Mobile phone video conversion

[blagwedge]

Ok, I've searched this forum, and i cant find the answers i'm looking for.

How do you convert an AVI (an episode of south park for example) into either .mp4 or .3gp format for viewing on a 3G mobile phone?

Someone recommended i try nokia multimedia converter, but that just converts into Nokia Interleave Media format, which will only play on a nokia phone.

I also tried a program called mpegable, which does compress the video when you muck about with the settings, but i have not yet been able to create a video i can watch on my NEC e606. Does anyone else have this phone and know how to convert videos to work on it?[/code]

[blagwedge]

well, nobody replied, so i went out and found out on my own. The only way i can find to convert to MP4 or 3gp is to use a fully registered version of Quicktime 6.3 with the 3gp codec. You can import a movie, and export it to the new format. I've tried this and had the resulting videos playing on my video phone....

[Gees]

Thanks for stopping back to tell us the answer. I guess no one knew or too few of us have video-capable phones. (I don't.) But it's good to know for future reference. :c)

[mats.hogberg]

From the Nokia site:

Nokia Multimedia Converter is a tool for converting common multimedia files (AVI, WAV, MPEG, MP3 etc.) into standard 3GPP/AMR, Wide Band and Narrow Band supported formats for use in mobile phone applications such as MMS (Multimedia Messaging). Original and converted multimedia and 3GPP/AMR formats can be played on PC.

I'm gonna try to convert a AVI and play it on my Ericsson P800...

/Mats

[mats.hogberg]

Well, tried both AVI and a VCD mpeg, and both when converted with the above played nicely on Ericsson. Pretty cool actually, and really fast conversion too. I'm impressed!

/Mats
PS! It was the beta of version 2 of the software I tried. DS

[Gees]

So, M.H., can you also play/preview them on PC? what's the file size and limitations? If you don't mind answering. :c)

Ohh, I see above says can play on PC, but is it a specialised, standalone player or right in mediaplayer?

[mats.hogberg]

Audio between 4.73 to 12.2 kbps AMR in 8 steps or 6.6 to 23.85 kbps WAMR in 9 steps (Not HiFi exactly...)
Video 128*96 (sub-QCIF) or 176*144 (QCIF), frame rate between 15 to 0.5 in 9 steps
There's a "preview" in the converter (more of a postview),that allows you to play the 3gp file.
After installing QuickTime 6.3 and the 3gpp addon, it plays nicely on PC using QuickTime player, but wmp refuses, at least on this system.
The converter also has a command line interface with more options available, which might give you a clue to what can be done and expected:

USAGE: MMConverterCon [options]
-i infile Input file name(required)
-o outfile Output file name without file extension
Appropriate file extension will be added
by the application.
-br fileBitRate Total file bit rate [76200]
-st startTime Conversion start time in milliseconds [0]
-sl sizeLimit Size limit for the converted file in bytes
-p Turn off user interaction [on]
-h This message
Video options:
-v imageSize Video image size [qcif]
qcif => 176x144
subqcif => 128x96
-fr frameRate Target frame rate in frames per second [15]
-intra period Key frame period (sec) [15]
Set to 0 to disable INTRA frame update
Audio options:
-a audioType Audio type [amr]
amr => AMR
wbamr => Wide Band AMR
-amr AMRMode Audio bit rate [7]
AMR 			WBAMR
0 => 4.75 kbps 6.60 kbps
1 => 5.15 kbps 8.85 kbps
2 => 5.90 kbps 12.65 kbps
3 => 6.70 kbps 14.25 kbps
4 => 7.40 kbps 15.85 kbps
5 => 7.95 kbps 18.25 kbps

/Mats

[FOO]

That's excellent ! Now you guys can drive around
talking on the phone and watching movies too.

[Gees]

Sounds and looks good. But I am on the QT site http://www.apple.com/quicktime/products/qt/ and a bit confused about what you need to buy exactly to be able to do all that?

Is it the QT Pro at $29.99?

[mats.hogberg]

No, you only got to have QT player (free version) 6.3 installed, to dl and install the 3gpp "plugin". I upgraded pretty recently, but obviously 6.3 is newer, since the plugin refused to install until I had installed latest QT Player.

/Mats

[Gees]

sorry to be so thick today, Mats :c* But are you saying if I have the latest player software I could author the files with just the plugin?

[mats.hogberg]

No! You need the QT stuff to view 3gp encoded movies on the PC. To convert/encode AVI/mpg to 3gp, you need the Nokia soft.

/Mats

[blagwedge]

Wahey!!!!


Replies!!!!

I tried using the Nokia Multimedia Converter, but it always produced .NIM files, and there seemed to be no way to change what kind of file was output by the converter.....my phone certainly doesnt accept .NIM files, it has to be either .mp4 or .3gp.

To use Quicktime to convert, you need to register your copy and enter the serial number, then Import/Export options become available on the file menu.

So i have solved the problem, found out how to do it.....Next stumbling block. No matter WHAT i do, I cannot convert an Xvidded episode of the simpsons. I get good quality video that will play on the phone, but Quicktime never recognises the audio stream. It thinks there is nothing there, so there is never any sound. Shame really, even on my phone, the video is quite watcable.....

