VideoLAN Wiki - User contributions [en]

MediaWiki:Sidebar

2026-04-18T23:53:32Z

The thing: fixing sandbox link

Template:GSoC

2026-04-18T23:49:26Z

The thing: 2026

{{Navbox|title=[[VideoLAN]] [[Google Summer of Code]] (GSoC/SoC) mentoring projects|list1=[[SoC 2007|2007]] • [[SoC 2008|2008]] • [[SoC 2009|2009]] • [[SoC 2010|2010]] • [[SoC 2011|2011]] ([[GCodeIn 2011|GCi 2011]] • [[SOCIS x264 2011]]) • <s>[[SoC 2012|2012]]</s> • <s>[[SoC 2013|2013]]</s> • [[SoC 2016|2016]] • [[SoC 2017|2017]] • [[SoC 2018|2018]] • [[SoC 2019|2019]] • [[SoC 2020|2020]] • [[SoC 2021|2021]] • [[SoC 2022|2022]] • [[SoC 2023|2023]] • [[SoC 2024|2024]] • [[SoC 2025|2025]] • [[SoC 2026|2026]]}}<noinclude>
Navigational template for GSoC projects

[[Category:Footer templates]]
[[Category:Navigation templates]]
[[Category:SoC|*]]
</noinclude>

Category:Pages with ignored display titles

2026-04-18T23:37:41Z

The thing: Short description and hiding cat

__HIDDENCAT__
This is an automatically populated maintenance category. It contains pages where the <nowiki>{{DISPLAYTITLE:}}</nowiki> magic word is used with a value that is not equivalent to the page's actual title.

VLC Developers Corner

2023-12-07T19:45:41Z

The thing: typo

__NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__

{{Banner
|description=A directory of everything to do with the development of VideoLAN's projects. 
Check [[VLC media player|VLC's page]] to get info on VLC.
|links=
* [[VideoLAN]]
* [[VLC media player]]
** [https://addons.videolan.org Add-ons]
* [[Documentation:Documentation|Documentation]]
* [[VideoLAN_Sites#Developers|Developers' Sites]]
|links2=
* [https://www.videolan.org/developers Developer Zone]
* [https://nightlies.videolan.org Nightly builds]
* [https://jenkins.videolan.org Automatic builds]
|links3=
* [https://code.videolan.org/videolan/vlc/-/issues bugs, features, roadmap]
* [https://www.videolan.org/videolan/mirrors.html Mirrors check]
* [ftp://ftp.videolan.org/pub/videolan/ Main FTP]
}}


== Coding on VLC ==
* [[Getting Started At Coding|Get started at coding on VLC]]
* Get the [[GetTheSource|Source Code]] and [[Compile VLC]]
* You might be interested in our [[Mini Projects]] or [[GCodeIn_Ideas|Janitorial projects]]
* Read our [[Hacker_Guide|Hacker's Guide]]
** [[Hacker_Guide/Core|Introduction to VLC's core]]
** [[Hacker Guide/How To Write a Module|How to write a module]]
** [[Documentation:VLC_Modules_Loading|How VLC modules load]]
* [https://www.videolan.org/developers/vlc/doc/doxygen/html/ Code documentation]
* [[Code Conventions]]

=== VLC development links ===
* [https://code.videolan.org/videolan/vlc/-/issues/ GitLab] list of bugs
* vlc-devel [https://www.videolan.org/developers/lists.html mailing list], mailing list.
* [https://www.videolan.org/developers/i18n/ Translation information and stats]
* [https://www.openhub.net/p/vlc Open Hub] statistics
* [https://jenkins.videolan.org Jenkins] (Automatic builds)
* [[Nightly build]]s
* Launchpad ([https://bugs.launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+source/vlc/+bugs?field.searchtext=vlc&orderby=-date_last_updated&search=Search&field.status%3Alist=Unconfirmed&field.status%3Alist=Confirmed&field.status%3Alist=In+Progress&field.status%3Alist=Needs+Info&field.status%3Alist=Fix+Committed&field.assignee=&field.owner=&field.omit_dupes=on&field.has_patch=&field.has_no_package= recent bug changes]) ([https://bugs.launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+source/vlc/+bugs all bugs])
* [https://code.videolan.org/ code.videolan.org]
* [https://git.videolan.org/ git.videolan.org]

== Current technical discussions on VLC ==
* [[Usability Complaints]]
* [[WaylandIntegration|Wayland integration]]

=== Past discussions ===
* [[VoutRework|Vout Rework]] - improving the video output subsystem.
* [[telnet rc rewrite]] - Merging the "telnet" and "rc" controls.
* [[SimplePreferences|Simple Preferences]] - We wish to add a "simple" preferences mode, additionally to the full mode we already have.
* [[QtIntfTODO|Qt Interface TODO]] - A brand new qt4 interface ... in order to get rid of wxWidgets.
** [[QtIntfMockups]]
*** [[QtImageset]]
*** [[QtIntfMockups-DericksIdea]]
* [[Qt and GTK]]
* [[DBus-spec]] - Specification for a Common, Desktop neutral, Media Player D-Bus interface.
* [[StatsSystem |Stats System]]
* [[InteractionSystem]] - Interaction System
* [[MediaControlAPI|Media Control API]] - an '''OUTDATED''' high level player-independent media API
* [[0.8.5StringReview]]
* [[2005StringsReview]]
* [[Libavcodec regressions]]
* [[Mobile Features]]
* [[AndroidTODO]] - moved to [https://code.videolan.org/videolan/vlc/-/issues?scope=all&utf8=%E2%9C%93&state=opened&label_name[]=Component%3A%3APort%3A%20Android Gitlab Android Component] and [https://code.videolan.org/videolan/vlc/-/issues?scope=all&utf8=%E2%9C%93&state=opened&label_name[]=Component%3A%3AInterface%3A%20Android Gitlab Android Interface Component]
* [[SDI API]] - Linux-related: regarding [[wikipedia:Serial digital interface|SDI]] cards for [[V4l2]]
* [[Newplaylist]]
* [[Newsoundslider]]
* [[BOMM3U]] - [[wikipedia:Byte order mark|Byte order mark]] for [[M3U]] playlists. <code>#EXTM3U</code> means [[wikipedia:M3U#Extended_M3U|Extended M3U]]

=== Design ===
* [[WebsiteRedesign|Website Redesign]] and [[WebsiteDesign|Design Proposals]]
* [[DefaultSkinRequirements|Default Skin Requirements]] - Specifications of an eligible skin for default skin.

[[Category:Development]]

MediaWiki:Searchsuggest-search

2020-09-03T13:50:23Z

The thing: "Wiki" didn't fit in search box

Search VideoLAN

Documentation:Documentation/de

2018-04-25T03:35:56Z

The thing: No foreign templates

__NOTOC__


{|style="width:100%;margin-top:0px;background-color:#fcfcfc;border:1px solid #ccc"
|style="width:56%;color:#000"|
{|style="width:280px;border:solid 0px;background:none"
|-
|style="width:280px;text-align:center;white-space:nowrap;color:#000" |
<div style="font-size:162%;border:none;margin: 0;padding:.1em;color:#000">Willkommen bei der [[Documentation:Documentation|VideoLAN Dokumentation]],</div>
<div style="top:+0.2em;font-size: 95%">Die Referenz-Dokumentation für VideoLAN-Projekte.</div>
<div id="articlecount" style="width:100%;text-align:center;font-size:85%;">Artikel nur unter der [http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU General Public Lizenz].</div>
|}
|style="width:11%;font-size:95%;color:#000" valign="top"|
*[[VideoLAN|VideoLAN]]
*[[VLC|VLC Media Player]]
*[[Documentation|Dokumentation]]
|style="width:14%;font-size:95%" valign="top"|
*[http://www.videolan.org Hauptseite]
*[http://forum.videolan.org Forum]
*[http://planet.videolan.org Nachrichten von den Entwicklern]
|style="width:18%;font-size:95%" valign="top"|
*[http://www.videolan.org/developers/ Webseite der Entwickler]
*[http://nightlies.videolan.org Aktuelle Builds]
*[http://trac.videolan.org Trac, Fehler, SVN und Plan]
|}


''Seiten in dieser "Dokumentation" sind ein Teil der "offiziellen" VLC Media Player-Dokumentation.''

