Translating Video for Your iPod
There are several methods of translating videos for viewing on iPod. You can add video that you have downloaded from the Apple iTunes store, as well as video that you already have stored on your computer. The methods are fairly inexpensive or in some cases free, and range in complexity to use and time required.
One of the easier ways to translate video for your iPod is to convert the file within iTunes. iTunes is included on the iPod installation disk and is a necessary component for adding videos to your iPod even if you choose not to use it for conversions. To use iTunes to translate video first add the video to your iTunes library. A progress bar will display at the top of the program. Once the video has been added, right click it and select Convert Selection for iPod. If the video is compatible it will be added directly to your iPod. Otherwise, if the video is not already compatible it will be converted to a H.264 format video and then added to your iPod. iTunes will keep the video proportional to its original dimensions and will not stretch it. In most cases the dimensions will be 320 pixels wide by 240 (or fewer) pixels high.
QuickTime Pro is another of the easier methods of converting video files to an acceptable iPod format. It is available for $30 and includes built in export options for iPod. It supports a limited number files types. To determine if a file can be exported first try to open the file with QuickTime. If the video can be opened with QuickTime, then it can be exported to your iPod. To export, click File on the menu bar. Select “Export” then “Movie to iPod (320 x 240)” and click Save. If the file is large it could take several hours to export. Also, H.264 format files take longer to encode. This export method also works for Apple applications built on QuickTime such as iMovie and Final Cut Pro.
iSquint is a software designed to convert video files to compatible iPod format and is available to download for free. This software supports a variety of file types: MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WMVs, and AVIs to name a few. To covert files, drag and drop them into the iSquint window and select either Optimize for iPod or Optimize for TV. Optimize for iPod ensures the file will be encoded in a format that is best for viewing on iPod. The video will be no larger than 320×240 pixels. Optimize for TV encodes the file in the largest format possible for quality video output.
AVS Video Converter is available for Windows only. A trial version can be downloaded for free. However, the free version will cause a watermark to appear throughout the video. The program can be purchased for $30. The advantage of using this program is that it supports a number of file formats that QuickTime does not. To translate video, launch the program. Select the file type MOV, QuickTime File Format. Choose the file you wish to translate from the file selection screen. Next, select the output location. Adjust the settings according to the iPod file specifications. Once you have adjusted the settings click Convert Now. Avoid using your computer during the conversion, as processor performance will be affected. Once the file has finished converting, you can drag and drop it into your iTunes library or directly onto your iPod folder if you have selected Manually Manage Files.
You can add DVDs using a program called HandBrake that can be downloaded and used for free. The application rips DVD content and converts it to MPEG-4. To rip the DVD put the disc into your DVD drive and launch Handbrake. The program will scan the disk. If it cannot read the disk due to special app protection it will give you the message “No valid title found”. Once the program has read the disk it will give you a list of titles similar to what you might see on the DVD menu screen. If you are unsure which title is the movie, select the file that has the longest duration. Select the appropriate settings and click the Rip button. It can take up to a few hours for the process to finish.
If you download your video directly from iTunes it will already be in the format needed to play on your iPod. Simply download the video. Then add it to your iPod library.
