Video (.mpg/.avi) to iPod (.mp4) converter

[Lennart Sorensen]

On Sun, Jan 08, 2006 at 08:57:54PM -0500, Peter King wrote:
> On Sun, Jan 08, 2006 at 05:04:29PM -0500, William Park wrote:
>  
> > I got 30GB iPod for Christmas.  I would like to try out its video
> > capability.  iPod plays the following formats:
> > 
> >     * H.264
> >       File formats:	.m4v, .mp4, and .mov
> >       Video:	Up to 768 kbits/sec, 320 x 240, 30 frames per
> > 		second (fps), Baseline Profile up to Level 1.3.
> >       Audio:	AAC-LC up to 160 kbits/sec, 48 Khz, and stereo audio.
> > 
> >     * MPEG-4
> >       File formats:	.m4v, .mp4, and .mov
> >       Video:	Up to 2.5 Mbits/sec, 480 x 480, 30 fps, Simple Profile.
> >       Audio:	AAC-LC up to 160 kbits/sec, 48 Khz, stereo audio. 
> > 
> > Does anyone know Linux software which can convert a normal video (.mpg,
> > .avi) to above "iPod" format?
> 
> There seem to be three possibilities: MEncoder (part of the MPlayer
> set), ffmpeg, and transcode. My daughter got the same 30GB iPod for
> the holidays; ever since I've been hitting my head against the wall
> to try to get one of these to work. Some of it may be Debian.

I see nothing about h.264 in the docs for transcode at a quick glange,
only h.263.  Maybe it doesn't

> There is a certain amount of talk about how to use ffmpeg to transcode
> video files to mp4. So far, I've converted .mpg files, but no luck with
> .vob files. For Debian, add the ftp.nerim.net site so that you get the
> relevant codecs (aac and so on).

Does ffmpeg support .vob as input even?  I know transcode does.

> Mencoder does encode .vob files, but gives a "duplicate frame" message
> every third or fourth frame. I can play the resulting .mp4 file, but
> my daughter says it won't play on the iPod.
> 
> Transcode simply crashes, segfaulting on everything I try.

That seems odd.  Which version?

> I'd post the command-line switches but so far nothing works reliably. If
> you find a way to do it, please post here or just let me know.
> 
> Oh yes -- most annoying: If you have OS X handy, then install the free
> program ffmpegX, which is a front-end to the above tools. It seems to
> do the job more or less effortlessly, at least on .avi files and .mpg
> files. Why is this so hard in Linux? Darwin isn't half the *NIX.

Maybe apple hasn't released the codecs needed, given AAC is apples audio
codec.

I see this post mentions how to do it with VLC on Mac OS X, but again it
may have a codec that linux is missing:
http://www.windley.com/archives/2005/11/using_vlc_to_cr.shtml

A possible useful link:
http://groups.google.ca/group/linux.gentoo.user/browse_frm/thread/bd0a98464bad5d85/33e7b9aa420413d5?lnk=st&q=transcode+ipod+video+linux&rnum=1&hl=en#33e7b9aa420413d5

Seems someone has managed to use ffmpeg to do it.

Len Sorensen
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