HOWTO: Get Movies Ready for Q

VTDr0p0ut · 02-20-2007, 11:34 AM

I have been receiving countless Private Messages asking the same question, so I thought I'd post a topic with step-by-step instructions of how I convert items to watch on my Q. Not only for people that are curious, but for a URL I can reference in my Private responses. So here it goes:

A lot of people recommend 3rd party utils, but I've always suck with the free Microsoft utilities. The only two things you need are:

Windows Media 9 Encoder
Windows Media 9 Encoder SDK

Step 1: Install Windows Media 9 Encoder (yes, I know Windows Media 9 technology is older than Cher, but it works great and it's free and I haven't seen anything better). This is a free download available here

( http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en ).

Step 2: Install Windows Media Encoder 9 SDK. Don't worry, you dont' have to be a software developer for this, we're just downloading this to steal one of it's Example programs that are available for free use. If your like me, encoding one-show/movie at a time is a waste of your time, and you'd rather batch it up and leave it. This will allow you to do that. The download is located here:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

Step 3: Setup a Windows Media Profile. Go to Start -> All Programs -> Windows Media -> Utilities -> Windows Media Profile Editor

I always create one named MotoQ, using Audio/Video CBR codecs. For the Audio, I use Windows Media Audio 9.2, and for the video Windows Media Video 9. I add a target bit rate of 300kbps. Within the "300Kbps" tab, I setup:

Audio Format: 63kbps, 48 kHz, stereo Low Delay CBR
Video Size: 320x240
Frame Rate: 25fps
Key frame interval: 6 sec
Video BR: 228K
Buffer Size: 5 sec
Video Smoothness: 80
Decoder Complexity: Simple (very important as the Q doesn't have much horsepower)

I normally save this in C:\WMSDK\MotoQ.prx

I then browse out to C:\WMSDK\WMEncSDK9\samples\vb\batcher and run the BatchEncode executable file. You FIRST click the Select button next to profile, and browse out to C:\WMSDK and select the MotoQ profile. You then click Add and select your movies. Click Start once you're happy and then walk away -- this takes a while.

Good luck!

bpaul24 · 02-20-2007, 11:55 AM

Thanks for the info.
Is it just me or have you not been on the boards the past month or so?
Anyway good to see you back if in fact you were ever gone.

shaun0207 · 02-28-2007, 04:42 PM

Originally Posted by VTDr0p0ut

I have been receiving countless Private Messages asking the same question, so I thought I'd post a topic with step-by-step instructions of how I convert items to watch on my Q. Not only for people that are curious, but for a URL I can reference in my Private responses. So here it goes:

A lot of people recommend 3rd party utils, but I've always suck with the free Microsoft utilities. The only two things you need are:

Windows Media 9 Encoder
Windows Media 9 Encoder SDK

Step 1: Install Windows Media 9 Encoder (yes, I know Windows Media 9 technology is older than Cher, but it works great and it's free and I haven't seen anything better). This is a free download available here

( http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en ).

Step 2: Install Windows Media Encoder 9 SDK. Don't worry, you dont' have to be a software developer for this, we're just downloading this to steal one of it's Example programs that are available for free use. If your like me, encoding one-show/movie at a time is a waste of your time, and you'd rather batch it up and leave it. This will allow you to do that. The download is located here:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

Step 3: Setup a Windows Media Profile. Go to Start -> All Programs -> Windows Media -> Utilities -> Windows Media Profile Editor

I always create one named MotoQ, using Audio/Video CBR codecs. For the Audio, I use Windows Media Audio 9.2, and for the video Windows Media Video 9. I add a target bit rate of 300kbps. Within the "300Kbps" tab, I setup:

Audio Format: 63kbps, 48 kHz, stereo Low Delay CBR
Video Size: 320x240
Frame Rate: 25fps
Key frame interval: 6 sec
Video BR: 228K
Buffer Size: 5 sec
Video Smoothness: 80
Decoder Complexity: Simple (very important as the Q doesn't have much horsepower)

I normally save this in C:\WMSDK\MotoQ.prx

I then browse out to C:\WMSDK\WMEncSDK9\samples\vb\batcher and run the BatchEncode executable file. You FIRST click the Select button next to profile, and browse out to C:\WMSDK and select the MotoQ profile. You then click Add and select your movies. Click Start once you're happy and then walk away -- this takes a while.

Good luck!

Do you have a general playback setting? Like
Resolution:
Frame Rate:
Bit Rate:
etc....

I use the program "Im Too 3G Video Converter" and it will conmvert it to any format. Just not sure of the specs

VTDr0p0ut · 02-28-2007, 10:12 PM

Is it just me or have you not been on the boards the past month or so?

Yeah... work killed me... had a tonsilectomy... and got tired of seeing the same questions over and over again so I took a break

Anyway good to see you back if in fact you were ever gone.

Thanks!

Do you have a general playback setting?

That's kind of buried in my post. I'm not familiar with the program in question, but the basics are:

Resolution: 320x240
Frame Rate: 25 fps
Bit Rate: 300kbps (228kbps video, 63kbps audio, 9kbps overhead in WMV) CBR

The best performance I have received is keeping the bitrate ~ 300kbps (not sure if the card reader can go too much faster) AND keeping the encoding algorithm simple, higher levels of compression can get you prettier video, but at the cost of CPU cycles that the Q simply doesn't have to spare.

ZATZAi · 02-28-2007, 10:19 PM

Personally I find WMV playback to be choppy, so I use DivX. If you purchased a copy of DivX, you'll have a little converter App, just run it, and press the arrow to choose the "Handheld" profile, drag your videos into it, press convert, and walk away while it works. Then I just put it on the Storage card, and watch on CorePlayer, they look/run fine (Unless theres alot of motion) and they dont take up much space.

VTDr0p0ut · 02-28-2007, 10:41 PM

I'm sure DivX probably does a much better job -- the only thing I like about this method is (1) it's free (2) a movie is only about 100-150 MB (3) and I've never had these settings skip... although when there is a lot of motion/explosions/etc, it does get "pixely"

ZATZAi · 03-01-2007, 06:42 AM

I hear on the cost thing, but I already bought the DivX package previous, it's pretty cheap. I've use WMV Encoder a few times myslf before, I know it can be a pain, that's why I like DivX, run-drag & drop-choose format-click, pretty simple, I don't want to spend alot of time on it.

Does WMV Encoder still encode only in real time? I always hated that... I suppose you could use Virtul Dub or that Mini DivX tool, but they'd both still require more steps than what I do now.

Space wise, DivX and WMV compress at nearly the same amount.

VTDr0p0ut · 03-01-2007, 06:52 AM

That is one major disadvantage of WMV -- it is SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOW (although I'm certain it's not real-time as it took *only* 45 minutes to encode a full-length movie). For some reason, it allows you to do a two-pass or one-pass encoding -- I've never noticed any difference between the two, except two-pass takes twice as long -- the output file size/quality looks identical to me (perhaps differences are more apparent at higher fidelities).

shaun0207 · 03-01-2007, 08:11 AM

The program I have can encode to Divx as well. So I will try that. Check it out:

http://www.imtoo.com/3gp-video-converter.html

cclark122665 · 04-10-2007, 11:34 PM

I've been a user of Slysofts software for a couple years now and their mobile program does great for movies on the Q or any other device.

www.slysoft.com