Transcode

Workflow to batch transcode and process videos

• Completely rewritten
• Full support for macOS Sierra
• UI for managing preferences
• UI for managing cropping when multiple possible crops are detected
• Apply multiple transcode quality options to source files for quality comparisons
• Many other improvements

About

Transcode provides a workflow that automates the batch transcoding of Blu-ray Discs and DVDs into a smaller, more portable format while remaining high enough quality to be mistaken for the originals. The Transcode workflow is built around Don Melton's exceptional video transcoding toolset.

• About
• Installation
• Usage
• Acknowledgements
• Requirements
• History

Installation

Download the latest release.

Launch the Transcode Setup Assistant app:

Select the location for the Transcode folder

After selecting the Transcode folder location, the Terminal will launch:

1. Complete the installation of the Xcode command-line tools
2. Select the open Terminal window once Xcode has been installed
3. Enter the local administrator password when prompted
4. Click OK once the Setup Assistant has completed
5. Close the open Terminal window
6. Safari has opened the download page for two additional tools you may find helpful, MakeMKV and VLC

Usage

Drop .mkv files into:

/Transcode/Convert

to automatically batch transcode video files.

Transcoding will start after all content has been copied to the Convert folder.

Workflow

Transcode uses a batch queue mechanism to manage content for transcoding. As content is added to the Convert folder, a watchFolder LaunchAgent waits for the Convert folder size to stabilize.

Depending upon how content is being added to the Convert folder, watchFolder will wait:

a minimum of 20 seconds after folder stabilization to start transcoding
a maximum of 60 seconds after folder stabilization to start transcoding

If content is added while transcoding is active, watchFolder will create a new batch queue for the added content. The new batch queue will start once the active queue has completed. This queueing process allows for content to be continuously streamed or copied to the Convert folder.

Compression

Transcode uses the transcode-video tool to convert audio and video. By default, Transcode uses the transcode-video --quick quality option. This setting can be modified in Settings>Output quality.

Entering comma separated values into the Output quality field, allows the transcoding of video with multiple quality settings.

When audio transcoding is required, it is done in an AAC format and, if the original is multi-channel surround sound, in Dolby Digital AC-3 format.

Cropping

Cropping provides faster transcoding and higher quality as there are fewer pixels to read and write.

Transcode uses the detect-crop tool, part of the transcode-video toolset, to determine the optimal video cropping bounds. If the detect-crop tool detects multiple possible cropping options, a live preview of the options can be presented. If only a single cropping option is detected, the video will be auto-cropped.

For additional details, see this discussion of the detect-crop tool.

Audio

The transcode-video tool, used by Transcode, selects the first audio track in the input as the main audio track. This is the first track in the output and the default track for playback. The main audio track is transcoded in AAC format and, if the original is multi-channel surround sound, in Dolby Digital AC-3 format. Any additional audio tracks are only transcoded in AAC format.

Additional audio tracks can be added by selecting Settings>Add other audio tracks. The additional audio track width is defined by selecting the width in Settings>Audio track width.

For additional details, see this discussion about understanding audio.

File Naming

Name content to be Transcoded, using the following conventions:

Movies: title_(Year of release) e.g. WALL-E_2008
TV Show: title_SXXEYY e.g. ANIMANIACS_S2E11
Multi-Episode TV Show: title_SXXEYYEZZ e.g. TWIN_PEAKS_S1E1E8
Movie Extras: title_(date)%extras tag-descriptive name e.g. WHITE_CHRISTMAS_(1954)%Featurettes-A Look Back with Rosemary Clooney
TV Specials: title_S00EYY%descriptive name e.g. FUTURAMA_S00E1%Interview with Matt Groening
Skip renaming & auto-move: @title e.g. @CAPTAIN_AMERICA_THE_FIRST_AVENGER
Pass-through without transcoding: ^title e.g. ^The_Incredibles_Extras
Force decomb filter: +title e.g. +FUTURAMA_S2E10

Where for TV Shows/Specials:

• XX is the season number
• YY is the episode number
• ZZ is the last episode number

Auto-Renaming

Transcode auto-renames transcoded files based on matches from the TheMovieDB and the TheTVDB. A transcoded files ‘title’ metadata tag is also set to the renamed movie or TV show.

