Encoding video for an Archos 7 Home Tablet

[DYTL]

I have a ripped DVD with a standard 2.35:1 resolution. The tablet has a 5:3 800x480 screen, and supports H.264-encoded MP4 files. (It supports .avis, but handles them weirdly.) The first time I tried to encode the DVD, I used Handbrake with settings that made sense at the time, and ended up with a 638x272 output file. That would be okay, except the tablet doesn't seem to scale it up properly - it's either small and centered, full-screen stretched with small letterbox bars, just vertically stretched or full-screen stretched without bars.

The attached image is Handbrake right after opening the DVD. I tried setting it to Anamorphic: None and setting the resolution directly, but it won't let me set Width higher than 720. Any potentially useful information or advice?

I have a similar problem with some other ripped DVDs that are 16:9.

(EDIT: I ended up just watching the DVD, and eventually getting rid of the tablet when it stopped functioning.)

[yoda313]

Archos is android isn't it?

If it is download the edit - sorry the mx player app. It can do the display aspect ratio properly if your default player doesn't want to or can't do it on its own.

[DYTL]

Thanks for the tip, but I forgot to mention the model I have can only run Android OS 1.5; not much runs on it. (I've been meaning to get a new one.) It looks like mx player requires Android 2.1 or higher (and mplayer requires 1.6).

[yoda313]

Thanks for the tip, but I forgot to mention the model I have can only run Android OS 1.5; not much runs on it. (I've been meaning to get a new one.) It looks like mx player requires Android 2.1 or higher (and mplayer requires 1.6).

Sorry that will limit it. My tablet does android 2.2 but its a mips processor so not much runs on mine either.

With handbrake when you do the anamorphic none and the manual cropping do you also do the keep aspect ratio? That might help.

To get a true letterboxed conversion try 640 as your first number and let it set the other number with the keep aspect ratio ticked. That might work better. At least if its hardcoded letterboxed then you should be able to get a proper widescreen without distortion.

Oh and try working with just a chapter or a movie trailer in the same resolution and aspect ratio so you'll have quick encoding times for your testing.

Good luck.

Edit - sorry I don't know what numbers you need to keep it widescreen and not letterboxed.

[aedipuss]

maybe try xmediarecode, it has presets for the archos 7.