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Old July 10th 18, 10:28 PM posted to alt.windows7.general,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general,microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion,uk.tech.broadcast
J. P. Gilliver (John)[_2_]
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Posts: 54
Default Does .mp4 - or any other video format - have a text field (comment, not subtitle)? If so, what can edit it?

In message , Frank Slootweg
writes:
NY wrote:
"J. P. Gilliver (John)" wrote in message
...

[]
I'd like to have a similar facility for videos (I have mostly .mp4 format,

[]
I just had a look at some of my .mp4 [1] files and noted that
*Windows* - i.e. (Windows) File Explorer - Properties indeed does not
show a comments field in the metadata, but for example the VLC player
*does* have a 'Comments' field which you can view and edit.

In the Title/Duration/Album pane of VLC, right-click on a video file
and select 'Information...'. That will popup a 'Media information' popup
which has a 'General' tab which has the multi-line 'Comments' field.


That sounded exactly what I wanted! Then I spent a short while looking
through VLC's menus for "Title/Duration/Album", without success (I found
a "Title ", but greyed out). Then I found Tools Media Information
(Ctrl-I also gets me there.) So I must already have _been_ in the pane
from which I can call that; no matter.

As soon as I type anything into that Comments field (probably any of the
others too), a Save Metadata button appears next to the Close button at
bottom right. Excellent; thanks!
[snip]
[1] Note that the file extension name - i.e. .mp4 - is basically
meaningless. What matters are the video format *in* the file, the audio
format *in* the file and the 'container' format of any container which
contains video, audio and more.

[]
Yes, video files are a mess. But as I don't have g-spot installed on
this machine yet, I can only go by extension, and brief test has shown:
the "Save Metadata" button appears for the .mp4, .mov, .webm, and one
other type that I've forgotten. All let me click it. But when I closed
and then re-opened the video file, only the .mp4 file had _retained_ the
comment. I'd sort of guessed this, because clicking Save Metadata had
stopped the file playing (and I think returned it to its start) for that
filetype, but didn't stop it playing for the other three.

But at least I can add comments to some files (possibly all .mp4 ones,
possibly only some but some of other sorts, based on your observations
above), which is better than I'd had before. Strange how we can be blind
to things; I'd known about the Media Information window, but only ever
used the Codec tab in it, mainly to see what resolution a video was at;
I'd never really noticed what was under the General tab!
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

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