I have noticed that I couldn't rename a few files yesterday.
Have edited it in iTunes but names remained.
Then I have tried to rename in Serato and it switched back before my eyes.

so, what happens?
it locks the file up?

works fine for me

I deleted my metadata folder and have all overviews and tagging info built into the mp4's itself.

No - the file still plays.... but you can no longer edit the tag info for any of these affected files. So if you are like me, i like to add notes in the comment field when playing, i.e.. about the queue points, or when to drop in/out, etc... I can no longer do that and have it save.

So far SL has recommended that I go back to using 1.9.1 which writes the info to a seperate metadata file.... but that does not help fix the 5000+ files SL has already damaged. And my backup sync already ran so those are now affected too.

djpuma_gemini - SL will read the tags as they were before it corrupts them.... but you can no longer change any tag info. Try it in SL1.9.2 or Try it using TagnRename Tag editor. TagnRename detects that the file does not even have a tag any longer.

Make a copy first though!

so, your saying in 1.9.2 once your edit a tag, you cannot edit it again?
(outside of in the SSL gui)

which is fine for me...I make all my notes/adjustments right in SSL.

Well 1.9.1 was deleting my videos from my HDD if I renamed them in Serato.
Yep, true story :)

you can't edit the tag inside or outside SL any longer.... so your notes/adjustments will no longer save either! -- unless you go back to SL1.9.1 which will create a metadata file again

there was a work-around that was posted about this

did u create a bug report and all that... will u link it here...
I want to read about this...

Im in the midst of a Harddrive changover and dont want any drama

So far the only workaround that I know of is to downgrade to 1.9.1. This is what the SL tech replied to my help ticket. This is not a workaround to fix the damage as far as I am concerned.

I don't have the bug report, the bug was known that SL can not write the tag info... however I had not read anywhere that it actually damaged the file so that the tag can not be edited any longer.

I didn't have this issue with 1.9.2... mmmh.

Then again, I only use iTunes to edit any data.

I would recommend you to backup and then try to edit a few files in 1.9.1 turn off your puter and restart it again and check if files are still there.
I am telling you it was deleting files from my HDD entirely.

sixxx, you are fine until SL tries to write tag data. Just accidentlly clicking twice inside any of the tag fields like artist can trigger the tag rewrite on your file.

DJ Pimp - i have not seen this but will def check it if I downgrade. At this point all my files are damaged so I have a lot of work to do unless some brilliant tech can come up with a fix.... The serato MOD has told me to hang tight. He will check it.

Just for clarification, I am using WinXP32. Not sure about the MAC ver. Can someone with MAC check it?

I am on Mac

Maybe Im missing something here...

is this a glitchy bug... only some files.

I just went into 1.9.2

selected a mp4 file located on my external HD

changed the title (watched as the message pops up in the status bar writing tags to)
exited
found file. change too place
changed title again, and changed artist.
(watched as the message pops up in the status bar writing tags to)
exited
found file, changed name, artist, added genre tag
(watched as the message pops up in the status bar writing tags to)
exited.

disconnected HD
reconnected HD

opened SSL.
file was there with all the changes I had made.

now, I was having THIS issue:
serato.com
(which seemed to be the tag-writing could not keep up with my typing speed)

but Ive been on 1.9.2 since it was released, and i edit all my tags in SSL constantly
Im always changing things... and Ive never been locked out of making changes.

I think you DEFINALTY need to make a bug report.
more so for others who notice this can chime in.

Ive tried with 5 different files to re-create this in SSL and cannot.

and this guy (on a mac)
serato.com

Joshua,

This is happening on all my files that are codec h.264 video with 320K AAC audio.

To test your file: Now change the file name of the file you edited the tag inside SL. Drag and drop it into SL crate and see if your changes stayed with the file as they should.

Also, if you happen to have a tag editor like tag and rename you would see the problem more clearly. I have used tag and rename for 10+ years so I don't think that is the issue but I am waiting for their response as well so we can be 100% sure.

Also let me know if you are mac or windows?

rereading my post --- i meant to say it is happening to all of my mp4 files. They happened to be h.264/aac. This is my standard codec config.

i have this problem with my mp4's. I have been editing the artist, title, and adding artwork fields but they dont pick up in scratch live. They work in itunes and stuff and i dont know why but the only ones that work in scratch live that i edit seem to be the smash vidz mp4s. The mp4's i edit myself (using mpeg streamclip) they dont even tag and show up in scratch live.

ok, so your saying to edit the name of THE ACTUAL MP4 FILE?
IE, right click: rename.

