Database Users

[TUT]The Definitive Video Playback Thread

Make sure to read the Wiki on Video Playback basics (credit to Chris Cross) here.
EDIT: My final conclusion on video issue here.
OK everyone, we've takin' it to another level. Follow this thread for the real HD experience.
Video playback on Blackstone (as well as on other Mobile devices in general) depends pretty much on many factors:
1. Video Format and Container
2. Video Bitrate
3. Audio Bitrate
4. Combined (general file) Bitrate
5. Video size
6. Processor speed
7. Video acceleration
8. Device/Internal/SD Card Storage speed
Doing some thinking about each of the points above will take you to a conclusion which will give most of you the answer as to why Blackstone (or any other Mobile device) will not - by far - play back video files that your PC or Notebook can (Hint: think about Processor, RAM and Disk Access) and as to why is conversion needed.
We can't really do pretty much with the Processor speed and Video acceleration (well, we aren't talking about overclocking here and we aren't referring to the so much discussed driver issue either), but can tweak Video Format and Container, Video/Audio/Combined Bitrate and Device/Internal/SD Card Storage speed.
1. Video Format and Container
This section refers to what type of video file is generated via conversion (Hint: AVI, MPG, 3GP, etc.) and what codec is used inside that file (Divx, Xvid, FLV, etc.).
Here's a small hint to let you see the differences between these.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
* Benchmark has been done on the same file, converted at same audio and video bitrate, but save to different formats and container. Coreplayer was used for both Benchmark and Playback. SUPER video converter, which is a free and fantastic all in one video conversion solution, was used to convert video files.
We obviously see that AVI format/container with FLV codec is a winner here. We also notice the difference in playback as to SD Card playback is generally slower than Internal Storage playback (we will discuss this at point 7.)
2, 3 and 4. Video/Audio/Combined (general) Bitrate
As you can see in the same chart, playing with the Bitrate offers different results. That is, lowering the bitrate will get you higher benchmark results simply because the amount of data that needs to be processed is less.
5. Video Size
Video size refers to the dimensions of the video canvas, the resolution if you want. Lowering the resolution will also give you better benchmark results. The explanation is the same, the amount of data that needs to be processed is less.
6. Processor speed
Not discussed
7. Video acceleration
Not discussed
8. Device/Internal/SD Card Storage Speed
Fire up your favorite system benchmark application (i.e.: SKTools) and run a benchmark on Device Storage and one on SD Card. You will obviously see that Device Storage is way faster (like more than 3 times faster) than SD Storage. "What the...? I have a Class 6 SDHC Card?" Yes you do! There are also Operating System drivers for that. The thing is, the Operating System is not configured properly to take advantage of that.
Solution: Download my attached cab, install to Device, Soft Reset, run your benchmark again! What do you see?
CONCLUSION:
Taking all these into consideration, after alot of cigarettes and beer spent in front of the PC and my Blackstone, I've came up that the perfect solution for video playback on Blackstone (probably other devices too) is: FLV format in AVI container at 560x304 resolution, encoded at 1200 kbps video and 128 kbps audio. That generates a Combined Bitrate of 1328 kbps. You can probably go even higher, as to 1500 kbps video and keep 128 kbps audio, having a General Bitrate of 1628 kbps. Should be no problem after my SD TuneUp cab, but I personally consider such high video bitrates a waste of space.
I found that going beyond 1200 kbps video has no impact on quality, 1200 kbps reached maximum, but this may depend on your file and your needs.
So, short story:
Code:
FLV @ 560x304 pix. @ 1200 kbps video & 128 kbps audio
You can play a little bit with resolution and bitrate, but keep it around there.
Having installed my SD TuneUp cab and using the settings I recommend, you will get fantastic video playback experience on Blackstone in any Media Player (yes, classic Windwso Media Player and HTC Album too).
I upped a converted HDTV trailer here (scores around 120%) and another one here. Go play!
EDIT: My final conclusion on video issue here.

When I'm more awake (or maybe just a tad more experienced in these things!), I'm sure that will actually make a lot of sense!
(please note - this is down to my lack of understanding, not the way you're explained it!)
Many thanks!

Sounds good but I am allready playing Avi, dix, xvid kinda movies straight from torrent sites, I just download the 700mb divx files which are: 564x308 25fps mpeg-4 video they gave me a benchmark of 102.59%
For me its perfect no more converting or anything.
But keep up the good work, I appreciate it a lot !

Louis said:
Sounds good but I am allready playing Avi, dix, xvid kinda movies straight from torrent sites, I just download the 700mb divx files which are: 564x308 25fps mpeg-4 video they gave me a benchmark of 102.59%
For me its perfect no more converting or anything.
But keep up the good work, I appreciate it a lot !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, my post referrs to HD files, which are either HD720 or HD1080.
The downloaded files already are converted, so no need for that, Blackstone plays them back just fine!
P.S.: Watch for piracy issues! There are copyrights!

