Encoding H.264 for iPod

There was some discussion here some time ago http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=1107049 about generating iPod videos outside QuickTime. The conclusion, if I recall correctly, was that:
a) this was possible provided that one used MPEG-4 codec. There are several utilities that can do it for you.
b) that no solution existed for H.264 encoded media.
I posted a solution some time ago that promised to handle H.264 but actually didn't. Here is a link to a new version that works. http://burro.allhyper.com/
Note that this isn't a simple one step process. You need to first generate H.264 encoded media in mp4 enclosure which is a one step process in QTP. Compressor will not encode H.264 media in mp4 enclosure, H.264 in mov is the only option. However you can take the Compressor H.264/mov output and repackage it to the required H.264/mp4 in QTP (fast and easy). The final step in both cases is to use mp42ipod shell tool to generate iPod compatible m4v file.
Mac OS X (10.4.2)

I'd like to report that our problem has been solved! What I had not seen before was the setting in QT to use the "Baseline" setting. That made all the difference.
For others, the setting can only be found by doing the following:
Use the Movie to MPEG-4 setting
File format: MP4
Video format: H.264
This will give a "Video Option" button. Change to "Baseline"
That's the key. After that, any settings can be used, such as data rate, frame rate, etc.
Here's what I now use:
(Under the Video Options button) Restrict Profile to Baseline
Encoding mode: Best quality (multi-pass)
Video format: H.264
Data rate: 75 kbps
Optimized for download
Image size 320x240 QVGA
Frame Rate: 15fps
Key frame automatic
Audio: AAC-LC
Data rate: 48
Channels: Mono
Output Sample rate: 44.100
Encoding Quality: Best
I want to thank all those who gave us input both here and in other discussions!

Similar Messages

Problem encoding H.264 for iPod Touch

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Does anyone know the proper settings or why this is happening?

Go to levels and double check that I think by defualt its set too high, Its under the advance section.. I had to turn mine down to 13 for ipod classic

Encode DV to H.264 for iPod with Quicktime Pro - iPod won't play file

Hello,
I have been trying to encode Microsoft DV or Pinnacle DV AVIs into MPEG4 (H.264) for iPod, BUT the resulting files do NOT play in an iPod!?
I use Quicktime Pro for Windows (v7.1) and use the Apple recommended settings, here are the exact settings I have tried and failed in an iPod;
VIDEO: H.264 at 200kbps, Baseline Profile, 25fps, Auto Key Frames, 320x240 or 640x480, Multipass Best quality encoding.
AUDIO: AAC Audio at 96kbps, 24kHz sampling freq, Stereo.
I'm actually doing it for a client and they cannot play the file, they apparently have to 'convert' my file in their MAC based iTunes for it to work.
Anyhow can anyone please give me an idea if I am doing something wrong?
Regards,
J
PC Windows XP

Do you have H.264 codec enabled in the plugins list of Firefox?
Does this happen in the most recent version of JWplayer?
There was an error loading the media:
"Media resource http://media.vineyardinstitute.org/other/vi_announcement/05_kingdom_theology.mp4 could not be decoded. firefox-test.html
13:43:48.280 "Error playing media: " MediaError { code: 3 } jwplayer.js:11:373
13:43:48.280 "CAPTIONS([object Object])""
jwplayer("myElement").setup({
playlist: [{
image: "http://media.vineyardinstitute.org/other/vi_announcement/images/05_kingdom_theology.jpg",
sources: [
{ file: "http://media.vineyardinstitute.org/other/vi_announcement/05_kingdom_theology.mp4" }
title: "Kingdom Theology",
description: "A look at what makes VI theologically unique.",
height: 720,
listbar: {
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thumbs: 'false',
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width: 640,
You might also find better help with this error on the JWplayer support site:
*similar topic/error: [http://support.jwplayer.com/customer/portal/questions/6062663--error-loading-media-file-could-not-be-played-error-in-jw-player-6-while-playing-mp4-with-chrome-html5]
In that one there were two errors: needed a higher version of Flash installed and the codec issue. As you mentioned this had been narrowed down to the codec of the mp4 file. And this codec is added with the default cisco h.264 player. [https://gigaom.com/2014/10/14/h-264-support-arrives-in-firefox-thanks-to-cisco-but-h-264-web-videos-still-wont-play/]