''Alle Seiten in diesen Namensraum sind lizensiert unter der [http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU General Public License].''

'''Hinweis: viele Teile dieser Dokumentation sind nicht mehr aktuell bzw. veraltet. Wenn Sie über gute Kenntnisse in einem bestimmten Thema haben und das Gefühl haben, dass es besser dokumentiert werden könnte, aktualisieren Sie bitte die entsprechenden Wiki-Seite.'''

== [[Documentation:VLC for dummies/de| VLC für Anfänger: eine Einführung in VLC]] ==
Dieses Dokument wird Ihnen eine Einführung in VLC von der Version 0.9.0 und höher geben. '''IN BEARBEITUNG'''

== [[Documentation:Play HowTo|VLC Play HowTo]] ==

Benutzer-Dokumentation für alle.

*[[Documentation:Play_HowTo/Introduction to VLC|Einführung in VideoLAN und VLC]]
**Übersicht und Verlauf des VideoLAN-Projects.
*[[Documentation:Play_HowTo/Installing VLC|Installation]]
**Installation instructions for a variety of computers.
*[[Documentation:Play_HowTo/Basic Use|VLC Verwendung]]
**How to play audio/video materials with the VLC media player. (For versions 0.9 and newer)
*[[Documentation:Play_HowTo/Advanced Use of VLC|Erweiterte Benutzung]]
**Advanced instruction on streams, filters, plug-ins and more.

== [[Documentation:Streaming HowTo|VLC Streaming HowTo]] ==

This document explains how to stream, transcode and save streams using the VideoLAN solution. '''VERALTET'''

== [[Documentation:Hacker's Guide|The Hacker's Guide to VLC]] ==

This document will detail the inner workings of VLC and its source code. '''IN BEARBEITUNG'''

== [[Documentation:Modules|Die VLC Modul-Übersicht]] ==

This document references most of the VLC modules and their options as well as some example uses. '''IN BEARBEITUNG (available content is up to date)'''

SoC 2011/LibNetMD

2018-04-25T03:35:07Z

The thing: minus ref

{{SoCProject|year=2011|student=[[User:AlexanderS|Alexander Sulfrian]]|mentor=Ilkka Ollakka}}

= Porting PythonNetMD to C to build a new libnetmd =

== Abstract ==

The idea is to port the [https://wiki.physik.fu-berlin.de/linux-minidisc/doku.php?id=netmdpython NetMD python scripts] from the [https://wiki.physik.fu-berlin.de/linux-minidisc linux-minidisc] project (for communication with Sony NetMD MiniDisc devices) to a C-based library that could be used by VLC and any free media application.

Back in 2001 [http://minidisc.org/part_Sony_MZ-N1.html], Sony started equipping their MiniDisc Walkman and decks with an USB socket and called the technology NetMD. NetMD is basically an AV/C-over-USB-based protocol which allows to send audio data to compatible devices to record them at speeds faster than realtime while remaining backwards compatible with previous MiniDisc equipment. The motivation behind NetMD was to make MiniDisc more attractive with the advent of mass-storage-based portable music players like the iPod.

Since NetMD devices still kept the old MiniDisc format, it is not possible to transfer audio data to the device without additional software. On Windows, this is achieved with the infamous software SonicStage [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SonicStage]. Naturally, this software was released for Windows only and development has ceased around 2007 with version 4.3 (4.4 in Japan). People who want to continue using their NetMD equipment are thus stuck using a compatible version of Windows. Since SonicStage uses a lot of dirty hacks (it has to be run as Administrator for full access to the Windows registry) and the NetMD devices require special drivers, the list of compatible Windows versions is quite narrow, namely 32-bits only. Naturally, Linux and MacOS aren't supported at all.

A project on Sourceforge called ''libnetmd'' [http://sourceforge.net/projects/libnetmd/], was started in 2004 to start developing a free implementation of the NetMD protocol. Since the NetMD protocol is based on a standard (AV/C-over-USB), the protocol can be implemented right a away. However, libnetmd always suffered from the fact, that music transfers to the NetMD devices are encrypted. The original libnetmd therefore never allowed to transfer any tracks to the devices. However, the implementation allowed things like renaming tracks or remote-controlling the NetMD devices.

In 2009, a new attempt for a free implementation of not only the NetMD protocol but also for HiMD support, the mass-storage-based successor to NetMD, was started. The project is called linux-minidisc [https://wiki.physik.fu-berlin.de/linux-minidisc] and has made great progress in completely reverse-engineering the NetMD protocol and the HiMD format, as well as the underlying encryption mechanisms.

While HiMD support has been implemented in a C library called ''libhimd'', NetMD can be used only through a number of inconvenient Python scripts [https://wiki.physik.fu-berlin.de/linux-minidisc/doku.php?id=netmdpython]. In fact, the Python implementation of the NetMD is complete and works on all devices. However, many parts of the code are highly experimental even though they work and most average users prefer easy-to-use GUI-based software, which will run on their platform of choice. For that, Python is not very eligible, as it is not available by default on the largest platform, Windows.

The goal of this GSoC task shall therefore be porting the PythonNetMD code from the linux-minidisc project into a C library which is supposed to replace the no longer maintained libnetmd [https://wiki.physik.fu-berlin.de/linux-minidisc/doku.php?id=portingnetmd]. Eventually, both HiMD and NetMD will be readily available from the linux-minidisc project and can be easily adopted to software applications like VLC and other free media players.

== Background and motivation ==

Python NetMD is

* command line interface only
* difficult to integrate with QHiMDTransfer (graphical transfer application for HiMD)
* requires Python (version dependency)
* requires some basic knowledge on setting up Python
* not intuitively usable
* code is in some parts highly experimental

== Current status ==

The current Python NetMD implementation allows both downloads (all NetMD models) as well digital uploads (MZ-RH1/MZ-RH200 models only) as well as titling, listing and editing of tracks as well as remote controlling NetMD units. Analog capture for upload is supported for models other than MZ-RH1/MZ-RH200. Download code contains a valid but unencumbered root key to allow necessary encryption during transfers. The download code itself is highly experimental, however.

There is already a recent attempt to port the Python code to C. The resulting tarball can be downloaded [http://users.physik.fu-berlin.de/~glaubitz/linux-minidisc/mdlib.tar.gz here]. However, it is highly recommend to use the old, much more complete ''libnetmd'' (see [http://libnetmd.sourceforge.net/]) as a basis and extend it with transfer capabilities.

== Overview Python NetMD ==

The current NetMD implementation [https://wiki.physik.fu-berlin.de/linux-minidisc/doku.php?id=netmdpython] in Python is divided into several scripts

Utilities:

* ''lsmd.py'' - list the contents of any NetMD
* ''upload.py'' - transfer tracks from NetMD to the computer (works with MZ-RH1 Walkman only)
* ''downloadhack.py'' - allows transfer of tracks from the computer to NetMD (using unencumbered keys)
* ''dump_md.py'' - allows **analogue** transfers of tracks from NetMD to the computer (any NetMD Walkman)
* ''lsusb.py'' - sample implementation of lsusb command using usb1.py
* ''mdctl.py'' - pdb-based command line to test libnetmd.py methods

Libraries:

* ''libnetmd.py'' - implementation of a NetMD library in Python (core module)
* ''libusb1.py'' - Ctypes-based python wrapper around libusb1
* ''usb1.py'' - object definitions for libusb1.py functions

== Proposed project plan ==

Since there is already a C library for NetMD available ([http://sourceforge.net/projects/libnetmd/]), it would be good idea to use this as a basis for a new implementation instead reinventing the wheel. This old implementation already allows renaming, moving, deleting tracks and so on (see [http://libnetmd.sourceforge.net/]) but lacks the capabilities to transfer tracks ''to the device'' (in Sony terminology this is referred to as '''download''') and to transfer tracks ''from the device'' (Sony calls this '''upload'''; upload is supported by the MZ-RH1/200 devices '''only''').

