I have been trying for ages to get a dvd onto my Ipaq I think I've tried all suggestions on this forum but all fail. Admittedly, I'm being a cheapskate and not paying for the software but as I can't get any to work, it seems a waste of money! I tried FairUse again last night. I get through the first stage now but then I always get the error message that DivXCompressor::Create() : LoadCodecSettings(XviD) : ERROR
09:24:39 1184 _TranscodeProcess() : The DVD could not be converted
09:24:39 1184 Audio track added: 00: English, AC3, 448k/5.1

PLEASE can someone tell me where I'm going wrong?
Bluebadger

You probably have a damaged DVD or you may need to reinstall the software. FairUse is AMAZING! I am able to get an entire movie into 480mb with VGA quality. That of which took me the same space to get qVGA quality with mpg files when I was using TMPEGenc. Anyway, I know I could increase the quality more and get a better image, but I am very satisfied. In the past, I'd always use the same bitrate. Now, I like the ability to keep the files the same size. About 480 is good because that fits on my 512mb memory card perfectly, even though I have a few megs of data. Plus, if I upgrade to a 1gb card, I'll have exactly enough room for two movies. I am VERY impressed with the software--they are amazing people!

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bluebadger, I like you am a bit of a cheapskate. Well actually I'm not but there's so much good free software out there these days I'm definitely trying it before I shell out for something!

Anyway, I use Pocket DivX Encoder, which is the one suggested in the guide hosted on this site. I can't fault it. OK so it takes ages to encide, but I understand that none of them are very quick, so this isn't a negative. Lots of settings to play with, but essentially it's simple to use.

That and BetaPlayer are a great (free) combo.

FairUse has a free version and it appears to be fine for most users! The full version is also only $10!!

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How long does it take to rip a DVD using Fair Use?

Hurrah! I did it. I had a 217 minute dvd which I had ripped (using Faire Use) and running on my iPAQ 2 hours 25 mins later. And it is absolutely perfect!!

The trouble with the 'codec missing error message' disappeared when I downloaded dvix from www.videohelp.com So I would recommend Fair Use too...and now I can even recommend buying it!
Bluebadger

yes.. there are a zillion combinations of softwares and methods.. and not every one is compatable with every ipaq, most time it comes down to what
you can get your hands on..and what will work on your unit.. putting movies
on your ppc is kool no doubt.. ive got maby 8 on my 4700.. ( filled up 4 g hdd) an the most fun i get out of it is showing off the 4700's equality to a laptop.. then some smartie will go " yea but you cant play DVD's " and i
SMILE AND WHIP OUT THE PLAY LIST AND ASK THEM WHICH FULL LENGTH DVD QUALITY FEATURE WOULD THEY LIKE TO WATCH ! " ... honestly most of them actually think im kidding..untill i startup I rOBOT.. or KILL BILL... then their eyeballs pop out and they start drooling... thts when i know its time to
quit teasing them... :*))

oh..and the movies play just fine off the hdd.. but for power considerations, which arent bad now..im going with a whopper c.f card when they become affordable.

Happy though I am with Pocket DivX Encoder, I do like the look of FairUse, particularly the user interface which seems a bit more slick. I do have 2 questions though:

1. The light version says it's limited to 700mb files. I'm assuming that this is the maximum output file size? I'm just wondering why anyone would encode an Xvid file any bigger to play on a PPC.....

2. Can you recode a standard .avi file to Xvid to play on the PPC using this, or is it really only for DVD/ISO files? I am several TV programmes captured on a PC in .avi format, which I'd quite like to be able to put onto my SD card to watch on the move.

Thanks in advance.

Hi LJ50,

I use Betaplayer to play .avi files on my 4355. Do your captured .avi files behave differently?

Marc

No I just like to reduce the file size and resolution, as a) I can get more onto the SD and b) so it's the right size for the hx4700.. I have a widescreen laptop so when I capture it it's in that size: 1440x980, I think.

More though just for th file size. If I capture a half hour programme it's around 350Mb. I can get it down to 60ish so I could get a few programmes on the SD rather than just 2.

Thanks Bluebadger.. I was having the same problem myself.. Fair Use is now chugging along nicely as we speak... Cross your fingers for me..

Still scratchin my head...

Do it the simple way;
Buy yourself a 1 Gb SD card
Install BetaPlayer
download the movie you own, I know that sounds stupid but save yourself the trouble of conversion, ripping, scaling and all the other crap.....

BitTorrent sites like IsoHunt and Torrentspy can help you with this, please do mind, I am not promoting using pirated movies but it can save you some trouble. I own somewhere near 500 movies, and I have a lot of them as dvdrip downloads as well....

I think it is well worth the $10 just to reward the developer for a nice program. However, if money's tight, the free version may just do everything you need.
Regardless which version you end up with, the program works as advertised. Its automatic mode does everything I want and the results are superb.

Coincidently, my 256MB Sans Disk SD card just died! Let it rest in peace, it gave me several years of reliable service. Now, I have a 1GB Ultra II SD card and this gives me enough room for a movie or two.

When I play The Fifth Element on my 4700, people are just amazed. The video looks absolutely fabulous and is less than 500MBs!

Will FairUse output a WMV to play in WMP or do you need another proggy to play the Fairuse movies? What programs are those that play those movies and are any free? The Ministry of Finance will string me out to dry if I acquire a new program. 8}

Bluebadger very welcome news indeed!! Which equipments and setup are you using and how did you do it? I have done two 120 mins dvds at 6 hours each. That is, TWELVE HOURS for two dvds. My setup: Sony laptop NV100, Pentium 4 1.7 GHz, 256MB RAM, Windows XP Home Edition. Now, how did you do a 217 minut dvd at 2 hrs 25 mins? If I should do it at 3 hours I would be more than grateful considering the amazing nature of the result.