Problems making MP4 for PS3 & Xbox 360

[Anonymous344]

Hi,

I've been having a problem making a PS3 and Xbox 360 compatible MP4. My source file is 720x576 (PAL anamorphic widescreen) which I converted to AVI with lagarith lossless compression in Virtualdub. I changed the frame rate to 23.976 fps and have converted the audio to match. (I don't like the PAL speed up.) I'm now trying to make the MP4.

I tried for ages with Automkv, but the output file always plays back squished (because it won't let me input the correct SAR, PAR and DAR values), so I used Staxrip which I have managed to get working. The only problem is that Staxrip seems to make you choose between Xbox 360 and PS3 profiles, and I need an MP4 that can play in both.

I find MeGUI unfathomable, and this is driving me crazy. Can anyone help?

Is there a way to make Staxrip produce a file that is compatible with both?

[mh2360]

Encoding using a Xbox 360 H.264/AAC profile should produce a file that will play on both.

The Xbox 360 is a little more strict than the PS3 in regards to MP4 files, for example the Xbox 360 only allows 2 channel AAC audio where the PS3 allows 2 or 5.1 channel AAC (IIRC).

[guns1inger]

Xvid4PSP has a setting for both consoles. Get the older 5.36 version, not the newer beta version

[Anonymous344]

@mh2360 Thanks for the suggestion. I did know about the difference in audio, but it's a little more complicated than that. I have used programs that produce MP4s with 2.0 audio before, and the PS3 will still not play them.

@guns1inger I downloaded and tried xvid4PSP, but it will only accept mod8 inputs for resolution, which isn't good enough as that would distort the aspect ratio for this particular file. Thanks anyway!

Any other suggestions!

[mh2360]

I can't think of any reason why a H.264/AAC file encoded for the Xbox 360 wont play on the PS3... It certainly should if created correctly.

An alternative method is to use MPEG4-ASP (XviD) in a MP4 container with AAC 2 channel audio. The 16:9 ratio should be recognised, so anamorphic encoding is still an option.

[Anonymous344]

Thanks, mh2360. I really appreciate your help.

I've been fiddling with xvid4PSP and it seems if I can change the cropping a little and leave and little more of the black borders than I wished to leave, I can resize with mod8. It's not ideal, but it seems to be working. Thanks guns1inger!

Now I'll see if I can play with the filters and Q settings a little. Any recommendations there?

Q21 (ultra) actually looks surprisingly good. Q16 looks better, but is too big. I'll try Q18.