Supported Video Formats

[Trunk666]

So, the websites and owner's manual say only MPEG4 and WMV are supported.

I created a 320x240 video file in an MPEG4 container with the MPEG4 codec. Makes sense, right? When I dragged it over to the player, it said the file was unsupported, but said it would store it on the player for me. The GUI didn't even indicate that the file existed.

Then, I realized that the pre-loaded files on the player are AVIs. So then I created a 320x240 video file in an AVI container with the MPEG4 codec. When I dragged that over, it didn't give me any problems.

Then when I went to play it, the player said it was an unsupported format.

I ran the pre-loaded files through GSpot to determine what was going on with them.

The specs are as follows:
Video: AVI v1.0 (container?); XviD codec; XviD ISO MPEG-4; 450-515kbps
Audio: MPEG-1 Layer 3; 44,000Hz; 128kbps

Now I'm going to create an AVI using the XviD codec and see what happens.

Then I'll try DivX and report back later.

That way, maybe we won't be forced to use the packaged ArcSoft converter. Who doesn't like a little freedom?

[CrowdAds]

[Trunk666]

OK, well I've been using SUPER (available at www.videohelp.com or erightsoft) to do a lot of my PMP/cell phone/HTPC conversion. It's very fast and simple to use.

It has a feature where you can actually select your phone/device, and it gives you all the resolutions/bitrates your device can accept.

You can also set it up manually.

If you decide to use SUPER, this method will help you create videos that work on your Pilot.

1. Select the output container: avi
2. Select the output video codec: DivX
3. Select the output audio codec: MP3
Video: 320x240; 4:3; 29.97; 528kbps
Audio: 44,100Hz; 2 channels, 128kbps
Now, here's the catch: a popup window will come up when you click Encode( Active Files). XviD is an option. That's what I picked. When I ran the output file through GSpot, it listed as an XviD ISO MPEG-4. If you select XviD in Step 2 instead of DivX, you will get an MPEG-4 codec'd file that will not be supported by the Pilot.

I took a file that I ripped from the Richie Spice bonus acoustic DVD, and it looks amazing, IMO. I chose it because I knew the source and wanted to see how the Pilot handled the bright colors. There is some blocking, but I haven't tested with higher bitrates, which should help to get rid of it.

Anyway, now we know for sure we have a definite alternative to the bundled software. I haven't tested the bundled software yet, but I may not since I don't feel like adding one more software package to my machine.

Anyway, the Pilot is pretty dope as far as I'm concerned. I just hope the 8GB versions don't start showing up in stores tomorrow. I couldn't get a Best Buy employee to help me with my questions.

Edit: Oh, regarding file size... the music video was 3:09 and was about 15.1MB at the settings listed above. It's not horrible, but it's up there. That's like a few megs over 100MB for a single TV show. I'll set it up to do one while I'm watching Curb Your Enthusiasm tonight. Woo hoo.

[Trunk666]

No support for a 656x272 1309kbps file with the XviD ISO MPEG-4 codec. GSpot lists the avi as v2.0, which is obviously different from the v1.0 files that worked.

This doesn't really help us much because the file varies so wildly (resolution, bitrate, container?) from the files that we know work. It's just a combo that we know won't work.

Edit: I just realized it has AC3 audio as well. You'd figure that the player would be smart enough to ignore that if that was the problem, but who knows.

[Trunk666]

I just thought I'd add that the music video that comes pre-loaded has a 4:3 file with letterbox stuff rendered into the file.

I'd venture to guess that 320x240 is not a maximum resolution, but an absolute requirement.

It's a bummer because more resolution, even non-changing black pixels, still adds unneeded information to your file.

I need to brush up on my conversions, but I'm going to try to test out straight letterbox files and then adding the black bars to create 4:3 files.

[Trunk666]

I just took this from an NS-DV thread. The moderator Tobey created/posted it.



I asked Tobey to post the range of parameters that work for the NS-DV as a starting point for us Pilot owners to experiment. Apparently, he created a file for the bundled Arcsoft converter that opens up the converting options.

Fortunately, the image above gives us some parameters to work with as opposed to just a resolution. I have no reason to believe that this stuff would work on an NS-DV and not a Pilot.

