iSquint 1.5 is out!

[Chundles]

Supports Baseline LC for 640x480 H.264 encoding. Downloading now.

Sweet.

[someguy]

Link (http://www.isquint.org/)

Direct (http://domain1086246.sites.fasthosts.com/iSquint1.5.dmg)

:)

[puckhead193]

how is this different then using handbreak. Does this rip the DVDs as well or do i need mac the ripper:confused:

[Chundles]

how is this different the using handbreak. Does this rip the cds as well or do i need mac the ripper:confused:

Well, it's a totally different program for one. Handbrake rips DVDs to video files (it currently doesn't support Baseline LC for 640x480 H.264 encoding for the iPod but soon will) whereas iSquint converts video files to iPod formats. It does so much, much faster than Quicktime Pro's "export to iPod" function.

You don't need MacTheRipper with Handbrake anyway, just rip right from the DVD.

[MacBoobsPro]

Well, it's a totally different program for one. Handbrake rips DVDs to video files (it currently doesn't support Baseline LC for 640x480 H.264 encoding for the iPod but soon will) whereas iSquint converts video files to iPod formats. It does so much, much faster than Quicktime Pro's "export to iPod" function.

You don't need MacTheRipper with Handbrake anyway, just rip right from the DVD.

Does HB get rid of encryption? :o

[Chundles]

Does HB get rid of encryption? :o

I think so, it rips the video from the DVD to a video file (avi, mp4 etc). You need MacTheRipper if you want to do a direct copy of a DVD but HB will convert the video to different formats.

[puckhead193]

Well, it's a totally different program for one. Handbrake rips DVDs to video files (it currently doesn't support Baseline LC for 640x480 H.264 encoding for the iPod but soon will) whereas iSquint converts video files to iPod formats. It does so much, much faster than Quicktime Pro's "export to iPod" function.

You don't need MacTheRipper with Handbrake anyway, just rip right from the DVD.
so which way is faster? Using Handbreak or iSquint to rip a DVD? :confused:

[Chundles]

so which way is faster? Using Handbreak or iSquint to rip a DVD? :confused:

Argh! Is this so confusing?

MacTheRipper - makes direct copies of a DVD and removes encryptions
Handbrake - rips DVD video content to video files (avi, mp4 etc.)
iSquint - converts video files to iPod format.

Once HB is updated to support the new format it will be a one step program to go from DVD -> iPod.

Currently I use HB to do a 100% quality rip of a DVD to mp4 using MPEG-4 encoding. Then I use QTPro to export to iPod.

iSquint enables faster encoding of the initial mp4 video file to iPod format. It also allows you to convert avi files and a myriad of other video formats to iPod format.

[clintob]

so which way is faster? Using Handbreak or iSquint to rip a DVD? :confused:

iSquint doesn't rip DVDs. It merely is a program for converting video files from one format to another. And at that, it's the best around for ease of use. Pretty awesome stuff... just drag, drop, and click. Amazing.

If you need to RIP your DVDs first, get HandBrake.

[MacBoobsPro]

I think so, it rips the video from the DVD to a video file (avi, mp4 etc). You need MacTheRipper if you want to do a direct copy of a DVD but HB will convert the video to different formats.


I used to use MTR and make DVDs copies. Now with iTV on the horizon i think HB will be the weapon of choice and a fat-ass HD the battle field. :D

[Chundles]

I used to use MTR and make DVDs copies. Now with iTV on the horizon i think HB will be the weapon of choice and a fat-ass HD the battle field. :D


Handbrake doesn't make copies of DVDs - it encodes the DVD video to different formats.

[puckhead193]

Thanks for clearing it up for me

[Eidorian]

I already bought Visual Hub. (best purchase ever!) I still iSquint around for kicks. :D

[excetara2]

iSquint seems pretty good. Dling right now.

[MacinJosh]

Well, it's a totally different program for one. Handbrake rips DVDs to video files (it currently doesn't support Baseline LC for 640x480 H.264 encoding for the iPod but soon will) whereas iSquint converts video files to iPod formats. It does so much, much faster than Quicktime Pro's "export to iPod" function.

