Convert library to MP4 : Questions

Dolby

Dolby

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Just two questions :

1) How long does the conversion program take to change to MP4 per movies? If I have a library of 1,200 movies in currently all sorts of codecs, containers, qualities, resolutions etc - what would the time be to convert them all?

2) Does converting change quality in anyway? For example, would I lose going from MKV to a MP4?

4) Sizewise - are they the same size? So, a 700MB AVI will be a 700MB MK4? A 1.4GB MKV will be a 1.4GB MP4?

5) The best program to convert an entire library in one click? Handbrake?

6) What made Apple choose this format over everything?
 
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Dolby said:
Just two questions :

1) How long does the conversion program take to change to MP4 per movies? If I have a library of 1,200 movies in currently all sorts of codecs, containers, qualities, resolutions etc - what would the time be to convert them all?

2) Does converting change quality in anyway? For example, would I lose going from MKV to a MP4?

4) Sizewise - are they the same size? So, a 700MB AVI will be a 700MB MK4? A 1.4GB MKV will be a 1.4GB MP4?

5) The best program to convert an entire library in one click? Handbrake?

6) What made Apple choose this format over everything?
Click to expand...
Just two questions? I see five!

1. It depends on your rig
2. Not noticeably.
3. You forgot 3!
4. They could be smaller in many cases.
5. Not sure whats best on PC platform.
6. More bang for your Megabyte buck.
 
Handbrake is your answer.

Why would you want to convert your whole collection to mp4 though?
 
It was two ... kept adding/amending and forgot to change ;)

Thanks!

Average PC ... Core 2 Quad with 4GM RAM.

My initial worry was real time to convert .... about 110,000 minutes ... 1,833 hours ... 76 full days ... just to use it?
 
SiriS said:
Handbrake is your answer.

Why would you want to convert your whole collection to mp4 though?
Click to expand...

So it works?

Doesn't it stream whatever is in the iTunes library, to the ATV?
So if you can't put it in the library - it won't stream?

EDIT : I'm guessing that's how it works :P
 
Dolby said:
So it works?

Doesn't it stream whatever is in the iTunes library, to the ATV?
So if you can't put it in the library - it won't stream?

EDIT : I'm guessing that's how it works :P
Click to expand...

1) Buying an ATV?

2) If yes, save yourself a lot of trouble and jailbreak and install XBMC so no need to convert your collection to mp4 (or m4a). You can then stream from any folder and not via iTunes.

3) If you want to stream to your iDevice (iphone, ipad) use Air Video.

4) I'm speculating now, but with Handbrake I get 100+ fps on conversion (IIRC this included Deinterlacing on slow, but not Decombing which is much slower although apparently better). For PAL at 25fps that means it will take 25% of real time to convert. I'm may be completely talking through my arse here though. :p
 
It's going to take a while, probably almost the length of each movie. The reason is because you're re-encoding. If you don't need to re-encode, and just need to change the output container, then it might go a bit quicker.
 
Mike Hoxbig said:
It's going to take a while, probably almost the length of each movie. The reason is because you're re-encoding. If you don't need to re-encode, and just need to change the output container, then it might go a bit quicker.
Click to expand...

Didn't realize how resource intensive a process it would be....

1of2.jpg


2of2.jpg
 
If you want to steam to a DLNA device (such as your TV), consider getting a DLNA server (serviio works well) that can do transcoding on the fly. Core 2 Quad should be fast enough to cope with that.
 
Never knew how painful a process this would be, currently at 50%. I let the conversion above run... Tedious...

Not to mention reasonably taxing on resources....

Capture-26.jpg
 
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Thanks for the replies,

I did possibly consider an ATV ... thought perhaps I could get one from a friend in USA for $99.00 - and at the price it makes sense.

XBMC is pretty nifty - but my thinking was *if* the process wasn' as time consuming as it is, I could simply convert the whole lot as MP4 and it'd take care of all my needs
 
sand_man said:
Never knew how painful a process this would be, currently at 50%. I let the conversion above run... Tedious...

Not to mention reasonably taxing on resources....
Click to expand...
Yeah it's quite a task. I generally try to stay clear of converting by waiting and downloading the correct thing the first time.
 
Mike Hoxbig said:
Yeah it's quite a task. I generally try to stay clear of converting by waiting and downloading the correct thing the first time.
Click to expand...

Ja, one of the reasons I bought a Mede8er was to never worry about file formats again and I don't.

Airvideo/HDPlayer takes care of compatibility issues using the iPad but then a mate of mine wanted to take a whole lot of movies with him on holiday on his 32gb iPad so I got Winavi to compress and convert my mkv's to mp4 for him.

Maintaining the HD format is the deal breaker here though....

Sitting at 81% done now...
 
What I don't get is why Apple won't do it from the box - considering they approve applications ni their store that actually do it?
They can't have much of an issue with it - otherwise they'd just not approve the apps?
 
Dolby said:
What I don't get is why Apple won't do it from the box - considering they approve applications ni their store that actually do it?
They can't have much of an issue with it - otherwise they'd just not approve the apps?
Click to expand...

Welcome to the world of "everything just works" ;)
 
Dolby said:
What I don't get is why Apple won't do it from the box - considering they approve applications ni their store that actually do it?
They can't have much of an issue with it - otherwise they'd just not approve the apps?
Click to expand...
Apple doesn't support AVI on any of their platforms full stop. Maybe because it was developed by Microsoft? :)
 
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