I don't have time to try them out today. Sorry to anyone who's interested.

Edit: 5Mbps is pretty sick for a video bitrate. Most of the 700 some odd pixels wide movies I've seen are in the 1.3-1.7 Mbps range. I haven't tried a 640x480 file on the Pilot yet. That would be awesome if it happened to work (especially for Line Out). I would be prepared to declare the Pilot the absolute winner over the 3G Nano. I just hope this thing can last through my daily tinkering/torture.

[eliasbboy]

Thanks for all the great info. I just picked up the 4gb version, and I also use Super for my encoding, so your instructions were perfect! My only prob is how do you drag a file encoded by Super into the player? The pilot appears in my computer, I can navigate to all the sub folders, but when I drag the file over I get the error message "device has not responded or has been removed".

When I try just to use the Arcsoft route, it starts re-encode the file, even if Arcsoft has previously encoded it.

I apologize if this is a silly question, but I just found these forums and have has no luck anywhere else. Thanks again for all the info!

UPDATE!!
Okay, I just ordered my "Noob" tshirt.
I changed the usb system to file and folder. Duh. I knew that........

RTFM
(R ead T he F ing Manual)

[Trunk666]

Well, I thought I had tested a 320x176 file that didn't work. I was mistaken. They work. Good thing too because I was having a heck of a time figuring out how to take a widescreen movie and converting it to 320x240 with encoded letterboxes.

[Trunk666]

I tried 640x480 and 640x352 XviD ISO MPEG-4 files today. No dice. ~500 kbps.

[Least]

Hello All,

I'm new here, and just bought the pilot yesterday.

Anyway, I just thought I'd give some information about encoding video for it in OSX

First, you need ffmpegx which you can get here: http://homepage.mac.com/major4/

Once you have that installed,
drag the file into the program. Then go to video. Change the video bitrate to 512kb/s, The video codec needs to be XviD [.AVI] (mencoder) - haven't tried all of them, but this one is the only one that worked of the ones I did try. As for video size, 320x240 and 320x176 both work on the Pilot (I tried encoding something at 320x180 and there was a green bar in playback on the pilot but not on my mac).

Under audio, make sure the audio codec is mp3 and the bitrate is 128. The framerate should be NTSC (29.97). Encode, drag the resultant file to the pilot and it should work!

ffmpegx is somewhat limited in what it converts, so you might need to pick up another program if it's not a video codec it recognizes.

Hope this helps!

[flood]

The media converter software will let you encode a 640x480 xvid avi (without any warnings of out of spec for the Pilot) but it will not work on the Pilot (i.e. unsupported error) - hopefully this tells us that the 320x240 limit is possibly not a hardware limitation and insignia will address in a software update (after I send them daily emails for a few months). Why have a tv out if you can't push a decent resolution?

[IceCream]

ive noticed that using super kinda causes out of synch audio. but only sometimes

[flood]

I haven't tested many videos but the few I have work great using:

Iriverter (google it) - if you choose the Creative Zen M template you can reduce the bitrate to 512 kbps and set the resolution to 320x240 - which the Pilot likes. I tried it with both Xvid and Divx source files up to 1.5gb - it reduced them to less than 400MB depending on the length of the video.

This program also works on linux (Kubuntu) - since it is java based (i.e. you just need Sun's Web Start installed) - which is the reason I tried it. Note there is a tarball (on their main site) and a "jpnl" install (through mplayerhq website) - I installed with the jpnl linked through mplayers website - it was much easier than trying to get debian to install the tarball.

[Tazman69]

have used SUPER making 320X240 and 320x176 using everything he says to click on and to no avail it keeps only saying "error cant open this file" "no support for this file"

and i have the NS-8V24

[dhartsoc]

I have had good luck with the free version of Any Video Converter. Have worked with Flash video, mp4, and m4v... transcoding to an avi container with the xvid codec.
Seem to have picked up some file corruption on my Pilot though. Videos are now not playing correctly in the last 24 hours. Retransfered some and they were okay again.

Funny, "supported" to me means mp4 and wmv could just be dragged into the Pilot and played. I think this language has caused much confusion and anger.

