Transcoding for iPhone in Sage
I finally got around to rebuilding my HTPC (does anyone call them that anymore?) yesterday, so now I need to set my sights on getting file conversions working again. I’m pretty set on using DTb for file monitoring and processing control. For transcoding, I was going to use VLC (or possibly Handbrake), but I might look at ffmpeg instead. Also, Sage includes a transcoder, which is apparently based on ffmpeg, but I’m not sure it adds anything over ffmpeg for me.
A couple more resources:
- mencoder build that can cut/merge MPEG files without recoding
- ffmpeg Windows binaries
- Atomic Parsley (for writing MP4 metadata)
- Atomic Parsely Windows GUI (just found this – haven’t tested it)
- Coyote’s iPod guide for DTb
mencoder supports edl files, that’s what I use…
I didn’t mention this was for the iPhone, did I? Post updated.
I think I’ll end up using the mencoder version you mentioned a while back to cut the commercials, ffmpeg to do the conversion, and then Atomic Parsley to write the metadata. I haven’t tried AP yet, so I might give this GUI tool a go in the interim.
mencoder doesn’t play nice with the iphone?
Not really. Used to be it didn’t support aac at all, so you needed ffmpeg. Now, it supports aac, but it needs to be remuxed with either ffmpeg or MP4Box in order to be recognized by iTunes. So, either way I have to run 2 passes to either:
1. Remove commercials using mencoder, then convert using ffmpeg.
2. Remove commercials and convert using mencoder, then remux using ffmpeg/MP4Box.
I don’t know which has more overhead, so I’ll probably try them both. According to Coyote, splicing takes more time than remuxing, but I have two disks, so that should help.
OK – no question, the mencoder/ffmpeg solution has more overhead than the mencoder/NicMP4Box solution. In my tests, remuxing was many times faster. Plus, I’m more used to mencoder profiles than ffmpeg, so that’s the route I’m going to go.
Either way, AtomicParsley is very easy to use, so writing metadata won’t be an issue. Getting the metadata…well, I’ll start a new thread if I have any issues!
Now mencoder is giving me fits, and the video shows up black. I’m going to just use ffmpeg for now (since it just works), take the performance hit, and I’ll play with mencoder sometime down the road.
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