I mean kitesurfing videos and other sport videos
The following video I can play at the HTC HD alsmost fine.
http://flexifoil.com/video-download/Revolve2008.mov/
Good enough to watch, maybe you can give it a try.
A benchmark of only 63.15%

installed but what next?
I installed the tuneup cab on my touch hd and cant see it in program files to activate it or tweak stuff. Am I missing something. Thanks.

truthseekers said:
I installed the tuneup cab on my touch hd and cant see it in program files to activate it or tweak stuff. Am I missing something. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're not missing anything, you don't need to activate anything, it just made your SD card access 3 times faster.

Louis said:
I mean kitesurfing videos and other sport videos
The following video I can play at the HTC HD alsmost fine.
http://flexifoil.com/video-download/Revolve2008.mov/
Good enough to watch, maybe you can give it a try.
A benchmark of only 63.15%
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can't access that so no opinion from my side for now.

Great work !
I played the movie Ice Age 1 656x352 25fps. And the HD couldn't do it. Now after your .Cab it seems to work perfectly !
I think your theory about the slow SD is true !
Nice work, thanks !

Louis said:
Great work !
I played the movie Ice Age 1 656x352 25fps. And the HD couldn't do it. Now after your .Cab it seems to work perfectly !
I think your theory about the slow SD is true !
Nice work, thanks !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One more happy customer!
Glad you're satisfied with this gorgeus device!

Hi! First of all, thanks for the tip!
Second, will the encoding make the files larger, or smaller?

Bungieman said:
Hi! First of all, thanks for the tip!
Second, will the encoding make the files larger, or smaller?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The sample I upped was initially 110MB, after conversion, you can see from the link at post #1, is approx. 10-11MB.

So is your tweak a general tune up for any data moving from (to?) SD card or is it only a video tweak?
Great first post incidentally - good science and good writing!

iain.fraser said:
So is your tweak a general tune up for any data moving from (to?) SD card or is it only a video tweak?
Great first post incidentally - good science and good writing!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SD TuneUp is a general SDHC tuner, it has to do with general SD card data access.
Thanks!

Thanks (in advance) TNYYNT !
Though I'm not too clear how to install the cab file. But I'll get to that bridge when I actually get my Touch HD (hopefully next week! )

SingaporeAirlines said:
Thanks (in advance) TTYYNT !
Though I'm not too clear how to install the cab file. But I'll get to that bridge when I actually get my Touch HD (hopefully next week! )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just download the file to your device, launch it from File Explorer, install it to Device and soft reset.

Just wanted to say thanks for the solution, just tried it with a few HD movies I had, end result is fantastic.
What audio codec would you suggest? Does it matter? I went with mp3 and strangle ended up with reduced volume.

tnyynt; Big thanks for the great topicstart and the speedup cab!
I just benchmarked a moviefile before installing the cab; 97.53% speed, after installing the cab(and softresetting afterwards); 97.58%... Maybe the file was already read fast enough before benchmarking.
The FLV encoding looks like the best option now, thanks for posting the benchmarks, this really makes clear which format we need to use if we want to encode a file.

What does the tuneup cab actually do? Is it a cache optimisation or something else?

_macca said:
Just wanted to say thanks for the solution, just tried it with a few HD movies I had, end result is fantastic.
What audio codec would you suggest? Does it matter? I went with mp3 and strangle ended up with reduced volume.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
128 kbps stereo MP3 will do it.
Guus_ said:
tnyynt; Big thanks for the great topicstart and the speedup cab!
I just benchmarked a moviefile before installing the cab; 97.53% speed, after installing the cab(and softresetting afterwards); 97.58%... Maybe the file was already read fast enough before benchmarking.
The FLV encoding looks like the best option now, thanks for posting the benchmarks, this really makes clear which format we need to use if we want to encode a file.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you downloaded the file I upped in post #1, then there's something strange, I get close to 120% with that file.
tboy2000 said:
What does the tuneup cab actually do? Is it a cache optimisation or something else?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Something like that.

[HOWTO] Convert videos for Samsung Galaxy S using Handbreak.

