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Author Topic: Importing Videos  (Read 1280 times)

toddtomorrow

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Importing Videos
« on: July 08, 2023, 06:18:45 pm »

I just installed J River media 31 on my new laptop because I've been going back and forth fixing some meta data files to get a cleaner import on audio files...I'm a Grateful Dead fan and their meta's tend to be all screwed up....When I went to import some concert footage (videos in mp4) I cant get JR31 to even see the video files...When I look at the storage the videos are all there and are coded as mp4 but inside JR31 and the library import box they don't show up.....Goes for all my videos...

Here's the thing, on the computer I use to run my sound system, when the external hard drive is hooked in, and I run JR31 on that computer all the videos have been imported previously and are still there.  And if I try to do an import on those videos just to check, all videos show up at the import selection box window....

I'm at my whitt's end cause everything I try to set does not fix the program...The videos still do not show up as an option to be imported...Anyone help?
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davewave

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Re: Importing Videos
« Reply #1 on: July 09, 2023, 11:16:21 am »

I can't directly help solve your particular issue.  But I do keep MPC, VLC, and the like around for playing certain troublesome files.  It is almost random which other programs will work when JRiver doesnt like something.
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terrym@tassie

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Re: Importing Videos
« Reply #2 on: July 09, 2023, 04:21:59 pm »

OK, as you are at your 'whitts (sic) end' and this is your first post I'm guessing you may not have had much experience yet with Media Center and so naturally your 'wit' is not very long (yet).
Let's do some simple stuff first.
Using 'Explorer' from the left-hand tree under 'Drives and devices' (see attached screenshot) navigate to your external drive folder where the videos you are trying to import are located. Use the 'Import into Library' button to import the files. Does this work?
If the above works then check that when you are using Tools>Import>Import a single folder that you have checked the mp4 file type in the dialog (see attached screenshot).

If neither of the above is working for you then reply to this with what you are seeing (screenshots would be good) and I'll try and help some more.

Welcome to the forum.
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toddtomorrow

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Re: Importing Videos
« Reply #3 on: July 21, 2023, 12:41:08 pm »

Thanks for getting back to me....I had some surgery and so I've been down for about 2 1/2 weeks....Been moving right along with JR since 27, now at 31...Hadn't ever had a problem importing through the tools button until this migration...That said going in through the explorer button on the left actually brought up the videos...But when I go back through tools import still nothing...I have import - and all boxes checked...Didn't have the issue with JR 30, the videos would show up...Makes me think maybe it was a mixed box not checked during installation?

I haven't done it yet but I would imagine your suggestion will work just fine to import...Thank you so much for the suggestion...Still curious tho (cause that's how my brain runs :) :)) why it doesn't show up the other way??
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toddtomorrow

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Re: Importing Videos
« Reply #4 on: July 21, 2023, 12:56:59 pm »

Here's another question I've had for quite a while but hadn't had a minute to research....Perhaps you can speed that research as you seem highly knowledgeable about JR.....I have Concert Videos Movies Home Movies TV Shows pics of my kids etc )...Let's call all that just Media for discussionary purposes)..These files are somewhat categorized on the external drive but get lumped once in JR31....Surely there's a way to sort these after they get imported or is there another more specific way to sort them BEFORE you import...Thank you for your patience sir or madam!!
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terrym@tassie

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Re: Importing Videos
« Reply #5 on: July 21, 2023, 04:55:13 pm »

Your question re: 'Media' categorization is best answered by learning about JRiver MC library fields, here are some links to the relevant wiki pages:
https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Library_Fields
https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Tagging
https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Import
https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Tag_on_Import

The specific fields (or Tags) that are important for sorting your 'Media' are 'Media Type' & 'Media Sub Type'.
As you will see from the Wiki pages, files can be tagged during import or after import and a lot of tags can be filled using the filename.
Take it steady and slow, getting to grips with MC can be a steep learning curve at the start but once you understand some of the key concepts it gets a lot easier.