[dhartsoc]

How many of you are seeing good play back of videos on your Pilots?

Sometimes mine play perfectly. Too many times when I start the video it appears to skip the first several seconds and then becomes a audio/video hash. Now I have discovered if this happens, if I press the button to skip back to the beginning of the video it proceeds to play normally.

This is true if I use the included ArcSoft Media Converer or the free version of Any Video Converter.

I'm trying to get a sense if this is a peculiarity of the Pilot or if I should return mine to exchange for a new one.

[havel]

dhartsoc,

I've only had my Pilot for about a week and have experienced the exact same video problems. Like you I also discovered that if I skip back to the beginning of the video it will then play correctly. Fairly happy with video performance so far- just wish I could use one program to convert all the variety of podcasts, animations, etc. that I d/l and wish to view on the Pilot. I almost bought a Creative Zen but from what I've read I'd have problems there, too.

[dhartsoc]

The conversion problem is the real achilles heal for this device and others like it. I suppose it is possible to set up a server-side encoding site for use by folks with adequate bandwidth but I doubt that will happen. The best one can do is find a program that handles the file types you use on a regular basis.

I've said the free Any Video Converter works for me for Flash video (FLV), M4V, MP4, and WMV. Assuming this is not the origin of the video behavior you and I see. Slowly I am coming to believe it is a shortcoming of the Pilot, possibly fixable with a firmware update. I am on the fence as to whether to take my Pilot back for a replacement before my 14 days pass... probably will not because I don't expect it to be any different with a new unit.

Would like to hear of some more experiences.

Dana

Originally Posted by havel

dhartsoc,

I've only had my Pilot for about a week and have experienced the exact same video problems. Like you I also discovered that if I skip back to the beginning of the video it will then play correctly. Fairly happy with video performance so far- just wish I could use one program to convert all the variety of podcasts, animations, etc. that I d/l and wish to view on the Pilot. I almost bought a Creative Zen but from what I've read I'd have problems there, too.

[dhartsoc]

Someone I've been talking with spoke with Insignia support today about the video experience we are having. Support says it is a problem with the player and it should be exchanged for a new one if you are within the allowed return period. I have about four days left.

Dana

Originally Posted by havel

dhartsoc,

I've only had my Pilot for about a week and have experienced the exact same video problems. Like you I also discovered that if I skip back to the beginning of the video it will then play correctly. Fairly happy with video performance so far- just wish I could use one program to convert all the variety of podcasts, animations, etc. that I d/l and wish to view on the Pilot. I almost bought a Creative Zen but from what I've read I'd have problems there, too.

[dhartsoc]

havel,

I exchanged my Pilot for a new one yesterday. The video glitch is still there. I played 7 or 8 videos after I had it fully charged and they played perfectly. The next morning I played some of them again. This time some of them again skipped the first several seconds and the video went to pieces.

Originally Posted by havel

dhartsoc,

I've only had my Pilot for about a week and have experienced the exact same video problems. Like you I also discovered that if I skip back to the beginning of the video it will then play correctly. Fairly happy with video performance so far- just wish I could use one program to convert all the variety of podcasts, animations, etc. that I d/l and wish to view on the Pilot. I almost bought a Creative Zen but from what I've read I'd have problems there, too.

[havel]

hartsoc,

Well that's too bad... I also considered exchanging my Pilot but doesn't appear that would solve the problem. I use my Pilot to watch podcasts and have also transcoded a few shorter home movies but I never re-watch anything so the glitchy video doesn't really affect me. I wish the FF/RW worked better but I'll live w/ it- I really enjoy the video quality- I used to watch all these short podcasts on the computer but it's much cooler to be able to take them w/ me now. I have a Rio Karma for serious music listening and a Rio Carbon for audiobooks- if I could figure out the bookmarking (and importing album art) on the Pilot I would use it for that, too. Do you have a case for your Pilot yet?

Originally Posted by dhartsoc

havel,

I exchanged my Pilot for a new one yesterday. The video glitch is still there. I played 7 or 8 videos after I had it fully charged and they played perfectly. The next morning I played some of them again. This time some of them again skipped the first several seconds and the video went to pieces.