one I found is MP4joiner, took about 15 min to joing 7 gb of video. Now I need to find out how to add enough music for the 8 min video . Most the yopuyube stuff is 4 min or less LOL

That's OK, neither do I. I'm running Linux on the 'puter.

In the old dark days of DOS, file names were limited to 8 uppercase characters (letters and numbers), a period, then three more characters. No spaces allowed, almost no punctuation characters. The COPY command will cough on spaces in the file name. There might be ways to get around it with a pair of ' or " around the names but I don't remember. But renaming the files to short names with no spaces and then copying them together should work. The names in Marshall's example are DOS acceptable, although the file image3.jpg might end up as IMAGE3.JPG, the name forced to uppercase letters.

You are running Windows of some sort, right? You don't mention it but with your laser stuff I'd guess you are.

Had to throw something in about CP/M. It was a popular OS for 8 bit computers back when men were men and buying something called software sounded funny.* Years ago when I told people I had built and used a computer at home they thought I was weird. Now everybody has computers but I'm still weird. The good things just don't change.

CP/M's PIP command (Peripheral Interchange Program) had built in support for punched tape. That'll give an idea of the kind of history I'm dredging up.

-Tom

*Read that line somewhere, forgot where I'm stealing it from.