Team,
Thought I would throw this out here so people don't have to hunt it down.
Standard DVD:
The Samsung Galaxy S has a big, beautiful screen that just begs for some quality video to show off. But what is the best way for you to convert your favorite videos and transfer them to your Galaxy S? In this guide, we show you what software you need to convert videos for viewing on the Galaxy S, and we also show you how to get your newly converted videos onto your handset.
Requirements:
1. Installed copy of Handbrake software from here http://handbrake.fr/downloads.php
2. Video files and or DVD of your choice
3. Samsung Galaxy S with microUSB cable​
Step I: Launch the Handbrake application on your computer and select the video source
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
1. Launch Handbrake (figure 1)
2. In the menu on the right-hand side, select the iPod Legacy preset (figure 1)
3. Select your video source by clicking on the Source dropdown menu (we used a DVD for our testing purposes)
4. Select the destination and name for the file once it has been converted (both the .mp4 and .m4v extension work for the Galaxy S)
5. Confirm that the container is set to MP4 File and that Large file size, Web optimized, and iPod 5G support are unchecked​
Step II: Adjust Handbrake's Video Settings
Picture Tab:
1. Uncheck Keep Aspect Ratio
2. Set the Galaxy Sd Width and Height (the Galaxy S supports a maximum of 800 x 480 pixels)​Video Tab:
(click to enlarge)
1. Set Handbrake's encoding settings by clicking on the Video tab (figure 2)
2. Confirm the Video Codec is set as H.264 (x264)
3. Framerate (FPS) should be set to Same as source
4. Under Quality, select the Avg Bitrate (kbps) and change it to 1500​
Step III: Adjust audio settings
(click to enlarge)
1. Set Handbrake's audio settings by clicking on the Audio tab (figure 3)
2. Confirm the Audio Codec is AAC (faac)
3. Mixdown should be set to Stereo.
4. Change the Samplerate to 48
5. Change the Bitrate to 160​
Step IV: Save as a preset for future use
1. Click on the Presets menu and select New Preset
2. Enter Galaxy S in the dialog box and click Add
3. "Galaxy S" will now be saved as a preset and listed on the right hand side in Handbrake to be used in the future​Step V: Convert the video and copy to your Galaxy S
1. Click on the Start button in Handbrake
2. A command line/DOS window will open and start to process the video conversion
3. Once the conversion is done, mount your Galaxy S on to your computer via USB (figure 4)
4. Once mounted, create a folder named Video in the root folder on the Galaxy S
5. Copy converted file into the Video folder​
That's it! The converted video can now be played on your Galaxy S using the Gallery app. It should look fantastic on the Galaxy S's screen as long as the original source was of good quality.
A few things to keep in mind when converting video:
1. The Galaxy S does not like video file sizes over 2GB (the settings in Step II should help insure that the file size is kept under 2GB)
2. Your converted video will only be as good as the source video
3. If your source is over 800 x 480, you must be sure to set the width and height to a maximum of 800 x 480 as noted in Step II​
Blu-Ray:
Coming Soon:

Thanks OP. Great instructions....

I just have to say, you don't need to limit the dimensions to 800x480, the phone will play 1280x720 (720p) videos just fine.

raduque said:
I just have to say, you don't need to limit the dimensions to 800x480, the phone will play 1280x720 (720p) videos just fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm changing my stance. This post is not to convert to HD. It will depend on your source your using. You can't just take a DVD and use Handbreak to convert video to 720p your source will have to support that. That will be another topic.

TGA_Gunnman said:
Good point, I will try that out and see how it performs. Let me know if anyone tries it before me and i'll update the resolution setting in the post.
If anyone wants to try 5.1 audio in their settings let us know your results.
I want to get video and audio going as good as it can get.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, in keeping balance between (1) quality and (2) file size, what is the benefit of coding in 720p when the max screen res is lower? For TV out? And if that's the case, can the tv out cable even handle above 480p? I definitely want to have the best quality possible, but I don't want to have needlessly large files taking up space, bc ultimately I'd like to have a decent size library of media.
Input would be appreciated. I'm relatively inexperienced in the ways of the videophile.
EDIT: I guess maybe 720p would work over DLNA? That might be worth it if pushing to xbox 360 works as people have claimed. Can't wait to get mine on Wed and try!

TGA_Gunnman said:
Good point, I will try that out and see how it performs. Let me know if anyone tries it before me and i'll update the resolution setting in the post.
If anyone wants to try 5.1 audio in their settings let us know your results.
I want to get video and audio going as good as it can get.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Under the video tab, I Uncheck keep aspect ratio, but I can't set it higher than the original aspect ratio of the file. So it won't let me set it to 800X480. Any ideas?

edykes1 said:
Under the video tab, I Uncheck keep aspect ratio, but I can't set it higher than the original aspect ratio of the file. So it won't let me set it to 800X480. Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm changing my post to the original. Let stay at native screen res and sound for this howto.
You can experiment on 5.1 and 720p if you want.

If you use 720p source you can choose classic ipod and crank your settings to create great looking HD videos that run good on the Galaxy S
Gunnman from Galaxy S

awesome stuff, thanks!

israel941 said:
So, in keeping balance between (1) quality and (2) file size, what is the benefit of coding in 720p when the max screen res is lower? For TV out? And if that's the case, can the tv out cable even handle above 480p? I definitely want to have the best quality possible, but I don't want to have needlessly large files taking up space, bc ultimately I'd like to have a decent size library of media.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even on a lower resolution screen, a higher-resolution video file is going to look better. Actually, I take that back, it's more about the bit rate than the resolution. A 1280x720 video encoded with a low bit rate isn't going to look as good as a high bit-rate 800x480 video.
Encoding at 720p generally uses higher bit rates anyway, around 3-5Mb/s for 720P and 10-13Mb/s for 1080p using H/X.264 to encode. Some MPEG streams can be as high as 30+Mb/s! It looks like the OP is encoding about half-HD bitrates (1.5Mb/s) - that outta be fine on the Vibrant's screen, though personally, I'd encode to 2-2.5Mb/s.

