xmedia parameters conversion

[Papou]

Hello,
I got some files in mkv extension which are very big (around 4 000 000 ko)
I want to install them on an iPad and of course it's too big!
I am using Xmedia Recode with the "standard option" :
- format : custom and avi
- video : MPEG 1
- all others as is
and then I got a convert file which is of a (good) quality and around 600 000 ko

As I do not know all the parameters, I did not change anything

Is it possible to keep an acceptable quality, modifying some parameters and to arrive to 400 000 /500 000 ko?

Thanks for your advice

[LigH.de]

Wait, what? AVI container and MPEG-1 video content? Are you sure? Those two usually do not belong together. Did you possibly select MPEG-4 as video format (the standard implemented as e.g. DivX or Xvid)?

The iPad (which generation exactly?) is probably able to play even more modern formats like MPEG-4 AVC (H.264), so you could compress the video a bit better, but this should be stored in an MP4 container, not AVI; and then, the encoding complexity has to be restricted and special tags added that iTunes would accept it. There are more powerful and less restrictive players than iTunes (like VLC), but installing them on Apple devices may be a different issue.

[Papou]

This is interesting but not usefull for any user:
you did not telle me what parameter to use!

[LigH.de]

Out of troll food.

[Papou]

I thaught that the purpose of this forum was to help...
Sorry

[LigH.de]

Of course. But "help" can be offered in different ways. I believe that it is more helpful to help you understanding what you need, than just to throw a bunch of values at you, especially when I don't really understand your current situation from your brief report. By the way, I asked you some questions you did not answer, which would have helped me to help you, more than blaming me.

I do not use XMedia Recode, so I know only little about the specific options of this tool. But I know enough about the basics of video formats to suggest solutions independently of the used converter software.

[Papou]

OK thanks,
I was using Xmedia Recode due to the fact it was free, but I can use any thing, provided it's free and not too coomplicaded for a lambda people!

So here is what I would:
I have files in mkv format that are around 4 000 000 ko (so very big) and I want to play them on an iPad (played on VLC for example)
provided the fact they are around 400 000 /500 000 ko?

Could you tell me which application can I use and the necessary parameters?

Thank you

[sneaker]

Like LigH recommended: set "Format" "Profile" to "Custom" and "file extension" to "mp4". Set video "Codec" to "MPEG-4 AVC / H.264". Video "Profile" to "High". Audio "Codec" to "Fraunhofer FDK AAC". Audio "Channels" to "Stereo", "Object Type" to "MPEG-4 AAC LC (Low Complexity)".
Then click "Options">"Bitrate-Calculator" at the top. At the bottom-right of the calculator you can set "file size" to e.g. 500 MB. Click "OK" and then "Add to queue" (green "+" symbol), then "Encode".

It seems to also have format profiles ready for a number of devices. If you have trouble with the instructions above you may try those.