Encoding H.264 for DVD

I'm exporting raw DSLR footage (H.264, MOV files 1920x1080, 29fps), which has been edited as a 5 minute "film" sequence. I'm going to use Encore CS6 to create a DVD. What is the best Mbps setting for this? When I select HD 1080p, 29 fps, it shows the Mbps relatively high (32 to 40), but when I select any of the DVD (standard def) settings, it is below 8 Mbps, and when I select Blu-Ray, it is around 15 Mbps. It's my understanding that DVDs can only handle around 9Mbps, and that Encore will downgrade the sequence(s) because of this. Should I bother wasting time encoding at the higher rates? Some people on the forums have suggested encoding as high as 50 Mbps. I just need some guidance. When I send these projects to Disc Makers for pressing, I want to send the best quality product that I can.

In versions of Premiere Pro/Adobe Media Encoder since CS6, you can use the "scale to fill" crop setting to handle the small black bars that appear if you scale down HD to SD without any cropping.
Export from PR/AME as MPEG2-DVD at the highest bitrate your project allows - under the DVD spec limits. Since you are pressing, not burning, you can afford the highest rates. Only 5 minutes, just use CBR (constant bitrate) rather than variable.

Home DVD - to h.264 for ipod/appletv

I have a home dvd of my family that I would like to convert to quicktime compatible format. I no longer have the original DV tape. Any recommendations as to which is better and WHY it is better? I really want to convert for both ipod and appletv.
Thanks in advance.

I have a home dvd of my family that I would like to convert to quicktime compatible format. I no longer have the original DV tape. Any recommendations as to which is better and WHY it is better?Since the DVD appears to be homemade, you should be able to convert the content to an iPod/TV compatible media using almost any of the currently available MPEG based third-party applications available. HandBrake for instance, is free and has the advantage of having been written to convert directly from either commercial or homemade DVD disc to target file in one seamless operation. Other similar free applications (e.g., MPEG Streamclip, FFmpegX, iSquint, etc.) normally expect the source files to be ripped or moved to your hard drive first. In addition there are a number of shareware (like VisualHub which intrinsically handles a wider variety of source files) and commercial applications (like Roxio Popcorn or their latest offering Roxio Crunch which appears to be "front end" application for the QT MPEG-4 converter). Frankly, they all work and do a good job when used properly. Each tends to have its own advantages and disadvantages.
My personal preference is MPEG Streamclip. It is not the most user friendly and requires you have the QT MPEG-2 component ($19.99) installed for the Mac version. On the other hand, it does have limited editing capabilities that can be performed during the conversion process and thus allow you to do most, if not all, of your simple transcode/edits in a single application. Since it has a wide variaety of "prosumer" options at your fingertips, it can produce excellent results but at the same time requires greater undersanding regarding the use of these options.
Would probably recommend you download iSquint (free) and HandBrake (free) for starters. (If you already have the QT MPEG-2 component installed, then add MPEG Streamclip here.) If you find you like ease of use and most of your work is sourced from DVDs, then you can stick with HandBrake. If you like ease of use but you find you use a variety of media sources -- expecially if they turn out to be more "Windows" based by nature, then you may wish to switch from iSquint and invest in VisualHub at a later time. If you like ease of use but want to stick to QT structures but need an "MPEG front end" for access, then you may wish to move up from iSquint to Roxio Crunch. On the other hand, if you like a "hands-on" approach and very fine control over the converter, then you may prefer "growing into" MPEG streamclip or choose to use it as a preparatory tool for converting files for use with full editor applications like iMovie, Final Cut Express, or Final Cur Pro/Studio. Since there are a number of paths you may take here, it is probably best try different free applications to best see which appeals to you most.
I really want to convert for both ipod and appletv.You basically have two options here. One is to create a single file conversion that plays on both devices and the other is to create separate files designed to match the capabilities of each device. I eleced to do the former. MPEG StreamClip, for instance, has an MPEG-4 iPod preset which will create an H.264/AAC "Low Complexity" file which, while not the same quality as you could achieve with the "Main" profile, is compatible with both iPod and TV playback and which I view using a 42" plasma TV. Believe the latest version of HandBrake also offers separate iPod and TV presets which you can test for free with your current source DVD.
In any case, Good Luck!
2.0GHz 3GB G5/533MHz 384MB G4 DeskTop/400MHz 384MB G4 Ti PB Mac OS X (10.4.9) 60GB 5G iPod, Nikon D-70, Nikon CoolPix 990, Sony HDR-HC3

