I thought I would start a new thread that maybe I can con a mod into making sticky...

There are a couple methods that have proven sucessful, here is the one that I use.

Will output to an mpeg4 .avi file:

Download the MPlayer encoder from here:
www.mplayerhq.hu
You don't need the codec pack for encoding to the proper format for the 8100

Then in the mencoder window encode with:
If you’re running Widows XP and if the mencoder program closes upon opening then proceed with the following steps:

1. Right click on mencoder
2. Click Create Shortcut
3. Right click on the Shortcut and click Properties
4. Change the Target to: C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe
5. Click Apply
6. Click OK
7. Now click on the Shortcut to mencoder.

Note that with the above code, the <output file> has to be an avi, but the <input file> can be just about anything you can play on your computer.

Also Note that if your input file is widescreen, this will compress it down to Pan-and-Scan ratios. You can play with the "scale=240:180" option for widescreen input and output.

Works like a dream.

Method 2: From another post in this forum. I take no credit/flack for this method.

Will output to an H.263 .avi file
Go to www.erightsoft.com then freeware tab>super>download, then install and open the program.
Note: you can also go direct to www.erightsoft.com/SUPER.html#Dnload.


Next, edit some of the settings.

Like so:

1.Select the Output Container= avi
2.Select the output Video codec=H.263
3.Aspect=11:9,4:3 or 1:1
4.Frame/sec= 14.985
5.Bitrate kbps= 576

Now right click on the program and select specify the output folder destination and put wherever you want the files to be saved

Now drag and drop your file into super and hit Encode(active job list files)

Next go to your output folder select the file you want on your BB and copy it. Now connect your BB and enter mass storage mode and paste the file into your BlackBerry video folder.

Enjoy all.

Zro

yep it works.
I took LOTR two towers from an avi on my computer that was 1.4GB to a 383MB .avi using the exact command line above and the pearl played it perfectly.

Nice, i too got it working great with mplayer

brought a 333 meg divx movie down to 92 megs and, for sure most importantly, the audio was synced up perfectly

I don't have my 8100 yet, but this is definitely a thread to sticky.

I assume that this is the one we have to download?: MPlayer 1.0pre8 Windows build

Any suggestions on programs to piece together avi files?

for instance, most DVD's are 4 (or more) VOB files, so using mplayer it's easy to convert each VOB into a file... how about splicing all them together into one video?

Actually, it's probably a non-issue if the media player plays files in a directory sequentially automatically... then AdventChildren2.avi would play right after AdventChildren1.avi .... damn, i'd try this myself to see if that happens, but i lent my phone to my boss for the day

I've not played with it, but mplayer encoder does have the ability to rip direct from dvd into a single file.

Zro

Just ran a test on MPlayer and Super.

The first 10 minutes of the same movie, ripped/encoded 3 times:

1. Super with recommeded 3GP settings. Output file size: 16,679 kb. Quality score: 75%. A little grainy. Acceptable but not great.

2. Super with recommeded AVI settings. Output file size: 19,787 kb. Quality score: 80%. Slightly less grainy than 3GP. Acceptable.

3. Mplayer encoder with Zro's recommended settings. Output file size: 22,880 kb. Quality score: 95%. Larger screen size. Only a bit more color depth would make this encoder perfect. Best in class.

In all 3 cases, sound and video were a perfect match.

Remember, these file sizes are for 10 minutes of a movie.

Doing the math... for storing more than one full-length movie on a 1GB card, assuming you want to leave space for plenty of songs, you'd need to decide whether to encode 2-3 excellent movies with MPlayer, or 3-4 acceptable movies with Super.

Storage v/s material quality... hmm...

Here's hoping they release the fix for the 2GB card soon!

with the program super:
what do you use for audio??
what about video scale ?
and what about the question about wmp

i used both super and mplayer for the same music video and the file output size for mplayer was 8.1 mb and super was 19.6 mb. The volume for mplayer was louder and the picture quality seemed the same, but size was perfect for the 8100 screen.

Im confused. in kathrynhr's test it says that the mplayer had a larger output size (which isnt the case for me). I also didnt notice a significant quality difference. I followed the same instructions,. Am i doing something different?? why is her output size different?

I must be really tired today but I can't find where to download Mplayer...I went to the Download link of MPlayer - The Movie Player but when I click on MPlayer 1.0pre8 Windows build US, I get a "Not Found" page. Where can I get this?

here ya go buddy
http://www.people.virginia.edu/~drf8....0pre8.tar.bz2

Thanks man, but sorry, but I've never dealt with a .tar.bz2 file...what is that?

We must have used different settings in Super. Here were mine:

Super 3GP: 3gp nokia, h.263, aac, 176x144, 11:9 aspect ratio, 12.5 fps
Super AVI: avi, h.263, mp3, 176x144, 4:3 aspect ratio, 12.5 fps

I could definitely tell a quality difference in the video. And remember, MPlayer returned 240x180, which is a notable difference from 176x144.

It's a file compressed with the bzip2 utility. You can download the (free) WinBZip2 file compression utility at:

www DOT softpedia DOT com/get/Compression-tools/WinBZip2 DOT shtml

(sorry about the DOTS - I haven't reached 10 posts yet...)

