Need Help With TV USB Video Playback

[crevice9]

My mother has a TV that she's use to and doesn't want to change TVs. She has a Sanyo FW32D08F which has a USB slot in the back. I would like to load some video content on a flash drive for her to watch but the manual shows some pretty dated info. I'm wondering if I could get a larger flash drive and preferably use a different file format that would allow longer/more video content. It could be the manual was just reflecting common video and flash drive specs for the time when it was released.

This is the info from the manual:
Only AVI files at 320 x 240 30 fps
USB 8 Gb maximum

I've tried to find an online file size calculator to figure out how much video could fit on an 8Gb USB stick using those specs but I can't find one.

Thoughts? Any ideas?

[hech54]

It has nothing to do with USB stick capacity or file size.
The files must be encoded in:
Motion JPEG playback (via USB Flash Memory, 320x240 30fps)
I'm not sure why the manual says "AVI".
Either way it's time to do some re-encoding of video files (via a home computer) to MJPEG or AVI(DivX? - XviD?) @320 x 240 30fps.
It sucks....but you can't change it.

[davexnet]

Perhaps buy a cheap media box (Roku?) and use the
HDMI connection.

[crevice9]

It has nothing to do with USB stick capacity or file size.
The files must be encoded in:
Motion JPEG playback (via USB Flash Memory, 320x240 30fps)
I'm not sure why the manual says "AVI".
Either way it's time to do some re-encoding of video files (via a home computer) to MJPEG or AVI(DivX? - XviD?) @320 x 240 30fps.
It sucks....but you can't change it.

I actually do video file conversions a lot, to one file type that I use which is MP4 H.264. I use HandBrake to do the conversions I need. My understanding is you need to choose a file format such as MP4 and a video codec such as H.264. In her case AVI is an uncompressed format (huge) and I don't know why it says it must be MJPEG video with a AVI extension. I'm confused. The 320 x 240 sucks but I would still use it to get her content. I just am not sure what settings I need. What I've read says MJPEG is AVI. Then why even mention MJPEG? Just say AVI. Ugh... confused.

As for the 8 Gb flash drive I was unsure if systems would reject some larger sizes the same way some I remember larger HDDs not being seen by certain computer systems years ago. I guess flash drives are completely different in that regard?

[crevice9]

Perhaps buy a cheap media box (Roku?) and use the
HDMI connection.

Yeah, I use Roku. Wanted to get her one but she doesn't want it... You know how older people get set in their ways

[usually_quiet]

If Mom has a Blu-ray player connected to the TV, some Blu-ray players play a decent variety of video files from USB sticks. I can't say the same about DVD players. They have very limited ability to play video files, if any.

[crevice9]

If Mom has a Blu-ray player connected to the TV, some Blu-ray players play a decent variety of video files from USB sticks. I can't say the same about DVD players. They have very limited ability to play video files, if any.

Unfortunately she doesn't.

[jagabo]

What I've read says MJPEG is AVI. Then why even mention MJPEG? Just say AVI. Ugh... confused.

AVI is a container -- it can contain audio and video compressed (or not) with many different codecs. MJPEG is a codec. It can be used in a number of different containers. Apparently the TV only supports MJPEG at 320x240 at 30 fps (maybe 29.97 fps) in AVI. Many early digital cameras could produce that. ffmpeg can still produce that with a command line something like:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf scale=320:240,fps=30 -c:v mjpeg  -q:v 3 -c:a mp3 output.avi

VirtualDub2 can too but you'll need to find a VFW MJPEG encoder.

What about audio? MP3? Mono PCM?

[crevice9]

What I've read says MJPEG is AVI. Then why even mention MJPEG? Just say AVI. Ugh... confused.

AVI is a container -- it can contain audio and video compressed (or not) with many different codecs. MJPEG is a codec. It can be used in a number of different containers. Apparently the TV only supports MJPEG at 320x240 at 30 fps (maybe 29.97 fps) in AVI. Many early digital cameras could produce that. ffmpeg can still produce that with a command line something like:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf scale=320:240,fps=30 -c:v mjpeg  -q:v 3 -c:a mp3 output.avi

VirtualDub2 can too but you'll need to find a VFW MJPEG encoder.

What about audio? MP3? Mono PCM?

Thanks I'll look into that. As for sound I'm not sure. I will first probably load several differently encoded files and see what works. I posted what is below earlier, would like to know thoughts on that.

As for the 8 Gb flash drive I was unsure if systems would reject some larger sizes the same way some I remember larger HDDs not being seen by certain computer systems years ago. I guess flash drives are completely different in that regard?

[jagabo]

8 GB was one of the early drive size barriers:

http://dewassoc.com/kbase/hard_drives/drive_size_barrier_limitations_2.htm

You'll almost certainly need to format it FAT32, not NTFS.

[crevice9]

8 GB was one of the early drive size barriers:

http://dewassoc.com/kbase/hard_drives/drive_size_barrier_limitations_2.htm

You'll almost certainly need to format it FAT32, not NTFS.