You don't need MacTheRipper with Handbrake anyway, just rip right from the DVD.

This is off topic I know, but I actually have a copy of Handbrake that will encode 640x480 H.264. It's PPC at this point but works on intel Macs albeit sloooowwwllly.

Joshua.

[MacBoobsPro]

Handbrake doesn't make copies of DVDs - it encodes the DVD video to different formats.

I know that now. :D What I meant is, instead of having shed loads of DVDs about the place. All I have to do now is rip with HB stick em on iTV and watch em.

[dukebound85]

I think so, it rips the video from the DVD to a video file (avi, mp4 etc). You need MacTheRipper if you want to do a direct copy of a DVD but HB will convert the video to different formats.


haha everytime i export to mp4 quicktime wont play it. so i always have to do avi. how can i get mp4 to work with quicktime. mp4 would allow me to put my movies in itunes right? and then use front row if i want to lol

[mkubal]

This is off topic I know, but I actually have a copy of Handbrake that will encode 640x480 H.264. It's PPC at this point but works on intel Macs albeit sloooowwwllly.

Joshua.

Not sure what you're talking about, but I have encoded 640X480 and other widescreen formats in H.264 on both PPC and Intel machines using Handbrake for a while now. The program is a universal binary so if you find it to be slow on an Intel mac there's something wrong or you're emulating the PPC version for whatever reason.

I believe that the H.264 being discussed is a specific version of H.264 encoding used in the iPod, which last I was aware was not a capability of Handbrake. I'm sure it will be soon enough though.

[mkrishnan]

What does Baseline LC mean? :o

[spicyapple]

Currently I use HB to do a 100% quality rip of a DVD to mp4 using MPEG-4 encoding. Then I use QTPro to export to iPod... iSquint enables faster encoding of the initial mp4 video file to iPod format.
You're encoding MPEG-2 > MPEG-4 > MPEG-4 (iPod). Doesn't that cause a lot of quality loss?

[7on]

You're encoding MPEG-2 > MPEG-4 > MPEG-4 (iPod). Doesn't that cause a lot of quality loss?

hardly. IMO, the loss of quality is hardly visible.

[mkubal]

hardly. IMO, the loss of quality is hardly visible.

Not to mention the iPod screen is 320X240, which makes discussing a negligible loss in quality a bit pointless anyway. Not that your point isn't somewhat valid, spicyapple.

[minnesotamacman]

I already bought Visual Hub. (best purchase ever!) I still iSquint around for kicks. :D


What does Visual Hub do differently, and why do you like it so much?

[amin]

hardly. IMO, the loss of quality is hardly visible.

Not to mention the iPod screen is 320X240, which makes discussing a negligible loss in quality a bit pointless anyway. Not that your point isn't somewhat valid, spicyapple.

I put video on my iPod with the intention of playing it from my iPod on a TV. This really magnifies quality issues. I like the quality I get using Handbrake to rip straight to MPEG-4, 2-pass, 2200 kbps, native DVD resolution. I wonder if Chundles' method will give me comparable quality at lower file sizes.

[spicyapple]

Tried a quality comparison between QT Movie to iPod and iSquint 1.5 encoding a 1080p QT trailer from Apple's QT gallery.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l311/_spicyapple_/isquint.jpg

I still prefer QT's output, as it doesn't darken the movie file. iSquint at the Go Nuts setting is comparable in quality to QT, although it darkens the image somewhat on my machine. I didn't time the encodes, since QT doesn't offer quality settings, but it's output is top-notch.

iSquint at Standard Quality is all but unusable, since it removes skin texture and blurs the peach fuzz on this screenshot.

QT, FTW!

[wizzerandchips]

just downloaded both vh and isquint,yried 3 dvds and niether will work, keeps coming uo with erros in the dvd. any ideas. have only downloaded the sample version before i buy, or not

[mkubal]

I put video on my iPod with the intention of playing it from my iPod on a TV. This really magnifies quality issues. I like the quality I get using Handbrake to rip straight to MPEG-4, 2-pass, 2200 kbps, native DVD resolution. I wonder if Chundles' method will give me comparable quality at lower file sizes.