Yuck.. why go through all that... instead of clicking the [US] link, click the [KR] or [SE] link right next to it.. the zip file is the same exact thing

DO'H! I'm such a retard...haha...didn't even think of doing that...haha. Thanks man.

This worked great...

I have one question... after running the command and it converts the frame.. I have to go into the directory locae te file -> go into the properties for the file and add ".avi" to it. Is this correct? Or should the output already have the dot avi extension?

Thanks

whatever is inside <output file> will be the exact name of the output file.... including or not including the extension

^ Yea just figure that out not too long ago... silly me didnt realize I needed to add "dot AVI" to the end of the output file name.

I wanted to come back to edit my post but the forum page wouldnt load.

Oh well. Good stuff. Good quality and great file size (using the first method)

I'm using the command line version above, but i've created a Batch script that sits on my desktop. To convert, all i need to do is drave a video file to is and it converts automagically:

Create a new text file on the desktop, and paste the below code to it. Save this as Convert Video.bat or similar.

You will need to adjust the paths below. The first one is the path to mencoder.exe and the second is the folder to put the converted video.

The script will take a file "my_video.mpeg" and re-encode it for the 8100 moving it to a folder and naming it "my_video.avi

My scripts puts it into a folder on the desktop called Video.. The tricky part was using the "%~n1" variable. This will give you just the filename of the file dropped onto the batsh file, without path and extension.

Was playing around with mplayer and some simple math....

for widescreen, 240:135 looks fine

is there a way to convert Itunes movies for the 8100?


MS

When I download and extract mplayer I can't get it to run. What am I doing wrong.

How do you use mplayer? Help Please

Zro, stuck this one for you bro. Good work.

Which file am i suppose to download for Mencoder? Can someone send me the link to the file please? I downloaded the MPlayer 1.0pre8 Windows build but it doesn't run. Also, from command line, should i be in certain directory to run the mencoder -vf.....command? Thank....

Wow, amazing that people do not know how to use DOS programs...

You'll need to open up a command prompt, goto the directory where mencoder.exe is located and you can run it from there

if you want to make it easier, copy the file you want to convert in the same directory.....

so say i wanted to convert my movie "bandofbrothers.vob" (or avi or mpeg or whatever else the program will do) to work on the 8100... i'd:

- Copy the file into the extracted mplayer directory

- Copy and paste Zro's line above into a notepad window

- Replace <input file> with "bandofbrothers.vob" (w/o the quotes of course)

- Replace <output file> with "temp.avi"

- Now copy that updated command line to the clipboard

- Click "Start", then "Run", then type "cmd" and <enter>

- use the change directory ("cd") command to goto that mplayer directory
for my install, i first type "cd\<enter>" to goto the root, then "cd storage\movies\mplayer\<enter>" to find where i unzipped the files to

- Now right click right after the "C:_______>" (where "____" is going to be the full path to the exe's) and choose "paste"

- Click <enter> and let mencoder do it's thing

Thats why I made the batch file.. Allows you drag and drop conversion....

Thanks a lotttt sir....i appreciate the details....

If anyone is wondering, the exact same command as the one at the top of the thread also works on Linux with MPlayer installed. (and probably MacOS X, also)

I just downloaded this file and unzipped... But I don't see a mencoder.exe file,,, just a file named mencoder which says it's a "C" file, not an exe... What am I doing wrong?

you need to download the binary not the source.

OK I am missing something. Can some please post the proper link for this program? The Binary Codec zip does not conatain mencoder.exe...

Anyone? Anyone? Thanks!

Has anyone successfully encoded a video on a Mac? I’m trying to use Hand Brake and QuickTme Pro with no luck. I’ve searched the forum and haven’t come across anything.

Thanks

Don't download the tar unless you are using Linux....

Otherwise click on the link Zro gives, click "download" on the left, then any of of the working "MPlayer 1.0pre8 Windows build" HTTP link (as of now, the [US] link is not, use one of the others)

Got it!!! The window’s build link was deceiving since it’s a DOS program.

ImagineParidise, You should edit your post with the correct link…

THANKS!

I posted a bit of a how to in the mac section of these forums if you want to check it out.

BTW The Batch file works like a champ! Thanks!

FYI, and I haven't seen this mentioned elsewhere, if you're converting something that isn't a 4:3 aspect ratio, replace "scale=240:180" with "scale=240:-2" and mencoder will automagically calculate the correct height (retaining aspect ratio for square pixels).

This will end up letterboxing your movie when you play back, but for widescreen stuff, this can be better than the alternative. I'm running w/ vbitrate=320, and it looks puuurty.

Video looks amazing.. but I got no sound. Are there particular codecs that don't transfer sound over correctly?

EDIT: Video was XviD and and audio was "mpga".

I'm tryng to encode using mplayer. I have moved the file to be converted into the extracted mplayer folder and am using the following string

mencoder -vf scale=240:180 <benchwarmers> -o <temp.avi> -of avi -ovc lavc -oac lavc -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg4:vbitrate=230:acodec=mp3:abitrate=64

I keep getting a message saying "the system cannot find the file specified"

what am I doing wrong?