Quicklink: download vidConvSharp - Firefox users: click here

A year or so ago I created a Perl script that used FFPMEG to transcode videos into iPod-compatible MPEG-4 format. The script could optionally use AtomicParsley to correctly set the TV-related metadata in the resulting file, meaning that TV shows would be treated correctly by iTunes. The script was originally written on and for Linux but I also got it working under Windows using ActivePerl. It’s not complicated to get going but it’s not exactly ‘user-friendly’ either so i decided to reimplement the script as a Visual C# application.

The result is the woefully named vidConvSharp, which can be downloaded here. Firefox users: click here

Usage is pretty straightforward: add the files that you want to convert to the list, set the Name, Season and Episode tags where appropriate (remember to tick the ‘TV Show?’ box) and then click ‘Go’. The resulting MPEG-4 will be in the same directory as the source file. Very simple, eh?

Note that the app is not a comprehensive, exhaustive front-end to FFMPEG. It does one thing and - in my horribly biased opinion - does that thing well. The resulting MPEG-4 file will play on any 5th generation video iPod and, because it transcodes to the Simple Profile, will also play on the Xbox 360*. It will possibly play on other MPEG-4 players as well but I’ve only tested it on my iPod and my Thrixty.

I generally use my iPod to play stuff back on my TV (using the A/V cables) so instead of rescaling the source video to play on the iPod’s screen (320 pixels by 240), vidConvSharp doesn’t rescale the video unless its width is greater than 640 pixels.

The command line that I’m passing to FFMPEG is as follows:

ffmpeg -y -i ${SOURCE} -r 29.97 -bitexact 1 -vcodec xvid -vol 256 -s ${X}x${Y} -b 1200k -bt 2 -acodec aac -ac 2 -ab 128 -f mp4 ${DEST}

I’ve arrived at these parameters using not a little trial and error and it works very well but I’m always open to improving it - the resulting output could be a little sharper, for example. I’d welcome any feedback anyone would like to give me. I’d also be willing to provide the (horrid) source for the app if anyone is interested.

*Note that Windows Media Player won’t stream (or even playback?) MPEG-4 video to your XBox 360. The Zune Media Player will, however, so that’s what I use. You also need the Spring ‘07 Dashboard update installed.

I kinda like this photo of Andrew playing XBox - actually, the controller is switched off and I have PGR3 showing a replay. Of course, for some of his ‘race’ he was sitting with his back to the TV so I’m not sure it really matters what was actually on the screen. I’m not sure whether or not the colour version is better though.