Considering the old ''libnetmd'' is used as a basis, the first step would be to import the source code of this library into the git repository of ''linux-minidisc''. Then, since the library has already been without maintenance since 2004, the second step would be compiling the library on a current Linux installation and fix any compiler issues that might arise. After the library has been verified to work in a current environment, it should be tested to work with Sony's MZ-RH1 MiniDisc Walkman (the latest and also last MiniDisc device available) and any problems that might arise should be patched.

After the previous rejuvenation steps, ''libnetmd'' is now ready to be extended with download and upload capabilities (note the terms mentioned above), with the help of the PythonNetMD code [https://wiki.physik.fu-berlin.de/linux-minidisc/doku.php?id=netmdpython] which serves as sample code for an implementation of both download and upload capabilities (see above summary of the Python scripts available). Since there is with the MZ-RH1 (the MZ-RH200 is a RH1 with different accessoires shipped) essentially only one MiniDisc model available which supports uploads, it's preferred to work on the implementation of the download code first.

While the upload code works unencrypted and thus without the need of any encryption keys, downloads are encrypted and require the data to be encrypted with a key accepted by the NetMD device. Since the keys are proprietary secrets of Sony Corp., we cannot use the original keys for the encryption. Luckily, the keys accepted by the NetMD hardware for an encrypted transfer can be calculated dynamically. In fact, the root key used by the ''downloadhack.py'' was encrypted with the help of a secret Sony master key. However, it is not necessary to know the secret Sony key, but it is enough to use the key that is already provided by ''downloadhack.py''. Since we created this key ourselves, we do not have to fear any issues regarding copyright infringement of proprietary code and/or information from Sony Corp.

== Summary ==

To summarize the proposed steps for the port:

# import ''libnetmd'' [http://sourceforge.net/projects/libnetmd/] into ''linux-minidisc'', subfolder ''libnetmd'' (analogous to ''libhimd'')
#: Done
# get ''libnetmd'' compile and work on a current release of any Linux distribution (might already work without patching)
#: Done
# get ''libnetmd'' to work properly with the Sony MZ-RH1 Walkman (see [http://libnetmd.sourceforge.net/] for required functionality)
#: Working: rename tracks, move tracks, play, fforward, rewind, pause, stop, setplaymode, delete tracks, print TOC
#: NOT Working: everything with groups (upload/download as expected)
# with the help of the PythonNetMD code [https://wiki.physik.fu-berlin.de/linux-minidisc/doku.php?id=netmdpython] (''downloadhack.py''), extend ''libnetmd'' with download capabilities
# '''optional''': implement upload capabilities for MZ-RH1 Walkman with the help of ''upload.py''
# '''bonus level''': adapt ''qhimdtransfer'' to work with the new ''libnetmd''

For documentation, please refer to the the wiki page [https://wiki.physik.fu-berlin.de/linux-minidisc/doku.php?id=netmdlinux] with many extremely '''helpful''' links for further reading regarding NetMD (includes specifications and patents) and ask any questions on the list [https://lists.fu-berlin.de/listinfo/linux-minidisc] and/or the IRC channel (#linux-mindisc on FreeNode).

C Sharp

2018-04-25T03:34:38Z

The thing: minus ref

This page refers to all the Work using the .Net platform interaction with VLC.

You can find HowTos and other informations.

== Approaches ==

* You can incorporate the VideoLAN ActiveX control like any other ActiveX Control (generating an Interop Assembly using `aximp.exe`, etc). In practice this is Windows-only.
* You can use a .NET wrapper for libVLC (see below). Compatible with more platforms.
* You can write your own wrapper. Writing a wrapper to LibVlc from .NET should not be that hard. Or adjust an existing wrapper to your liking.

== Related projects dealing with a .Net wrapper for libvlc: ==

Vlc.DotNet is the most advanced as of January 2016.

* [[.Net Interface to VLC]] (actually LibVLC)
* [http://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=58438 libvlcnet - .NET library based on libvlc]
* [http://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=52021 Videolan.Interop for libvlc 0.9.0]
* [http://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=47385 Marx C# wrapper for libvlc 0.9.0]
* [http://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=57555 Vlc.DotNet for WinForms & WPF], moved to [https://github.com/ZeBobo5/Vlc.DotNet Vlc.DotNet] and still maintained as of January 2016.
* [http://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=36249 VLC Element for WPF]

== License considerations ==

* Using ActiveX API allows any license for your caller code.
* Since LibVLC is LGPL, using it directly allows proprietary code (but watch out respecting LGPL, which includes letting end user replace the LGPL library with their own variant).
* Some wrappers have a permissive licence (e.g. MIT) which also allows proprietary code.

[[Category:Bindings]]

IPod Video Conversion Guide

2018-04-25T03:29:21Z

The thing: /* Using Batch Files */ Bad idea

{{lowercase}}
{{howto|Make your Video Files playable on an iPod using vlc 0.8.6}}

The following is a guide for converting (transcoding to file) any video that VLC Media Player (VLC) can play into a format that the Apple iPod can play. This should be "fool proof." This guide does not cover the process of putting those files onto an iPod.

To play on this device, the file you copy to it needs to be of the correct format. This format is summarized below:

{|
|-
| Video Codec
| '''mp4v''' ([[MPEG4]])
|-
| Audio Codec
| '''mp4a''' ([[MP4 audio]]), '''aac''' ([[AAC]])
|-
| [[Container]]
| '''mp4''' ([[MPEG-4|MPEG4/MOV]])
|-
| Size
| 320x240 or 640 x 480 for iPod Classic, iPhone, and iPod Touch
| Widescreen iPod Classic, iPhone, and iPod Touch support 640 x 360 Other iPods support 320 x 180
|}

== Why Use VLC to Convert Video for the iPod? ==

If you're looking for the absolute highest quality in video conversion, then do NOT use VLC to convert Video for the iPod. There are many, probably too many, programs already available.

I prefer to use VLC to convert to iPod video, because I know that if VLC can play the file, then VLC can convert it for my iPod. I can also use VLC in a script, which means I can tie it into my intranet, run conversions automatically, and/or keep "profiles" (by using scripts) for each video format that I'd like to convert. In addition, converting to iPod video with VLC is very quick, because the encoder is only doing one pass. This means that VLC is not just good for converting to iPod video, but it is also good for converting to any type of video, where I need versatility and speed.

If considering the disk space on an iPod and the battery life, I think it is unnecessary to worry about file size/quality. Whereas a person can store their entire music library on an iPod, a person will not be able to store their entire video library on an iPod. At some point, that person will need to come home, dock the iPod, and transfer files. It is more likely that a movie, a music video, or at most a complete television series will be stored on the iPod.

== Converting a Video with the Graphical User Interface ==

Open VLC. Please be sure you are using the default settings for VLC. Please be especially sure that you do not have "repeat" set, as you will infinitely overwrite your transcoded file.

http://www.kludgeroo.com/linked/videolan/vlc_ipod_converstion_8.6a.html_files/b8f63409-cb02-11db-8d2f-e8beb4eeadb9.png

Click "File" then "Open File", which will bring up the Open dialog.

 http://www.kludgeroo.com/linked/videolan/vlc_ipod_converstion_8.6a.html_files/2afeac56-cb03-11db-8d30-e8beb4eeadb9.png"

 Be sure that you are on the File tab. Click Browse and select the file that you would like to convert. Now check the Stream/Save box and click the Settings ... button. This will open the Stream Output dialog. This is where the magic happens.

 http://www.kludgeroo.com/linked/videolan/vlc_ipod_converstion_8.6a.html_files/8f7744fe-cb03-11db-8d31-e8beb4eeadb9.png

*Notice that when you first open the dialog (if you haven't already tried to stream/save a file in this session) the Stream output MRL box at the top is empty. As you make your selections in the rest of this window, that box will fill up with your options in a form that the VLC executable understands.
*First, check the File box, then click the Browse... button to the right. Now choose the name of the file that will be created during the conversion. Be sure to change the extension to "mp4".
*Now choose the Encapsulation method. This is also known as the "container". Select MP4.

