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iPod Get your DVDs onto your video iPod
- Thread starter TyleRomeo
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I wrote a little app called Enpod that can do the encoding, at the very least: http://www.cliff.biffle.org/software/enpod/
This is assuming you've got the video in a format Quicktime can handle.
I'd love to add DVD conversion to the program, but in my country it's illegal to write, distribute, or use code to do the decryption. I'm looking into whether it's legally risky for me to leave "hooks" in the program that would allow the user to add their own DVD import software.
I hope I can figure something out.
This is assuming you've got the video in a format Quicktime can handle.
I'd love to add DVD conversion to the program, but in my country it's illegal to write, distribute, or use code to do the decryption. I'm looking into whether it's legally risky for me to leave "hooks" in the program that would allow the user to add their own DVD import software.
I hope I can figure something out.
whats wrong with mp4? it all comes out to be the same in the end. h.264 is a great compressor that gives you great quality at a minimal file size but you are only allowed up to 320x240. mp4 allows up to 230,400 pixels in any ratio. this means you can do a full resolution 720x304 widescreen that rivals the quality of a dvd. the only difference will be the final size of your file. the mp4 version will a bigger file but with the size restricion on the h.264 it all equals out to be about the same. ive also found mp4 to encode much quicker than the h.264.TyleRomeo said:
freeny said:
i dont want bigger file sizes than what H264 offers at 320x240 at 768kbps. I'm not showing these DVDs on a tv, if i wanted to do that id just show the DVD at 720x480 instead. I have a dual g4 so h264 render time is not an issue for me. Bottom line H264 is a better format than MPEG4 thats the reason its the codec of choice for everything from 3G to HD.
If your only going to watch it on your pod then whats the problem with an extra mb here and there? are you a purist? the screen is 2 1/2 inches for godsake!TyleRomeo said:
freeny said:
i am a purist, I only want to use the best codec around and that is H264. I don't want to waste space with an old codec like MP4. Keep in mind i'm trying to store over my entire music and photo collection on the 60GB also. Each MB is precious.
bepster said:
yes it looks a lot better at the same bitrate as mp4. It's much sharperJust check out apple's HD trailers, they are all in H264. MP4 came out with QT 6. H264 is now out with QT7. H264 or AVC (advanced video codec) is really MPEG-4 Layer 10 but its the latest and greatest in codec. It takes lots of CPU power for playback and encoding. For example my PowerMac Dual 1.25 G4 can only playback 480P and encoding to H264 can take a few hours for a 2 hour movie. But the quality is definately worth it.
bepster said:
if youre looking for TV-playback from your ipod, then youre not going to have great results. the dvds you watch are 720x480 in resolution. If you take something 320x240 and blow it up its going to look like crap. You can make MP4 480x480 or something like that for the ipod that may look a bit better on your tv then h264 at 320x240 but the ipod screen is designed for 320x240 or less, it has to downsize your higher res. mp4 footage to playback on the ipod. This requires more power and drains your battery quicker. If you want tc playback, just use the DVD and save the novelty toy fun factor of playing back a highly compressed low res video for long flights or train rides on a 2.5 inch screen like it was intended to be used.
Tyler
TyleRomeo said:
well, I am travelling a lot in europe and visiting friends. the opportunity to just plug in the ipod into an tv-set and share a good movie with some friends is not just a "novelty toy fun factor", it is much more convenient than having 20 dvd.discs with me where ever I go!
My ipod did not arrive yet but everybody tells me that the tv-playback is between dvd and broadcast-quality and that's good enough for me!
and in that case, mp.4 is the way to go, is it not?
watching a movie on that small screen? i don't think so...
Have you taken into consideration the difference between NTSC (US/Japan TV standard), PAL (one European standard), and SECAM (another European standard)? I'm wondering if a movie ripped from an NTSC DVD is going to play on a PAL or SECAM TV.bepster said:
shouldnt be a problem. if your playing it from your ipod then the tv is just an external monitor.clayj said:
bepster said:
but youre not playing back DVDs of the ipod, youre playing back even more compressed movies than DVDs are already, you can carry around a 2.5 inch hard drive with 20 actual ripped DVDs and play them with matinee.
bepster said:
whoa easy there, for tv playback of an ipod AT A HIGHER RESOLUTION MP4 will look better but at 320x240 H264 will blow away 320x240 MP4. If you don't mind the extra space on your pod for the much bigger MP4 movies than go right ahead. I'm going to wait for H264 encoder than will work with the ipod.
Tyler