raduque said:
Even on a lower resolution screen, a higher-resolution video file is going to look better. Actually, I take that back, it's more about the bit rate than the resolution. A 1280x720 video encoded with a low bit rate isn't going to look as good as a high bit-rate 800x480 video.
Encoding at 720p generally uses higher bit rates anyway, around 3-5Mb/s for 720P and 10-13Mb/s for 1080p using H/X.264 to encode. Some MPEG streams can be as high as 30+Mb/s! It looks like the OP is encoding about half-HD bitrates (1.5Mb/s) - that outta be fine on the Vibrant's screen, though personally, I'd encode to 2-2.5Mb/s.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
good info. i'm gonna play around with a few bit rates and resolutions then and see what the difference is in file size and how much difference my eye can pick up and go from there. getting my vibrant tomorrow so i'll probably post back with some results in a few days.

Tagging this .

So you can convert a movie you have on DVD to play on the phone?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

vinnydakid said:
So you can convert a movie you have on DVD to play on the phone?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
..................................yup

It seems that most of my DVDs are protected and my files come out all pixelated.
Does anyone know a good way around this?

For some reason when I encode full length movies this method does not work.
I've converted multiple music videos using these settings, and they look AMAZING.
However, when I try to encode a movie from a 720p source the movie only shows a black screen with no sound on my Vibrant. The counter counts, the slider moves, but there is no picture or audio...

I have been encoding my files into an MKV container but used the target size to be under 2 gigs...The file does not play. Is the bit rate limit on the vibrant 1.5 mbps? What is the best bit rate to keep for a dvd conversion that will play on the Vibrant? I wouldn't mind doing this for playback on the PS3 as well. BTW I prefer mkv over mp4 container for obvious reasons.
PS
The method works but Don't like Mp4 container as it doesn't show the movie length on the file and it will not save the spot where I last viewed after exiting...
Any advised welcomed.

I've followed these instructions and yet when I convert a BR video the audio gets distorted (kind of a slow sounding distortion), the video shows up perfectly however. If I just put the file straight from my comp to the phone i still get great video but no sound. Anyone have any advice?

xavice said:
I've followed these instructions and yet when I convert a BR video the audio gets distorted (kind of a slow sounding distortion), the video shows up perfectly however. If I just put the file straight from my comp to the phone i still get great video but no sound. Anyone have any advice?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to rip the BR first to a file. Then convert it to use smaller space. I havn't used handbreak to rip BR just AnyDVD. This HOWTO is for standard DVD. I will work on a BR post later.

TGA_Gunnman said:
You need to rip the BR first to a file. Then convert it to use smaller space. I havn't used handbreak to rip BR just AnyDVD. This HOWTO is for standard DVD. I will work on a BR post later.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is a BR rip. And that might best explain why I can add any of my DVD rips with no problem without having to convert but any BR rips I have problems.

[HOWTO] Convert videos for Samsung Galaxy S using Handbreak.

Team,
Thought I would throw this out here so people don't have to hunt it down.
The Samsung Galaxy S has a big, beautiful screen that just begs for some quality video to show off. But what is the best way for you to convert your favorite videos and transfer them to your Galaxy S? In this guide, we show you what software you need to convert videos for viewing on the Galaxy S, and we also show you how to get your newly converted videos onto your handset.
Requirements:
1. Installed copy of Handbrake software from here http://handbrake.fr/downloads.php
2. Video files and or DVD of your choice
3. Samsung Galaxy S with microUSB cable​
Step I: Launch the Handbrake application on your computer and select the video source
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
1. Launch Handbrake (figure 1)
2. In the menu on the right-hand side, select the iPod Legacy preset (figure 1)
3. Select your video source by clicking on the Source dropdown menu (we used a DVD for our testing purposes)
4. Select the destination and name for the file once it has been converted (both the .mp4 and .m4v extension work for the Galaxy S)
5. Confirm that the container is set to MP4 File and that Large file size, Web optimized, and iPod 5G support are unchecked​
Step II: Adjust Handbrake's Video Settings
Picture Tab:
1. Uncheck Keep Aspect Ratio
2. Set the Galaxy Sd Width and Height (the Galaxy S supports a maximum of 800 x 480 pixels)​Video Tab:
1. Set Handbrake's encoding settings by clicking on the Video tab (figure 2)
2. Confirm the Video Codec is set as H.264 (x264)
3. Framerate (FPS) should be set to Same as source
4. Under Quality, select the Avg Bitrate (kbps) and change it to 1500​
Step III: Adjust audio settings
1. Set Handbrake's audio settings by clicking on the Audio tab (figure 3)
2. Confirm the Audio Codec is AAC (faac)
3. Mixdown should be set to Stereo.
4. Change the Samplerate to 48
5. Change the Bitrate to 160​
Step IV: Save as a preset for future use
1. Click on the Presets menu and select New Preset
2. Enter Galaxy S in the dialog box and click Add
3. "Galaxy S" will now be saved as a preset and listed on the right hand side in Handbrake to be used in the future​Step V: Convert the video and copy to your Galaxy S
1. Click on the Start button in Handbrake
2. A command line/DOS window will open and start to process the video conversion
3. Once the conversion is done, mount your Galaxy S on to your computer via USB (figure 4)
4. Once mounted, create a folder named Video in the root folder on the Galaxy S
5. Copy converted file into the Video folder​
That's it! The converted video can now be played on your Galaxy S using the Gallery app. It should look fantastic on the Galaxy S's screen as long as the original source was of good quality.
A few things to keep in mind when converting video:
1. The Galaxy S does not like video file sizes over 2GB (the settings in Step II should help insure that the file size is kept under 2GB)
2. Your converted video will only be as good as the source video
3. If your source is over 800 x 480, you must be sure to set the width and height to a maximum of 800 x 480 as noted in Step II​

