Ideal Video Format?

[hazydave]

why are you guys using the iphone format? can't the droid handle full-screen video in its native resolution? that's probably a big part of the appeal of droid - 854x440...

I rendered a short video, from 720p HD, to the DROID using Sony Vegas Pro 9 (64-bit). I started with one of the MainConcept AVC profiles for iPod, changed the resolution to 856x480, set the bitrate to a fixed 1Mb/s, a rendered. Plays beautifully... sure looks better than standard definition. Which it is, but not dramatically so.

I'm playing around now with VBR and other resolutions. 848 pixels across is the natural size for most MPEG types.. they like even multiples of 16 pixels, since the basic macrocell is 16x16 (some programs enforce this, other don't). If you're encoding a feature film, it's probably wider than 16:9, so you should be able to render less height and get the player to expand it, saving on space. Varible bitrate encoding should also help.

 

[hazydave]

Ok. I'm having serious problems. I got The dark Knight from the digital copy on my computer. Right from the dvd that i purchased. I cant even get a working copy on my droid. and thats if i see anything at all. I'm also trying to use handbreak and I have been folling all the set ups you guys have posted. I have tried saving it to my computer and my droid and most times I do not see a file. What am I doing wrong?

All "Digital Copy" files are DRMed. Unless you have a program to crack the protection first (which is what most DVD rippers do when you rip a DVD), you cannot do anything with that video other than watch it.

 

[QiG]

Does anyone else plan on using a program (like Orb) to just do media streaming instead of converting/copying all the files to the microSD card? I had some success with it on my LG Dare (videos seemed to work better than audio).

We did family dinner last night and my mom already got her droid so I spent most of the time playing with that. But I was trying to tell my brother in law, who has the G1, about Orb and saw that they even had an Androrb app but I couldn't get any videos to play through the web browser or Androrb app on his phone.

 

[Malvado]

Does anyone else plan on using a program (like Orb) to just do media streaming instead of converting/copying all the files to the microSD card? I had some success with it on my LG Dare (videos seemed to work better than audio).

We did family dinner last night and my mom already got her droid so I spent most of the time playing with that. But I was trying to tell my brother in law, who has the G1, about Orb and saw that they even had an Androrb app but I couldn't get any videos to play through the web browser or Androrb app on his phone.

i use this great app calles VUZE that is made specifically for movie downloads...of course u would have to convert them for the droid i think...or think there is this setting that lets u share them to ur ipod

 

[iclickjohn]

Does anyone else plan on using a program (like Orb) to just do media streaming instead of converting/copying all the files to the microSD card? I had some success with it on my LG Dare (videos seemed to work better than audio).

We did family dinner last night and my mom already got her droid so I spent most of the time playing with that. But I was trying to tell my brother in law, who has the G1, about Orb and saw that they even had an Androrb app but I couldn't get any videos to play through the web browser or Androrb app on his phone.

Yes I used Orb a lot on my Omnia. Really streamed music and videos nice. Also I liked that the documents could be downloaded from PC to phone. Was not happy that it didn't work with Droid. probably will work once Droid gets updates with it's video drivers. If. Also, that Super link goes right to AVS4you which IS a pay to use software. Did anyone get a real download link to a software called Super?

 

[kjrnec]

I'm trying to use OGMRip for Linux to do my encoding.

I found a download link for Super on this page. Just click on Download Super Setup file near the bottom of the page. I have no idea why they try and hide the download link for this software.


SUPER videos

 

[iclickjohn]

I noticed the output container included standard DVD standard complient VOB. M going to try that with a DVD I want converted. Also, noticed Droid Capture Resolution is 720x480 (rather than screen res which is 854x480) and I believe that I will use that size as my converted file. Only because there must be a reason and perhaps the least conflict with the player. Maybe? I'll report on success or failure.

 

[hazydave]

Harry Potter in MP4 VBR

I had a few Harry Potter DVDs ripped to hard disc still (I finally read the books over two weeks last July, and had my daughter's DVDs on an SD card just in case I wanted something to view over vacation), so I tried some renders.

This is "Prisoner of Azkaban", from the US DVD. Using Vegas Pro again, MainConcept AVC/AAC CODECs, I converted to 856x480 @ 23.97fps, using 2-pass variable AVC Level 3.x compression, with an average of 512Kb/s, and a peak of 1Mb/s, Base profile as before. Finished size is 648MB. It looks pretty fine on the DROID... I can see a few artifacts here and there, but overall, very nice, and not too gigantic for a feature film, but I do look forward to 32GB microSDHC cards (and still wonder if an SDXC upgrade will be possible... should be).

