Transcoding DVR-MS video for the Zune
One of the coolest features of the Zune is the ability to watch video and when coupled with Windows Media Center content is limitless.
The problem is the Zune currently only supports Windows Media Video (.wmv) at 320×240 resolution, natively. In addition, the Zune does supports MPEG4 (.mp4, .m4v or .mov) and H.264 (.mp4, .m4v or .mov) video formats. These formats must be transcoded by the Zune software to the native format (.wmv) prior to synchronization. Any other video formats (dvr-ms, etc.) have to first be transcoded to a supported video format before it can be used with the Zune software. In many cases the video will have to be transcoded a second time by the Zune software before synchronization.
Windows Media Center produces MPEG2 (dvr-ms) video at 30fps, 8250 Kbs, 720×480 resolution and is currently not supported by the Zune. To get this video to work, it must first be transcoded to one of the supported format mentioned above. There are many utilities on the internet that can do this conversion.
After trying many different programs, I first bought PQ DVD to Zune Video Suite and was pretty pleased with the process to covert my dvr-ms files, mainly because it worked. PQ DVD supports conversion of video to MWV, MPEG4 and H.264 with the ability to change the resolution (640×480 or 320×240), bit rate and frame rate. However, there are a couple short comings that I never got working. First, the batch conversion process stripped the audio from the outputted video making the batch feature next to useless. Second, the MWV 320×240 video format still required the Zune to transcode the video a second time before sync even at a 900kbps bit rate. I found PQ DVD process to be inefficient because of its lack of a working batch process and single video transcode process.
I continued to look around on the internet and found a post at David Caulton blog site, Zunster.com. David works on the Zune Team at Microsoft. He recommended TMPGEnc Xpress in his Video Tools blog entry. So, I downloaded the trial version to give it a try and must say it is an exceptional product. Check out David’s blog and the TMPGEnc Xpress product page for software features. I did cough up the $99.95 price tag and it is well worth it. The TMPGEnx Xpress will produce transcoded video in the proper format to allow the Zune to sync without a second transcode.
Have you found a way to automate conversions with TMPGEnc Xpress?
onlydarksets
January 8, 2008 at 3:28 pm
[...] Xpress 4.0 (endorsed here and here, and by me for complex, one-off [...]
Transcoding « onlydarksets
January 9, 2008 at 9:12 am