[MPlayer-users] How programmatically determine the correct one of two english soundtracks for an encode

[Graham Lawrence]

>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sat, 07 Jul 2012 17:19:22 -0500
> From: Ron Johnson <ron.l.johnson at cox.net>
> To: mplayer-users at mplayerhq.hu
> Subject: Re: [MPlayer-users] How programmatically determine the
> 	correct one of two english soundtracks for an encode

> Metadata regarding what audio track is which is sometimes embedded in
> the title.  HandBrakeCLI knows how to extract it.  I use vlc to go
> through each DVD to decide which titles and audio tracks to extract.
>

This is excellent data, makes me quite green with envy.  Mind you, I
note your use of the phrase "sometimes embedded".  Mostly I tend to
watch rather ancient classics, back into the 20's, and a lot of often
obscure foreign films from the 60's on, so I doubt that "sometimes
embedded" applies to them.  Pity, though, I could have written my
script as easily for HandbrakeCLI as for mencoder, had I known this
command line version existed.  Guess I shall have to send in a feature
request to mplayer.

> $ HandBrakeCLI --scan -t 3 -i FIREFLY_D4.iso
> [17:11:23] hb_init: starting libhb thread
> HandBrake svn4816 (2012070701) - Linux x86_64 - http://handbrake.fr
> 4 CPUs detected
> Opening FIREFLY_D4.iso...
> [snip]
>    + audio tracks:
>      + 1, English (AC3) (Dolby Surround) (iso639-2: eng), 48000Hz,
> 192000bps
>      + 2, Francais (AC3) (Dolby Surround) (iso639-2: fra), 48000Hz,
> 192000bps
>      + 3, Espanol (AC3) (Dolby Surround) (iso639-2: spa), 48000Hz,
> 192000bps
>      + 4, English (AC3) (Director's Commentary 1) (2.0 ch) (iso639-2:
> eng), 48000Hz, 192000bps
>
>
>
> $ HandBrakeCLI --scan -t 1 -i PSYCH_S3D1.iso
> [17:13:31] hb_init: starting libhb thread
> HandBrake svn4816 (2012070701) - Linux x86_64 - http://handbrake.fr
> 4 CPUs detected
> Opening PSYCH_S3D1.iso...
> [snip]
>    + audio tracks:
>      + 1, English (AC3) (5.1 ch) (iso639-2: eng), 48000Hz, 448000bps
>      + 2, English (AC3) (2.0 ch) (iso639-2: eng), 48000Hz, 192000bps
>
>
> I did the same, using HandBrakeCLI, first to mkv then (because of
> synchronization quirks in pause/restart using mplayer) to mp4.
>

I had the opposite experience with Handbrake, its mp4 production was
much more problematical than mkv, but that was more than 2 years ago,
probably they have the bugs ironed out by now.