I dont think Id ever do that anyways.
but for shits and giggles
I see whats happening I THINK.

heres how it went down:

made a new crate.
dropped that same file I had edited repeatedly into the crate.
worked fine. all the tags came with it.... nothing screwy.

copy and pasted that file and renamed the ACTUAL FILE
in this case I took the (clean) out of the title.
and sure enough, when i dropped THAT file into the crate it reverted back
to its original form...Like JayB said.

heres the thing.
I dont think I EVER mess with the file names...
now, Ive considered going back and REALLY tagging all my videos properly PRE-SSL
so when I drop them in I dont have to do editing to the name... but Im too far along.

I dont use Itunes. I make folders that match my crates.
and Im on windows vista 32

so, heres the question I guess are YOU editing you file names?
or is some program somewhere changing the file names, in turn reverting them
back the original format.

I think the WORK-AROUND in this case would be to NOT mess with the filemanes.
but I wanted to see what Dtwiz was talking about...

Renaming the file has nothing to do with it. This was just to show you that the tag info is not being saved to the file itself.

okay, but how can you re-create this without altering the original file name...

that'll make it easier to de-bug.

oh boy how did serato fuck this one up so bad

Well I found it when i opened my files in tag and rename and they all came up highlighted in pink -- in Tag n rename this means the file has no tag yet. then I tried to create a tag from filename and it would not do it. So I went back to Serato. Deleted the crates with the files. Created a new crate. Dropped the same files in it that I did make some changes to the tag inside SL before (like adding comments, etc.) and saw that those tag changes/adds were gone!

Here is a detailed list of steps to test this for yourself.

1. Take new Mp4.
--1a. I use DVD decrypter from PO DVD to generate VOB files.
--1b. I use a text file script to autoname the files using the PO track database.
--1c. I then use Any Video Converter Pro to convert to MP4 (Mpeg4 2000Kbit with 320 Kbit AAC audio))
2. Update tag from filename (I used Tag N Rename program to mass set ID tags)
3. Load into a new SL Crate (it will pull in the tag info as currently set in the file from Tag N Rename or other Tag editor)
4. Try to edit the tag in some way - i.e. add something in the comments
5. Go back into your 3rd party ID Tag editor (like Tag N Rename) and see that the tag no longer is visible, editable or even there at all.

additonal test step:

6. Then delete the crate and track from SL.
7. Create a new crate and add the file. The changes you made in step 4 (i.e. comment you added) will be gone.

!!! This shows that SL did not save the changes to the file (this is the current known bug that you can find in other posts)

AND

!!! the files are corrupt and not readable by tag editors any longer. Basically whatever tag info was written at the time SL tried to write updated info to the file, is now permanent. This info can be read by serato but no longer changable. Ever.

I am crossing my fingers that the brilliant SL techs can find not only a fix for the bug quickly but also a fix for the files already damaged.

Using Movie Batch here is the info shown for one of the files that SL has corrupted:
***********************************************************
E:\MP4s\Videos - Music 1\01 Pop_HipHop\Beyonce - Naughty Girl {bpm 099} [2004].mp4
Length(s) 206.29 (Samples: 18566400, Timescale: 90000)
Size 60.50 MB
Movie Tracks:
VideoType: avc1, (AVC Coding) 720x480
Component 1) lppa, H.264 Decoder v.40004, Decompresses images stored in the H.264 format.
Audio Tracks:
AudioType: mp4a (48000kHz, 16bit)
Component 1) lppa, MPEG-4 Audio v.10009, MPEG-4 Audio Decompressor component
Frame rate: 29.98 per second
Keyframes: 99 (min: 25, max: 201,avg: 62.4)
***********************************************************

I have no issues with any of this. Could be the way you are encoding videos.
"Any Video Converter Pro" probably the problem.

I use Sorenson Squeeze.

I am in the process of re-building my cue points, etc in Serato. I deleted the contents of the metadata folder and started over. I can edit tags in Serato or Tag&Rename with no problems.

I use media coder and vegas...

I have some files that are not editable either. I use Handbrake and Vegas.

Some older files are named ALL CAPS. I try to rename them in Mixed Case, but it won't stick. The old CAPS tag pops back up. I have deleted the metadata and still no luck. I'm thinking a de-mux/remux may fix it, along with a file rename.

@dejayB - try using www.mp3tag.de this has worked for files that don't show editable tags in Tag & Rename

I have also used mp3tag for the files that I can't tag with Tag & Rename for whatever reason.

Does mp3tag also do mp4's? Just wondering.