Look good natural sized on a PC, too, but a bit overcompressed for joy fullscreen (24", 1200p). I gather Apple's 640x480 videos are encoded at around 1200-1500kb/s, with the idea of being reasonable to display on a television. I'm more looking at what I can keep around in limited memory to show off the DROID

The audio is in AAC at 16-bit, mixed down to stereo from the AC-3 5.1 (I drop the center channel a bit, keep L+R, and mix a lowered version of the rear channels in... usually sounds pretty good), at 128kb/s. Keep in mind, AAC offers about twice the coding efficiency of MP3, so you could actually lower this to 64kb/s (which is usually the best you get over digital radio, either AAC+ or Ibiquity) and it would still sound pretty reasonable.

Next test was 848x368... this eliminates letterboxing encoded in the video, and give me /16 dimensions both ways. I dropped the average to 400Kb/s and the peaks to 800kb/s... this gave me a 534MB file. This worked great, too.. the player automatically generates the letterboxing. Technically, this ought to be possible at 720x368, but only if the player respects settings for non 1:1 pixel sizes... otherwise, this assures you get the fullest possible screen for this aspect ratio (2.35:1 here, versus nominally 16:9 for full screen).

If you're having problems, try these settings on your encoder, and make sure you're at Base profile, not Main or High.

 

[hazydave]

Also, noticed Droid Capture Resolution is 720x480 (rather than screen res which is 854x480) and I believe that I will use that size as my converted file. Only because there must be a reason and perhaps the least conflict with the player. Maybe? I'll report on success or failure.

I suspect the reason for 720x480 is simple: that's the DVD standard, at least in NTSC parts of the world. Next step up in standard video is 1280x720, so if you can't do that, it's reasonable to offer an existing standard.

You will get better results going to a full 854x480 IF you're down-converting from high-definition 16:9 material. Marginally better, nothing terribly profound... this is already pretty spectacular looking. Mostly because people expect to see something between CIF (320x200) and 1/2 VGA (320x480) on a pocket-sized display, not full standard definition (854x480 is effectively standard definition in a 16:9 digital display.. a few more real pixels than a DVD gives you, but DVDs don't use square pixels).

 

[superglen99]

I used handbrake with ipod settings but selected mp4 format and set the resolution manually at 854x480 and the audio bitrate at 1000 kbps as I was having unsycing with audio/video. now when I let the video play the sound if fine but if I pause or skip it unsyncs. Then I tried dvd catalsyt on apple iphone (HQ) settings and it worked great no unsyncing when I skip around and it fills the whole screen and is really crisp!

 

[ntek]

Goto Google and look for EncodeHD. Use the T-Mobile G1 Profile. Great video results for the Droid!

 

[cfi on the fly]

Ill put in a plug for DVD Catalyst 3. I have all my blurays in MKV format using MakeMKV. I used handbrake, but was getting mixed results, especially with low volume sound. I bit the bullet and paid $10 for Catalyst 3 and am very satisfied. Easy interface and they have a preset for the Droid. You have to look under "verizon", not "motorola". Ive done all my videos at 1200 bit rate and upped the volume gain to "20". Also change frame rate to 24 for movies. Now its plently loud coming out the 3.5 jack through the fm transceiver to my car speakers. Im sure it would sound even better if I had a dedicated aux port or blue tooth, but I am a picky person and am more than satisfied with this setup. Takes a while, but I find something else to do while waiting. Visually, this is stunning. I have also had the zune hd, and while it may have better blacks, as a whole, I would rather watch videos on the Droid, with beautiful colors and a bigger screen.

 

[JTAC]

I know that H264 is of much better quality, but in all honesty; has anyone noticed that much of a difference in that format vs MP4 on the playback of our phones?

 

[Natolx]

So I used handbrake, transformed a 1280x544 HS Mp4 BDRip FASM x264 720p
into 848x480 using the ipod touch settings but changing to mp4.... and I got no sound. Does anyone know the trick to get handbrake to convert the sound?

Oh, and the picture is beautiful...

 

[superglen99]

Agreed dvd catalyst3 is worth the $10. Beaufiful picture even with fast motion and great sound. Easy to use.