This program crashed whenever i try to convert a vob file that is over 1gb in size. Smaller vob files convert just fine.

Great guide TGA_Gunnman thanks!
But since Galaxy S supports Matroska files, why don't some of them work on the phone? Example episodes of the Simpsons and TopGear work just fine if I throw them to my fone in 720p format. But Futurama, Band of Brothers and such do not. Even if I convert the Furutama episodes to the native resolution, BUT keep the mkv-format: still they don’t work. But they work in .mp4-format ofcourse, but this conversion method takes a a lot of processin power and a LOT of time.

jokuvuan said:
Great guide TGA_Gunnman thanks!
But since Galaxy S supports Matroska files, why don't some of them work on the phone? Example episodes of the Simpsons and TopGear work just fine if I throw them to my fone in 720p format. But Futurama, Band of Brothers and such do not. Even if I convert the Furutama episodes to the native resolution, BUT keep the mkv-format: still they don’t work. But they work in .mp4-format ofcourse, but this conversion method takes a a lot of processin power and a LOT of time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct me if I'm wrong but are not MKV files just containers for audio/video/subs?
So you can have in a MKV an AVI+MP3, or MP4+AAC and so on...

TGA_Gunnman said:
Team,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks but it did not work. I actually tried to convert a 2.6 GB mp4 file using handbrake following a guide by someone in the forum to convert videos to play in the SGS. It produced a 2.1 GB mp4 but SGS will not play it just skips over to the next video file.
I even tried to convert the video using Kies but the video quality is so crap, can't believe how samsung can provide such a software where it converts all movie frames not above 300 pixels whereas SGS is having 800!!?

Worked for me, ripped my Avatar DVD into a 2.5GB file with Handbrake and it plays perfectly.

Arkymedes said:
Correct me if I'm wrong but are not MKV files just containers for audio/video/subs?
So you can have in a MKV an AVI+MP3, or MP4+AAC and so on...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's my understanding as well.
Some mkv files play on my PS3, some do not; just depends on the underlying codecs used. Same thing for the Galaxy S.

?????????? convert???????? why???????
Guys,
One of the main points of having an SGS is that you DONT HAVE TO CONVERT "videos".
EDIT: I see you are referring to DVD's!!
aah, ok
DVD is different from "videos", DVD is just one kind of way to deliver videos.
Of my +1200 divx, xvid, wmv, mkv, mp4 videos, VERY few have been unable to play, I have not even considered the hassle of a conversion software, this isnt an iphone after all ;-) Even some 720p HD videos play with no conversion with my SGS... awesome phone.
Mark

I think it is an issue more with the audio than the video for why some mkvs don't play. There is a program, can't remember the name ATM, that is used I icon vert mkvs into xbox compatible mp4s. Ot takes about ten or twenty minutes, I think it only modifies the audio but does nto transcode the video.

drizek said:
I think it is an issue more with the audio than the video for why some mkvs don't play. There is a program, can't remember the name ATM, that is used I icon vert mkvs into xbox compatible mp4s. Ot takes about ten or twenty minutes, I think it only modifies the audio but does nto transcode the video.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah I used Popcorn mkv converter http://www.videohelp.com/tools/PopCorn_MKV_AudioConverter, it was so simple, I don't have to do extract audio - reencode - repatch manually all was taken care of the software like a breeze, great work by the developer and he is worth to be appreciated with some gift as he saved me now. The fix was so easy it just took some 5 + mins for a movie and around less than a minute for my song video. Now it plays in my SGS. Remember it only supports mkv files. Audio codec that was not supported by SGS was VORBIS in those files.
My only problem is to reencode my mp4 avatar which is great quality but audio missing in SGS, anyone suggest how I can do this easily like the above.

Hey guys
this program works great and all but I noticed some videos show up in the mediaplayer with length of 0:00? They play fine and in the actual video the correct length shows up, but when browsing through the media player library the length shows up as 0:00.
anyone know how to fix this? For some vids I don't have thsi problem, but for a lot I do.