I don't use Tag & Rename or any other editor besides iTunes and I don't see the issues you guys are having.

if u guys ALTER the actual filename, then reload that into a crate
are the changes u made sticking:

{made a new crate.
dropped that same file I had edited repeatedly into the crate.
worked fine. all the tags came with it.... nothing screwy.

copy and pasted that file and renamed the ACTUAL FILE
in this case I took the (clean) out of the title.
and sure enough, when i dropped THAT file into the crate it reverted back
to its original form...Like JayB said.}

so...i cant get this bug to work unless i change the actual filename.
which begs the question; if ssl IS writing the info to the file itself, why does changing the name of the file erase information written to the file???

Yes mp3tag does mp4.

@JC (no tweet) I had serato crash on me too editing tags (when doing too many at once too fast). This is why I recently switched to mp3tag (or tag&rename) to take care of everything beforehand.

From what I understand the tagging program actually needs to create a copy of the video file to create the tags? I assume this is why serato hangs when tagging the album name on 50 files at once - it still takes a good 5-10 minutes with the 3rd party tagging software.

I'll try some file renaming, and de/remuxes tonight to try and pinpoint the problem tonight

yeah... so droppin this in 1.9.2 causes a potential headache.

u can either:

use soley a tag program and go through EVERYTHING again.

use ssl and just go madd slow in ur tagging...this is VERY problematic if u wanted to
make a whole folder have the "polka" genre, doing ctrl+a and then altering the column will result in a crash...

i wasnt even able to do 20
(i was trying to change all my 50Cent/fiftyct/50ct to "50 ct" in artist)

I've done over 150 at a time in serato, just takes forever!
(change album name to "Craiglist HD") j/k

I dont understand though.

if 1.9.2 is writting the data TO the mp4 file.
in theory you should be able change the actual file name and when you drop
it back into ssl what had already been written to the file should remain there.

unless, when you alter the tag (via right click_rename) it wipes the info you
entered through ssl...
maybe it breaks the chain in some sort of data string pointing to that file
(which would make sense for a meta-file)

open the changed tagged file in itunes and see if it shows up.

They have for me since switching to 1.9.2

So I am thinking there should be a 1.9.3 fixing this issue before we jump to 2.0 with a whole other batch of issues.

Id love for a serato'ist to chime on this...

wink wink

+ 1

mods plz ...?

Well Evgeny from Softpointer (Tag N Rename) sent me a build of TnR via email today that will read the tags that SL modified!!!! Many thanks go out to them. So life as I know it is not over. :)

Im sure they wouldnt mind you SHARING THAT JaYb!!!

put it up!

hurrah for tagnrename!

please do share?

Joshua Carl and DJ DisGrace,

I hope you're not suggesting that a fellow forum user illegitimately shares software with you. That be very uncool.

Please do not, under any circumstances, use this forum to organize file trades.

Sorry Chris - would never blatantly do this

Tag n Rename is free software - we were just hoping the custom "serato build" version of the program could be shared....

of course not...

its the same as a mediacoder preset file , or something like that.

we already have the software.

WOW, ChrisD you read the problem and didn't give up a hint or clue as to possible answer to the problem. Yet you saw a possible illegitimate file share. No disrespect, but wow. I know that you guys can't actively comment on every thread, but on this thread can you also give up some insight to a solution or have another mod chime in. No disrespect, you guys do a good job helping us.

I guess this isn't in the help section. So I understand ChrisD.

Honestly... After reading the last part of this thread I'd also think that this was about sharing some software illegally. ;)

Shame on you Carl,........ChrisD good job.
*kwestyon run out the room and hides* ( he is the only one who didn't see what was really going on)

sure... if u came in and read the last 4 posts...

but if you took the time to read the last 6 POSTS anyone would have seen this:

"Id love for a serato'ist to chime on this..."
asking for a mod to come in and comment on this issue.

again though.
Its not Illegal to share builds and pre-sets like we do with handbrake and other
programs...

Well these are two things...

1. your help request. You should probably try the help section for that.

2. sharing builds and presets. It is absolutely not clear that you were sharing pre-sets. This reads as you were sharing applications.

Theres a help request already.
serato.com

"Well Evgeny from Softpointer (Tag N Rename) sent me a BUILD of TnR via email today that will read the tags that SL modified

come on bro...That's plain english, and would be real hard to mis-constrew

;-)

That sounds dangerous ;)

I suppose the word "SHARE"'s meaning has changed in the last 10 years or so...

would you mind sharing that slice of pizza.
you can you share that new pitbull track.

same word, different context, but still means the same thing. share that shit.

share in 1995
hey, you wanna share the cab fare to the other side of town?
Sure we'll split it down the middle...

Share in 2005
Hey, you wanna share the cab fare to the other side of town?
Sure we'll jump out at the red light an run

Its like sending out an email that says Bomb, Jihad or terror plot.
that alerts the boys, and u know ur now on the radar.
so, on here u say "SHARE" and the alarm goes off
(understandably so)

C'mon, the term "sharing" in the context of software is prone to be misunderstood.

