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convert home movies (mpg) from sony digital camera to apple tv / iPod format

Y

yotoad

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 11, 2008
91
0
i've searched the forum and cannot find an answer -- i have several movies that are in mpg format that i can't drag and drop into iTunes, and i'm not sure how to convert them to the right format to view on the appleTV. i want to keep these files (they're home movies) so i don't want to lose too much on quality.

what are my options?
 
I'd use mpegstreamclip. That will let you edit them (in a basic way, no fancy fades or anything) and convert them to h.264 files. If the source files are mpeg2 you'll need the QuickTime mpeg2 playback component though (buy it from the Apple Store online) to let mpegstreamclip read them. I'm sure VisualHub will do the conversion as well, not used it myself though.
 
yotoad said:
what are my options?
Click to expand...

I would just use VisualHub. Load it up, select the AppleTV setting, drag your movie files into it, select your quality (high or go nuts), click start, and depending on how long your files are, wait for it to finish, then drag them into iTunes. Couldn't be easier.
 
cool -- i'll start with visualhub -- i neglected to mention that i'm on a windows machine
 
so anyway visualhub isn't available for windows

would mpegstreamclip convert mpg video straight to h264?

whats the mpeg2 encoder you were speaking about?
 
handbrake

Roy Hobbs said:
Try handbrake they have a windows version
Click to expand...

i did, although it wouldn't let me go past the opening of the file to convert -- it said to make sure i had an non-copy protected file. these are just movies i made with my little sony

should i hit up a handbrake forum?
 
Check out the Xilisoft products. They have Windows versions, and claim to be able to convert everything into anything, or is it anything into everything?

Anyway.

They cost $, and I've never used them, but it is one option.
 
i use super for this type of conversion, it is free and does a good job, though interface isn't the best and finding the download link on their site is unusually difficult. but it works well once installed.
 
I love Videora, use it all the time...i've tried like 10 converters and Videora is the fastest and gives the most options in simple clicks
 
yotoad said:
would mpegstreamclip convert mpg video straight to h264?
Click to expand...

Yes. You can do basic editing with it before you convert too.

yotoad said:
whats the mpeg2 encoder you were speaking about?
Click to expand...

mpegstreamclip uses QuickTime to read the mpeg2 files. mpeg2 playback isn't part of the basic version of Quicktime, you need to buy and download the Quicktime mpeg2 playback component from the Apple Store online. Alternatively, if you don't have QT installed already (or don't mind uninstalling it) you can use the free Quicktime Alternative app linked to from the mpegstreamclip site.
 
what settings do you use for mpeg streamclip typically? i'm thinking i would use the 4:3 appleTV setting for my home movies -- the h.264 codec
 
QT Pro may be an easy solution. I'd test it for you if I had an mpg file. I'll see if I can download one and give it a go.

EDIT: QT Pro worked great. just export with :apple:TV format
 
I used Mpegstreamclip last night and it worked really well -- i just kept the movies in their same aspect ratio and converted over to .mp4

worked great, although it took quite a while to encode a relatively small file.
 
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