DVD to DivX converter.

Hi guys.

I've installed the GAPI Pocket MVP successfully on my J720.
Can anyone recommend a freeware download of a DVD to DivX converter??

Cheers,

Gaz

See http://www.hpcfactor.com/ and DVD Catalyst. Mitch's current sale makes his program *almost* freeware, and anything free is so poorly made that your lost time will more than pay for it.

Jake

I can personally recommend dvd catalyst, i use it all the time.

Don't forget to look up screen ratings, the 720's screen rating is in devices and specifications for the 720 (via support).

.......thanks guys. Just Purchased and downloaded Catalyst.

What do you mean by "Screen ratings"?? Size? Refresh rate?........

Cheers,

Gaz.

Yep...that's what he means...setting the screen size to an optimal viewing size...like 320 x 240 and no more than 15 fps rate...

No, not quite.

This is in the DC manual, however in short.

The program has a benchmark import capability which generates an optimised configuration for the device hardware capabilities. This generates a screen rating number. This number can be types into the DC configuration to automatically configure the frame rate and resolution optimisation for the device. You can get the screen rating values from the D&S spec page for the device here on HPC:Factor - where someone has submitted a screen rating. The 720's is there.

The SR is coverd in this review of PocketDVD 1.1 (the old name of DVD Catalyst) http://www.hpcfactor.com/qlink/?linkID=92

.........Great link!!

I've been lucky enough for the explanation to include the screen rating for the Jornada 720!!

Quote:

Screen Ratings - Optimisation for the Handheld PC
Lastly a very significant optimisation feature, exclusive to PocketDVD.ca software makes its debut in PocketDVD 1.1.
The PocketDVD Screen Rating system was developed during the beta process to allow for video frame rate optimisation specifically on the Handheld PC and older PDA devices.

A video is nothing more than a fast moving sequence of still pictures (frames). Depending on where you live you will either view 25 frames every second, or 29. The Screen Ratings system has been created for devices which are unable to output the full 25/29 frames which make up standard video.

As many PDA devices make use of older screen technologies, with slower draw rates and smaller CPUs, sending the full video stream to the device display causes an overload which can significantly depreciating the quality.
In the same light different PDA devices will have different sized screens - in the Handheld PC specification there are 5 standard screen resolutions. PocketDVD Screen Ratings are a numeric calculation of the optimal frame rate and screen size for any specific device. The optimal values for Screen Rating, along with discovering the optimal bit-rate for getting the highest quality out of your device can calculated using some free tools and sample videos. More information is available from the PocketDVD website.
Once you have the Screen Rating number. The integer is then input into the 'Maximum Rating' settings box on the bottom right of the advanced window.

When previewing back the output files on the Jornada 720 test device the stark improvement achieved from using the Screen Rating system (the rating is 1228800 or 640x240x8) is immediately apparent when striving to maximise the use of the 640x240 screen. Using video benchmarking tools on the 720 before optimisation can demonstrate only a 70% performance rating. By using the Screen Rating optimal for your device the value will be over 100%, matching your devices hardware capabilities precisely.
Screen Ratings are not designed for use by all users, users planning to play back on, for example a modern PC or Pocket PC (due to its much reduced screen size) will as a matter of course have the capability of displaying unconstrained videos.

Gaz

Thanks, I wrote it

Actually if you're using a newer version of GAPI you can now go slightly higher than that, see D&S:
http://www.hpcfactor.com/hardware/devices/specification.asp?d=65

Hey, I didn't know that C:Amie...so the number for the 720, 1833216, if input into DVD catalyst is supposed to produce an optimized movie?

Cool...if it works. I never did that...but am using the GT version, so maybe I just missed it or it isn't an option for that build. Anyway, I still stand at what I wrote earlier. Limiting the frame rate to 15 per second produces the best movies for my Mobilepro, and of course limiting the screen size to something that can be viewed without having to interpolate an oversized screen to a smaller one makes the viewing more efficient as well.

Now I have to go digitize a couple of movies using that number thingie and see if I can observe a difference....you are just a wealth of info!

You should find the 900/900C screen rating in D&S as well. We're always interested in updates and missing DC rating information.

That is the idea Rich, DC can take a benchmark file from TCPMP and generate the screen rating for you (See: http://www.hpcfactor.com/support/cesd/s/0124.asp ). You might find that it allows you to get 16/17 frames out of it instead of a flat 15 (no promises).
Please ensure you have the latest GAPI on the device and that you have TCPMP in GAPI mode.

Please only use the standard benchmark file in the CESD to submit ratings against!!!

I can't belive that more people weren't aware of this, perhaps an error in marketing awareness on my part.

Don't forget that the is currently a new article on the FP which has 50% off of DVD Catalysy 3.77.1 (please Digg it!! http://www.hpcfactor.com/news/?iid=749 )

Well guys, I'm almost there!!!!

DVD Catalyst is fab and a little more sophisticated than I thought. I just cherry picked "Handheld PC" and "Jornada 720" from the intended play device and it filled out all of this info for me.
Here's my problem.
After DC converts the DVD, the output file plays fine on my PC and is clearly in 640x240 format. I then store the file on the Jornada's storage card.
I open up PocketMVP and open the film file but all I get is a black screen with the film filename and length in the middle.
I can here the audio fine but there are no images. I thought it might be because I hadn't setup the GAPI so I open that application and just changed the device to Jornada HPC2000.
Have I not done something correctly on the MVP or on the DC conversion??

Gaz.

Install TCPMP (downloads section), set the video driver to GAPI and try it again via TCPMP. pMVP is a few yesrs out of date and lacks gx optimisation and codec support for a few popular formats.

......thanks Amie.

I'm in work at the moment so will try tonight!!

Does the TCPMP download install on the PC or the Jornada??

When you say "Set the video driver to GAPI".......would that be the TCPMP button on DVDCatayst??


Thanks again for all of your help. This forum has been great!!

Gaz

.........just had a look in the download section.

Which one do I download for my Jornada 720???..........

Gaz

It's C:Amie (why do people drop the C:?)

TCPMP (Cabs) is what you want, version 0.72.

You set the video driver in TCPMP