How to Play and Convert Videos (Movies) for Your Pre or Pixi

[milominderbinder]

The Pre can play MPEG4, H.263, H.264, MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3GPP, 3G2, and 3GP2 formats without conversion. So the movie or video must be DRM free (that is no copy protection) so iTunes movies will not work.

How to Manually Copy Video (Movie) Files to the Pre
There are a number of programs like iTunes that can your movies on the Pre for you. Here is how to manually copy those Video files to the Pre:
1. Connect your Pre to your computer with the USB cable and Select USB Drive.
2. Consider creating a subdirectory on your Pre called Videos so that you can keep your videos together.
2. Copy the video file to your Pre (subdirectory Videos).
3. Click the icon in your system tray to safely remove the Pre and disconnect the USB cable.
4. Open the Pre's built-in video app (Tap Launcher the Video) to play your movies.

How to Convert Video (Movie) Files for the Pre
You need to convert avi, wmp and other video files so the Pre can play them. You will need to first download a free video conversion program like Handbrake, RealPlayer SP, MediaCoder, or Videora and install it. RipBot264 is also free and can copy a DVD or Blueray movie. Other programs like Missing Sync, DVD Calayst, or DVDfab are not free but offer greater capabilities. eRightSoft SUPER may have malware or spyware in it.

Here are the steps:
1. Set the video converter output format to iPhone (480x320, H.264, m4v).
2. Choose the file to convert and where you want the output file to go.
3. Be patient, conversion and compression takes time. A movie can take two hours.
4. When it is done, follow the steps above to copy the output file to your Pre.

A two hour move will take 500 MB to 1 GB so make sure you have a lot of room on your Pre. Users have reported good quality with the quality set to as low as 59%, audio at AAC 48khz sample rate and 128khz bitrate.

Note that RealPlayer SP is designed to work specificaly with the Pre. It also allows you another feature. Go to YouTube or almost any site that offers video, audio, or ringtones. Put your mouse over the file link and a little window pops up offering to "Download this Video" (or Audio). It not only downloads it but converts it to the file format you have set up. Here is the ZDnet review.

Developers at PreCentral have also found how to make Video Recordings with the Pre.

- Craig

[acet3chnician]

I just installed missing sync 1.0 (Mac). This app. has a nice feature where you simply drag a video file onto the program and it re-encodes it to play on the pre. Syncing "Ironman" from itunes did not allow playback, however taking the same file and dropping it on missing sync started the encoding process, follwed by a simple sync.

[TeePoppa]

Hi Friends, just wondering if anyone knew if there was a video file size restriction for movies you can play on the Pre? I recoded a movie using nero in mp4 format set to be used on 1gb media to keep the quality up. It turns out to be about 975mb after the recode and the Pre just gives an error message. I change the quality to fit 200mb which is poor quality and it worked. Can any one explain? Thanks!

[PascalSijen]

I don't believe there are any file size restrictions. However, I would recommend you download Handbrake and then use the iPod Touch / iPhone preset to transcode the file. It's free and works really well.

HandBrake

[TeePoppa]

Thanks Pascal, I really apreciate that.

[E1Allen]

Also Any Video Converter (AVC) work well for me. Plus you can convert multiple videos at the same time. It gives you quality settings as well

[StoneRyno]

It all boils down to bitrates. Obviously the pre isn't a pc and will not be able to handle high bitrates. Second factor is video resolution. You also don't need to exceed the video resolution of the pre so downsizing the resolution maintaining the aspect ratio to fit inside the pres screen. Third is framerates though it may not be necessary to lower the framerates as long as lowering the previous two factors doesn't lessen the quality to much. To give you an idea I used to encode video to watch on my palm T5. I used 432x320 at 400kbps video and ~64kbps stereo mp3 audio and half framerate (may have been full framerate but pretty sure it was half). It has a 416mhz cpu. I'm guessing that you could easily play video at double those bitrate maybe triple. But the video bitrate will require the most processing power so set your base to XXX by 320 reslolution (XXX is determined by the aspect ratio of the source, audio of 64kbps or 128kbps mp3 is sufficient, and pick full or half frame rates. You will have to experiment to see what the optimal settings are. If you are dropping frames then the video biterate is too high in relation to the audio and framerate. The lower the audio bitrate and half framerate will allow for higher video bitrate. Ultimately for the optimal quality viewing experience you will want to push those to the limit that the hardware can handle. It took me a couple weeks of experimenting to find the optimal rates on my T5.

[reynoldsrobbie]

I used handbrake and put movies on itunes all the time. I just dragged a movie from itunes and dropped it in my pre and Im watching one right now. So I know that MP4s do work right from itunes.

[silversurfer20]

Hi friends, I have some tv shows that I purchased off I-Tunes that I wanted to watch on my Pre. I can transfer them with I-Tunes and the pic shows up in the video app but when I try to play it, it gives me an error. Can someone tell me what I need to do?
Thanks

[davidra]

They are copy-protected, just like songs you originally buy through iTunes.

[reynoldsrobbie]

try converting using handbrake

[fritzk3]

You'd think that since there's Linux under the hood, at some point a talented homebrew hacker would come up with a version of MPlayer that will work on the Pre, and will be able to handle some of the alternative formats (.MKV, etc.).

[dianehelen]

Originally Posted by fritzk3

You'd think that since there's Linux under the hood, at some point a talented homebrew hacker would come up with a version of MPlayer that will work on the Pre, and will be able to handle some of the alternative formats (.MKV, etc.).

YA,. or more important all the formats that regular plain old digi cameras take, like MOV or AVI,

even my OLD Video Ipod can handle my videos from my digital camera..

[samurai mike]

It would more than likely cost money to acquire licenses for the different audio and video formats. I don't mind paying for a good media player, but the more codecs that are supported, the more the application is going to cost. I had CorePlayer for my HTC Touch prior to getting the Pre, and that was a $30 application. But, it could handle anything you threw at it.

[DarkSoldat]

Hey, I have a bunch of videos I'd like to put on my Palm Pre to watch. Media videos. I already have them in my itunes in the ipod format, what program would I use to transfer them to a file type that I can put on my Pre?

[thunderjet01]

Handbrake works like a charm. Now if we can get the 8gb bumped to 32gb ...

[maryinredding]

I used videora palm converter. It does wallpapers, ringtones and video. The video takes a long time to convert but the quality is outstanding.

[fritzk3]

Oh, and one other recommendation for a FREE conversion program: SUPER from eRightSoft. Converts from anything, to anything... video or audio.

The interface is a little bit intimidating, but the program works well.

[ajmoncrief]

One more if it hasnt been mentioned...

Mediacoder works great and handles just about everything (I agree with the above that Super is a good one too)

[troutking]

Has anyone had trouble playing an MP4 video file? I ripped a few videos using Pavtube DVD Ripper. Conversion setting was the iPod iTouch .264 setting which uses the H.264 codec. The bit rate is 900, Video Size is 480x320. The shorter ones worked (15 minutes). None of the longer ones (1 hour) will play on my Pre. Interestingly I can hook the phone up to my PC under USB mode, double click the long video files from the Pre G: drive and they will play fine under Windows Media Player. I've deleted and copied them back.

Any help would be appreicated. Thanks!