iPod Handbrake'd videos transfer to iPod but won't play

I originally posted this in the ATV/Home Theater section, but realized it's not so much an ATV/Home Theater issue, so I'm reposting here:

Previously, I've ripped my movies at 640x480 and set the ABR at 2300; video size to ensure playback on my iPods/iPhone, and bit rate to ensure it doesn't exceed 2500kbps (the supposed limit for the iPod.) I'm experimenting with the Universal setting; it's the standard setup, but with detelecine and decomb on. I've got this so far.

The Bourne Identity: 720x480 (640x480 loose anamorphic), 1767kbps
Ironman: 720x368 (868x368 loose anamorphic), 1399kbps

Both movies play in iTunes and on my iPhone just fine, and will transfer to my 6th gen iPod classic (160GB) and 3rd gen iPod nano, but won't won't play on either of them. When I select a movie, it goes to a black screen, and reverts to the Movie menu a few seconds later.

What might be causing this? What can I do to make them work properly? I'd love to use the Universal setting; the quality is excellent and file sizes are small.

--------------------------------------------------

When I first posted this, someone responded and said he/she could only get videos to play if they were strict anamorphic. I re-encoded the movies...

Bourne Identity: 720x480 (640x480 strict anamorphic), 2727kbps
Ironman: 718x360 (851x360 strict anamorphic), 1554kbps

... I still have the same problem: they'll transfer to the iPods, but won't play. Play just fine on my iPhone.

I haven't, since it's a classic (6th-generation,) but I will give it a whirl.

Ivan P said:

Yes, I know, but it's still part of the same line that became the iPod 'classic', so the suffix is still sufficient to identify the model. Especially later this year when/if a new iPod nano is released - that would be a 5G as well, so just tossing "5G" around wouldn't be right, would it?

Click to expand...

Most people I talk with identify the HDD-based iPods (everything up to the current 120GB classic) as simply "iPod." The nano, naturally, gets referred to as a nano. Most people have no idea there were different models of the HDD iPod; it's not uncommon for a friend to tell me he has one of the first iPods released, and then he will pull out a 4th- or 5th-generation iPod.

Nomenclature aside, my understanding was the 5G iPod (video) checkbox in Handbrake was because it handled videos slightly differently than other iPods (lower bitrates, I think.) The box will only affect videos played on a 5G iPod, and nothing else, so I'm not sure why checking it might help. But I'll give it a whirl.

I'm using Handbrake's Universal setting, which should allow it to play on anything. Latest test:

Bourne Identity: 720x480 (640x480 loose anamorphic,) 2103kbps, 5G box checked

Same thing: the video transfers to my iPod but won't play. Plays fine in iTunes. I don't get the "Some of the videos in your iTunes library were not copied to the iPod because they cannot be played on this iPod" warning.

The videos play just fine on my iPhone.

No, other videos I've ripped play just fine. I ripped all those at 640xXXX, which I guess I might just have to settle for. I just thought, with 720x480/anamorphic, videos would look slightly better when I eventually get an ATV and HDTV.

Oh well...