Video Encoding Reccomendation

[ServZero]

I ordered a 60 GB white 5th gen last weekend, and I have been encoding videos in a variety of formats for use with the iPod. I have -a lot of video content- that I've been converting, so file size is definitely a concern.

I've been using videora encoding in h.264 at 192kbit video and 128kbit audio at 320x240. It's about 48mb for a standard 30 minute episode with the commercials removed. Encoding at this rate would allow up to 458, or 19 days of video. It actually looks quite nice on the 5g iPod it self.

I guess the point is, just because the 768kbit option is available to encode, you really don't need to use it.

Always go for h.264 over Mpeg4, the quality is far superior, and always encode at 320x240, because the iPod loses quality if you have to go outside of the native resolution and the iPod has to resize movies. So, 320x240 actually looks better than 480x480 mpeg 4

Good luck

 

[Interpol]

Ugh, who would ever want to encode in 480x480 (1:1 aspect ratio)? That would even make 1.33:1 programs look cruddy.

 

[dualcyclone]

This Videora, what file sizes are you achieving?

I'm having a go at encoding a film to try it out, and its already got to 50mb and it hasnt even done 1%

Looks like these videos are still fairly meaty with a lot of fat around the edges for such a small file.

 

[pedx1ng]

I've been using videora encoding in h.264 at 192kbit video and 128kbit audio at 320x240. It's about 48mb for a standard 30 minute episode with the commercials removed. Encoding at this rate would allow up to 458, or 19 days of video. It actually looks quite nice on the 5g iPod it self.

Wait, you are saying you used Videora to encode h.264 and it worked? Because others have reported that their h.264 videos encoded with the Videora default did not play on their new iPods. I wonder if it worked because you chose a lower bitrate.

 

[mpb2000]

Yeah, I'd like to hear about this. You're the first person I've read about that got h264 from videora to work on the ipod. Everyone else said it didn't work and they had to use SP. I assume you were using the ipod specific converter, right?

 

[dualcyclone]

My test encodings on this didnt even seem to work in itunes.

The sound was fine, but the video was producing about 1 frame every minute.... not a good watch