Encoding H.264 for the web

Hello everyone
I have a Sanyo Xacti handycam camcorder that records 1920x1080 60 progressive MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 files on SD cards. Lately I used Premiere CS4 to edit a few interviews with my PC (an Intel QuadCore Q9300, 2500 MHz - 7.5 x 333 with XP Pro 32bit, 4GBs of DDR3 RAM at 1.333 MHz and 2 different internal WD destination drives, each 750 GBs of storage - individual , no RAID - both running at 7,200 rpm). I added the relative PPro sequence to Media Encoder CS4 and from the dropdown menu I chose "H.264 > YouTube HD Widescreen", not messing with the settings for this preset. As it turned out, encoding for 1 minute of the above native footage takes... 17 minutes to complete! Is this normal for my hardware? Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance

Wow! A piece of equipment purchased no more than 2-3 years ago is 12 times slower than top performers? I'm guessing by "top performers" you're referring to 8-core Xeon Macs, right?... I was hoping it would only be like 4 or 5 times slower. But obviously technology has passed me by... :-) So, how much faster do you think the encoding procedure would be with an i7 extreme edition?

Encoding H.264 for flash

I'm new to flash, but want to use it's ability to play H.264
quicktimes I'm used to using for other web video. I know I have
certain audio codecs I must use, but is there a data rate limit as
well. My files are 640x360, 24 fps.
I will be offering the files in a Wordpress player for the
web.
I'm assuming I can use Quicktime Pro or Compressor to make
the files.

"but is there a data rate limit as well."
When worrying about bandwidth, yes there is. If you're
bandwidth can't support the throughput, then your videos will
playback choppy or have to pause so the download will catch
up.

FCP movie to MV4 for iPod/iPhone/AppleTV through QT and Compressor: QT wins

Hello everyone, first the question, then a little background on why and what I have done and tested:
*What are the details for compressor settings to match the export formats in Quicktime Pro 7 for iPhone, iPod and AppleTV?*
+The background:+
+I am adding a few titles, lower thirds, and open and end credits to a few 1 hour shows that will be distributed as Video Podcasts using iTunes and a Mac OS X Server.+
+The source materials came from a 1024 x 768 capture using Wimba capture (set at 1024x768 @ 15fps) and I went ahead added a few Motion templates for open and end credits with a few edits.+
+I could not see RT (Real Time) video playback in FCP, I am assuming due to the source format:+
-m4v
-AAC
+-Mono audio+
-H.264
-1024x768
-15fps
+-415.41 kbps+
+I have my Motion templates set for HD (16:9) and the source materials were at 4:3.+
+In any case I created a small sequence in FCP with settings at 640x360.+
+Then I had to Export a QT movie, which gave me documents around the 5GB/hour mark. The quality is very good.+
+Now, to the compression. I open Compressor and exported the movies using the default:+
+-H.264 for Apple TV *Estimated Size: 2.05GB - Excellent Quality*+
+-H.264 for iPod video and iPhone 320x240 (QVGA) *Estimated Size: 246MB - Bad Quality*+
+-H.264 for iPod video and iPhone 640x480 *Estimated Size: 614MB - Very Good Quality*+
+To my surprise, the documents were very large. I need this for portability yet, keeping up great quality.+
+*Five (5) Episodes - 3hrs 20minutes - Using Compressor Apple iPhone Setting*+
+I created my own setting through compressor, but it still was a 410MB with good quality.+
+I thought to give the QT Export through Quicktime 7 Pro feature a chance, and I did, to my surprise, the Quicktime 7 Pro Export to iPod and the Quicktime 7 Pro export to Apple TV were fantastic, great quality, and the size just right, plus the exports were very fast, around 15 minutes per hour.+
+- QT Export to iPod *Estimated Size: 158MB - Very Good Quality*+
+- QT Export to Apple TV *Estimated Size: 182MB - Excellent Quality*+
+*Five (5) Episodes - 1hr 15minutes - Using Quicktime Pro 7 Export to iPhone*+
*That's why I would like to know what are the QT default settings for exporting to the Apple devices, to add such settings to compressor and get the same results.*
Please let me know if you know this.
BTW, I tried using Qmaster to farm out the rendering of compressor, and with these same documents it took almost twice as long to do compress the documents because of the copying of the source. I am not sure if there is a better way to use Qmaster, since I have access to a full-time dedicated Two 2.26GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon , you'd think that would speed up the process, but it really didn't.
Thank you.
Message was edited by: Ludvik Herrera