It always has been.

oh do share....

:-)



kidding...

I have Tag&Rename..... it works great... I need to install the latest.. I keep forgetting to download the latest version from their website. What version did you get e-mailed to you. I highly doubt they re-wrote code just for one user using Serato. It might just be the latest version out there.

Id like to know what they found within the mp4 files that warranted a different version

maybe if serato and these guys get on the same page it will clear up alot of potential
issues...

way to burst my bubble, Al :(

THE FIX

I just read the email from TagnRename that gave the okay to share with you all... you must already have the latest version v3.5.4 installed and then replace the exe with this download which is a new build that corrects the problem with being able to edit the tag after SL 1.9.2 updates the tag info.

The verison of this file is actually TagRename 3.5.4.2 but I renamed it to 3.5.4 so my desktop shortcut would open it as normal.

ul.to

Cheers!

By the way, here is a copy of the email that give permission to share in case it is needed. ---

Hello Djbradp1,

You can share this link.

Best regards,

Evgeny Efimov, Softpointer Inc
www.softpointer.com

Thursday, January 28, 2010, 2:24:05 AM, you wrote:

dcn> I want to sincerely thank you for this... I tested and all is very good.
dcn> By the way, is this a file that can be shared with other DJs in the
dcn> same situation that will not violate the license? In other words,
dcn> must they have a license already installed on their PC to use this exe like I do?

dcn> Let me know what I should do when asked about it. I can send them to your
dcn> site to ask for help directly. Let me know.

You know guys, I don't know what i was thinking.... i of course had to download it first from them to get it.... yet I stupidly re-uploaded it for you all. Here is the original link direct from Softpointer. Use this instead. Just unzip and rename it to TagRename354.exe and replace the one you have in your C:\Program Files\TagRename folder. This is more secure and reliable.

softpointer.com

A million thanks man.

I went and bought Tag and Rename the other day, and when I couldnt edit some of them I was pretty Heated...
then I went and grabbed the mp3Tag freeware...
and there was still ones I couldnt alter.

Replaced that file and the files I noted that were giving me headaches.
worked like a CHARM!!!

I still have a handful of PINK files... but its a step in the right direction
thanks AGAIN MAN.
good hustle

Here's what I dont understand though.
(and this is a general Question for curiosity)

If in 1.9.2 we are writing the tags directly to the files, why when we open
a file in Tag n Rename are they not already altered.

and these ARE files WITHOUT metadata files....(I 2x checked)
they WERE written in 1.9.2.

So when you re-import those files into SSL (with a new filename so SSL thinks they are fresh) the tags vanish?

This probably doesnt help any one. But I use itunes to organize and tag my videos and it seems to have no problems with ssl 1.9.2. Maybe you could mass tag in itunes and then drag tracks to crates??

I don't think we use TagnRename specifically for mass tagging. I use it to generate tags from filenames, change case (CAPS, Mixed, EtC, create filenames from tags, etc). It also works well to remove tags, when certain download sites aren't consistent - it's just easier to start from scratch

I see, im going to try it. Sounds great.

no problems here.

This has worked for tagging on a mac - fresh vids just ripped from dvd

www.apple.com

I still need to try it with "serato corrupted" vids, but it sames me having to transfer to external, tag with pc, then sort with my mac!

I'm using 1.9.2 and have been looking everywhere for a way to get this fixed.. I spent hours tagging my MP4's and then my SL crashed and nothing was saved..I've spent all day reading these forums.

I just tried the MetaX on a file and it worked when I reimported it but It crashed my System if I try to re-edit the file in SL (again after using the MetaX).

I just want to be able to edit my files in SL only. Is there going to be a way to fix all of this? Should I stop working on the tags I have now and wait for 1.9.3? Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks

Dave

Oh yeah..Is downgrading to 1.9.1 a good option? Will I lose any of my history?

What's the best way to do that?

Thanks!

Dave

check this out dave:
serato.com

u might wanna open a help ticket and posting crash reports

Thanks Joshua!

Hopefully this will be fixed soon.

Do you think renewing the V2 will help?

any updates on this one? is it fixed with the newer serato versions?

I have a similiar problem with my MOV files. I have to manually edit the metadata file in order for my changes to remain in the SSL gui.

I have not had a problem with MP4's though.
I have only been using video since 1.9.2. (MAC)

mov files do not store metadata internally they will use the ovb xml files.

i recommend you rerender those to mp4

But SL should remember the changes you apply.

True.

There is a fix!

I downloaded/installed this:

www.apple.com

Set it to write blank tag fields on my corrupted MP4's.. then was able to open/write to them again with my usual tagging software.

you da man.