*Go to Transcoding options next and check Video codec. Change the box to its immediate right to mp4v or h264. The next box to the right changes the bitrate of the video. I recommend 768 kb/s. Note - for higher quality and only a slight increase in file size, use 1024. This will make watching the video tolerable if you use the ipod AV cable and a TV
*Still in the Transcoding options area, check the Audio codec box, and change the box to its immediate right to mp4a. The next box to the right changes the audio bitrate. I recommend 64 kb/s or 96 kb/s. Note - For higher quality (and not terrible file size) use 128. If you output the file over decent speakers or if the movie has a complex soundtrack, this will make a noticeable difference.

http://www.kludgeroo.com/linked/videolan/vlc_ipod_converstion_8.6a.html_files/cea16d6e-cb06-11db-8d4f-e8beb4eeadb9.png

So far, everything is fairly standard, but here comes the tricky part. Go back up to the "Stream output MRL Target:" box. Notice that the box is full of text. Look for the part that has #transcode{ }, and type '''width=320,canvas-height=240''' somewhere inside the { }. Do not add extra spaces. This setting changes the width to 320 pixels and adds black bars above and below the movie, allowing all movies to maintain the appearance of their original aspect ratio. '''Be careful''' here. If you change any of the settings below this box, you will have to re-enter the width and height settings.

Click OK to close the Stream ouput dialog, then click OK to close the File open dialog. The movie should now start playing without showing the picture on the screen. When it is complete you should have an iPod compatible file.

== Converting a Video through the Command-line ==

Conversion via the command-line is a little beyond the scope of this document, but using VLC in a script is my favorite way to convert videos. This generally allows me the leisure of dragging the file onto the script and magically getting my new iPod file in a certain directory.

Generally speaking, the format of the command can be:

vlc -vvv "my video.avi" :sout="#transcode{width=320,canvas-height=240,vcodec=mp4v, vb=768, acodec=mp4a, ab=96, channels=2}:std{access=file, mux=mp4, url=myvideo.mp4}" vlc:quit

On a Windows machine, I use the following batch script for drag and drop functionality. Once a file is dropped onto it, vlc converts the video to a folder that is set in the script.

The ipod video is saved in "<code>My Documents/ipod video</code>". You must create this folder '''before''' using this script.

<code></code>

@REM Remove the quotes from %1 variable for vlc paramters
@SET infile=%1
@SET infile=%infile:"=%
@REM Strip directory paths from %1 ...
@FOR /F "delims=" %%i in ("%infile%") do SET filename=%%~ni
@SET outdir=%userprofile%\My Documents\ipod video\
@SET outfile=%outdir%%filename%.mp4
@REM The following command should be on ONE line only.
@REM Be sure to remove the carriage returns in your batch file.
"C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" -vvv "%infile%" :sout="#transcode{width=320, canvas-height=240, vcodec=mp4v, vb=768, acodec=mp4a, ab=96, channels=2}:standard{access=file,mux=mp4,url=%outfile%}" vlc:quit

 

== Converting with Subtitles ==

The basic rule for subtitles is: if you can see them in VLC, then you can put them in your converted video; however, getting this to work can be tricky. Essentially, you use the '''soverlay''' option in the #transcode{...} section to tell VLC that it needs to combine the video and the subtitle streams into one video stream. Of course, that means nothing if you don't know how to get subtitles to display in the first place.

Subtitles for video can be stored in the orginal file as images or text. Subtitles can also come from a separate text file. It all depends on the original video file. Despite where the subtitles come from, you need to first get the subtitles to appear in VLC during normal playback.

If the subtitles are a part of the original file (as with DVD, SVCD, OGM, or MKV video), you will need to use the '''sub-track''' option to select the desired subtitle track. You will specify this option ''after'' the #transcode {...} section.

http://www.kludgeroo.com/linked/videolan/vlc_ipod_converstion_8.6a.html_files/8965ad57a-cb06-11db-8d4f-e8beb4eeadb9.png"

To find the track numbers for the original file, play the file in VLC, click on the Video menu, and view the available tracks under Subtitles Track. The value that you will use for sub-track is the value in this list minus 1. From the picture above, you would specify sub-track=2 to get the second English track listed. (Use sub-track=5 for Deutsch.) To tie it all together, your #transcode{...} section would look like this:

#transcode{...,'''soverlay'''}:stuff{...options...}''' :sub-track=2'''

Depending on the original file, you may also be able to get away with using the '''sub-language''' option instead of specifying the exact subtitle track. Note that this would play the first English track if we specified sub-language=English. Your #transcode{...} section would look like this:

#transcode{...,'''soverlay'''}:stuff{...options...}''' :sub-language=English'''

Now that you have the video playing with subtitles, you can create a video with the subtitles overlayed on the video, using the same methods at the top of the document.

For best results, first transcode to file ''without'' setting a new width or height (the width=320,canvas-height=240 setting in the #transcode{...} section). After you have made the larger file with the subtitles overlayed, then convert to the smaller iPod width and height. This will make it so that your subtitles appear in the correct proportions on the smaller screen size.

== Testing Your New File ==

Now as I stated earlier, I've run many tests on different input file formats and containers. Currently it is very rare for me to find a file that I cannot convert. As far as testing the file goes, I strongly recommend using Apple's Quicktime player. It is much faster than repeatedly transferring the video to your iPod, disconnecting the iPod, and playing the video. Unfortunately, Quicktime is only available on Mac and Windows.

== Best video output for your ipod ==

Why would you want the best output? Because (many people don't know that) you can play movie on TV from your ipod with a single (usually cheap) cable. I have i Ipod video of the 5th generation and after several hours of testing here are my conclusions:

H264 from vlc does not seem to be supported on this generation so the choice is Mp4v all the way.(althoug h264 would be a better codec)

The maximum output resolution is 800 X 400. Any values below that is supported. Your better off keeping the same aspect ratio as the source. for example: most dvds are 720 x 480 so you should put 600 x 400 to keep that same ratio.

If you dont keep the same ratio VLC will crop or add black canvas depending on what you are doing that means your video will never be odd looking.

The maximum Bitrate supported is 2400 kbps.

Adding <code>,deinterlace</code> to the #transcode{} section to deinterlace the video is a good idea but not necessary as it will correct the interlaced material and does not have an impact on uninterlaced material.

== Solving Problems with Your New File ==

Here are some of my most notable problems and their solutions.

=== VLC closes without outputting anything or the file is 0kb. ===

*Make sure you are only converting the movie, not a playlist.
*If you're using a script, make sure your script is correct. (I admit, the one I provided will probably have faults.)

=== My file is very small or only audio is recorded or only some of the video is present. ===

*More than likely, the input file is slightly corrupted in a spot or you are using the mp4v generic codec instead of the h264 codec. h264 really does work more consistently.
*Try adding '''fps=25,samplerate=44100''' to the #transcode{...} section.
*Your CPU may be getting too hot. Seriously. This was happening to me on one of my machines, and when I tried it on another, conversion worked fine. Using a thermometer on the original CPU/heatsink, I discovered that the CPU jumped to 70 degrees during conversion! Solution: get another fan.

=== iTunes will not accept the new mp4 file ===

*If converting WMV, ASF or DVR-MS, you can probably use the '''vcodec=mp4v''' instead. There seems to be a problem with the output container when using these as file inputs.

== Notes ==

*The 5G and 5.5G of iPod video (with latest firmware) support video resolutions up to 640x480; however, the screen resolution is still 320x240. This may only be useful with subtitled videos, as it removes the second step of resizing the overlayed video.

== Older version of this howto ==

To make the video the correct size, you can edit the [[Preferences]], or run vlc from a [[Command prompt]].