Hello everyone, first the question, then a little background on why and what I have done and tested:
*What are the details for compressor settings to match the export formats in Quicktime Pro 7 for iPhone, iPod and AppleTV?*
+The background:+
+I am adding a few titles, lower thirds, and open and end credits to a few 1 hour shows that will be distributed as Video Podcasts using iTunes and a Mac OS X Server.+
+The source materials came from a 1024 x 768 capture using Wimba capture (set at 1024x768 @ 15fps) and I went ahead added a few Motion templates for open and end credits with a few edits.+
+I could not see RT (Real Time) video playback in FCP, I am assuming due to the source format:+
-m4v
-AAC
+-Mono audio+
-H.264
-1024x768
-15fps
+-415.41 kbps+
+I have my Motion templates set for HD (16:9) and the source materials were at 4:3.+
+In any case I created a small sequence in FCP with settings at 640x360.+
+Then I had to Export a QT movie, which gave me documents around the 5GB/hour mark. The quality is very good.+
+Now, to the compression. I open Compressor and exported the movies using the default:+
+-H.264 for Apple TV *Estimated Size: 2.05GB - Excellent Quality*+
+-H.264 for iPod video and iPhone 320x240 (QVGA) *Estimated Size: 246MB - Bad Quality*+
+-H.264 for iPod video and iPhone 640x480 *Estimated Size: 614MB - Very Good Quality*+
+To my surprise, the documents were very large. I need this for portability yet, keeping up great quality.+
+*Five (5) Episodes - 3hrs 20minutes - Using Compressor Apple iPhone Setting*+
+I created my own setting through compressor, but it still was a 410MB with good quality.+
+I thought to give the QT Export through Quicktime 7 Pro feature a chance, and I did, to my surprise, the Quicktime 7 Pro Export to iPod and the Quicktime 7 Pro export to Apple TV were fantastic, great quality, and the size just right, plus the exports were very fast, around 15 minutes per hour.+
+- QT Export to iPod *Estimated Size: 158MB - Very Good Quality*+
+- QT Export to Apple TV *Estimated Size: 182MB - Excellent Quality*+
+*Five (5) Episodes - 1hr 15minutes - Using Quicktime Pro 7 Export to iPhone*+
*That's why I would like to know what are the QT default settings for exporting to the Apple devices, to add such settings to compressor and get the same results.*
Please let me know if you know this.
BTW, I tried using Qmaster to farm out the rendering of compressor, and with these same documents it took almost twice as long to do compress the documents because of the copying of the source. I am not sure if there is a better way to use Qmaster, since I have access to a full-time dedicated Two 2.26GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon , you'd think that would speed up the process, but it really didn't.
Thank you.
Message was edited by: Ludvik Herrera

Convert for iPod vs Apple TV

Movies from the iTunes store play on both iPods and Apple TV but I have some non-iTunes movies that I need to convert so they will play. I didn't realize there was a difference between the video destined for iPods vs Apple TV. What exactly is the difference between these two conversion commands under the Advanced menu in iTunes?