I plan on formatting to FAT32. That link didn't really answer my question.

[orsetto]

Perhaps buy a cheap media box (Roku?) and use the
HDMI connection.

Yeah, I use Roku. Wanted to get her one but she doesn't want it... You know how older people get set in their ways

This is one of those instances where the correct answer to the beloved parent-friend-relative is

"Oh, yeah? Well, old people set in their ways can just set and stare at a black screen and count their eyelashes for entertainment, then."

Seriously: not being snarky here at all.

This is not simply a question of pandering to convenience for her: the TV is outdated and doesn't play squat in terms of typical file formats in use today. The one format it does play is a crappy quality PITA that requires you jump thru conversion hoops for every video she might care to watch, never mind the potential brick wall of the 8GB flash drive limit. Single-format obsolete TV media players also have an annoying tendency to lose audio lip sync ten minutes into each video, and/or corrupting the USB stick (destroying the videos) at random intervals if the TV is powered on or off with the stick still plugged in. Sanyo is made by Funai: a company notorious for absolutely terrible USB flash drive video support (even their BluRay players are extremely limited in file compatibility).

I ran into similar resistance migrating my own parents from VHS to DVD, then from DVD to MP4/MKV on discs or USB. They didn't like the changes at first, but when presented with the choice of "roll with the changes or I can't give you anything you want to watch anymore" they damn well learned to deal with it. Once the change is accepted, they even come to like it: my 85 y/o Dad really appreciates the true HDTV PQ of MP4/MKV over SD DVD, and the fact he can have several movies or an entire TV season on a single disc or USB stick. He now uses a compact BD/USB player for all videos.

Has your mother ever even used the USB media play feature of her Sanyo TV yet? If not, she may be in for a rude surprise: the interface of most built-in TV media players is crude and confusing (certainly no simpler to operate than a Roku or BD player USB port: usually worse). So if her objection to having her own Roku is fear of learning to use it, try showing her yours compared to how her TV built-in player works. While you're at it, don't forget to explain how EVERY. SINGLE. VIDEO. she wants you to bring her will require YOU deal with tedious, time-consuming conversion, to blurrier picture quality than necessary, just to suit her funky TV player.

BTW, if she's anything like my mother (or most other Moms out there), her objection to the Roku has nothing to do with "learning something new" and everything to do with "not wanting another box and another remote cluttering my OCD-run home, on the off chance Architectural Digest drops by to interview me". If its the latter, get her to understand "clutter" is the modern day price one pays in exchange for more entertainment options.

Re the audio format question: the manual for this TV specifies the 320 x 240 MJPEGs in AVI container must have 16-bit LPCM audio tracks at sampling rate of 32, 44.1 or 48kHz. Mono vs stereo is not mentioned, but even a company as funky as Funai should support stereo file playback on their stereo TVs.

[crevice9]

Yeah, she just gets overwhelmed with some things and like a lot of women gets upset when they shouldn't. It's not so easy to show her differences and comparisons. She's an hour away (2 round trip). I usually go see her every other Sunday.

I may just show up with a Roku and USB with some content for her. She's not asking me to do anything really. She calls asking me to explain what she's looking at on her iPad and iPhone screen a lot I'm Android, hate Apple... but that's another thing.

I use Roku, the USB slot on the Roku and both USB slots on my VIZIO. My main source for content is a 4 Tb HDD plugged into my Wi-Fi router. I REALLY love that!!! I also can stream content from 2 different computers on the network or from my phone. There's also the 3D Blu-ray player which is amazing on my 50" 3D TV. A massive DVD library as well. I say all of that not to boast but to paint a contrast between her environment and mine. I truly hate thinking of her sitting there just watching cable on that crumby TV. It's got an OK picture but no content options. I absolutely loathe commercials and I always mute or skip them. Knowing she's sitting there letting them program her pisses me off, not at her.

[Alwyn]

That was quite entertaining, Orsetto! I can relate to a lot of that with my rellos.

[jagabo]

If the TV requires 16 bit LPCM stereo audio I think this will work:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf scale=320:240,fps=30 -c:v mjpeg -q:v 3 -c:a pcm_s16le output.avi

[Cornucopia]

Sneakily unplug the TV. Tell her, "it's broken!". Buy her a nice new one. Problem solved.

Scott

[crevice9]

Sneakily unplug the TV. Tell her, "it's broken!". Buy her a nice new one. Problem solved.

Scott

Hahaha I like the way you think!

[usually_quiet]

Much depends upon a parent's age and experience.

An elderly parent who is able to use a smart phone or tablet can probably learn to use a Roku.

An elderly parent who has zero computer literacy is probably going to have a very difficult time learning to use anything that has a multi-level menu system. My parents did OK with a VCR but struggled with learning to use a cable box when their cable provider switched to digital and encrypted everything. I don't dare replace Mom's current cable box with the latest model. Mom's 101 now and learning how to use something new isn't possible for her anymore.

[pm-s]

Try using 47% MJPEG compression. It's the least amount to be considered passable