<code></code>

vlc "input_filename" :sout="#transcode{vcodec=mp4v, vb=512, acodec=mp4a, ab=128, channels=2, audio-sync, width=320, height=240}:std{access=file, mux=mp4,url="output_filename"}" --aspect-ratio=width:height

 

This all goes on one line, and you'll need to fill in some of the values: the input and output filenames, plus the aspect ratio of the input file. By default vlc will stretch the video to the size specified by sout-transcode-height and width, but if you tell vlc the file's aspect ratio, it will scale and put a black border around it. The aspect ratio can be written as a ratio of width and height, with a colon between the two, or as a decimal.

Further I found that the iPod was particular about the parameter "channels" being set to 2. I found that without this parameter iTunes would import the file into the library but would not be able to upload the same to the iPod.

Further during my experiments I figured out that it was better to stick with MPEG4 encoding for the video stream. While H.264 codec is the latest video compression standard I found the resultant file size usually larger than when the MPEG4 compression mode was used, keeping all the other parameters like the resolution and the bitrate same. This definitely seems contradictory to what I would have expected but these were the findings of my experiments while using videoLan VLC media player.

(In fact, if the bit rates are chosen equally, the file sizes can be expected to be roughly the same. The advantage of h.264 over mpeg4 is its better video quality with the same bit rate or the allowance for lower bit rates and thus smaller files with comparable video quality.)

If you would like to try using H.264 set the parameter vcodec to h264 in the above command line as follows

<code></code>

vlc "input_filename" :sout="#transcode{vcodec=h264, vb=512, acodec=mp4a, ab=128, channels=2, audio-sync, width=320, height=240}:std{access=file, mux=mp4,url="output_filename"}"--aspect-ratio=width:height

 

A useful tip - If you intend to create a batch file that would transcode several titles in a DVD one after the other use the keyword vlc:quit as follows

<code></code>

vlc "input_filename" :sout="#transcode{vcodec=h264, vb=512, acodec=mp4a, ab=128, channels=2, audio-sync, width=320, height=240}:std{access=file, mux=mp4,url="output_filename"}" vlc:quit --aspect-ratio=width:height

 

== Converting Oddly Sized Input Videos to View on the iPod Video ==

The command-line examples above did not work for me when converting video that did not already have a 4:3 aspect ratio. After converting the video, iTunes would not load the video into my library, and I would get "invalid data" errors when trying to view the file in the Quicktime Player. It seams as of at least version 8.6a (not tested on previous versions), vlc will use just the height value to determine the resultant width, while maintaining the original aspect ratio, not the specified ratio.

To remedy this, I used the '''sout-transcode-canvas-height''' option with the '''sout-transcode-width''' and removed the specific aspect ratio option and the specific height declaration. My example command-line is below:

<code></code>

vlc.exe -vvv "my video.avi" :sout="#transcode{vcodec=mp4v, vb=768, acodec=mp4a, ab=96, channels=2, samplerate=22050, width=320, canvas-height=240}:std{access=file, mux=mp4, url=myvideo.mp4}" vlc:quit

 

'''NOTE''' I've noticed that some files encoded with XVID come out without video. If this happens, try using vcodec=h264.

This command will start vlc, transcode the video to file, and quit when complete. The resultant video will be 320x240 with a black canvas filling in the height to the video borders. If the input is already has a 4:3 (320x240) aspect ratio, then no border will appear.

Here is an [http://www.kludgeroo.com/linked/videolan/vlc_test_conversion_ipod.mp4 iPod format sample video] converted with vlc.

== Using Batch Files ==

Here is the info for a batch file to convert videos one after another, although you have to enter your input and output values yourself (use find and replace, or, if you are better than me, make an actual script/program). Make sure the output names are different or else it will get stuck and/or overwrite the old one

<code></code>

vlc "'''input_filename'''" :sout="#transcode{vcodec=mp4v, vb=512, acodec=mp4a, ab=128, channels=2, audio-sync, width=320, height=240}:std{access=file, mux=mp4,url="'''output_filename'''"}" vlc:quit --aspect-ratio=width:height

 

<code></code>

vlc "'''input_filename(1)'''" :sout="#transcode{vcodec=mp4v, vb=512, acodec=mp4a, ab=128, channels=2, audio-sync, width=320, height=240}:std{access=file, mux=mp4,url="'''output_filename(1)'''"}" vlc:quit --aspect-ratio=width:height

 

......etc for each video to convert (useful for converting short .flv or .gvi, or pretty much any file) I relise this is inefficient,

but hopefully someone will make a script (vlc seems best for making ipod videos from any source).

'''NOTE2:''' I find that if i have spaces in the output it doesn't work, but this seems to be a problem with the .bat file. just don't use spaces and use an autorenamer to rename ([http://batchrenamer.sourceforge.net/])

'''NOTE:''' If you can somehow to get 264 to work (megui makes it work...) just change ''vcodec=mp4v'' to ''vcodec=h264''.

The script to drag and drop files (for Windows) is as follows:

<code></code>

C:\PROGRA~1\VIDEOLAN\VLC\VLC -vvv %1 :sout=#transcode{vcodec=mp4v,vb=512,acodec=mp4a,ab=128,channels=2,width=320,height=240}:duplicate{dst=std{access=file,mux=mp4,dst=%1.m4p}}
pause

There is no problem with spaces in filenames.

''This is also described (with snapshots) on http://tom.zickel.org/vlcmp4/''

{{forum|15971}}

If the audio ends up being too quiet, the easiest way to make it louder is in the "Get Info" box in iTunes.

[[File:Ipod.jpg]]

== Version 0.9.2 and later ==

Some of these tips won't work with VLC 0.9.2, but the following command line should work with 0.9.2

vlc -vvv "my_video.avi" :sout=#transcode{width=320,canvas-height=240,vcodec=mp4v,vb=768,acodec=mp4a,ab=96,channels=2}:duplicate{dst=std{access=file,mux=mp4,dst=video.mp4}} vlc://quit

VLC 1.0.2 uses the same command line parameters as VLC 0.9.2. However neither VLC 0.9.2 nor VLC 1.0.2 is able to create any video files that Quicktime (and therefore iTunes) can play. Quicktime complains about errors in files generated by transcode options (other than the two below) that worked fine when using VLC 0.8.6a.

If you want to try for yourself, the changes to the command line parameters from 0.8.6 to 0.9.2 and later are 
<pre>url=video.mp4
</pre>
changing to 
<pre>dst=video.mp4
</pre>
And 
<pre>vlc:quit
</pre>
changing to 
<pre>vlc://quit
</pre>
to allow VLC to quit and let Windows close the command prompt window. 

== Credits ==

Written by loqu (AKA Rob), http://www.kludgeroo.com/linked/videolan/vlc_ipod_converstion_8.6a.html

I've tested this guide on many containers, with and without subtitles. This is an evolving guide, so please refer to http://www.kludgeroo.com/linked/videolan/vlc_ipod_converstion_8.6a.html for the original.

Before I begin I'd like to thank the good people over at http://www.videolan.org for making a great multi-platform media program. I decided to make this guide, because I had to invest much of my time to get this to work. This is my way of giving back to the community.

{{Outdated}}

IPod Video Conversion Guide

2018-04-25T03:28:44Z

The thing: /* Using Batch Files */ Image fix

{{lowercase}}
{{howto|Make your Video Files playable on an iPod using vlc 0.8.6}}

The following is a guide for converting (transcoding to file) any video that VLC Media Player (VLC) can play into a format that the Apple iPod can play. This should be "fool proof." This guide does not cover the process of putting those files onto an iPod.

To play on this device, the file you copy to it needs to be of the correct format. This format is summarized below:

{|
|-
| Video Codec
| '''mp4v''' ([[MPEG4]])
|-
| Audio Codec
| '''mp4a''' ([[MP4 audio]]), '''aac''' ([[AAC]])
|-
| [[Container]]
| '''mp4''' ([[MPEG-4|MPEG4/MOV]])
|-
| Size
| 320x240 or 640 x 480 for iPod Classic, iPhone, and iPod Touch
| Widescreen iPod Classic, iPhone, and iPod Touch support 640 x 360 Other iPods support 320 x 180
|}

== Why Use VLC to Convert Video for the iPod? ==

If you're looking for the absolute highest quality in video conversion, then do NOT use VLC to convert Video for the iPod. There are many, probably too many, programs already available.