The following is from: http://www.apple.com/itunes/store/podcaststechspecs.html#formattingvideo
You format any video for iPod or Apple TV the same way. It used to be a slightly different story, but now however, they recommend not modifying specifically for iPod. The specs below should enlighten you...
Formatting Video for the iPod, the iPhone or Apple TV
Back to top
Although iTunes can play a variety of .mp4, .m4v, and .mov video formats, Apple TV, the iPod, and the iPhone require more specific formats.
The iPod and the iPhone support up to 640x480 while Apple TV supports up to 1280x720. To optimize for all three platforms, we recommend that your source file is at least 640 pixels wide and that you use the built-in iPod converters in Compressor ("H.264 for iPod"), QuickTime Pro ("Movie to iPod") or iTunes ("Convert Selection for iPod"). Each of these maintains the aspect ration of your source file and results in an M4V file containing H.264 video (Low Complexity version of the Baseline profile) and AAC-LC audio. If you want to maximize the screen area of a wide-screen TV, your source file should have an aspect ratio of 16:9 (e.g., 640x360). If you want to maximize the screen area on the iPod, your source file should have an aspect ratio of 4:3 (e.g., 640x480).
Because it uses H.264 Main Profile, QuickTime Pro's "Movie to Apple TV" converter will result in a video that will not sync with the iPod.
Refer to the specifications below if you are not using the built-in converters in Compressor, QuickTime Pro, or iTunes.
iPod and iPhone can play the following video formats:
H.264 video, up to 1.5 Mbps, 640 x 480, 30 frames per sec., Low-Complexity version of the Baseline Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 kbps, 48 Khz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats
H.264 video, up to 768 kbps, 320 x 240, 30 frames per sec., Baseline Profile up to Level 1.3 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 kbps, 48 Khz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats
MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 x 480, 30 frames per sec., Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 kbps, 48 Khz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats
Apple TV can display H.264 video, up to 5mbps, 1280x720, 24 fps, Progressive Main Profile. Apple TV supports AAC-LC audio up to 320 Kbps. The gating factors for video are bit rate and frame rate. The following are some sample conversions generated by the QuickTime Pro when choosing "Movie to Apple TV":
Input Output
640x480, 30fps 640x480, 30fps, 3mbps*
1280x720 24fps 1280x720, 24p 5mbps*
1280x720, 30fps 960x540, 30fps 4mbps*
1920x1080, 24fps 1280x720, 24fps 5mbps*
1920x1080, 30fps 960x540, 30fps 4mbps*
1080i up to 60fps 960x540, 30fps 4mbps*
*Represents an average bit rate.
Beavis2084

H.264 for Blu-Ray Encoding Time

Hi All,
I have exported a Pro-Res 1080p 2 hour film from FCPX and just dropped it into compressor. I have then dragged the default H.264 for Blu-Ray settings on my video and it looks like it will take way over three hours. I have a friend running Media Encoder and with the same file on his laptop it does it in 40min and it's a slower spec . I am running Compressor 4.1.3 and the latest MAC OS operating system. I have enabled additional instanced checked and the number 1 in the drop down (there are no other numbers)
Is there anything I am doing wrong, surely it can't be this slow, it's not even set to multipass.
Thanks

Sounds about right to me for a rMBP.
Russ

Encoding in H.264 for You Tube

I am trying to export from CS3 (Adobe Media Encoder) to h.264 (for You Tube).
Setup: Video at 30fps 640 x 480, audio at 192Kbps, 44.1, Stereo. Video.
While the output (video) is crispy clear - much clearer than what I got with WME (producing a WMV), the audio/video are out of sync (nearly half a second). I do not have this with other formats.
I also tried video at 29.97 fps but it does not help.
Any suggestions ?
Thanks,
Rob

Welcome to the discussions, foxale08.
Yes, 768 is the total number, so your video or video+audio have to fall below 768.

Tutorial: Converting Video for iPod (Read BEFORE You Post)

