[wilsonng]

Yeah, I'm hoping for the day that the iPod gets a monster chip inside that can handle your kind of settings.

Instead of using the target bit rate settings, how about setting the video bit rate to constant quality to 100%? This will let the encoder allocate as much of the bit rate as it sees fit to do.

I had to hit a compromise so I selected MP4/ffmpeg, 160 kbps audio, 640x* resolution, and video set to Constant Quality=94% to 100%. I try it out on my iPod and if it doesn't play then I know the video bit rate is too high. Then I throttle down the Constant Quality slider down a couple notches. I'll keep re-encoding until I find something that plays on the iPod.

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by wilsonng

Instead of using the target bit rate settings, how about setting the video bit rate to constant quality to 100%? This will let the encoder allocate as much of the bit rate as it sees fit to do.

I had to hit a compromise so I selected MP4/ffmpeg, 160 kbps audio, 640x* resolution, and video set to Constant Quality=94% to 100%. I try it out on my iPod and if it doesn't play then I know the video bit rate is too high. Then I throttle down the Constant Quality slider down a couple notches. I'll keep re-encoding until I find something that plays on the iPod.

Heh. Try that Constant Quality = 100% thing with H.264. Handbrake doesn't seem to like it. Most of the time it doesn't work, despite the fact you get uber high bit rates (eg. 27 Mbps ).

P.S. For my encoding speeds, I get roughly HALF the speed if I set the System Prefs CPU setting to "Automatic", as compared to "Highest".

[Eug Wanker]

Can someone try these videos (10.9 MB each) on their iPod? (Option-Click to download.)

Trailer.mp4
Trailer.mov

Settings:

320x144, deinterlaced, 24 fps
H.264 Baseline Profile, 2-pass
705 Kbps (128 AAC + 577 H.264)

[icruise]

They both work fine.

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by Icruise

They both work fine.

OK thx. I guess it's easy to set Handbrake up for the iPod now.

P.S. How was the video quality on the iPod? Output to TV?

[icruise]

I just tried them on the iPod. Quality was pretty good, but has the same problem that I've seen with all the video I've converted, regardless of bitrate. There's some obvious banding in places, such as the opening logo.

[wilsonng]

if you wanna output to tv, better to stick with mpeg4/ffmpeg. you can get a bigger resolution 480x480 and a higher bit rate. if you just wanna watch it on your ipod then h.264 is fine.

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by wilsonng

if you wanna output to tv, better to stick with mpeg4/ffmpeg. you can get a bigger resolution 480x480 and a higher bit rate. if you just wanna watch it on your ipod then h.264 is fine.

As much as I try, I just can't learn to like 320x240 on a normal screen, even if it is H.264. So like wilson suggests, I've been playing with some MPEG4 encoding, at higher rez.

Can somebody try this video (66.6 MB, Option-Click to download) to see if it works on the iPod? It's 640x352 MPEG4/ffmpeg at 1720 Kbps.

BTW, 640x352 seems higher rez than 480x480, but actually it isn't, cuz it actually has less pixels than 480x480. Thus, despite the higher horizontal resolution, I'm thinking it should probably still work on the iPod.

Note, I'm asking because I don't yet have a video-capable iPod. I'm waiting for a rumoured higher rez one. My MPEG4 tests may be moot though if it comes out with 480x480 H.264 support.

[wilsonng]

your video works fine on my 60GB iPod video. But you may be wasting bits by keeping the black parts. I believe it would be more beneficial to crop out the black parts of your widescreen movie. Otherwise the encoder has to encode the black parts as well.

More bits can be allocated towards the actual picture itself instead of the black parts if you crop out the black parts.

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by wilsonng

your video works fine on my 60GB iPod video. But you may be wasting bits by keeping the black parts. I believe it would be more beneficial to crop out the black parts of your widescreen movie. Otherwise the encoder has to encode the black parts as well.

More bits can be allocated towards the actual picture itself instead of the black parts if you crop out the black parts.

Yes, I know.

I was just keeping the video size high to see if it still worked. I'm glad to see that Handbrake makes it so easy to make iPod compatible files at a rez that will be good for TV. (BTW, 640x352 is the default setting for 16:9 movies in Handbrake, when you choose 640 for the horizontal rez. It's not 640x360, cuz 360 is not a multiple of 16.)

Thanks for checking out the file.

[cowsii]

Originally Posted by Heiro

I have a mac and a pc, on the pc i can move dvd videos to my psp with a program called xcopy9 (http://psptransfer.com/), is there a similar program that can do the same for my new ipod(the new video one)? i dont care what platform its one, as i can use both equaly well. i just dont want to do it the hard way of mulit-stage conversion. (this is all legal as long as you own the dvds and a copy of the dvd codecs)

I went to handbrake and got overwelmed by the list of products ie dvd ripper dvd copy dvd duplicate...etc... So my question is what one do I need to down load into my ibookG4 so I can put a DVD into my G4 and create an mp4 so I can then drag it into my 30gig video ipod.HELP some one
Thanks
John

[Sir_Kyle]

i'm currently using windows xp, and using xilisoft ipod video converter and i have an annoying problem, which is, while viewing my movie on my ipod, throughout the movie, the sound and video slowly go out of sync, and by the end of the film, they r at least one second apart. has anyone had this problem? does anyone know why it's happening? and does anyone have a solution or a better program? this occurs on all my movies on my ipod: clerks, mallrats, xmen3, v for vendetta, super troopers, fight club, lord of war, inside man, and the girl next door. i didnt notice the problem when i watched season 4 of scrubs, but i assume its because each episode is short compared to my movies. any assistance is appreciated.