Guide:Compress video/music with Windows Movie Maker

Klund22 · 03-10-03, 09:50 PM

Hi everyone!
I saw the other guide to making videos fit onto an Axim, and I thought it was pretty complicated. SO I found another way to compress files but still keep good quality.

1. Do you have Windows XP? Windows XP comes with a program called: "Windows Movie Maker" Which I have found to prove very useful. They also made another version of Movie Maker called Movie Maker 2, either will work.

2. Alright this is how it goes. Open Movie Maker and go to 'file' then click on 'import into collections' A new window will pop up. Find the Video, or MP3, that you want to open. Press OK. If it was music go straight to 4. if it is Video go to 3.

3. Now you will return to the main screen. Now you'll see the name of your file with an image above it. If you look at the bottom of the screen there is a storyboard. Use this for Video. Drag your file into the first box.

4. Drag your music to the storyboard. A pop up will come up saying something like: "This is a music file. The storyboard will now change to a timeline." Now you will see your music in the Timeline.

5. Now go to 'file' and click 'Save Movie' If you are using MM2 a screen will pop up that says ' Movie Location-where do you want to save your movie?' Just save it to 'My computer' then click ok. Now you will be taken to the next screen that looks just like the regular MM users. Enter the Name of the movie and select where you want to save it then click 'ok'. By default, the selction for saving will be either 'medium quality' or 'best quality' for MM users go to the drag-down menu and choose 'other' then another pull down menu will appear. Go to the option that best suits you. I personally like either 150 kbps or 218 kbps. Now press next. it will now start saving. For the MM2 users, click 'other setting' and then choose the option that suits you best. Then press next. Now your done!

6. Just kidding. Now you just open active sync and copy the file to your card. NOW you are done.

I hope this was helpful. If you have any questions e-mail me, PM me, or reply to the message. Thanks for the info Nathan!

sdasmith · 03-14-03, 04:30 PM

Hi Klund22,

thanks for the info.

I tried this and works but it does not address issues like aspect ratios and screen size as well as fliping the vid to maximize the viewing area.

Steve

ceej13 · 03-14-03, 04:38 PM

Of course not. He's just explaining how to convert the videos for the axim. Now Aspect rations and view full screen should be quite easy on the Axim. At least with the view full screen toggle w/c is next to the volume on WMP.

Klund22 · 03-14-03, 06:23 PM

yeah, you can make it fullscreen by going to tools in Windows Media player, then go to settings, then go to Audio and Video, then in the video options, go to the pulldown menu and select 'Always' or 'Only when oversized', That should make it full screen

ceej13 · 03-14-03, 06:26 PM

Hey, Klundd. Do you know anything about the ratio aspect of it?

Klund22 · 03-14-03, 06:34 PM

I am afraid not.........

ceej13 · 03-14-03, 06:40 PM

Oh, Well. I'll try to figure it out sometime.

Klund22 · 03-14-03, 06:46 PM

sorry

pecos · 03-15-03, 08:57 AM

Can I View the Avi, jpg or other Video formats using the Axim's Windows Media Player?

Klund22 · 03-17-03, 01:43 PM

I don't think you can use Avi. Formats on Windows Media Player on the Axim. You need Pocket MVP to view that.

Klund22 · 03-20-03, 12:47 AM

I figured out all those ratio question matters. Here they are:
Display Size: 320x240 pixels
Aspects Ratio: 4:3
FPS: 15

Hope this helps!

acsurfer · 05-23-03, 02:51 AM

Very good Klund22

I came here to post a guide on how to use WMM. Glad I did a search first.

WMM is quick and ez to use and does a nice job.

I get Full screen by using...Save/ Video for Pocket PC (Full Screen 218Kbps) in the pull down menu

bsa43 · 05-23-03, 03:33 PM

For some reason, the save is always greyed out in Windows Movie Maker. This happens on two machines.

acsurfer · 05-23-03, 11:46 PM

bsa43

You have to drag the video from the collection area to the storyboard or Timeline first and then the save options will become highlighted.

smeg36 · 05-23-03, 11:55 PM

I used to use Windows Movie Maker, and maybe it was just the way I was doing it, but it didn't turn out to good for me. I would use the Full Screen Video for Color PDA as the settings, and the video quality wasn't very good, the audio was off, and the files were HUGE. Was it just me? It was WAY easier to use than VirtualDub, and took a lot less time, so I would love to be able to use it, but I couldn't stand the quality.

Could someone who has used PocketMVP and VirtualDub please tell me of thier comparisons so I can see if it was something I was doing wrong.