Converting Video Files

[montri69]

Probably like some of you, I download movies that I want but can't find to buy in Thailand but I don't want to keep watching them on my computer. I've tried converting them to mp4, mpeg4, avi and even DAT files but they are not recognized by either of my home DVD players (both are less than 2 years old)

I have a DVD burner on my PC but have been just loading the files on my memory stick to save wasting DVD-R discs. Both of my home players accept USB input and show up on the screen when I load them into the player, but it tells me they're the wrong type file even though both players are rated for mp4, mpeg4 and avi files and DVDs are in DAT file format.

My TV/DVD entertainment center is NOT portable and neither is my office PC set-up. I'd rather not run cables from my office out to the livingroom just to watch them on big screen. It's also inconvenient to keep hauling out the laptop from my business office.

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

ps. I have Prism, Movie Maker, Any Video Converter, DVD Creator, Multimedia Manager, and Video Impression 2 software but so far no luck

[choppychugger]

I literally just bought a Western Digital High def media player - WD TV HD player. Excellent little bit of kit - comes with a little box that plugs into your tv (red/white/yellow cables) and converts all your movie files. Comes with a remote and you simply plug in your portable hard drive to it.

Recognises: Mpeg1/2/4, WMV, AVI, MOV etc.... for your movies, and you can also play your pictures and music.

Cost approx 5,000 thb ( hard drive not included )

choppy

[thaimite]

Probably like some of you, I download movies that I want but can't find to buy in Thailand but I don't want to keep watching them on my computer. I've tried converting them to mp4, mpeg4, avi and even DAT files but they are not recognized by either of my home DVD players (both are less than 2 years old)

I have a DVD burner on my PC but have been just loading the files on my memory stick to save wasting DVD-R discs. Both of my home players accept USB input and show up on the screen when I load them into the player, but it tells me they're the wrong type file even though both players are rated for mp4, mpeg4 and avi files and DVDs are in DAT file format.

My TV/DVD entertainment center is NOT portable and neither is my office PC set-up. I'd rather not run cables from my office out to the livingroom just to watch them on big screen. It's also inconvenient to keep hauling out the laptop from my business office.

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

ps. I have Prism, Movie Maker, Any Video Converter, DVD Creator, Multimedia Manager, and Video Impression 2 software but so far no luck

You could try something like this Popcorn Hour whch is availble in Thailand. It has its own internal disk drive or you can stream move is over your WiFi from your PC if you have a wifi router. In addition there are many similar but cheaper units with built in disk drives that connect to your PC to transfer the file, and then plug it in to the TV for the family to watch.

One of the great things about these devices is that the family can control them with a standard VCR type remote and they do not have to be computer literate.

Because my family have managed to scratch every DVD and VCD I have bought, I now rip my movies to my player BEFORE I let them have the original for their own viewing.

If you go this route and get carried away you could even end up with a system such as this

It is a little more expensive than just burning DVD's but it is the way to go.

[d0ndela]

The Multimedia Player market is rapidly expanding at the moment. You can get a HD box for as low as 2300-2400 baht today. Just plug in your USB hard drive or flash stick and watch your HD movies on your TV via a HDMI cable.

The box I think I'm going to buy is this one from A.C.Ryan. It costs just under 6k baht and has roughly the same specs as the WD HD box mentioned above. But on top of that is has space for an internal SATA HDD up to 1.5TB, it has ethernet connection, they are working on a wifi option to purchase as well. It doubles as a NAS server and can download torrents.

I'm still looking for the catch as it seems to cheap for what it comes with, but I haven't found it yet

[montri69]

The Multimedia Player market is rapidly expanding at the moment. You can get a HD box for as low as 2300-2400 baht today. Just plug in your USB hard drive or flash stick and watch your HD movies on your TV via a HDMI cable.

The box I think I'm going to buy is this one from A.C.Ryan. It costs just under 6k baht and has roughly the same specs as the WD HD box mentioned above. But on top of that is has space for an internal SATA HDD up to 1.5TB, it has ethernet connection, they are working on a wifi option to purchase as well. It doubles as a NAS server and can download torrents.