I prefer to use VLC to convert to iPod video, because I know that if VLC can play the file, then VLC can convert it for my iPod. I can also use VLC in a script, which means I can tie it into my intranet, run conversions automatically, and/or keep "profiles" (by using scripts) for each video format that I'd like to convert. In addition, converting to iPod video with VLC is very quick, because the encoder is only doing one pass. This means that VLC is not just good for converting to iPod video, but it is also good for converting to any type of video, where I need versatility and speed.

If considering the disk space on an iPod and the battery life, I think it is unnecessary to worry about file size/quality. Whereas a person can store their entire music library on an iPod, a person will not be able to store their entire video library on an iPod. At some point, that person will need to come home, dock the iPod, and transfer files. It is more likely that a movie, a music video, or at most a complete television series will be stored on the iPod.

== Converting a Video with the Graphical User Interface ==

Open VLC. Please be sure you are using the default settings for VLC. Please be especially sure that you do not have "repeat" set, as you will infinitely overwrite your transcoded file.

http://www.kludgeroo.com/linked/videolan/vlc_ipod_converstion_8.6a.html_files/b8f63409-cb02-11db-8d2f-e8beb4eeadb9.png

Click "File" then "Open File", which will bring up the Open dialog.

 http://www.kludgeroo.com/linked/videolan/vlc_ipod_converstion_8.6a.html_files/2afeac56-cb03-11db-8d30-e8beb4eeadb9.png"

 Be sure that you are on the File tab. Click Browse and select the file that you would like to convert. Now check the Stream/Save box and click the Settings ... button. This will open the Stream Output dialog. This is where the magic happens.

 http://www.kludgeroo.com/linked/videolan/vlc_ipod_converstion_8.6a.html_files/8f7744fe-cb03-11db-8d31-e8beb4eeadb9.png

*Notice that when you first open the dialog (if you haven't already tried to stream/save a file in this session) the Stream output MRL box at the top is empty. As you make your selections in the rest of this window, that box will fill up with your options in a form that the VLC executable understands.
*First, check the File box, then click the Browse... button to the right. Now choose the name of the file that will be created during the conversion. Be sure to change the extension to "mp4".
*Now choose the Encapsulation method. This is also known as the "container". Select MP4.

*Go to Transcoding options next and check Video codec. Change the box to its immediate right to mp4v or h264. The next box to the right changes the bitrate of the video. I recommend 768 kb/s. Note - for higher quality and only a slight increase in file size, use 1024. This will make watching the video tolerable if you use the ipod AV cable and a TV
*Still in the Transcoding options area, check the Audio codec box, and change the box to its immediate right to mp4a. The next box to the right changes the audio bitrate. I recommend 64 kb/s or 96 kb/s. Note - For higher quality (and not terrible file size) use 128. If you output the file over decent speakers or if the movie has a complex soundtrack, this will make a noticeable difference.

http://www.kludgeroo.com/linked/videolan/vlc_ipod_converstion_8.6a.html_files/cea16d6e-cb06-11db-8d4f-e8beb4eeadb9.png

So far, everything is fairly standard, but here comes the tricky part. Go back up to the "Stream output MRL Target:" box. Notice that the box is full of text. Look for the part that has #transcode{ }, and type '''width=320,canvas-height=240''' somewhere inside the { }. Do not add extra spaces. This setting changes the width to 320 pixels and adds black bars above and below the movie, allowing all movies to maintain the appearance of their original aspect ratio. '''Be careful''' here. If you change any of the settings below this box, you will have to re-enter the width and height settings.

Click OK to close the Stream ouput dialog, then click OK to close the File open dialog. The movie should now start playing without showing the picture on the screen. When it is complete you should have an iPod compatible file.

== Converting a Video through the Command-line ==

Conversion via the command-line is a little beyond the scope of this document, but using VLC in a script is my favorite way to convert videos. This generally allows me the leisure of dragging the file onto the script and magically getting my new iPod file in a certain directory.

Generally speaking, the format of the command can be:

vlc -vvv "my video.avi" :sout="#transcode{width=320,canvas-height=240,vcodec=mp4v, vb=768, acodec=mp4a, ab=96, channels=2}:std{access=file, mux=mp4, url=myvideo.mp4}" vlc:quit

On a Windows machine, I use the following batch script for drag and drop functionality. Once a file is dropped onto it, vlc converts the video to a folder that is set in the script.

The ipod video is saved in "<code>My Documents/ipod video</code>". You must create this folder '''before''' using this script.

<code></code>

@REM Remove the quotes from %1 variable for vlc paramters
@SET infile=%1
@SET infile=%infile:"=%
@REM Strip directory paths from %1 ...
@FOR /F "delims=" %%i in ("%infile%") do SET filename=%%~ni
@SET outdir=%userprofile%\My Documents\ipod video\
@SET outfile=%outdir%%filename%.mp4
@REM The following command should be on ONE line only.
@REM Be sure to remove the carriage returns in your batch file.
"C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" -vvv "%infile%" :sout="#transcode{width=320, canvas-height=240, vcodec=mp4v, vb=768, acodec=mp4a, ab=96, channels=2}:standard{access=file,mux=mp4,url=%outfile%}" vlc:quit

 

== Converting with Subtitles ==

The basic rule for subtitles is: if you can see them in VLC, then you can put them in your converted video; however, getting this to work can be tricky. Essentially, you use the '''soverlay''' option in the #transcode{...} section to tell VLC that it needs to combine the video and the subtitle streams into one video stream. Of course, that means nothing if you don't know how to get subtitles to display in the first place.

Subtitles for video can be stored in the orginal file as images or text. Subtitles can also come from a separate text file. It all depends on the original video file. Despite where the subtitles come from, you need to first get the subtitles to appear in VLC during normal playback.

If the subtitles are a part of the original file (as with DVD, SVCD, OGM, or MKV video), you will need to use the '''sub-track''' option to select the desired subtitle track. You will specify this option ''after'' the #transcode {...} section.

http://www.kludgeroo.com/linked/videolan/vlc_ipod_converstion_8.6a.html_files/8965ad57a-cb06-11db-8d4f-e8beb4eeadb9.png"

To find the track numbers for the original file, play the file in VLC, click on the Video menu, and view the available tracks under Subtitles Track. The value that you will use for sub-track is the value in this list minus 1. From the picture above, you would specify sub-track=2 to get the second English track listed. (Use sub-track=5 for Deutsch.) To tie it all together, your #transcode{...} section would look like this:

#transcode{...,'''soverlay'''}:stuff{...options...}''' :sub-track=2'''

Depending on the original file, you may also be able to get away with using the '''sub-language''' option instead of specifying the exact subtitle track. Note that this would play the first English track if we specified sub-language=English. Your #transcode{...} section would look like this:

#transcode{...,'''soverlay'''}:stuff{...options...}''' :sub-language=English'''

Now that you have the video playing with subtitles, you can create a video with the subtitles overlayed on the video, using the same methods at the top of the document.

For best results, first transcode to file ''without'' setting a new width or height (the width=320,canvas-height=240 setting in the #transcode{...} section). After you have made the larger file with the subtitles overlayed, then convert to the smaller iPod width and height. This will make it so that your subtitles appear in the correct proportions on the smaller screen size.

== Testing Your New File ==

Now as I stated earlier, I've run many tests on different input file formats and containers. Currently it is very rare for me to find a file that I cannot convert. As far as testing the file goes, I strongly recommend using Apple's Quicktime player. It is much faster than repeatedly transferring the video to your iPod, disconnecting the iPod, and playing the video. Unfortunately, Quicktime is only available on Mac and Windows.

== Best video output for your ipod ==

Why would you want the best output? Because (many people don't know that) you can play movie on TV from your ipod with a single (usually cheap) cable. I have i Ipod video of the 5th generation and after several hours of testing here are my conclusions:

H264 from vlc does not seem to be supported on this generation so the choice is Mp4v all the way.(althoug h264 would be a better codec)

The maximum output resolution is 800 X 400. Any values below that is supported. Your better off keeping the same aspect ratio as the source. for example: most dvds are 720 x 480 so you should put 600 x 400 to keep that same ratio.

