Video Conversion for playing from iPod classic to TV

Article

Video Conversion for playing from iPod classic to TV

Ask iLounge offers readers the opportunity to get answers to their iPod-, iPhone-, iPad-, iTunes-, or Apple TV-related questions from a member of the iLounge editorial team. We'll answer several questions here each week, and of course, you can always get help with more immediate concerns from the iLounge Discussion Forums. Submit your questions for consideration using our Ask iLounge Submit Form. We reserve the right to edit questions for grammar, spelling, and length.

View the complete Ask iLounge archives...

Q: I have read several articles and can’t find the answer to my question which is probably quite simple for someone a bit more knowledgeable then myself. I use Handbrake to convert video files, usually xvid, to put onto my iPod classic, which I then hook up to my 42” HDTV via the Apple AV cables. I have no idea which settings I should use for this—any advice? Or is this a stupid way to do this and I should be using a different method altogether? Thanks for any assistance you may offer.

- Tom

A: There’s definitely nothing wrong with using an iPod classic to store and playback videos from your iTunes library, and in fact the large capacity of the iPod classic makes it particularly well suited to storing and carrying a lot of videos with you.

The iPod classic only outputs video at a maximum resolution of 720x480, so it is going to fall quite a bit short of the resolution supported by your HDTV. However, if you’re only converting standard-definition video files in the first place—such as DVD movies and TV shows—this is not going to be an issue as this is the maximum resolution of this content anyway. Standard DVDs are encoded at 720x480, with a feature known as anamorphic encoding to either stretch the image to 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio (854x480), or shrink it to a standard TV 4:3 aspect ratio (640x480). You can read more about all of this in our Guide to iPod, Apple TV and iPhone Video Formats.

For converting standard-definition DVDs to store on your iPod for TV output, your best option is to simply use the “Universal” preset in Handbrake. This produces a video file that has more than acceptable quality for standard definition content, taking advantage of anamorphic encoding and maintaining compatibility with all of Apple’s current devices. This also means that the videos you’re encoding will continue to look fine should you later upgrade to an iOS device or Apple TV, without needing to worry about reconverting your files. In fact, even when encoding standard-definition DVDs for the Apple TV, the “Universal” preset is generally the typical choice as the higher-end settings are intended primarily for HD content—you can’t create resolution that isn’t there in the first place, and the higher bit-rates will usually result in only a theoretical increase in quality that most viewers won’t be able to actually see.

Note that Handbrake does include an “iPod” preset, but this should not be used unless you only intend to watch videos on your iPod screen rather than using the TV output. The iPod preset creates 320x240 videos to match the iPod screen resolution. It also does not employ anamorphic encoding, meaning that 16:9 widescreen videos will be rendered in an even lower 320x180 resolution, with black bars appearing at the top and bottom of the screen. The only advantage of this preset is that it creates considerably smaller files for users who only want to view their content solely on the 2.5” iPod screen.

The most asked question at iLounge.com:

How do I copy content from my iPod/iPhone onto my computer?

Converting DVDs, web video, TV shows and more:

The Complete Guide to iPod, Apple TV and iPhone Video Formats

Converting DVDs, web video, TV shows and more:

The Complete Guide to iPod, iPhone and Apple TV Video Conversion (Mac)

Converting DVDs, web video, TV shows and more:

The Complete Guide to iPod, iPhone and Apple TV Video Conversion (Win)

Best Speakers?

Best Headphones?

Best Case?

Best In-Car Solution?

Best Battery Extender?

Find more answers in the latest publications in our Library. Free downloads developed by the editors of iLounge!

Ask iLounge Archives:

5-23-13: Costs associated with using FaceTime

5-22-13: iMessages showing as Delivered when iPhone is out of coverage

5-21-13: Inability to use Find My Friends without a passcode

5-17-13: Calendar info disappears after iCloud restore

5-16-13: Remove old iCloud backup after restoring to a new iPhone

View the complete Ask iLounge archives...

« iOS Gems: Great Big War Game, The Act + The Dark Knight Rises

Purchasing an iTunes Gift Card for use in another country »

Comments

1

Hi Tom, here are my settings. Hope they work for you. I hate having multiple versions of a single file, so I create a single version which can play on my iPod Classic, iPhone, and Apple TV. Here are my settings:

Picture: Width 720, Height: scaled from width, Anamorphic Loose, Modulus 16, Automatic Cropping
Video Filters: All off except Decomb Defaul
Video: Codec H.264, Frame Rate same as source, Variable Frame Rate, Ave Bitrate = 2500 kbps (most important parameter), 2-pass encoding
Advanced: use the following text field: level=30:bframes=0:weightp=0:cabac=0:ref=1:vbv-maxrate=768:vbv-bufsize=2000:analyse=all:me=umh:no-fast-pskip=1:subq=6:8x8dct=0:trellis=0

Also, I put a check in “Large File Size” and “iPod 5G support”

Good luck. Hope this helps.

Posted by Vic on July 20, 2012 at 9:00 PM (PST)

If you have a comment, news tip, advertising inquiry, or coverage request, a question about iPods/iPhones/iPad or accessories, or if you sell or market iPod/iPhone/iPad products or services, read iLounge's Comments + Questions policies before posting, and fully identify yourself if you do. We will delete comments containing advertising, astroturfing, trolling, personal attacks, offensive language, or other objectionable content, then ban and/or publicly identify violators.

Recent Reviews

New Deals

Shop for Accessories: Cases, speakers, chargers, etc.

iLounge

Article