Transferring downloaded videos to iPod Touch

Question

Transferring downloaded videos to iPod Touch

When I download videos, I often use the program "iSquint" to be able to put the video in the right format for the iPod-- i.e. with the right size and also "sound + video".

OK but I downloaded the 35 mb intro video about the new MobileMe from the APPLE site -- and I chose the download for iPod - thinking I could just import this to iTunes and then sync it with my iPod Touch.

However, that was not the case: I still had to take this 35 mb video and have iSquint process it, then get it into iTunes (which iSquint will do if you request it); and then sync to my iTouch. THAT WORKED FINE-- but why didn't the Apple version (it's a ".mov" file) work directly? It would play on iTunes, but would NOT sync to the iPod Touch!

Comments welcome, I'm a bit surprised here...

Thanks!

MacBook 2GHz-White+PBG4-12"+G4-733+eMac, Mac OS X (10.4.11), Also a Mac SE running 6.0.4

Posted on Jun 14, 2008 2:03 AM

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Answer 1

Bottlerboi

Level 4

1,065 points

Jun 14, 2008 5:05 AM in response to Stephen Schulte2

Yes, it is surprinsing that Apple downloads for iPod don't work on an iPod, but it cannot play .mov files. This is a qucktime video, the iPod only reads mp4-videos.
Hope this helps.

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Answer 2

Jun 14, 2008 6:33 AM in response to Bottlerboi

OK I now see that all my videos on my iPod are indeed mp4 -- but here's an interesting problem:

I re-imported the MobileMe 35 mb video into iTunes (kept the iSquint version, but gave both different names). OK when imported, the .mov 35 mb version didn't keep the name I'd given it, but somehow renamed itself to: Apple - MobileMe

I right-clicked and was able to get a contextual menu choice: "Convert selection for iPod/iPhone" (or used "advanced" menu. I did this, but it took 10 minutes working in the background to convert; and then unlike iSquint, instead of being a smaller file it was larger (perhaps iSquint was set for a lower quality- I can experiment with that).

Now I have both the original .mov and the new .mp4 files--

Interesting all right-- but seems iSquint still needed for some files that don't have the sound track associated with the video-- those movies or movie-clips will play on the iPod Touch, but video only, no sound-- unless iSquint converted, then both.

Whew.........! Any comments welcome and thanks!

Steve
Saturday 14 June 2008

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Answer 3

Jun 14, 2008 11:45 PM in response to Bottlerboi

Hogwash.
Specs for video directly from Apple Touch site:
H.264 video, up to 1.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Low-Complexity version of the H.264 Baseline Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; H.264 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Baseline Profile up to Level 3.0 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats

Notice the inclusion of .mov file formats.

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Answer 4

Jun 15, 2008 12:55 AM in response to Johnathan Burger

OK a nice list of the specs, but the reality for me is that if I don't either use the convert for iPod/iPhone in iTunes or iSquint, then the video does NOT transfer to my iPod Touch.

Appreciate if you or others could try to duplicate this with the Apple MobileMe file (about 35 mb) and let me know your results.

Thanks!

Steve
Sunday 15 June 2008

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Answer 5

rogerson

Level 1

88 points

Jun 15, 2008 6:33 PM in response to Stephen Schulte2

Interesting discussion. I have downloaded and converted some video's to MP-4 and found issues with the video syncing with the audio track. Frustrating to try to watch a video and the persons mouth doesn't move syncronized to the audio. At first I thought it was based on the length of the video so in the case of a long video (over an hour), the voice track would fall farther and farther behind so although it might be bang on at the start it could be out by several seconds by the end. But I recently downloaded some shorter video's that I had to convert and the video / voice tracks were out of whack.

I also coverted a video recently and the video played at double the speed while the audio track played at normal speed. Looked like everyone was running.

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Answer 6

Jun 15, 2008 6:55 PM in response to rogerson

i use videora to convert to mp4 format, and i have also noticed that the audio is slightly off from the video, i also know, but have not experimented with, in normal mode through videora, under troubleshoot you can choose one of three audio/video sync. fixes
hope this helps.

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Answer 7

Jun 15, 2008 11:10 PM in response to luvmyipod91785

I use mpeg streamclip, visualhub or elgato's H.264turbo-none suffer from the audio sync issues.
The audio sync problem is a known issue with videora(at least something like a year ago it was).
The problem could also be caused by the file itself-it could have a broken timecode.

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Answer 8

Jstoll

Level 1

19 points

Jul 12, 2008 5:55 PM in response to Johnathan Burger

I use Visualhub (1.33) with profile 'All Devices' (.mp4; v: H.264, 640x352, 25fps, 1070kbits/s; a: AAC, 48kHz, 130kbits/s, Stereo) and Elgato's EyeTV (3.0.2), H.264turbo with profile 'iPod Best' (.mv4). This works fine with iPod Touch up to version < 2.0. Since I upgraded the iPod Touch to 2.0 iTunes 7.7 transfers both formats, but the Touch does not play the H.264turbo files (.mv4) with the profile of the highest data rate ('iPod Best: v: H.264, 640x360, 25fps, 1250kbits/s; a: AAC, 48kHz, 125kbits/s, Stereo) anymore. The profile 'iPod Smallest' (320x180, 583kbits/s) still plays on the iPod Touch. It seems that version 2.0 of the iPod Touch checks the video files with a modified algorithm and won't play some formats even if they meet the specs.

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Answer 9

Jul 20, 2008 2:19 AM in response to Jstoll

Thanks for the reply!

I have just upgraded my iTouch to 2.0 - will try to import some videos directly; and also via iSquint - and then report back here. Any others who have any comments - appreciated!

Steve
Sunday 20 July 2008

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Answer 10

Aug 1, 2008 7:45 AM in response to Stephen Schulte2

Well the version 2.0 seems to work fine, but here's something interesting: CBS Evening News with Katey Couric PODCAST stopped from 7-20 July or so, now is back, but the mp4 format will not transfer to the iPod Touch - I have to convert (using iTunes or iSquint) first - then it is in the m4v format and plays fine.

BUT many others are in mp4 format and copy to the iPod and play fine-- why not the "new" CBS News? (But many, like NBC News are in the m4v format)

This is not so much a "CBS News" question - rather (I hope) a general question as to which formats can be used by the iPod Touch and which can't! To me they seem to be the same, but evidently there is a difference in mp4 and m4v -- and it seems there are different "types" of mp4 -since some transfer to the iPod and play; and others simply do not.

Thanks!

Steve
1 Aug 2008

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Answer 11

Aug 7, 2008 9:46 AM in response to Stephen Schulte2

Anyone have any comments about the CBS Evening News Podcast - it now works again; but won't tranfer to the iPod Touch without using something like iTunes "convert for iPod" or iSquint.

WHY DO SOME PODCASTS WORK AND OTHERS NOT?

Steve

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