[Gees]

I knew I shouldn't have shown my ignorance. :c* Thanks for the straightening out. :c)

[mats.hogberg]

Here's a link to the soft I used - maybe you'll have more luck with this one? I'm converting a 80 MB VCD mpeg, at highest audio q - it is done while I'm typing this, 1-2 minutes, (I'm not a fast typist) and turns out to be 3.4 MB. It only churns out .3gp files - nothing else.
Correction - If I select a mp3, it does a AMR file - 10 MB mp3 to 1.3 MB AMR in 30 secs.
/Mats

[blagwedge]

is AMR a better standard of compression than WMA or MP3?

I've got WMA's on my phone at the moment, and they are pretty small, about 22 meg for the Audioslave album for example...


A bit off topic though, I tried to install Nokia Multimedia Converter, and it says that the installer wont operate in this mode. What on earth does that mean? Windows mode? Computer turned on mode? Daylight mode?

[Gees]

:cD Gee, I don't know, blagwedge.

I installed it and it worked great - at least far as I could tell from the QT player.

As I said, I don't own a video phone - or even know anyone who does (yet) - but still I am very intrigued by the future possiblilties. :c)

Does anyone know.... is it possible to send video to a phone through PC by some method? Like you can with SMS?

[blagwedge]

It is certainly possible with my video phone, it's an NEC e606, but its not possible using SMS(well, actually MMS).

you send videos from phone to phone using MMS, but on the PC you'd need to find somewhere on the web that let you MMS for free. My phones on the 3 network in the UK, and you get a 10MB email account with it, so you can email yourself videos. Oh, and you can connect the phone to the PC via a USB cable.

Still no sound on my simpsons episode. I've got a small video of the opening titles playing on the phone, and it doesnt look as bad as you might think.....

[Gees]

Thank you. :c) I knew you send phone to phone and that a phone owner can then DL vids, etc. to PC.

What I was wondering was if there's a way for me to send vids to friends/family's vid phones (when they have them). I'm always thinking ahead :c) and come from a gadget crazy family, so one of us is bound to have one soon.

I doubt I'd find a free MMS delivery site (most even charge for SMS) so I think I'll try to teach myself .xml and try it that way. :c)

[flaninacupboard]

blagwedge,

I get the same error. for me i guess it's because i am running W2K without any service packs, and it requires at least SP2. do you have W2K with less than SP2 or XP with less than SP1?

Edit:
As i can;t get the nokia software working, i'm having a play with profiles at a similar level. what is the video bitrate on these things? looks like the combined value must be 72kbps, but that seems a little low to me....?

[blagwedge]

I'm encoding on a system running xp service pack 1, and as far as the bit rate goes, i'm not sure. The problem i'm having is with the audio not being recognised by quicktime. What kind of audio does quicktime recognise? My Xvid AVI has MP3 encoding, and i've creating a new avi with several different sound formats and done the same with several test mpegs, none of them have worked. I'm flying blind here really....

Sorry i couldnt be more help

[jasg]

I had the same problem with installing the nokia media converter.
But, when I tried it at work, it worked fine.

The problem is that you need to have a java runtime environment installed.

You can get this for free from java.sun.com

Install the JRE and it should install OK.

Getting it to actually convert anything is a different story.
I tried converting an SVCD MPeg2 and it crashes when I open the file.
I tried converting an AVI made with Pinnacle Studio using the DV codec and it refused to open it.
I tried converting an AVI made with Pinnacle Studio using the HUFYUV codec and it tries to convert it but gets stuck on the first stage.

Anyone got this working?
What input video type did you use?
I might try QT if I can't get this working.

[blagwedge]

I have actually had the Nokia converter running ok, but the program only ever seemed to output to .NIM format. There was no way to change it to MP4 or 3GP....

[RabidDog]

You can send video mmsgs using MMS format> they will be ramming this feature down peoples frots for the next years as it is there BIG money spinning idea. Only like, £1.50 @ go.

[Craig Tucker]

I use mpegable to convert videos for my Sony Ericsson P800

[Gees]

OOh Craig, can I ask you something? It's going to sound stupid, because I've never used one...

I assume you can download vids that are sent to your phone?

If yes, is it also possible to upload them? From PC to your phone. And then send to someone else that way? Provided they are in the correct format, of course. :c) (3GP)

[Craig Tucker]

Well the P800 is not actually a 3G phone, it is more of a Phone/PDA combo. Just like a mini computer really. So I don't have vids sent to my phone via my network provider. If I want vids on my phone I can email them to it or transfer them via bluetooth, IRDA, USB or memory stick. I can then send them to another phone using the same method.

[blagwedge]

Its possible with my phone, its an NEC e606 and I can upload from pc to phone. Doesnt take very long either....

[Gees]

Ah, thanks guys! :c) Reason I ask is I'd only consider owning one in future if I could make my own vids, convert, upload and then send those. I wouldn't want to be limited to what I could "shoot" with the phone.

I tried that prog mentioned above and was able to convert all sorts to 3GP. :c) But can't do anything with it yet! :cD

[mats.hogberg]

If yes, is it also possible to upload them? From PC to your phone

I'd guess that depends on if you can hook your phone to a PC at all, and if you can access the phones file system. On P800, you get a Explorer interface with different "drives" (Main RAM and memory stick) with folders and stuff, and you just drag/drop files to and from it.
here in Sweden, some operators have had an "introductory offer" on MMS with zero charge, so I've been MMSing instead of SMSing lately...
But beware, GPRS is slow - a good modem connection, 40-40 kbps, and often restrictions on MMS size in both the phone and the network. I think my network accepts max 30 kB MMS...

/Mats