Hi guys,please help me out with this,it's driving me crazy.
I did everything on this howto, I converted some avi files to mp4 but my SGS doesn't play it at all,I keep getting the message "I can't open this file" or "file not supported"
players used: galaxy s video player,Vplayer,Meridian, same thing every time.
suggestions?
Thanks

Just buy an external memory card
You dont have to convert nothing it almost plays everything. Converting is time and energy lost and you sure in theory loose video quality..
The only problem galaxy have is to downmix 5.1 channel movies to stereo, but you can do that with tools that just change the audio file without touching video, like yamb and audio transcoder.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App

Thanks for the quick reply.
I already have an 8gb kingston card.
I tried to play avi,mp4,mkv with different players.nothing at all.
Am I missing something?
Please help.

Bet you flashed some custom firmwares
Just, factory reset, I advice to flash 2.2.1 oficial, no lagfix, through kies, its probably better than every custom firm
I also have subtitles support with this firmware
luposurfer said:
Thanks for the quick reply.
I already have an 8gb kingston card.
I tried to play avi,mp4,mkv with different players.nothing at all.
Am I missing something?
Please help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App

Actually I have:
Firmware Froyo 2.2
PDL:I9000RSJP5
Phone:I9000XXJPP
CSC:I9000ITVJP3
Kernel Version:2.6.32.9
[email protected]#1
Froyo.RSJP5
Does it make any sense to you?

Well, does it open any video file at least? If there are only a couple of videos, than they can be corrupted, or not supported,
otherwise I would still recommend factory reset or/and flashing.
Why do you install all these video players, do they offer anything more than the stock?
I tried Meridian and it was laggy .
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App

After some testing, it seems to me that the stock player prefers 44.1khz audio sampling frequency. 48 khz also works, but with considerable stutter due to dropped frames.
On a side note, I find the color enhancements done by the stock player to be absolutely horrendous. Some people, mostly asian hardware companies, seem to love extra colors...but it looks awful to the rest. Please samsung: add an option to turn it off...we are not all color blind.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App

I think HD video look gorgeos on the stock player, thats why I dont convert, and I`m not asian,
anyway I prefer Windows Media Player to all other pc video players,

sonci said:
I think HD video look gorgeos on the stock player, thats why I dont convert, and I`m not asian,
anyway I prefer Windows Media Player to all other pc video players,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, WMP does not do anything weird with the picture or colors. The stock SGS player seem to boost the contrast and colors for a higher "wow"-factor. Come to think of it, this is exactly what Samsung TV's do by default (the "Dynamic"-setting, which thankfully can be turned off). However high the wow-factor is, the colors are not correct, and they make any movie look like a cheezy commercial. If the film producer wanted higher contrast and more colors, he would have added it
I believe the voodoo colorfix corrected this exact problem (look at http :// project-voodoo.org/color for an example), however I don't think it is available for 2.2.
(Sorry about the spaces in the url, but I'm not allowed to post proper urls :-( )

[INFO] Transcoding MKV to MP4 quick and easy way.

With Honeycomb 3.1 update, 720p High Profile H.264 is natively supported. But with lack of native support on mkv container and AC3 format, many of us are still re-encoding mkv's to MP4. While re-encoding insures full hardware playback with transformer, it is time consuming. I was looking for ways to transcode video while converting AC3/DTS to natively supported AAC format.
Enter GOTSent. Originally created for converting files to supported format for PS3 and Xbox360, this little program does a wonderful job of transcoding mkv files to natively supported MP4/AAC format in minutes.
I've tested [email protected] 720p 4.3GB file and with my Q9400 CPU, it took about 15 minutes to transcode video and convert DTS audio to MP4! Resulting size was 3.6GB.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Not much to explain as most of it is self explanatory. Select your source file and choose xbox360 as target. Make sure you have Haali Media Splitter and AC3 Filter installed if having issues.
Note: Since you are not encoding video with GOTSent, if the source file has profile/resolution settings that are beyond the capabilities of TF101/HC3.1, it will not playback. You will still have to encode these files using Handbrake.

mega thanks...i've been using handbreak to encode the whole file though only ac3 -> aac is really what i need.... and it's ridiculously slow even with my i5 2600k machine...
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA Premium App

Oh thank you. Much quicker.

magicpork said:
mega thanks...i've been using handbreak to encode the whole file though only ac3 -> aac is really what i need.... and it's ridiculously slow even with my i5 2600k machine...
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ravynmagi said:
Oh thank you. Much quicker.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How fast is the conversion on your PC's and what kind of spec are you running ?. I'm thinking of upgrading so I want to see what kind of setup I should purchase.
Thanks,

mkvavi2mp4 has the similar function

Windows Home Server 2011 has the same issue with MKVs for it's silverlight streaming application. Just wait. This is relevant. I used GotSent a few times, but every once and a while it would not properly convert a file to MP4. So I started using xvid4psp. You can custom set what you want to do with every part of the MKV for the conversion. Just set the video to "COPY" and it won't encode the video and you can set the audio to AAC.
It takes about 10 minutes per movie, and you can drag and drop multiple files at once for quick bulk conversion.

plus one on xvid4psp
This program is great for many video /audio conversion routines.

