MP4 "Profiles" for iTunes, iPod/iPhone

CClub wrote on 8/25/2008, 9:46 PM
I've been trying to figure out the formula to import video into an iPhone (perhaps the same settings for an iPod). I taped a concert, and there are several families that are asking for versions of the songs that can be loaded onto their ipods/iphones.

The Apple site states that the iPhone video supported formats are 1) H.264 "Baseline Profile Level 3" and 2) MPEG-4 "Simple Profile."

I rendered an mp4 in Vegas using Main Concept MP4, "Ipod 640 x 480" template. It played fine in iTunes. Then, I tried to upload to the iPhone. It gave a message that the file "was not copied to the iPhone because it cannot be played on this iPhone." It gave me the option to Right-click on the mp4, then "Convert selection for ipod/iphone." I did this, and the 70 mb mp4 changed to a m4v format 4 mb in size with no video... only audio. Since I didn't have success with the mp4, I tried rendering the original file to a 720p Cineform avi, pulling it into QuickTime Pro, and using that to export into an iPhone format; that gave me an extremely noisy, barely viewable video file. I tried the same with an uncompressed avi; no success. I tried with an uncompressed MOV; no success.

Is there more to this "Baseline Profile Level 3" or the "MPEG-4 Simple Profile" that I'm not aware of? I don't see Vegas wording the options in the "Custom" template options the same way. In the Main Concept MP4 template, on the Video Tab, it gives me the option of "Main" or "Baseline," and the iPod template chooses the "Baseline," but then it doesn't give the option of "Level 3" or "Simple." Any experiences with this, or success with loading to iPod or iPhone?

Comments

Laurence wrote on 8/26/2008, 6:58 AM
I have an iPod Touch and have had no trouble rendering video for it using either the Main Concept or Sony mpeg4 codecs. I have used the standard iPod templates and they worked fine. I have also changed the 480 lines to 360 for 16:9 and that worked too.

Do you have the latest iPhone firmware and 2.0 OS updates?

How do you transfer your video to your iPod? I just turn of the automatic sync in iTunes and drag videos from a Windows Explorer window to Movies on my iPod and the files are copied.
rs170a wrote on 8/26/2008, 7:48 AM
I've had success converting other assorted files to my kids' iPods with a utility called Free Studio Manager from DVD VideoSoft.
One of the many plugins for it is a Video to iPhone Converter.
It's free so you have nothing to lose.

Mike
CClub wrote on 8/26/2008, 2:40 PM
That DVD Videosoft software worked awesome! Thanks, Mike.

Lawrence, I do have the most up-to-date iPhone update; I think what likely is happening -- given how easily the above software worked -- is that I must have used incompatible mp4 settings for the iPhone. I'll have to mess with the settings from the Videosoft software to find compatible mp4 settings from within Vegas.

Thanks so much, guys. I tried figuring this out for about 8 hours last night. Now I have a very clear direction to go in.

Edit: I successfully loaded videos I made onto my iPhone. I think my problem was overthinking things. I was changing too many different template elements. I ended up using the Main Concept MP4 template for iPod 640 x 480, with the only change being Laurence's 480 down to 360 lines for 16:9. Once again, the Forum solves a problem.
rs170a wrote on 8/26/2008, 5:19 PM
CClub, I'm glad it helped, at least for a little while.
I use it to convert YouTube videos for my daughter's iPod.
It's MUCH faster than going through all kinds of hoops to convert them to AVI, bring them into Vegas and re-render.

Mike