The Easiest Converter I've Found: AVC

[BobbyRS]

No problem. Glad to hear you got it working correctly.

[CrowdAds]

[Gig]

Profile: Customized WMV Movie
Codec: WMV V8
Size: 320x240
Video Bitrate: 384
Audio Codec (Greyed Out): WMA 9.2
A/V Sync: Default

This setting doesn't work for me :"the video format exceeds the playback capability of your player"

[BobbyRS]

When/how do you get that error? I have plenty of videos that are similar and work fine.

What Operating System are you using?
What version of WMP do you have installed?
Do you have the Creative software installed?

[Dreamin in Japan]

Hi I'm new, and I love my Zen but I have a problem with Video Conversion. I know that Zen "supports" itunes video through conversion or whatever, but that hasn't worked out so well for me. My Zen converted only converted one video that I downloaded from itunes perfectly. But twith all the other videos, the convertion program said it couldn't convert, but then recently when I tried again,it accepts the format and converts them, but there are basically no videos. When I go to play the newly "converted" videos, all I get is a gray screen with no sound. I tried coverting these videos with this "Any Video Converter" and it tells me that the output file will have no sound because the original file doesn't have sound and the convertion fails.

But when I play these non converted videos with itunes or quicktime, the videos play fine. So I was just wondering if anyone knows how to resolve this? Otherwise I wasted money on buying those videos in stupid itunes format. I only did it because it was the easiest way for me to download the videos. I really hate how itunes rule the world.

[BobbyRS]

What conversion settings are you using for the Video and Audio codec’s? You need to make sure you have the codec’s you are using for the conversion installed on your computer so the conversion program can be able to convert them properly as well as allow your computer to play them back correctly. If you are using DIVX or XVID as the video codec, then make sure you have the DIVX or XVID codec's installed. Use MP3 for the audio codec when converting videos for the Zen and make sure the resolution is set no higher than 320x240. Here is a post with more info on codec's.

[Dreamin in Japan]

Well, I'm when I use the Zen converter I use the standard settings. But I'm not even talking playing the videos on the my Zen. After I convert them with the Zen Converter and try to play them with any program on my computer I get a gray screen and no sound. Basically the Zen converter converts the videos into nothing. And when I try to use other converters like "AVC" and this other one, I tried earlier specifically for mp4 to AVI, an error occured. It made me think something was wrong with the original videos but like I said they work fine if I play them with itunes since that is their original source. I just can't seem to convert them. Although I've never had problems converting other video formats and I have a lot of codecs already on my computer, I'll check out the information you gave me on codecs to see if it helps. Thanks!

[BobbyRS]

Keep in mind any DRM within the files...... they may only playback in iTunes.

iTunes doesn't rule the world..... only the iPod's world.

[Dreamin in Japan]

Yeah people never get why I hate ipods and then I found this site and discovered that I'm not alone. Well I'll think I can figured this out. I figure that it's probably the DRM. I guess I should have realized I would have this problem before I spent $30 worth of music videos. Okay thanks.

[BobbyRS]

Check out this post. Good luck!

[Evaldas]

Hi!
I have a problem with "ANY VIDEO CONVERTER", I don't know how to convert movies to DivX codec, I drag and drop a video to it, choose profile "Customized AVI Movie (*.avi)", and then in "Video Codec" there's no such thing as DivX, only Xvid (it works on player, but takes a while to convert a file), I downloaded the DivX codec but that doesn't help! What do I do? Am I doing something wrong?
I used Super (C) converter, but it takes a few hours (about 3, to be more exact ) to convert a 700 MB movie, and output files is like 650 MB, even tho the size of a frame is smaller, although Super (C) converter seems to work with DivX finely.
To be more clear here's a snapshot:

P.S. How long would it take for A.V.C. to convert lets say 700 MB, 2 hour long, movie to 1008 kbps (or is that too high and unnecessary to keep the quality?) DivX format playable on CREATIVE ZEN?

[tagloff]

I don't know about the duration. But 1008 is actually a smidge to high, and unless its something like the matrix or ghost in the shell with alot of action or animation, it is kind of overkill. I personally see no difference using 784 or 512. And if it's not a 'dark' movie, you could probably go all the way down to 384.
However, if your output file is almost the same size as your original file, have you been sure to change the video size down to 320:240 or 320:176 which is zen compatible?
This and the video bitrate settings makes alot of difference with the output of your file. Using these settings an input file at 300mb can go down to 80mb.