Any good apps for MAc?

spcsting said:
Windows Home Server 2011 has the same issue with MKVs for it's silverlight streaming application. Just wait. This is relevant. I used GotSent a few times, but every once and a while it would not properly convert a file to MP4. So I started using xvid4psp. You can custom set what you want to do with every part of the MKV for the conversion. Just set the video to "COPY" and it won't encode the video and you can set the audio to AAC.
It takes about 10 minutes per movie, and you can drag and drop multiple files at once for quick bulk conversion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, will try both.

Here's another way to re-encode from MKV to MP4. I have used it & others but I prefer this more.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1102922

very nice share...
i use avs video converter though, might have to try this out and compare speeds just for comparison

david279 said:
Any good apps for MAc?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Someone must know of a decent mac app to do just this? Handbrake takes AGES to re-encode on my machine (Tron legacy took 5 hours!). There must be something that leaves the video frames and only changes the audio
EDIT: I did a trial of Enolsoft video converter, and although it was quick it skipped a lot on my transformer (streamed over wifi), so I'm still looking for suggestions.

why dont you install bootcamp on your mac and then download and install one of the converters ?

Is there a way using one of these apps or Handbrake to batch convert? I know you can individual populate the queue but I would like to just have a preset that says "max res for file, these encoding settings, convert this entire folder."

I have a GoPro HD which is recording at 720p @ 60 fps. File format is mp4. When I try to play it on my TF, the video crawls then freezes. It plays fine on the PC. Can someone enlighten me? Thanks!
VT

vhtan00 said:
I have a GoPro HD which is recording at 720p @ 60 fps...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At least one issue with that video and the TF is frame rate (fps). You need to transcode down to at least 30 and maybe as low as 23.976 fps. I do not believe that the Tegra2 GPU x264 HW decoding handles anything higher than 30 fps.

ryan stewart said:
Is there a way using one of these apps or Handbrake to batch convert? ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Handbrake has a command line equivalent that I use to batch transcode videos overnight. I wrote a shell script that reads all video files in a specific directory and calls the CLI version of Handbrake.
Here is an example of a handbrake command line. Note that this are NOT TF specific transcode settings but is an example of a handbrake command line.
HandBrakeCLI --size 350 -w 640 -l 360 --rate 23.976 -e x264 -a 1 -E faac -B 128 -R Auto -6 dpl2 -f mp4 -m -2 -T --color-matrix 709 -x b-adapt=2:me=umh:subme=9:analyse=all:trellis=0 -i "/home/video/inputvideo.mpg" -o "/home/video/outputvideo.mpg"
The Handbrake GUI allows you to copy (copy/paste) the video transcode settings you want so you can add them to your own command line. See the bottom of the screen of the "Advanced" tab below the "Current x264 Advanced Option String".
Good luck

Have been using gotsent for ages now, works perfect and quick.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA Premium App

shibli said:
why dont you install bootcamp on your mac and then download and install one of the converters ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tis a possibility. I've also three PCs I could use but I kind of hoped there would be a native mac equivalent.

I tried this, it worked ok. Although I can't find a way to embed subs from my original mkv file (since it's mkv, subs are embedded within the file and not separate). Any idea?
What a pain having to re-encode...

[Guide] Streaming your own videos with SugarSync.

