Tutorial: Ripping DVDs to play on your ZEN X-Fi2

[LordXenos]

@Habhome: The video file that I was able to output with MediaCoder would play fine (even synced properly) on my computer, but on my X-Fi2 it was squished from the sides and I couldn't get it to look right. When I get back to my apartment next week I'll play with it some more and post my presents. Let me know if you are able to get anything to work using MediaCoder.

[CrowdAds]

[Habhome]

@LordXenos: Reinstalled my HandBrake, and now it can at least convert the files I have been able to convert before. But I'm trying to convert a Dual-audio H.264 matroska now and it completely refuses to do it and blames it on a corrupt stack... Perhaps it doesn't support H.264? (haven't read anything about it)

[LordXenos]

H.264 support has gotten much better in their latest release... Unfortunately, that release wont encode to an .avi file.

[Habhome]

Originally Posted by LordXenos

H.264 support has gotten much better in their latest release... Unfortunately, that release wont encode to an .avi file.

Oh, darn. And my MediaCoder still encodes my files' video at twice the speed than the original... I have no idea why it does that.

[bzdbbb]

I use WinX DVD Ripper Platinum - works at about 4 times real time and straight from dvd to a useable format. Was on giveawayoftheday a while back - but it works so well I would pay for it now :P

[matt_bracken]

im finding a lot of disks now have copy protection. Should handbrke still be able to get around that? Or is that the exact point of the copy protection thats put on the disks?

[Habhome]

Originally Posted by matt_bracken

im finding a lot of disks now have copy protection. Should handbrke still be able to get around that? Or is that the exact point of the copy protection thats put on the disks?

No, handbrake wouldn't manage that. Which is why the tutorial tell you to use DVD43 to unlock the disk first.

[matt_bracken]

The face was green but it still didnt seem to work. Others seem to work fine, just some of my newer DVDs wont rip.

[cmalcolm23]

if u want an easy way to rip them, use DVDFab, its expensive but theres a month trial version which shows u how good it is. it has a whole load of presets too so its easy to set.

[PipeFighter]

First let me say Hello!!

Just joined and am really happy I found this site.
I just loaded my first movie on my X-FI2. Worked right out of the gate. My computer is about 6 years old (us old farts don’t upgrade very often)and it took the better part of the afternoon but as I am home with recent back surgery, what the heck else is there to do. I only wish I could get out of the house to show off the installed Video to my friends.

Couple of questions if I may, as I have not found an answer by searching.

First, I plan on purchasing a Micro SDHC Card. What speed (class) and MFR would anyone recommend? My research has shown me that there are numerous model numbers of cards in the world. I would like to go with the 16 gig.

Second, is there any way to show Movie Covers along with text in the X-FI2 video menu system?

Thank you all for your hard work and efforts, especially LordXenos. So easy a CaveMan (or old Plumber) can do it!!!

[royalblack]

Hey,before using Handbrake,i use other video converter software to convert videos into my zenxif2. But some videos,after converting, will kind of lag or freeze for a while and then the video will continue to play. What i notice is that,when i have my earphone to my Zen, this lagging always happen but when i play it on loudspeaker, it doesn't lag that much. So i decide to use handbrake hoping that it would solve this problem.But handbrake really doesn't help. The video continue to lag at some part. Please help

[Brett_val]

Originally Posted by royalblack

Hey,before using Handbrake,i use other video converter software to convert videos into my zenxif2. But some videos,after converting, will kind of lag or freeze for a while and then the video will continue to play. What i notice is that,when i have my earphone to my Zen, this lagging always happen but when i play it on loudspeaker, it doesn't lag that much. So i decide to use handbrake hoping that it would solve this problem.But handbrake really doesn't help. The video continue to lag at some part. Please help

Try lowering the bitrate.

[royalblack]

Originally Posted by Brett_val

Try lowering the bitrate.

I've already lowered to 800.Should i go any lower?As in,will it affect the video quality??

[Brett_val]

Originally Posted by royalblack

I've already lowered to 800.Should i go any lower?As in,will it affect the video quality??

I also notice some stuttering at 800Kbps with some videos, and just to be safe I converted a lot of them to 600, and now it plays them smoothly.

Yeah it does affect the video quality a lot, so I guess you should search for the "sweet spot". 800 seems fine for videos with little movements on the screen such as standup comedy, but when it's an action movie I guess it's worth to sacrifice some video quality in favor of smooth playback, and set it at 600.

Let me know what works for you.

[royalblack]

Originally Posted by Brett_val

I also notice some stuttering at 800Kbps with some videos, and just to be safe I converted a lot of them to 600, and now it plays them smoothly.

Yeah it does affect the video quality a lot, so I guess you should search for the "sweet spot". 800 seems fine for videos with little movements on the screen such as standup comedy, but when it's an action movie I guess it's worth to sacrifice some video quality in favor of smooth playback, and set it at 600.

Let me know what works for you.

Hey,thanks so much.I'll try it and i'll let you know

[Kenif]

This guide is great.
I'm ripping dvds in about an hour- which is great.

I remember the days of starting a rip before work and it just being finished when I got home.

[CarlW]

Hi,

I must be doing something wrong here and I hope you can help. I tried uploading an .avi to my sons XFi2. It is listed but when I try to open it, I keep getting the message "Video format is not supported". Although the video is 2min22, the duration is displayed as 299:06:08.

The video plays fine on the PC.

The source file is 71Mb MPEG4, 848x480px. After encoding it with HandBrake it's about 14Mb. Ive tried setting the width in the tab Picture Settings at 640 and 480, leaving height blank, but both settings fail. Also, I just downloaded the latest version of the XFi2 software.

Like I said, I've tried several settings and read the tutorial over and over again. I must be missing something, I just cant figure out what.

All suggestions are welcome
Carl

[Brett_val]

Originally Posted by CarlW

Hi,

I must be doing something wrong here and I hope you can help. I tried uploading an .avi to my sons XFi2. It is listed but when I try to open it, I keep getting the message "Video format is not supported". Although the video is 2min22, the duration is displayed as 299:06:08.

The video plays fine on the PC.

The source file is 71Mb MPEG4, 848x480px. After encoding it with HandBrake it's about 14Mb. Ive tried setting the width in the tab Picture Settings at 640 and 480, leaving height blank, but both settings fail. Also, I just downloaded the latest version of the XFi2 software.

Like I said, I've tried several settings and read the tutorial over and over again. I must be missing something, I just cant figure out what.

All suggestions are welcome
Carl

This guide only works for Handbrake version 0.9.3 since the newer versions don't support xvid anymore, so if it wants to update you should cancel it. Furthermore, did you set the codec to xvid and the bitrate to 800 in the picture tab?
You can also try it with Format Factory, it's basically the same program just a different interface, but at least their latest version still has xvid.

Oh I almost forgot, the audio stream can be a problem as well, I kinda lost track of what's supported and what isn't, but mp3 should work in any case.

[CarlW]

Hi Brett,

Thanks for taking the time to help me out.

I am using Handbreak 0.9.3 and I did set the codec to xvid and the bitrate to 800, so I'm kinda lost.

Furthermore, I just found out that the avi's produced by Handbreak have no audio. I missed that, cause I was only checking the video with the sound turned off.

I'll try Format Factory and see if that works.

Thanks anyway,
Carl

[CarlW]

I just downloaded Format Factory and that turns out to be an easy 2-click converter. Just need to figure out how I can make the video run fullscreen instead.

Carl