Since 1/2 the bandwidth is about the same question - how to convert (Filetype X) to iPod video (MPEG-4 or H264) - here is the simplest and FREE method using one piece of FREE software and the ability to do a bunch at a time in a batch process.
-------------------MPEG-4 CONVERSION FOR IPOD----------
Start with a muxed file, e.g. MPEG-1 or 2. I am starting with an MPEG-1 music video clip. Update: MPEG Streamclip 1.5 now accepts almost all video clips, AVI (with the right DIvX or 3ivX codecs installed) and QT. So open whatever you have in Streamclip and follow these steps:
Open in Streamclip
Select File Export to QT (or new setting: File Export to MPEG4)
Big window opens. Select the codec from the top pulldown- Apple MPEG-4 Compressor
Select 40% quality (this lowers the bit rate and makes the file smaller and conform - at 80% the file is 120MB vs. 10 MB at 40%) as you don't want huge files.
Under Sound Select AAC audio codec and 128 kbps
Under frame size pick 320X240
Click Make Movie and where it will go of course.
On my G5 a 3'46" MPEG-1 music video was converted to a 10.1 MB mov MPEG-4 file in about 25 seconds. With a single G4 that might be 3 minutes. Bitrate is: 370 kbps video and looks fine at the actual size in QT and will look OK on the similarly tiny iPod screen. I was quite impressed by quality for such a small movie. I could goose it up to 50% or 60% to see how bit it gets but it looks good at 40% There may be a sizeable increase in size per 10% increase so before btach processing 100 try one at 40 or 50%.
-----------IF YOU MUST HAVE H264------------
Open MPEG file in Streamclip: Select the (new) Export to H264 setting that doesn't crash like 1.3.1 did - or you can use these steps and see which is faster if at all. Which allow you to use the preset in QT Pro to export to iPod format (which is H264 and takes a long time).
Select Apple Animation as the codec for Compression at 100% quality
Same sound setting as above
Pick the frame size that says (Unscaled) next to it such as
352X240 is common for MPEG-1 videos.
Make Movie - this results a huge file. But you can get rid of it later.
Open that huge file in QT Pro.
Do file export and pick the preset at the bottom that is "Movie to iPod"
It will figure out the settings. It may (it will)take a while but you get a M4V file in H264. My clip done this way took about 40 seconds to the Animation step and about 10 minutes for the QT to H264 step.
--------------------BATCH PROCESSING-------------
Select the batch list - it opens, you add files as many as you like, select convert to Quicktime, then follow the step above once, select the destination directory and then start and it will do one after another in sequence. Note the preview window that opens is the actual post-processed file and you can see at roughly iPod size how it looks in real time or as fast as you can process anyway.

H.264 is going to be slow. No doubt about that. It's still a new codec so it's expected to take a while to compress versus MPEG-4.
I remembered when MP3 was still new ... my 233 MHz P2 machine was just chugging along.
When Ogg Vorbis came along, I would expect the encoding time to be somewhat slower. I was right to a point but that was when I have yet to own a computer that's 1 GHz.
The same deal with compression schemes. For instance, I have found RAR, StuffItX, and 7zip to take it's sweet time, if using the highest settings, compared to ZIP on max compression.
I expected no different with H.264, albeit the encoding time is a bigger difference compared to, say MP3 vs Ogg, but I have learned that when new codecs and compression schemes come by, I expect them to take longer than what I've been accustomed to as I used different machines. It's either that or I buy a faster computer. For the record, it takes me between 2.5~4 hours to convert a 24 minute video to H.264 using my iBook listed below, depending on the complexity of the video.
The quality of H.264 is rather nice for 320x240, sometimes even better than MPEG-4 using the same bitrate and resolution setting, but the output filesize is sometimes smaller than the H.264 cousin because it compresses rather well.
However, let me tell you that I'm rather spoiled when it comes to certain technologies. If the iPod says that it supports 2.5 Mbps MPEG-4, I'll use that setting first and then compare the visual quality of a 768 kbps H.264 file. Most of the time though, the DVDs I've encoded doesn't even come near 2.5 Mbps. It's more like 500~1500 kbps.
Personally, I usually stick at 100% quality and use the Limit Data Rate feature. It's just that I get annoyed even by the smallest artifacts on portable video and the less artifacts I see, the less annoyed I get.
Just thought I'd share my 2 cents.

What is the best way to format Videos for ipod touch?

What is the best way to format Videos for ipod touch? Used Quicktime Pro/ Export (iPhone setting). Videos aren't as crisp as downloaded Videos. Compressors /ipod video Setting also looks crapy (with bitrate med & High). What should I use?

Visualhub is a transcoder with multiple input and output formats with specific setting for iPod,iPod touch. Costs around $19-used to work great but recently everything I convert suffers audio crash than closes out the player. Hopefully they will fix it.
Elgato H.264 hardware transcoder is $99 dollars(USB stick that plugs in to Mac)-speeds up encoding of any file quicktime can handle, settings for apple tv, iphone/touch, ipod,Sony PSP. Worth the cost if you transcode a lot of video for the Touch or own an elgato HD tuner. Files work flawlessly and look great.
Mpeg streamclip-free. Works great, has presets or can customize the output.