Good luck
Terry
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toddtomorrow

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Re: Importing Videos
« Reply #6 on: July 21, 2023, 06:44:40 pm »

Thanks Terry!!!
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toddtomorrow

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Re: Importing Videos
« Reply #7 on: July 21, 2023, 08:44:15 pm »

Terry, if you look under the compression tab the videos are listed as mp4 (video h264, audio aac)...I imported just 1 folder with 3 videos in it to experiment with...I had to do it through your file explorer method...Do you see anything there that would not allow the videos to import via the File-Library-Import Method?  In reading through the notes, it seems that you can not tag on import when you utilize the file explorer method of importation...That said the videos still don't show up through Tools-Library-Import etc.  I just don't see why not...I included a screen shot that shows all the types of videos are selected (See pic 2)[/img]
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toddtomorrow

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Re: Importing Videos
« Reply #8 on: July 21, 2023, 08:47:04 pm »

One last screen shot...This is the same folder but shot from outside JR31
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blgentry

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Re: Importing Videos
« Reply #9 on: July 22, 2023, 06:59:51 am »

Normally when you open the Import (single folder) dialog, you see all files and folders, but the files themselves are greyed out so you can select them.  That's because the import wants you to select a Folder, not a file.

But I see from your screen shot that you don't even see the files at all.

At first I thought that maybe you have the Video feature turned off.  But if that were true, you shouldn't be able to drag and drop video files into MC either.  So now I'm thinking that this is caused by a file path length limitation.  I just added up one of your path names (without the drive letter) and I "only" got 113 characters, so maybe that's not it.

If it's not the path name, could it be one of the characters in the file name?

Are you definitely using Tools > Import... > Import a Single folder ?

Brian.
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terrym@tassie

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Re: Importing Videos
« Reply #10 on: July 22, 2023, 09:30:18 pm »

Create a folder called 'test' on your external drive, then download this screenshot video of me importing a file on MC31 to the 'test' folder:
https://www.mediafire.com/file/i5dd136e9j6jd86/import+a+folder+on+MC31.mp4/file

Open the video, (File>Open Media File) and watch it.
Then following what I have demonstrated in the video, import the file into your library.

Note: I have not ticked any import options like 'Analyse audio on import' just for brevity.

Please note that no FILES are ever shown in the 'Import a single folder' browse dialog as you are browsing for FOLDERS not FILES.
Let me know how you get on.
Terry
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toddtomorrow

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Re: Importing Videos
« Reply #11 on: July 25, 2023, 02:05:40 pm »

Terry, you are exactly right...I never noticed it before but file names do not show as you are selecting folders not files...I never noticed it with the actual audio files (cd's lp's etc.).  I actually went all the way through the process on an initial whim and the video were imported correctly...Once in there, I've begun to work with the tagging...

One question though...How do you create a specific Media Sub Type...For example, instead of Movies I'd like to sub divide into War Movies, Westerns etc.  Every time I try and click unassigned and follow the prompts it takes it right back to unassigned and doesn't change the title....Thx for being patient!!
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toddtomorrow

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Re: Importing Videos
« Reply #12 on: July 25, 2023, 02:11:13 pm »

Thx Brian...yes you are right...The titles never show because you are selecting folders...If you double click the folder it goes there but nothing is there...I went ahead and completed the process anyways and my vids were imported as normal...I never noticed it when i did audios
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blgentry

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Re: Importing Videos
« Reply #13 on: July 25, 2023, 02:26:32 pm »

One question though...How do you create a specific Media Sub Type...For example, instead of Movies I'd like to sub divide into War Movies, Westerns etc. 

I asked this exact same question when I started with MC!

It turns out that Media SubType is very specific for MC.  It is only used for predefined MC things.  Like Home Movies, TV Shows, and Movies.

To subdivide your collection, use a different tag.  I can't check right now, but I think one of the standard tags for MC Movies is [Genre].  If not, I know [Keywords] has many different values assigned for various movies.  Take a look at the existing tags and you may find that you already have something set to the value you want by the automatic metadata scrape that pulled in the movie title, description, actors, etc.

You can then set up your views to use the tag or tags that you want to show you only what you like.  I highly recommend playing around with PANES views.  You can add various panes to the top of a view and then drill down by selecting various values. 

Best of luck,
Brian.
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toddtomorrow

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Re: Importing Videos
« Reply #14 on: July 25, 2023, 02:34:23 pm »

Thx Brian, we'll do!!!
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