How to verify mp4 stream compatibility with iPad

[Gargalash]

EDIT: The title of this topic should have been "How to verify mp4 stream iPad compatibility"

Hello all,
I am in the process, for work reasons, of converting a large amount of DVDs to various final sizes and quality, all of which will be encoded with x264 and aac.

I decided to go with 3 final sizes for the customers:
- small size good quality 480x320 iphone/ipodtouch compatible
- full size good quality 640x480 ipad/iphone4 compatible
- full size full quality 640x480 ipad/iphone4 compatible

I am using HandBrake and its presets to encode the final products.
I have in my possession a second generation iPodtouch. I use it to test that the small size clips are playing and streaming fine. You guessed that I don't have an iphone 4 or any ipads. I am looking for a way to verify that my final full size clips will play on these devices. I was thinking of something like a stream checker or an iOS emulator, if things exists.

Do you know of anything that could help?

Thanks!

[lordsmurf]

Post a video -- I'll Dropbox it to my iPad.
There's no iOS emulator. (What I have seen is just fake crap.)
Much of it depends on your settings.
For professional work, I'd never use x264.

[Gargalash]

Considering the adult nature of the clips, I wouldn't post it here.

If you can still help, I can prepare a minute long sample of both versions of the full size clips with the settings I intend to use and drop them on a server. I would send you the links over PM... (and select softcore parts of the video )

Is that ok for you?

[qpskfec]

Used ipads can be bought for $300.

If you are running a business, there's no excuse for not checking your work on the actual device.

[Gargalash]

Used ipads can be bought for $300.

If you are running a business, there's no excuse for not checking your work on the actual device.

I understand your point, but the usage I will make of this device is extremely limited, which makes it ridiculous to buy something for a 1 hour use. It's also bothersome to shop for the used item (I'm not in a big city, used ipads are far), pick it up, use it a little bit and re-sell it.

It's also ridiculous that everyone making a video for an ipad has to buy one to verify if it plays on it. Not every business can waste time and money on this. It's also a waste of resources.

I am hoping to find another solution before getting the item.

Thanks everyone for you suggestions.

[qpskfec]

[/QUOTE]

It's also ridiculous that everyone making a video for an ipad has to buy one to verify if it plays on it. Not every business can waste time and money on this. It's also a waste of resources.

[/QUOTE]

It is ridiculous for a business that wants to charge customers $$$ for a product to not check whether it works. Quality control is not a waste of time or resources. It is a cost of doing business.

You want to use freeware to create a product and spend zero resources on quality control to check your work.

If this is a business, then the hardware cost is a business tax deduction, lowering the cost. This a business that can't afford $200 to make sure the end product actually works?

What will you do if a customer complains that their video doesn't work properly?

I have encoded videos for the iPad with freeware like Mediacoder using the iPad presets that looked just fine on the PC, but had playback/problems on the iPad.

As far as it being bothersome to buy a used product, it takes minimal effort to buy an iPad off ebay or a new product retailer.

[terryj]

Get a Copy of VisualHub, and use the iTunes setting Tab.
Select "All Devices" and drag and drop your file in the open window,
then click encode.
It will create a compatible file for all iDevices, including iPods, iPhones, and iPad,
that I can testify plays beautifully and spectacularly on all devices.

[lawnman]

Get a Copy of VisualHub, and use the iTunes setting Tab.
Select "All Devices" and drag and drop your file in the open window,
then click encode.
It will create a compatible file for all iDevices, including iPods, iPhones, and iPad,
that I can testify plays beautifully and spectacularly on all devices.

What quality setting and do you have any other box checked?

[rumplestiltskin]

Another option:

Handbrake. Use the iPhone/iPod Touch preset. Set the video size to the 640x480 keeping the aspect ratio correct (but no larger than the original video). That spec will will even let your video play on a B&N Color Nook. (I tested it and it works up to 854x400.) The trick is to leave out "B" frames (which this preset does properly).

[lordsmurf]

It is ridiculous for a business that wants to charge customers $$$ for a product to not check whether it works. Quality control is not a waste of time or resources. It is a cost of doing business. You want to use freeware to create a product and spend zero resources on quality control to check your work. If this is a business, then the hardware cost is a business tax deduction, lowering the cost. This a business that can't afford $200 to make sure the end product actually works? What will you do if a customer complains that their video doesn't work properly?

I'm so happy to see this sort of common sense post.

This is the main reason I own an iPad.
As a bonus, I can use it to read books and comics.

Again, I invoke my post: How to tell that a media "professional" is a clueless twit

Professional encoding -- somebody charging others for work that will be distributed -- is done with real software. MainConcept Reference, Episode, Sorenson Squeeze, etc. Not the latest all-in-one template-driven "help me it's too hard" software. That's fine for homemade jobs, but nothing commercial.

[terryj]

Get a Copy of VisualHub, and use the iTunes setting Tab.
Select "All Devices" and drag and drop your file in the open window,
then click encode.
It will create a compatible file for all iDevices, including iPods, iPhones, and iPad,
that I can testify plays beautifully and spectacularly on all devices.

What quality setting and do you have any other box checked?

Since most of what I put on are content of 30mins or less, I use the standard setting lawn.
No other boxes checked UNLESS the content is originally mkv format,
and then I go into Advanced and select "Process with Quicktime".