More video conversion problems

[MKSteve]

Hi all!

Welcome to my 1st post!

Got my Xoom just last week (I'm in the UK) and am loving it, however, the one area where I expect a tablet to excel, and be easy, is video, and this is where I'm running into problems.

I have a Sony Handycam, and would very much like to be able to watch footage from it on the Xoom. Originally, I imagined that I would be able to hook it up to the Xoom via USB and drag the video off it, but obviously that can't happen, then I thought I would simply be able to put the memory card from the Handycam into the Xoom, but that can't happen either.

So, I am left with moving the videos from my laptop to the Xoom (via FTP, as I'm using Ubuntu, but that's a whole different issue! lol). I have to admit that I'm having real problems here.

If I drag across SD video, it won't play in the standard player, but works fine in Rock Player Lite. What gives? Why can't the standard player handle it?

So, I've reluctantly, looked into video conversion. I would love to give DVD Catalyst a try, but I only have my Ubuntu laptop to use, so I'm left looking at Handbrake.

I have tried to load a couple of Xoom presets I have found, but they don't seem to show up in Handbrake when I import them - any ideas?

Had a manual play, and had a little success with SD videos, but the HD ones are still very choppy on the Xoom.

Also, one of my SD videos which I converted using Handbrake works fine on the Xoom in the standard player, but won't load into the Film Studio app. What's going on there? Please don't tell me that Film Studio will only play with files created on the Xoom?! That would be dull!

When I started looking into the Xoom many months ago, I thought it would be fantastic, as when I go on holiday I can edit videos from the camera's memory card, splice in a few photos from my digital camera, mix in some music and send the completed video home to friends, all from the comfort of the hotel pool side! Sadly, the reality is not going to live up to my dreams, at least, not quite yet.

Many thanks for any help you can offer.

Steve

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[chrisonline]

I tried Handbrake and found a couple of Xoom presets, and at least one was mentioned in this forum. Google Xoom presets and you'll find them.

However I was never happy with results, and bought DVD Catalyst - excellent results, and so easy to use.

[MKSteve]

Is DVD Catalyst available for Linux? Couldn't see it on their downloads page.

Also, I have tried to load Xoom presets which I have found, into Handbrake, but they don't seem to show up in the presets list when I do. What am I doing wrong?
Is there another program I can try?

Steve

[dvdcatalyst]

Is DVD Catalyst available for Linux? Couldn't see it on their downloads page.

Also, I have tried to load Xoom presets which I have found, into Handbrake, but they don't seem to show up in the presets list when I do. What am I doing wrong?
Is there another program I can try?

Steve

No Linux version available for dvdcat, sorry.
Last year I did have v3 running on Ubuntu using Wine, but some core functionality (black-bar removal) was non-functional. A while ago, I tried v4 on Ubuntu, and that didn't work at all. It is on my list, but I am currently quite busy with an update. Hopefully when released (and no major issues arise) I will be able to put some time in Linux.

As for Handbrake profiles, your best bet would probably be to just save one of its existing profiles as a custom profile, find out where it is stored at, and place the other profiles there. If that still doesn't work, maybe open both the saved one and the one you downloaded in a texteditor and see if there is any difference.

[MKSteve]

Thanks dude,
Yeah, what I think I will do is try and manually add the Xoom preset to the configuration file. Quick copy and paste job should do it.

Why does this have to be so bloomin' hard?! lol.

I'm quite geeky, and enjoy a certain amount of fiddling, but my fiancee wouldnt stand a chance in hell getting the videos from our handycam onto the xoom, and be able to play them.

Certainly some room for improvement here.

Otherwise, I'm really loving the Xoom. We had a play with an Ipad yesterday, and even the other half noticed that our Xoom browser was much beter.

Steve

[chrisonline]

I have tried to load Xoom presets which I have found, into Handbrake, but they don't seem to show up in the presets list when I do.

Steve

I had no problems using Presets > Import (having already saved the preset file on my computer). The preset appeared in the list on the right.

[MKSteve]

Tried reinstalling hand brake but still no luck.
When I select the preset to import, it just doesn't show up.

I will just have to set the settings manually and save them as a pre set myself.

However, none of the settings I've tried so far seem to produce results that play smoothly :-(
I'll go and have another google for the right ones, but does anyone here have some pointers?
Also, should I use different settings depending on my source video?

Many thanks for any help you can offer guys. Once I get this video issue sorted I will be much happier with this otherwise, almost perfect device!

Steve

[chrisonline]

However, none of the settings I've tried so far seem to produce results that play smoothly :-(
I'll go and have another google for the right ones, but does anyone here have some pointers?
Also, should I use different settings depending on my source video?

Steve

That's the problem I had - so I gracefully paid our friend Mitch (DVDCatalyst) $9.95 for the BEST PROGRAM FOR THE JOB! And it works wonderfully. Just do it, MKSteve, you honestly will NOT regret it Or if you don't believe me, download the free trial (limited to converting just 25% of the file) and see for yourself.

[dvdcatalyst]

That's the problem I had - so I gracefully paid our friend Mitch (DVDCatalyst) $9.95 for the BEST PROGRAM FOR THE JOB! And it works wonderfully. Just do it, MKSteve, you honestly will NOT regret it Or if you don't believe me, download the free trial (limited to converting just 25% of the file) and see for yourself.

Thank you for the support Chris,

Unfortunately, Steve is running Linux, and I haven't had the time to do much work on that yet.

It's next on my list though. No promise if I can make it work anytime soon, but I will try and make it work through wine as soon as I have finished my current update.

[chrisonline]

. . . but I will try and make it work through wine . . .

Fair comment, I didn't realize he was Linux. But it looks like autocorrect maybe caused a Freudian slip here? . . .LOL!