Exporting video for iPod - audio OK but video is "white"

I know this issue has been raised before but I cannot find a clear resolution anywhere - happy to be pointed to the right place.
Some time ago I converted some old VHS home movies to DVD and they play fine. To view them via AppleTV I've converted them to MP4 using H.264/AAC via MEGUI, and they work fine in iTunes on the PC and on AppleTV.
Once they were in iTunes I tried converting them for iPod but the output is a blank white video screen though the audio is fine.
To diagnose the problem I tried loading the MP4 version directly into Quicktime (Version 7.6.8)where the play fine. Then I tried exporting them for iPod and I get the same white screen plus audio.
I've seen this issue dismissed as due to some form of DRM but I doubt that is the case here. The video is my own, the DVDs I created are not CSS protected and the MP4s are also unprotected.
I've also seen it attributed to a missing codec, but that is unlikely given both iTunes and Quicktime play the videos without a hitch.
Any clues on how to proceed?
John

Last post before I leave things alone for a while.
I've uninstalled and reinstalled iTunes and Quicktime and iTunes no longer chews up lots of CPU when trying to convert one particular Quicktime created file.
I've also recreated each file again from the same source, the AVI encoded as DV-PAL with screen res of 720x576. I created a series of test cases to try to pin the problem down and I think the best exposition is the following -
The problem
An MPEG4 file exported from Quicktime loads and plays in iTunes, plays on AppleTV and can be converted for iPod.
An almost identical MPEG4 file created by MEGUI using the x264 encoder, latest build 1649, and all the same settings as Quicktime loads and plays in iTunes, plays on AppleTV but when converted for iPod produces a file with audio but the video is "white". Looking at the file size, less than 2mb, it is pretty obvious that the video stream is simply not there.
Clues
Quicktime Movie Inspector reports the screen resolution of the file it exported as 720x540 while for the MEGUI created file it reports a very odd 787x576. Note that Windows Media Player and YAMB (MP4Box utility) both report this same file as 720x576 which is what I would expect as MEGUI did not resize the video. As an aside, WMP and YAMB also report the Quicktime created file as 720x540 so they agree with Quicktime on that score at least.
Obvious Question
Why does Quicktime report an incorrect screen resolution, and is this contributing to the conversion problem in iTunes?
My understanding is that MPEG4 uses 16x16 macroblocks and so the dimensions of anything to be encoded must be in multiples of 16 and 787 is not a multiple of 16.
Of course, the 787x576 screen resolution could be a red herring.
Details from Quicktime Movie Inspector follow:
File that converts successfully
Source: scene0005c created QT as MPEG4.mp4
Format: AAC, Stereo (L R), 48.000 kHz
H.264, 720x540, Millions
Movie FPS: 25.00
Playing FPS: 25.00
Data Size: 31.32 MB
Data Rate: 2.39 mbits/sec
Current Time: 00:00:00.00
Duration: 00:01:49.84
Normal Size: 720x540
Current Size: 720x540
File that does not convert successfully
Source: scene0005e created MEGUI as MPEG4 AAC-LC 320Kbps.mp4
Format: H.264, 787x576, Millions
AAC, Stereo (L R), 48.000 kHz
Movie FPS: 25.00
Playing FPS: 25.00
Current Time: 00:00:00.00
Duration: 00:01:49.89
Normal Size: 787x576
Current Size: 787x576

