Computer - based video is everywhere now . you could get it from your video camera and your digital tv camera , you could make your own movies using iMovie or other multimedia apps , and the Internet is a regular cornucopia of clips . Which is dandy news for proprietor of 5th - genesis iPods , since you ’ve got so many places to get stuff for your spiffy portable movie player .
The problem , as many iPod owners have let out , is that much of that content wo n’t play on the iPod — the iPod ’s software supports onlya little range of television formats , mainly variants of H.264 and MPEG-4 , while the worldly concern has decide that there should be myriad TV formats , none of them universally compatible . iTunes canconvertsome data format into iPod - compatible version , as can QuickTime Pro , but the former ’s support is quite special and the latter costs $ 30 ( not to mention that the performance of both leaves a lot to be desired ) .
If you ’re run low to drop money for telecasting changeover , consider instead Techspansion ’s $ 23VisualHub 1.17 ( ) , which offers supporting for a bigger diverseness of video formats and is both comfortable to use for canonical conversion while offer up a keen number of advanced options — a rare compounding .
The first time you launch VisualHub , you ’ll be prompted to download a few extra video - rebirth libraries . ( This is necessary because of licensing restrictions that differ from post to place around the world . ) The download and installation process takes only a minute or so via a broadband Internet connection and is automatic ; if you prefer to install manually , you have the pick .
VisualHub ’s interface is very bare for basic conversion . First you drag your rootage video — in nearly any format — into the main windowpane ; it will appear in the data file list . Then you choose the gimmick on which you intend to play the movie ; for iPod conversion , click the iPod tab . at long last , you choose your conversion preferences . For iPod conversion , you’re able to choose to optimize the video for playback on the iPod ( 320 by 240 pixel ) or on a TV ( 640 by 480 pixels , a result unsupported by many other iPod - video - conversion utility ) ; whether to expend standard MPEG-4 or gamey - quality H.264 encoding ; and the overall quality of the resulting movie , from diminutive to Go Nuts . ( Quality is inversely relative to file away size of it ; for example , Go Nuts admit over five time as much space as Standard . )
fall into place Start and VisualHub will do its thing , displaying its progression at the bottom of the window . Depending on the option you ’ve chose , VisualHub can also automatically add the result picture to iTunes for transfer to your iPod .
As an example of VisualHub ’s performance , I had a 5.8 GB , 1 hour 49 minute , AVI translation of a movie that I want to exchange for iPod viewing . QuickTime Player ( the Pro translation ) flunk to convert the file after a longsighted time trying , citing an error , even though I had installed plug - Hoosier State for AVI financial support . From past experience , I can tell you that it takes as long as an hour for QuickTime Player to change over exchangeable - sized MPEG videos to iPod format . VisualHub , on the other hand , successfully converted the AVI down to an 87 megabyte iPod - compatible MPEG moving picture ( using the Standard - calibre setting ) in less than 8 minute ! To commute the same AVI to the high - quality H.264 data format , which take importantly longer via QuickTime Pro , occupy under 11 minutes using VisualHub ; the resulting video was only 72 megabit in sizing . Finally , using H.264 with the “ Optimize for TV ” scope at High timbre took 22 minutes and 40 seconds and produced a 204 - MB video filing cabinet . ( All tests were performed on a 2.66GHz Mac Pro ; obtuse Macs will of grade take longer ; however , carrying out is excellent on all Intel- and G5 - base model . )
fit in to Techpansion , VisualHub wo n’t rend your commercial videodisk to iPod data format ; to do that you ’ll need the freeHandBrakeor HandBrake Lite . That state , I examine a couple of my own commercial-grade DVD , and surprisingly , VisualHub converted them just all right . Your fuel consumption rate may vary .
If you drag multiple video files into the data file list , VisualHub will automatically convert them all with one clink , so you do n’t have to repeat the process for each . Another coolheaded feature of speech , Stitch Videos Together , automates the process of combining several video clips into a single video . In fact , VisualHub will even mix MPEG-4 clipping , something QuickTime Pro ca n’t currently do .
But VisualHub is n’t just for convert television for the iPod . It also allow you convert TV specifically for playback on Sony ’s PSP , as well as to DV , DVD , AVI , MP4 , WMV , MPEG , and Flash formats . ( MP4 or MPEG are good for watching movies on your Mac , and there are even options for HD video , Wii - compatible TV , and TiVo - supported MPEG profile for sharing video from your Mac to your TiVo . ) To do so , you simply click the desired format tab at the top of the VisualHub windowpane and then choose your favourite options . These various modes each include helpful spear carrier ; for example , if you select PSP format , VisualHub formats the picture for the PSP ’s concealment and , if you choose your PSP ’s store card as the destination , automatically names the resulting Indian file using the special data formatting needed by the PSP and places the movie in the correct folder on the storage poster . ( Well , that ’s the theory , at least ; for some rationality , the files were named properly but were n’t put in the right brochure . However , they wager fine once I moved them manually . ) And videodisk mode give you the selection to burn your converted video — up to 18 hours of it — to a videodisk playable in standard videodisc players .
last , VisualHub offers a number of ripe configurations . The fitly - named modern button bring up a dialog that permit you ok - tune each conversion type and format . As the window warns—“Don’t ! You ’ll screw it all up!”—you should be thrifty what you alter here ; however , there are a bit of useful tweaks you may make . For deterrent example , you may reduce or hyperbolize the audio track of the leave video ; enable two - pass encoding , which results in higher - tone video ; crop video to intimately fit unlike playback gimmick ( or to remove sharpness scan pedigree that result from some taping - to - digital conveyance ) ; and add reflex chapter on burned video videodisc . you could even view a live preview of the what the result video will depend like . And if you ’re doing mickle encryption with anXgrid , VisualHub can send a different telecasting to each motorcar — and can even use each processor on a single machine for a disjoined telecasting . ( I did n’t try out these Xgrid features . )
VisualHub includes an excellent manual of arms that explains each case of conversion and its respective options , as well as mode to go beyond even the advanced mount to tweak your video changeover .
Besides the PSP - folder glitch , the only other trouble I experienced with VisualHub was an AppleScript error when I try out to use the Preview feature from the advanced - configurations screen . However , this error did n’t in any manner impact the conversion process or even the options I was alter . I also wish VisualHub could convert VIDEO_TS folders ( local version of DVD movies ) . But if you spend time exchange telecasting file between formats , VisualHub is a must – have .
( If all you need is basic television - to - iPod conversion , check out the company ’s freeiSquint . )
VisualHub 1.17 necessitate Mac OS X 10.3.9 or higher and is a Universal Binary .