To each his own I guess. I tend to watch movies using a DVD player and keep iPod movies as their own separate entities. I do rip some of my favorite movies (i.e. The Big Lebowski) at a high quality to be able to watch from my computer. Those I usually rip at 2500 kbps, 2-pass H.264. The resulting files are usually around 2 gigs, give or take a few hundred megs. The iPod video files I encode are 320Xwhatever @ 500kbps, single-pass, xvid, .mp4. It's a low-res file for a low-res screen. I realize I could do them at a higher resolution, but I'll never play them on anything larger than the iPod screen so there's no need really.

[MacinJosh]

Not sure what you're talking about, but I have encoded 640X480 and other widescreen formats in H.264 on both PPC and Intel machines using Handbrake for a while now. The program is a universal binary so if you find it to be slow on an Intel mac there's something wrong or you're emulating the PPC version for whatever reason.

I believe that the H.264 being discussed is a specific version of H.264 encoding used in the iPod, which last I was aware was not a capability of Handbrake. I'm sure it will be soon enough though.

Yes, I wasn't clear enough on what I was trying to say. I meant 640x480 H.264 for iPod. The version of Handbrake that I acquired has an option now for Baseline Low Complexity. It is not UB at the moment as there are quite a few problems with the UB compile.

Joshua.

[mkubal]

Yes, I wasn't clear enough on what I was trying to say. I meant 640x480 H.264 for iPod. The version of Handbrake that I acquired has an option now for Baseline Low Complexity. It is not UB at the moment as there are quite a few problems with the UB compile.

Joshua.

Ah, I see, I misunderstood. Very cool! Any idea on when they might get the UB version worked out? The current release seems solid as a UB. Are they adding more features than just the Basline LC? Seems like just adding a codec shouldn't be too difficult. Of course I'm not a programmer and don't know what I'm talking about. :)

[Chundles]

just downloaded both vh and isquint,yried 3 dvds and niether will work, keeps coming uo with erros in the dvd. any ideas. have only downloaded the sample version before i buy, or not

For the last time, iSquint does not rip DVDs. It re-encodes video files.

[mkrishnan]

For the last time, iSquint does not rip DVDs. It re-encodes video files.

Yes. Try Instant Handbrake (http://handbrake.m0k.org/) for that.

[Chris Bangle]

isquints awesome.. so damn easy to use

[spicyapple]

Currently I use HB to do a 100% quality rip of a DVD to mp4 using MPEG-4 encoding.
How long does this take?

Have you tried MPEG Streamclip (http://www.squared5.com/)? You can load DVD .VOB files and then convert to MPEG with MP2 audio without re-compression. And it's fast (about 5-10 minutes) Then you take the .mpeg file and bring that into iSquint.

[Chundles]

How long does this take?

Have you tried MPEG Streamclip (http://www.squared5.com/)? You can load DVD .VOB files and then convert to MPEG with MP2 audio without re-compression. And it's fast (about 5-10 minutes) Then you take the .mpeg file and bring that into iSquint.

On my old G4 - everything takes a long time when it comes to video.

My 100% quality rip to mp4 results in a ~8.5mbps video with a huge file size but no loss in quality over the DVD. Export to iPod brings the file size down and the quality is still very good considering the end result is often a fifth of the size of the original mp4 file.

Takes a long time though.

[~Kat~]

Is this latest version any faster? It took forever with the last one and it crashed all time.

[madmaxmedia]

The iPod video files I encode are 320Xwhatever @ 500kbps, single-pass, xvid, .mp4. It's a low-res file for a low-res screen. I realize I could do them at a higher resolution, but I'll never play them on anything larger than the iPod screen so there's no need really.

I rip at lower size and bitrate for my iPod too. A lower bitrate file will conserve battery on your iPod, so if you're mainly just playing on your iPod anyways, you might as well do 320 x 240.

I don't know how much battery life is conserved, but I read this somewhere and it makes sense. At higher bitrates the iPod is basically continually reading off the HD. At lower bitrate the buffer should help a little. Although to be honest, I don't recall the iPod's buffer size, and whether it is actually large enough to be able to buffer video of even mid-quality (say 300 MB for a typical movie.)