HandBrake and Palm thread

[Varjak]

I'm only starting this thread, because the one major thread that deals with using HandBrake (HB) is closed. Plus, HB is now available for use on Windows and has a vastly improved user interface from the time that thread ended two years ago.

Has anyone been using HB lately, or does just about everyone use PocketDivXencoder or some such?

I'm hoping to find out if anyone has experimented with the settings beyond the basic frame rate and screen ratio (and I believe that the screen ratio should vary based on the source, which may be 1.78, 1.85, or 2.35 to 1) instead of just using 480x230.

Also, HB allows for anamorphic formatting, which the Palm may or may not support. The LD and TX both have the same pixel dimensions as the iPhone, so anamorphic might work.

[Hook]

I don't know Handbrake, but I really like Fair Use Wizard lite.

HERE is a tutorial for it.

[Varjak]

Fair Use Lite seems okay, but more limited than HB, unless you buy the upgraded version. Plus, it seems to be optimized for DivX, which is okay, but less portable than the other options. With HB, I can do most of the things (I think) that the pay version of Fair Use does. Plus it is constantly being improved like Firefox without a commitment to buy more software. I don't mind spending the money (Kinoma seems worth it); but it doesn't seem necessary here.

[Hook]

You are right. For a brief time they gave away the pay version and that is the version I use now, but I used the lite version for a long time. However, 2 things.

1. If you are encoding for a Palm, Fair use Lt does the best and easiest end-to-end (DVD to playable on a TX in TCPMP) file conversion out there. (My opinion, of course). So, honestly, if your target is Palm, you don't need more features.

2. Using VeMode, also free, I have been able to flawlessly convert the Fair Use Xvid encoded .avi files to other formats including for the iPod Touch/iPhone (caveat-- I don't have a Touch or iPhone, but they play in iTunes as if they would be fine on the handheld). TCPMP will not play this format correctly.

I'm not trying to talk you out of Handbrake, but I don't think you are going to find many here who use the windows version, so I am just tossing up alternatives in case you hit a brick wall.

If you do figure out handbrake, please post so others can learn from what you find.

[Varjak]

From what I've read (and all I've really done to this point is read up); TCPMP has an H.264 plug in, which is one of the main output file formats of HB. That way, I would be able to convert one file that would be usable for both the Palm and an iPhone. At least that was my thought. I had planned to buy a 3G iPhone, but was very disenchanted with the new phone, which adds little but 3G and doesn't address many of the issues I had with the first phone (no videocam, stereo bluetooth, voice dialing, etc.).

Also, I was going by what you said about FU Lite, which doesn't have the functionality you mentioned since I didn't know you had the full version. What version do you use and when did they give it away free?

[palmgeek5394]

I'm only starting this thread, because the one major thread that deals with using HandBrake (HB) is closed. Plus, HB is now available for use on Windows and has a vastly improved user interface from the time that thread ended two years ago.
<Snip>

I didn't know that! Thanks!

[Jupiter]

TCPMP has an H.264 plug in

I have never been able to get smooth video in H.264 with TCPMP.

[palmgeek5394]

I have never been able to get smooth video in H.264 with TCPMP.

I get really smooth video at 300x440, 200FPS, and audio at 128kbps. Video encoding is H.264 and audio encoding is AAC.

[Varjak]

Palmgeek,

Do you mean 20 fps (frames per second?). 200 fps is awfully high, isn't it?

Also, 440x300 results in a ratio lower than 1.5 (it comes to 1.46). That would mean having 'bars' of some kind on all 4 sides of your picture. The two things I've heard are essential is to try and approximate the ratio you are trying to duplicate (1.78, 1.85, 2.35) and make sure the pixel dimensions are divisible by 16 (this simplifies and speeds up the graphical engine calculations from what I've read). For example, for something with an output aspect ratio of 1.85 (many typical movies), the math yields 259x480 (one typically keeps the width value at the max). To make it divisible by 16, one might choose a height of either 256 or 272 (I haven't yet figured out which is best and what the pros and cons of going up or down from the mathematical value is). I guess it results in mild distortion one way or the other.

Currently, I'm having a huge argument with a guy on handbrake because I suggested trying to mimic the storage frame ratio of 1.5:1 (esp. for TV shows which are typically 1.33 or 1.78). I haven't tried it yet, but if I do, I'll replicate the 320x480 dimensions of my display.

[FireNWater]

Hi Varjak,
thank you for creating all these newbie threads for Vid to Palm.
based on previous stuff, I take it you have a smartphone/iphone.
I have TX and E2 so this is just for those devices using TCPMP.

Handbrake.
Just finally figured out how to use it and have played with settings to get .vob files into Palm TX on TCPMP.

Default Ipod encode:
gives a H.264 or mpeg4 I think. Neither will play on TCPMP off the bat.

Ipod/change to .avi output Xvid, 2 pass Vid if time allows on the project
and successful file to play on TX.

If I do get something that won't play, then it's off to PocketDivX to convert it an .avi for the TX.

Can anyone explain mpeg4 versus all the different m's or point me to the thread? There's also on occasion the .mpg that is from non-US posters on YouTube. Those can't be converted to .avi from the .flv. TCPMP plays those but the file is of course 2x larger than the .avi. OK, yes, they do convert to an .avi but there's a huge blue stripe running down the middle when playing it on the desktop. Guess the blue/green color casts of TX screen filter it out when it's played on the little screen. So I leave those in mpg format and archive to disc.