Transcode auto-renames transcoded files into these formats:

Movies: Name (Year of Release).ext
TV Shows: Name - sXXeYY - Episode Name.ext
Multi-Episode TV Shows: Name - sXXeYY-eZZ.ext
Extras/Specials: Descriptive Name.ext

For example, if the original filename of a movie is:

WALL-E_(2008)_t00.mkv

the transcoded movie filename is:

Wall-E (2008).m4v

Similarly, if the original filename of a TV show is:

ANIMANIACS_S2E11_t01.mkv

where season/episode are indicated by S2E11, the transcoded TV show filename is:

Animaniacs - s02e011 - Critical Condition.m4v

In the case of a multi-episode TV show, if the original filename is:

TWIN_PEAKS_S1E1E8_t00.mkv

where the season/episodes are indicated by S1E1E8, the transcoded multi-episode TV show filename is:

Twin Peaks - s01e01-e08.m4v

Auto-renaming can be modified via Transcode’s preferences.

For additional details about filename formatting expressions, see this discussion.

Ingest

Transcode converts content by adding .mkv files to:

/Transcode/Convert

To set an ingest folder, drag or select the ingest folder in Settings>Ingest folder.

Remote Ingest

Transcode can accept transcoded content (.mkv, .m4v or .mp4 files) from remote Transcode ingest sources. This allows off-loading or parallel transcoding of content. Transcode accomplishes this by connecting to the Transcode destination using rsync over ssh.

To setup remote ingest:

1. Install Transcode on the remote ingest destination
2. At the remote ingest destination, select Settings>Accept transcode from remote sources
3. At the ingest source, select Settings>Send transcode to remote destination
4. Enter Settings>SSH username
5. Enter Settings>SSH address

File Moving

Default transcode destination

Transcode will move files to these default destinations once transcoding has completed:

Converted files are moved to /Transcode/Completed
.mkv files are moved to /Transcode/Originals
Log files are moved to /Transcode/Logs

Custom transcode destination

Transcoded content can be automatically moved to a destination other than the Completed folder, e.g. /Plex, /iTunes Media, etc.

To set a custom output destination, drag or select the output folder in Settings>Completed folder.

After setting the output destination, Transcode will automatically move content to the following custom destination:

Movies: /{custom}/Movies/{Movie Title}
Movie Extras: /{custom}/Movies/{Movie Title}/{Extras Tag}
TV Shows: /{custom}/TV Shows/{Show Title}/{Season #}
TV Specials: /{custom}/TV Shows/{Show Title}/{Season #}/Specials

where the Movies, TV Shows, Extras or Specials folders and subfolders are created as needed.

Custom destinations will be ignored, if the renaming format for a movie or TV show differs from the default preference or the content name starts with @ or ^ character.

Movie extras

It is possible to have transcoded “extras” moved to the appropriate collection in a custom destination e.g. /Plex/Movies/Ice Age/Shorts/Gone Nutty.m4v.

To place an “extra” in the appropriate collection, title the originating content using the following convention:

{title name}%{extras tag}-{descriptive name}

where the extras tag identifiers are:

Behind The Scenes
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Interviews
Scenes
Shorts
Trailers

For example, the White Christmas DVD contains the featurette, “A Look Back with Rosemary Clooney.” To add this to the White Christmas collection in Plex or iTunes, name the title:

WHITE_CHRISTMAS_(1954)%Featurettes-A Look Back with Rosemary Clooney.mkv

The transcoded title will be placed in:

/Movies/White Christmas (1954)/Featurettes/A Look Back with Rosemary Clooney.m4v 

TV specials

It is possible to have transcoded “specials” moved to the appropriate collection in a custom destination e.g. /Plex/TV Shows/Futurama/Specials/Futurama s00e01 - Interview with Matt Groening.m4v.

To place a “special” in the appropriate collection, title the originating content using the following convention:

{title name}_{specials tag}%{descriptive name}

where the specials tag identifier is S00EYY.

For example, the Futurama Season 1 DVD contains an interview with Matt Groening. To add this