macuser.com— Apparently, the new 5.5G iPod won't play a 640 x 480 video encoded with Handbrake, even though Apple explicitly says that it can.
Sep 19, 2006View in Crawl 4
I wonder if the bitrate has something to do with it? Prior to the 5.5G iPod, the iPod could only handle up to 900 macroblocks (16 pixes squared = 1 macroblock). I am under the impression that the 5.5G iPods (and even the 5G iPods with the firmware update) can now handle up to 1,200 macrblocks (the number needed for 640x480). Hence, it should technically work. Going back to my bitrate theory... any video encoding experts here?
Actually, I figured out that it's because 640 x 480 video requires Baseline low complexity, not normal Baseline encoding. Handbrake can't do Low-complexity encoding, so problem solved.
thoth92Sep 19, 2006Submitter
Handbrake encodes H.264 in x264 Baseline, which is iPod compatible. The thing is, both files are encoded the same, except that one is 640 X 480 and the other is 320 x 240. What happened was the 640 x 480 video wouldn't work (though the 320 x 240 did), contrary to what Apple and <a class="user" href="http://digg.com/apple/Use_full_video_resolution_on_5th_generation_iPods">http://digg.com/apple/Use_full_video_resolution_on_5th_generation_iPods</a> say.
kallgaierSep 20, 2006
I wonder if the bitrate has something to do with it? Prior to the 5.5G iPod, the iPod could only handle up to 900 macroblocks (16 pixes squared = 1 macroblock). I am under the impression that the 5.5G iPods (and even the 5G iPods with the firmware update) can now handle up to 1,200 macrblocks (the number needed for 640x480). Hence, it should technically work. Going back to my bitrate theory... any video encoding experts here?
thoth92Sep 20, 2006Submitter
Actually, I figured out that it's because 640 x 480 video requires Baseline low complexity, not normal Baseline encoding. Handbrake can't do Low-complexity encoding, so problem solved.
aaronhoffmanSep 26, 2006
Case closed.Read the article update.(Reported as inaccurate.)