Confusion on HD/ATSC -> iPod

[Puppy76]

Updated below. Still trying to use Handbrake since someone recommended that on here.

[Puppy76]

No responses :( *sigh*

Well major update to all this, I *thought* I mostly got Handbrake working. I thought the issue was that Handbrake was making output who's bitrate was too high for the iPod, and I was just unchecking the "two pass" mode and using lower bit rates.

BUT I'm still seeing two situations where something's going wrong:

1)-my CW station is broadcast as a subchannel on my ABC station. It's 480i, I guess. Handbrake encodes it, and it does play back on my iPod...but it's completely unusable. It's like it's playing twice as fast as it should be, both audio and video. It's like Handbrake is chopping out half the frames, or thinks the video is 60fps when it's really 30...or something, I don't know.
The video it generates plays the same on my computer or iPod-fast motion.

2)-Equally frustrating, I can't seem to encode a show from ABC so it plays on my iPod (this is the "main" station that the CW station is also broadcast on). It encodes, and plays back on my computer, but iTunes won't let me copy it to the iPod. I've tried the settings I've been using, as well as Handbrake's built in iPod Touch/iPhone settings, AND settings for it labeled "legacy".

I don't know if it's a coincidence that both of these problems are from the same broadcaster or not.

I've hunted around for some other program to try. I ran across "Media Coder", but I'm not sure if that handles Tivo output or not. It sounds vaguely familiar, like I tried it and it didn't work or something.

Someone in another thread on here mentioned "FFMPEG" for another purpose, so maybe I'll give that a shot too.

But...isn't someone else doing this? I'd think lots of people with Tivos would be watching stuff on theird iPods/iPhones...

[bohbot16]

It very much depends on which iPod you are using. Handbrake tailors their presets to the newer iPods, but not the 5th gen iPod (aka iPod Video) as much. I think the "Legacy iPod" preset is for that iPod.

Which iPod are you encoding for? How are you getting files from your TiVo?

[Puppy76]

I'm doing it for a 2nd gen iPod touch.

For the heck of it, I tried that Mediacoder. I don't like that it offers to install the Ask toolbar, and I hope there's no spyware or anything, but it did SEEM to handle the files from those two sources! Not sure what my issue was before with it, though possibly it was lip syncing? Not sure.

Oh, and I'm just grabbing the files with Tivo Desktop.

[Yoav]

I'm doing it for a 2nd gen iPod touch.

For the heck of it, I tried that Mediacoder. I don't like that it offers to install the Ask toolbar, and I hope there's no spyware or anything, but it did SEEM to handle the files from those two sources! Not sure what my issue was before with it, though possibly it was lip syncing? Not sure.

Oh, and I'm just grabbing the files with Tivo Desktop.

use the iphone settings for the ipod touch. it's really an iphone without a phone, and not an ipod touch. Also, use VLC if you want to try a different player/encoder to test your encodes on. It's free, non-spyware, and open.

[Puppy76]

Thanks, but that's what I was trying it on :(

I installed Mediacoder, and it seemed to be working, but then it's failed (mencoder crashed) on two of three shows I had queued up :(

I didn't realize VLC could encode! Hopefully it has iPod/iPhone settings? Maybe I'll have to give it a try too. Right now it's like randomly some files will encode okay on Handbrake, and some on this Mediacoder, but apparently not all. Really frustrating :(