Intro:
This is a quick guide on how to stream your own videos with SugarSync. You can sign up on their site for free 5GB storage, or use this link to get extra 500MB (5.5GB), enough for 1-2 more movies! =P
Pre-Requisites:
-SugarSync account (see intro)
-HandBrake (available here)
-SugarSync (available at Amazon's App Store)
Convert the File:
You need to convert the file to something more manageable on the Kindle Fire (e.g. something smaller, with the stream flag turned on).
Open up HandBrake. On the right hand side, select "iPad". Then, click on "Add" on the bottom left (again, on the right plane). This will add a new preset based on the iPad presets; I named it "Fire".
On the top left, click on "Source", and select your source (video file or folder of video files). Ignore the warning (or set a default directory).
Here are the required settings (that isn't previously set by using the iPad preset):
Code:
Under Output Settings (Preset: <Name>)-
Container: MP4 File, Large file size (unchecked), Web optimized (checked), iPod 5G Support (unchecked)
Here are recommended settings (optimal; what I use):
Code:
Under Picture-
Width: 512 (if source is over 512), Height: <automatically calculated>
Keep Aspect Ratio checked; if you don't want black bars, uncheck this, and select either Loose or Strict under Anamorphic.
Under Video-
Framerate (FPS): Same as source
Quality: Constant Quality: RF22 ; If you want higher quality (thus larger file), reduce this number. If you want lower quality (thus smaller file), increase this number. For file size examples, check end of this post.
Under Audio-
Mixdown: Stereo
Bitrate: 96 ; as Kindle Fire is no audiophile quality, 96kbps AAC should be fine; if you want better quality sound, increase this to say 128kbps or more.
After changing these default settings, be sure to save them! Right click on your named preset, save. Alternatively, you can IMPORT these settings by downloading my preset here (or check attachment; extract first); right click on the preset panel, and hit "import".
After all the settings are done, select your destination (where the output mp4 file will be saved to), then hit Start or Add to Queue!
Note you don't have to set all these settings again the next time you encode; that's why it's important you SAVE the settings!
It should take anywhere from 10-60 minutes to encode a file, depending on your processor and the source material. After it's done, you need to upload it to your SugarSync account.
Upload the File:
Download and install the SugarSync File Manager. When you run it, click on "Web Archive". Click and drag the .mp4 converted files, and it should upload. You're done!
How to stream the file on your Fire / Mobile Device:
Download and install from Amazon's App Store.
Open up SugarSync, log in, click on Web Archive, and select your video! If you have more than one video playback app installed, it'll ask you what you'll want to use. Personally, I think the default Gallery / Amazon's video is just fine (alternatively, I used MoboPlayer, but MoboPlayer seems to take longer for the stream to start).
And there you have it! You can now stream videos on any device that SugarSync has an app for!
Again, you can sign up for SugarSync at their website, or use the referral link to get extra 500MB here.
Example File Sizes:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Too Long ; Did Not Read:
Sign up on SugarSync website, encode to mp4 using Handbrake with "web optimized" checked, upload to SugarSync's Web Archive directory, install SugarSync app via Amazon App Store, stream using your favorite player (default, MoboPlayer, etc).
Any questions, comments, etc. are welcome.

lol dont forget about that referral in your link so mr Printerscape gets some more storage space !!!
https://www.sugarsync.com/referral?rf=b0kvxjfvzbmkv

surmanm said:
lol dont forget about that referral in your link so mr Printerscape gets some more storage space !!!
https://www.sugarsync.com/referral?rf=b0kvxjfvzbmkv
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the point >.>. In exchange, you also get extra storage too, vs. signing up by yourself.
I've tried box.net and Livedrive, and both ended up badly. Box.net's upload is slow, and Livedrive is for backups only (e.g. can't use it as a cloud drive). I have yet to try Dropbox, but SugarSync fit my bills (cheaper @ $10/mo for 60GB vs. $10/mo for 50GB, plus I had a coupon for 50% off for SugarSync from getting referred myself =P), in that it's fast for uploading as well as downloading (faster than box.net and livedrive).

Just an update; it seems to drop connection while streaming past ~30 minutes. The default player does not re-establish the connection (forcing a re-start of the video), but MoboPlayer allows for re-establishing.

Seems like a lot of work, just an alternate, the emit app is only a couple dollars, allows for real time transcoding with you computer as the server. Works great, I use it every day

screwyluie said:
Seems like a lot of work, just an alternate, the emit app is only a couple dollars, allows for real time transposing with you computer as the server. Works great, I use it every day
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The idea is to use it wherever, whenever, without ties to your computer (which is what I want, since I can tether the Kindle Fire to my Android phone, and watch videos on the go, without keeping my desktop on for streaming, or buy/set up a NAS, especially if you have poor bandwidth / upload speed).

Printerscape said:
The idea is to use it wherever, whenever, without ties to your computer (which is what I want, since I can tether the Kindle Fire to my Android phone, and watch videos on the go, without keeping my desktop on for streaming, or buy/set up a NAS, especially if you have poor bandwidth / upload speed).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Emit meets all those needs except leaving the computer off... I have all my videos on an external drive, emit app running on the computer, emit app on my phone/tablet/etc. I never turn my computer off anyways so that's no bother. I do have a fast connection, but emit allows you to change the bandwidth options for slower connections.
There is a free version as well, give it a shot, maybe it works for you, maybe not... Just offering an alternative

Jriver/gizmo works as an alternative.
Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

NO need to sideload SugarSync anymore, as it's available in the Amazon appstore:
http://www.amazon.com/SugarSync-Inc/dp/B004US4STM

Got a kindle fire for the family for Christmas. Was hoping to use Plex to stream...but quality is really terrible.
Found a nice app called Skifta...makes it super easy to see network shares from the kindle. Install the server app on the PC, install the app from the amazon app store, and super easy access to files over the network.
Tried to stream some 720p mkv's and use moboplayer, mxplayer, etc....but they all choked.
Using handbrake, I can encode kindle specific files. Still messing with different resolutions, but over the network, file size isn't that big of a deal. I've done a 500 pixel file and then an 800 pixel, and 800 looked much better. Going to try a 1024 and see how it fares. Encode time goes up...but I'll probably be converting an entire TV series at a time, so it's an overnight job anyways.
Obviously if you're trying to store it via dropbox or some other service, size would matter.