If you dont keep the same ratio VLC will crop or add black canvas depending on what you are doing that means your video will never be odd looking.

The maximum Bitrate supported is 2400 kbps.

Adding <code>,deinterlace</code> to the #transcode{} section to deinterlace the video is a good idea but not necessary as it will correct the interlaced material and does not have an impact on uninterlaced material.

== Solving Problems with Your New File ==

Here are some of my most notable problems and their solutions.

=== VLC closes without outputting anything or the file is 0kb. ===

*Make sure you are only converting the movie, not a playlist.
*If you're using a script, make sure your script is correct. (I admit, the one I provided will probably have faults.)

=== My file is very small or only audio is recorded or only some of the video is present. ===

*More than likely, the input file is slightly corrupted in a spot or you are using the mp4v generic codec instead of the h264 codec. h264 really does work more consistently.
*Try adding '''fps=25,samplerate=44100''' to the #transcode{...} section.
*Your CPU may be getting too hot. Seriously. This was happening to me on one of my machines, and when I tried it on another, conversion worked fine. Using a thermometer on the original CPU/heatsink, I discovered that the CPU jumped to 70 degrees during conversion! Solution: get another fan.

=== iTunes will not accept the new mp4 file ===

*If converting WMV, ASF or DVR-MS, you can probably use the '''vcodec=mp4v''' instead. There seems to be a problem with the output container when using these as file inputs.

== Notes ==

*The 5G and 5.5G of iPod video (with latest firmware) support video resolutions up to 640x480; however, the screen resolution is still 320x240. This may only be useful with subtitled videos, as it removes the second step of resizing the overlayed video.

== Older version of this howto ==

To make the video the correct size, you can edit the [[Preferences]], or run vlc from a [[Command prompt]].

<code></code>

vlc "input_filename" :sout="#transcode{vcodec=mp4v, vb=512, acodec=mp4a, ab=128, channels=2, audio-sync, width=320, height=240}:std{access=file, mux=mp4,url="output_filename"}" --aspect-ratio=width:height

 

This all goes on one line, and you'll need to fill in some of the values: the input and output filenames, plus the aspect ratio of the input file. By default vlc will stretch the video to the size specified by sout-transcode-height and width, but if you tell vlc the file's aspect ratio, it will scale and put a black border around it. The aspect ratio can be written as a ratio of width and height, with a colon between the two, or as a decimal.

Further I found that the iPod was particular about the parameter "channels" being set to 2. I found that without this parameter iTunes would import the file into the library but would not be able to upload the same to the iPod.

Further during my experiments I figured out that it was better to stick with MPEG4 encoding for the video stream. While H.264 codec is the latest video compression standard I found the resultant file size usually larger than when the MPEG4 compression mode was used, keeping all the other parameters like the resolution and the bitrate same. This definitely seems contradictory to what I would have expected but these were the findings of my experiments while using videoLan VLC media player.

(In fact, if the bit rates are chosen equally, the file sizes can be expected to be roughly the same. The advantage of h.264 over mpeg4 is its better video quality with the same bit rate or the allowance for lower bit rates and thus smaller files with comparable video quality.)

If you would like to try using H.264 set the parameter vcodec to h264 in the above command line as follows

<code></code>

vlc "input_filename" :sout="#transcode{vcodec=h264, vb=512, acodec=mp4a, ab=128, channels=2, audio-sync, width=320, height=240}:std{access=file, mux=mp4,url="output_filename"}"--aspect-ratio=width:height

 

A useful tip - If you intend to create a batch file that would transcode several titles in a DVD one after the other use the keyword vlc:quit as follows

<code></code>

vlc "input_filename" :sout="#transcode{vcodec=h264, vb=512, acodec=mp4a, ab=128, channels=2, audio-sync, width=320, height=240}:std{access=file, mux=mp4,url="output_filename"}" vlc:quit --aspect-ratio=width:height

 

== Converting Oddly Sized Input Videos to View on the iPod Video ==

The command-line examples above did not work for me when converting video that did not already have a 4:3 aspect ratio. After converting the video, iTunes would not load the video into my library, and I would get "invalid data" errors when trying to view the file in the Quicktime Player. It seams as of at least version 8.6a (not tested on previous versions), vlc will use just the height value to determine the resultant width, while maintaining the original aspect ratio, not the specified ratio.

To remedy this, I used the '''sout-transcode-canvas-height''' option with the '''sout-transcode-width''' and removed the specific aspect ratio option and the specific height declaration. My example command-line is below:

<code></code>

vlc.exe -vvv "my video.avi" :sout="#transcode{vcodec=mp4v, vb=768, acodec=mp4a, ab=96, channels=2, samplerate=22050, width=320, canvas-height=240}:std{access=file, mux=mp4, url=myvideo.mp4}" vlc:quit

 

'''NOTE''' I've noticed that some files encoded with XVID come out without video. If this happens, try using vcodec=h264.

This command will start vlc, transcode the video to file, and quit when complete. The resultant video will be 320x240 with a black canvas filling in the height to the video borders. If the input is already has a 4:3 (320x240) aspect ratio, then no border will appear.

Here is an [http://www.kludgeroo.com/linked/videolan/vlc_test_conversion_ipod.mp4 iPod format sample video] converted with vlc.

== Using Batch Files ==

Here is the info for a batch file to convert videos one after another, although you have to enter your input and output values yourself (use find and replace, or, if you are better than me, make an actual script/program). Make sure the output names are different or else it will get stuck and/or overwrite the old one

<code></code>

vlc "'''input_filename'''" :sout="#transcode{vcodec=mp4v, vb=512, acodec=mp4a, ab=128, channels=2, audio-sync, width=320, height=240}:std{access=file, mux=mp4,url="'''output_filename'''"}" vlc:quit --aspect-ratio=width:height

 

<code></code>

vlc "'''input_filename(1)'''" :sout="#transcode{vcodec=mp4v, vb=512, acodec=mp4a, ab=128, channels=2, audio-sync, width=320, height=240}:std{access=file, mux=mp4,url="'''output_filename(1)'''"}" vlc:quit --aspect-ratio=width:height

 

......etc for each video to convert (useful for converting short .flv or .gvi, or pretty much any file) I relise this is inefficient,

but hopefully someone will make a script (vlc seems best for making ipod videos from any source).

'''NOTE2:''' I find that if i have spaces in the output it doesn't work, but this seems to be a problem with the .bat file. just don't use spaces and use an autorenamer to rename ([http://batchrenamer.sourceforge.net/])

'''NOTE:''' If you can somehow to get 264 to work (megui makes it work...) just change ''vcodec=mp4v'' to ''vcodec=h264''.

The script to drag and drop files (for Windows) is as follows:

<code></code>

C:\PROGRA~1\VIDEOLAN\VLC\VLC -vvv %1 :sout=#transcode{vcodec=mp4v,vb=512,acodec=mp4a,ab=128,channels=2,width=320,height=240}:duplicate{dst=std{access=file,mux=mp4,dst=%1.m4p}}
pause

There is no problem with spaces in filenames.

''This is also described (with snapshots) on http://tom.zickel.org/vlcmp4/''

{{forum|15971}}

If the audio ends up being too quiet, the easiest way to make it louder is in the "Get Info" box in iTunes.

[[File:Ipod.jpg|thumb|250px]]

== Version 0.9.2 and later ==

Some of these tips won't work with VLC 0.9.2, but the following command line should work with 0.9.2

vlc -vvv "my_video.avi" :sout=#transcode{width=320,canvas-height=240,vcodec=mp4v,vb=768,acodec=mp4a,ab=96,channels=2}:duplicate{dst=std{access=file,mux=mp4,dst=video.mp4}} vlc://quit

VLC 1.0.2 uses the same command line parameters as VLC 0.9.2. However neither VLC 0.9.2 nor VLC 1.0.2 is able to create any video files that Quicktime (and therefore iTunes) can play. Quicktime complains about errors in files generated by transcode options (other than the two below) that worked fine when using VLC 0.8.6a.