Help: DV Windows Movie Maker - M4V for iPod 640x480 QuickTime Pro

Good morning,
I have a few home videos on a 300GB hard drive, originally taken with my PAL DV camcorder, saved as AVI files using Windows Movie Maker when I was still using my Windows XP system for video editing, which I would like to convert to H.264 for long term storage on my Mac and view on my video capable iPod.
I am working on an Intel processor based computer with a registered version of QuickTime Pro and an up-to-date operating system.
Opening the files in QuickTime Player and inspecting them via the traditional Movie Info window reports the expected information:
Format: DV, 720 x 576 (768 x 576), Millions, Stereo, 48.000 kHz
FPS: 25
If I attempt to convert them to my target format of choice using a simple File -> Export -> Movie to iPod, I get, of course, an interlaced video which I promptly File -> Move to Trash.
If I convert them to an intermediate QuickTime format ("Move to QuickTime Movie", mov, Options -> Size -> Deinterlace source video) and then transcode them via the aforementioned "Move to iPod" method, I get good quality m4v files for the size, which play on my iPod, fully satisfying my quality requirements.
This intermediate step is time consuming though, and I am sure unnecessary, and I am looking for a more elegant way of accomplishing the above. I have limited time to investigate this personally so I am asking for a little help, which I am prepare to reward.
After having looked at the published iPod specifications, I have tried to File -> Export -> Movie to QuickTime Movie and manually applying encoding settings as follows:
Compression Type: H.264
Frame rate: Current fps
Key Frames: Automatic
Frame Reordering: Enabled
Data Rate: Restrict to 1500 kbits/sec (inspired by the spec)
Encoding: Best Quality (multi-pass)
Optimised for: CD/DVD-ROM
Size: Dimensions 640 x 480 VGA (Deinterlace Source Video)
The resulting video file does not play back on my iPod and is inferior in quality to those I produce through the intermediate step described previously.
Questions:
1) how can I encode and deinterlace PAL DV videos for H.264 storage and iPod playback in 640x480 in one go?
2) how do I get the best quality/size ratio I possibly can out of process 1) ?
3) is there any way to batch process multiple files in a given folder?
Many thanks in advance for your help!
best regards,
Maroloccio
Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Thanks for you post, Jon, but my questions remain largely unanswered.
Sorry, must have been half asleep when I attempted to respond.
After having looked at the published iPod specifications, I have tried to File -> Export -> Movie to QuickTime Movie and manually applying encoding settings as follows:
Compression Type: H.264
Frame rate: Current fps
Key Frames: Automatic
Frame Reordering: Enabled
Data Rate: Restrict to 1500 kbits/sec (inspired by the spec)
Encoding: Best Quality (multi-pass)
Optimised for: CD/DVD-ROM
Size: Dimensions 640 x 480 VGA (Deinterlace Source Video)
The resulting video file does not play back on my iPod and is inferior in quality to those I produce through the intermediate step described previously.
This approach does not work because neither the "Movie to QT > H.264" nor the "Movie to MPEG-4" have access to the Baseline LC profile. Only Mac applications I know of that currently access this profile are the current QT Pro/iTunes, ViddyUp! (v1.7), and ffmpegX (v0.0.9x).
1) I have downloaded Streamclip and tried to do as you suggested but the output video still doesn't play on my iPod. Again, I am looking for a tested workflow which would spare me the time it takes to get fully acquainted with the intricacies of H.264 profiles. I will certainly want to learn more about this in the near future, but for the time being I just need a solution to convert my media catalogue.
Sorry, was concentrating so much on the de-interlace issue that I completely forgot you wanted an iPod compatible target file. Only Mac application that seems to offer both de-interlace and direct Baseline LC profile is ffmpegX v0.0.9x. Have not used the de-interlace feature in this application, so I don't know how well it works. (In addition, its crop/scale option does not work to my satisfaction nor does it allow me to source multiple VOB files or a single VOB in excess of 4 GBs.) On the other hand, I do use de-interlace in MPEG streamclip on a regular basis and, while it is a bit "soft," have found it satisfactory. However, I create a QT DV/DVPRO intermediate file which is crop/scaled and make brightness, contrast, saturation and/or volume adjustments "on the fly" at the same time. Using this format is much quicker than encoding to H.264 twice.
2) If I am to believe the published iPod specs, your suggestion would not work on one, at least not on the current generation.
Yes, really blew it there thinking all you wanted was an H.264/AAC file that did not need to be iPod compatible.
3) Parallel processing results in thrashing of resources, I believe for these scenarios enqueueing works better.
Have not encountered any serious problems using this approach on the G5. Believe it does increase processing time to a small degree while "thrashing between resources," but comes in handy when converting a series of files while I go to a doctor's appointment (did 4 Doctor Who episodes on Tuesday this way), go shopping, pay bills, etc.

Encoding H.264 for iPod

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