Quicktime "Movie to iPhone" Export Preset Won't Transfer to the iPhone.

Question

Level 1

19 points

Quicktime "Movie to iPhone" Export Preset Won't Transfer to the iPhone.

Hi-

I've been trying to convert some videos (various sources, sizes, and codecs) to play on my iPhone. I'm using Quicktime Pro's Export>Movie to iPhone setting. However, when I add the resulting movie into iTunes and try to transfer/sync the movie to my iPhone, I get the message that "it cannot be played on this iPhone." This is understandably confusing given that it's Apple's own preset. I get the same error with any videos I convert using iTunes' "Convert Selection for iPod/iPhone" function.

I am able to successfully convert and transfer movies using either iSquint or custom settings on Quicktime, but it's mildly frustrating that it doesn't work as easily as it's supposed to.

Ideas why it's not working would be appreciated—thanks!

2.0 GHz Core Duo MacBook Pro, 8GB iPhone, Mac OS X (10.5.1)

Posted on Dec 27, 2007 6:43 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Mike Kelley

Level 7

29,298 points

Jan 21, 2011 6:07 AM in response to Michael Lott

Welcome to the forums.

Make sure you check both resolution (no greater than 640) and max (total) bit rate -- should be less than 1500 but 1000 or less is better.

Reply

Answer 2

Michael Lott Author

Level 1

19 points

Jan 21, 2011 6:07 AM in response to Mike Kelley

Mike,

Thanks for the welcome. Quicktime is outputting videos that seem to comply with the bitrate/size requirements—depending on the original, I'm getting files with a maximum resolution of 480x360 (some are significantly smaller) and total Kbps bitrates in the 700s and 800s. Audio format is Stereo AAC and video H.264, as they should be. If I import the converted videos into iTunes (they play fine there, just won't transfer to the iPhone) it also tells me that the video codec profile is Low Complexity—as I believe it should be. So I'm stumped.

For comparison, VisualHub's iPhone setting does play nice with my iPhone, but the converted videos are noticeably lower in quality than Quicktime's. Thus, I'd prefer to be able to use Quicktime.

Reply

Answer 3

Nathan C

Level 5

6,260 points

Jan 21, 2011 6:07 AM in response to Michael Lott

Michael Lott,

What do you have in /Library/Quicktime/ and in ~/Library/Quicktime/. The second one might not exist, the first one should.

Thank you,

Nathan C.

Reply

Answer 4

Michael Lott Author

Level 1

19 points

Jan 21, 2011 6:07 AM in response to Nathan C

Nathan,

Ah! I checked in there and remembered I'd added the mp4vencoder and x264encoder components. I dumped both of those, and now it's working like it should. Thanks!

Reply