[Evaldas]

Well see, in SUPER (C) you can't choose video size like 320:176, there's only 4:3 Aspect Ratio's size presets, you can't add individual video sizes, and if the movie is 16:9 it stretches it or adds black pads.

Oh and one more thing, my player cuts few seconds of the video at the end, which is annoying, it only doesn't happen with .wmv files converted with CREATIVE's software, I tried to convert a music video with A.V.C. to xvid but it still did cut few seconds, does this happen to everybody?

[tagloff]

In Super, there is a 320:176 setting. It does have to go to 16:9, and it will pad the top and bottom. Why? Because that's the viewing size for wide-screen videos. If you leave it to 320:240, the edges of your movies tends to get cut off when you play them in your zen. And you actually can set a custom size with Super.
See the "video scale size more" with a check box? Check the checkbox and it'll change to let you insert a specific size. But you can't go higher than 320:240 or the zen either wont play the file, not display the full size, and won't squish it for you.
If your original movies a "square" and not a "rectangle" than 320:240 is fine.
Also, your audio bitrates probably shouldn't go above 128, thats the highest any mp3 I've ever seen go at, so higher is pointless.

The end cut off thing, yes, everybody has it it seems. And it usually depends on the original file format of your video, and the program that you convert it with.

AVC, with a 700MB video, converted down to 784 bit, 320:240, takes roughly 45min depnding on your computer. And outputted at about 340mb.

[Evaldas]

But why there's no DivX option for me in A.V.C.?

<...> See the "video scale size more" with a check box? <...>

No I don't see it ... Where is it ?

[tagloff]

No idea. I don't like AVC personally.
But most movies that you download are already converted into xvid to begin with. Including the one that you tried to convert in your screenshot.
I only use divx myself when im burning something to dvd to play in a divx dvd player attached to my tv. And even then im pretty sure it still will play the xvid codec.

Change the codec to xvid. Thats why most people like xvid. There's more options to what you can do with it.

[BobbyRS]

Originally Posted by Evaldas

I don't know how to convert movies to DivX codec, I drag and drop a video to it, choose profile "Customized AVI Movie (*.avi)", and then in "Video Codec" there's no such thing as DivX, only Xvid

Not real sure since I always use XVID (open source and most widely used anymore) for the codec of AVI files. Perhaps there is no output setting to change it too unless the original file is already encoded to DIVX, then you can use the codec setting of Original to keep the DIVX codec in the newly converted file. However, I would recommend using XVID. Check this out.

Originally Posted by Evaldas

P.S. How long would it take for A.V.C. to convert lets say 700 MB, 2 hour long, movie to 1008 kbps (or is that too high and unnecessary to keep the quality?) DivX format playable on CREATIVE ZEN?

Check out these two threads for more info here and here.

Originally Posted by tagloff

....been sure to change the video size down to 320:240 or 320:176 which is zen compatible?

Yup:

320x240 - Full Screen 1:33:1 (4:3)
320x180 - HDTV 1:78:1 (16:9)
320x176 - Theatrical 1:85:1
320x136 - CinemaScope 2:35:1

See the Zen FAQ for more info.

Originally Posted by Evaldas

Oh and one more thing, my player cuts few seconds of the video at the end, which is annoying, it only doesn't happen with .wmv files converted with CREATIVE's software, I tried to convert a music video with A.V.C. to xvid but it still did cut few seconds, does this happen to everybody?

Check out this post form this thread.

[BobbyRS]

But why there's no DivX option for me in A.V.C.?

I emailed the makers of AVC and got this as a reply:

Because of copyright issue, so we don't list DIVX as a codec. Please use XVID
codec instead.

Any other problems, please contact us.

So, it does look as though licensing or the closed-source nature of DIVX is the reason..... unlike XVID.

[Evaldas]

But why the author of the first post bragged that they encoded video to DivX with A.V.C.?

[BobbyRS]

The only thing I can think of:

Perhaps there is no output setting to change it too unless the original file is already encoded to DIVX, then you can use the codec setting of Original to keep the DIVX codec in the newly converted file.

Even if it was listed, I would still recommend XVID over DIVX.

[snimmo]

Hi, I am a newbie so treat me gently. I have tried using this to convert video files for my Zen 16gb but the sound quality is terrible. I suspect I have got something wrong in the settings. Can anyine tell me what I am doing wrong?