Getting iTunes/iPod to recognize X264...

[Jaxel]

Forgive me, for I am still new to this video encoding scene. I have been encoding my videos for a few months now, using X264 in VirtualDubMod. I encode X264+MP3 in an AVI wrapper.

A sample of the encodings I do are here:
30fps: http://www.crookedjester.com/gallery/files/1/060304nh3-W1RockmanvsNeoOutlaw.avi (14mb)
Video: CoreAVC H264 320x230 29.97fps [Stream 00]
Audio: MPEG Audio Layer 3 48000Hz stereo 128Kbps [Stream 01]

60fps: http://www.crookedjester.com/gallery/files/1/060211w-16ErikXvsScha.avi (54mb)
Video: CoreAVC H264 320x230 59.94fps [Stream 00]
Audio: MPEG Audio Layer 3 48000Hz stereo 128Kbps [Stream 01]

Would there be any possible way to get these videos to play on an iPod or in iTunes and still use X264? Are there specific encoding settings it requires? A specific audio codec? I don't really want to use anything else besides Sharky's X264(codec), dbPowerAmp (to convert audio), DGIndex (to de-interlace), AviSynth (to wrap Audio and Video) and VirtualDubMod (to cut/encode). I really dont want to use MeGUI as it seems to only complicate things; and I know if it can be done at all, it could be done without MeGUI.

As well, what is the advantage in encoding in an MKV wrapper instead of AVI? VirtualDubMod gives me the option to do either; but I have yet to see a difference between the two.

[MeteorRain]

1. please, use "how to xxxxxx ?" instead of that title......
2. if you encode x264 in vdm, then mkv output and avi output are almost the same. if you encode x264 using x264-cli (or using meGUI), then mp4 or mkv output would be the best choice, since they store x264 video data in native mode.
3. anyway, don't expect too much on hardware compatibility on H.264 now...

[bratao]

Use Megui and use the profile named Ipod

[yawoo]

Out of topic, I have used mencoder/mp4creator to create ASP/AVC MP4, and would like some ipod video user to perform test. Thx a lot.

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=108693

[Jaxel]

Bratao, how would you do it WITHOUT MeGUI? If it could be done with MeGUI, it can be done without MeGUI. I would prefer to do it without MeGUI, cause then I know exactly what settings are going into the video because I am doing it myself. I dont like it when things are automated.

[Sharktooth]

get the iPod profile for megui. open it (it's an .xml file) and look at the settings.

[peteag]

these settings doesn't work. the video's still jittering when playing it back. there must be a general fault in x264.

[Sharktooth]

what settings? never had problems with iPod profile... check your resolution and fps... and maybe even the audio stream.

[Jaxel]

What I really want to know is what settings really control what lets the iPod play video or not? I like the settings I have right now, and I would prefer to change as little as possible if I can. Why is it that this iPod profile will play on iPods and no other profile? What is it within the profile that makes it so different? Thats what I want to know...

My settings... with these current settings, its not that I cant play the video on my iPod... its that iTunes wont even let me add it to my play list to even try to play it on my iPod.

http://www.crookedjester.com/gallery/files/1/h264-profile.gif

[foxyshadis]

ipod is mp4 only for avc. Sorry, you either have to do it in megui/stax, or have to use avi2raw and remux it with yamb. Your settings are also way beyond ipod's capabilities, check out ipod profile in megui to find out what they are.

[emmel]

Ipod can only handle h264 Baseline profile up to level 1.3. Check the stickies for more details, or consult the wikipedia article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H264 for further information.

[bond]

you can remux x264 from avi to a nice mp4 with my avi2mp4 thingie:
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=108172

[chipzoller]

This is what RealAnime sends to x264 for my successful encodes:

--no-cabac --keyint 600 --min-keyint 12 --nr 150 --level 1.3 --me umh --subme 6 --ref 6 --mixed-refs --analyse "all" --trellis 2 --min-keyint 12 --min-keyint 600 --bime --direct spatial --weightb --bframes 0 --filter 1:1 --bitrate 250 --pass 3 --no-fast-pskip --no-psnr --progress --threads 1

[Sirber]

looks like it's from RealAnime ;)

[DarkZell666]

--min-keyint 12 --min-keyint 600
looks like there is like a problem here ;) => --min-keyint 12 --max-keyint 600

[chipzoller]

How's that? I wonder why it didn't return an error, then. It may have silently dumped that command.

[DarkZell666]

It didn't return an error because it's a perfectly valid command line :) The first switch will simply be ignored I guess ...

x264 silently corrects the cmdline if something stupid (like this) is given to it ;)

actually, the full commandline looks wierd :
--no-cabac --keyint 600 --min-keyint 12 --nr 150 --level 1.3 --me umh --subme 6 --ref 6 --mixed-refs --analyse "all" --trellis 2 --min-keyint 12 --min-keyint 600 --bime --direct spatial --weightb --bframes 0 --filter 1:1 --bitrate 250 --pass 3 --no-fast-pskip --no-psnr --progress --threads 1
...
min-keyint appears 3 times ! Sirber I hope this has been fixed in a recent build ... o_O

[matturn]

This is what RealAnime sends to x264 for my successful encodes:

--no-cabac --keyint 600 --min-keyint 12 --nr 150 --level 1.3 --me umh --subme 6 --ref 6 --mixed-refs --analyse "all" --trellis 2 --min-keyint 12 --min-keyint 600 --bime --direct spatial --weightb --bframes 0 --filter 1:1 --bitrate 250 --pass 3 --no-fast-pskip --no-psnr --progress --threads 1

I try this and get "Unknown option ( )"...

[chipzoller]

I since then started using MeGUI with Sharktooth's iPod profile and never looked back :)

[deltaboy]

Sharktooth's iPod 640 profile is not working for me. encodes play in QT, but take a while to load into iTunes. i cant play it in iTunes, it just freeze scans. i can drag it to my iPod either. what are my compliance limitations for x640?

resolution?
bitrate?
avc level?

can i have a 512x384 video with 1500 max bitrate under avc 3.0?

[HowlerX]

You dug up the wrong old thread.

This thread can answer your questions:

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=115917

And yes 512x384 can be done. The key is NicMP4Box.

[deltaboy]

thx! ill check it out.