If you want to try for yourself, the changes to the command line parameters from 0.8.6 to 0.9.2 and later are 
<pre>url=video.mp4
</pre>
changing to 
<pre>dst=video.mp4
</pre>
And 
<pre>vlc:quit
</pre>
changing to 
<pre>vlc://quit
</pre>
to allow VLC to quit and let Windows close the command prompt window. 

== Credits ==

Written by loqu (AKA Rob), http://www.kludgeroo.com/linked/videolan/vlc_ipod_converstion_8.6a.html

I've tested this guide on many containers, with and without subtitles. This is an evolving guide, so please refer to http://www.kludgeroo.com/linked/videolan/vlc_ipod_converstion_8.6a.html for the original.

Before I begin I'd like to thank the good people over at http://www.videolan.org for making a great multi-platform media program. I decided to make this guide, because I had to invest much of my time to get this to work. This is my way of giving back to the community.

{{Outdated}}

User talk:H2g2bob

2016-04-20T02:38:43Z

The thing: /* You still here? */

I see that you've been working on the main page. Would you like to have access to the real main page in order to change it instead of a copy ? [[User:Dionoea|Dionoea]] 21:44, 14 January 2006 (CET)

: I think the page is pretty much finished (so if you only want to copy it that's fine), but it would be quite useful to have access to it in case I need to change anything --[[User:H2g2bob|H2g2bob]] 21:53, 14 January 2006 (CET)

:: I installed the wikimedia SpamBlacklist filter so it should be ok to unprotect the Main Page. You can now edit it [[User:Dionoea|Dionoea]] 22:10, 14 January 2006 (CET)

::: Brilliant: thank you. Just copied it over now --[[User:H2g2bob|H2g2bob]] 22:20, 14 January 2006 (CET)

Is there any way to become an admin (sysop) for this site - it would be nice to be able to change pages like [[Help:Contents]] to have something on them. --[[User:H2g2bob|H2g2bob]] 19:06, 16 January 2006 (CET)

: there you go :) Thanks for the help btw. [[User:Dionoea|Dionoea]] 23:41, 16 January 2006 (CET)

I started a bit of cleanup of the Main Page, and would like to clean a bit more all the wiki. What do you think of it ? [[User:J-b|J-b]] 02:28, 15 December 2006 (CET)
: That's pretty good - it's a bit more ordered now, so much better for finding where you want to go. I shifted the "help the project" bit up to be directly under the "support/get help", as it was quite a bit below on my screen. It certainly gets the h2g2bob [[wikipedia:WP:BARN|barnstar]] of approval! --[[User:H2g2bob|h2g2bob]] 06:40, 15 December 2006 (CET)
:: Thanks, I was not able to do that correctly, I was not really aware of the wiki syntax. I am discovering it. So now, the following tasks are to clean the rest of the wiki. I think a Portal:Developers would be a good idea, don't you think ? What about a greater use of categories. And report the Wikipedia description of VLC here ? [[User:J-b|J-b]] 11:35, 15 December 2006 (CET)
::: Wouldn't Portal:Developers just be [[Developers Corner]] :-) Categories is a must: I think it would be easiest to add them through templates, eg a template for muxers like [[ASF]] and [[AVI]] saying what their name is when you use them in the command line. --[[User:H2g2bob|h2g2bob]] 02:01, 16 December 2006 (CET)
:::: Ok. You are right. I'll try to understand templates [[User:J-b|J-b]] 19:13, 16 December 2006 (CET)
:::: I finished the Developers corner. And I try to reduce the number of orphan page. It seems that your talk page is becoming a redesignWiki Page. good night [[User:J-b|J-b]] 03:57, 17 December 2006 (CET)

: I added a [[Template:mux]] for [[container]] formats (eg: [[ogg]], [[mkv]]). I was thinking that perhaps a similar thing would work for video / audio codecs, but have them all different colours or something. Any views on whether this is a good thing, or what else could be done to it? --[[User:H2g2bob|h2g2bob]] 03:37, 16 December 2006 (CET)
:: I think it is a good thing. But would it be used ? [[User:J-b|J-b]] 19:13, 16 December 2006 (CET)
: I changed the left menu. Comments ? A lot of more work to do ![[User:J-b|J-b]] 19:13, 16 December 2006 (CET)
:: I think that's better too - I like the way it's split, it makes sense. --[[User:H2g2bob|h2g2bob]] 23:17, 16 December 2006 (CET)

Check out [[VideoLAN_Wiki:TODO]] [[User:J-b|J-b]] 01:58, 18 December 2006 (CET)

== Good work ==

For the categories stuff! [[User:J-b|jb]] 10:54, 8 March 2007 (CET)

== VideoLAN team map ==
Hi. I've added a VideoLAN team map on http://www.videolan.org/team/. I'd be glad to add you to the map if you want to. Have a look at http://www.videolan.org/team/team.xml to see what data is required (latitude and longitude can be found on http://maps.google.com, the ll=<lat>,<lon> value in the URL).
Regards [[User:Dionoea|Dionoea]] 16:27, 28 March 2007 (CEST)
: Ta, I will --[[User:H2g2bob|h2g2bob]] 17:53, 24 April 2007 (CEST)

== You still here? ==

Do you still come here? [[User:The thing|The thing]] ([[User talk:The thing|Talk]] • [[Special:Contributions/The thing|Contribs]]) 19:33, 18 February 2012 (CET)

: Not as much as I used to :( But I'm still around! How's it going? --dave
::Pretty good, you? [[User:The thing|The thing]] ([[User talk:The thing|Talk]] • [[Special:Contributions/The thing|Contribs]]) 04:38, 20 April 2016 (CEST)

User:The thing

2014-11-14T06:03:32Z

The thing:

Hello, I am "The thing." I am an admin and a bureaucrat here at the videoLAN wiki. This makes me a very important person. Bow before me

User talk:The thing

2012-02-22T21:21:52Z

The thing: /* Welcome templates */

== Logo 'next to' VideoLAN links. ==

Hi,

While looking around the wiki, I noticed the little icon that has been put in to be next to links. While this works for me in Firefox 3.5b4, for some reason, in my main browser (Safari 4 Public Beta) and in Chrome (2.0.172.27) the icons appear beneath the link, obscuring the text and the icons are missing ''entirely'' in Internet Explorer 7 (haven't checked IE8, I don't really use Windows much) and Konqueror 4...

If it's of any use, here is the code that MediaWiki 1.11 seems to use to show icons next to external links:

<pre>
#bodyContent a.external, #bodyContent a[href^="gopher://"] {
-moz-background-clip:border;
-moz-background-inline-policy:continuous;
-moz-background-origin:padding;
background:transparent url(http://wiki.videolan.org/skins/monobook/external.png) no-repeat scroll right center;
padding-right:13px;
}
</pre>

so perhaps you could simply override that with 'http://www.videolan.org/favicon.ico'

One problem could be that the 'ico' format is not brilliant for inline images and a png would be more suitable...
Yours is currently: MS Windows icon resource - 2 icons, 32x32, 256-colors

Altogether, I hope this helps sort out these little icons (or we could just remove them :P)

--[[User:Tek|Tek]] 15:28, 16 May 2009 (CEST)

== Welcome templates ==

Hi 'The thing' - it might be better IMO to wait until the user has made at least one contribution, since a lot of the new users are probably spambots (username patterns are weird too).

BTW which developer, if any, are you on vlc-devel or IRC?

Thanks, [[User:Edwardw|Edwardw]] 01:03, 22 February 2012 (CET)
:yeah, honestly I thought the same thing about the welcoming. I was mst likely done with that anyway. As for the developing, I am not a developer. [[User:The thing|The thing]] ([[User talk:The thing|Talk]] • [[Special:Contributions/The thing|Contribs]]) 22:21, 22 February 2012 (CET)

User talk:Bro.JV

2012-02-21T21:56:02Z