I'm still looking for the catch as it seems to cheap for what it comes with, but I haven't found it yet

I looked up where to buy from your link and found this as the only place lsted:

Digilife Shop Room 371-375, 3rd Fl. Pantip Plaza Pratunum, Bangkok Tel: +66843619310, +6626566103

The website lists them at 149-229 euro so I wonder what they are here in Thailand and is this the only shop that carries them?

[d0ndela]

No they are available online in Thailand as well, I sent you a PM

[MKAsok]

Shouldn't be a problem if your player says MPEG 4. Are you sure your files are XviD? Some players are fussy and won't play DivX. Use MediaInfo to find out the codec and report back.

[katana]

Probably like some of you, I download movies that I want but can't find to buy in Thailand but I don't want to keep watching them on my computer. ..

You might have some luck converting them to DVD with FAVC.

http://favcfavc.googlepages.com/

[montri69]

Shouldn't be a problem if your player says MPEG 4. Are you sure your files are XviD? Some players are fussy and won't play DivX. Use MediaInfo to find out the codec and report back.

Codec listed as: Motion JPEG; Resolution 320x240; Framerate 25.00

[montri69]

Probably like some of you, I download movies that I want but can't find to buy in Thailand but I don't want to keep watching them on my computer. ..

You might have some luck converting them to DVD with FAVC.

http://favcfavc.googlepages.com/

Didn't help, just came back with errors in reading file format

[Digitalbanana]

Probably like some of you, I download movies

I bought a WD-TV box to watch my downloaded movies about a year ago. But if you are in the market for a new TV, many come with a USB port to just plug in the downloaded movie so the box becomes obsolete.

[kevc]

DVD SANTA free to download real easy to use and also creates great slide shows.

[nam-thip]

Off topic a little but do downloaded movies play just as well on the big screen from a USB storage device as what they do when transfered/loaded and played from a disc?

I have two 'not so cheap' DVD player's linked to two seperate TV's one is a Pioneer and one is a Sony home theatre system that cost 25.000 baht and neither will play downloaded movies or has USB facility.

I tried to convert the movies to something compatable with both machines but without success.

I eventually went to Tesco/lotus and bought an el-cheapo DVD player with UBS facility for less than 1.000 baht that seems to play everything.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Shouldn't be a problem if your player says MPEG 4. Are you sure your files are XviD? Some players are fussy and won't play DivX. Use MediaInfo to find out the codec and report back.

Codec listed as: Motion JPEG; Resolution 320x240; Framerate 25.00

Most films won't be in MJPEG, so for the odd one it probably worth creating a DVD Video disc. DVD Flick will do this for you.

[MKAsok]

Codec listed as: Motion JPEG; Resolution 320x240; Framerate 25.00

There's your problem right there. That's a very unusual codec. Where on earth are you getting such files? Downloads from common sources will almost always be AVI XviD. More rarely these days DivX. I think your best bet is to convert these to DVD (MPEG 2) using ConvertX, or, as someone already suggested, DVD Flick (ConvertX is superior in my opinion). In future, ensure you're downloading AVI XviD.

[montri69]

Thanks to all who have sent suggestions and comments. I will try the free 1's first (because I hate to buy things and find out they don't work) and get back to you all.

[montri69]

Shouldn't be a problem if your player says MPEG 4. Are you sure your files are XviD? Some players are fussy and won't play DivX. Use MediaInfo to find out the codec and report back.

Codec listed as: Motion JPEG; Resolution 320x240; Framerate 25.00

Most films won't be in MJPEG, so for the odd one it probably worth creating a DVD Video disc. DVD Flick will do this for you.

OK, downloaded DVD Flick, ran the file through the conversion to DVD process and now the movie plays on my DVD player and TV BUT, there's no sound. The file has 2 folders, 1 for video and 1 for audio. Do I need to do something else to combine their output so the movie will play with sound? I put the memory stick in my computer using the same output files from DVD Flick and it plays just fine, sound and all in Power DVD.

This much closer as the video portion actually shows on my TV. Any ideas on adding the sound?

Thanks again folks

[montri69]

Just had a thought so I checked, the output file converted into NTSC and Thailand likes PAL so I'm going to try 1 more conversion with it set to PAL. Hope this works, otherwise I'd still like more ideas.

I'm not discounting the folks suggesting buying the HD box but since I live 100km from 'civilization' I'm trying to save the trip into Bangkok.

[mca]

http://www.vso-software.fr/products/convert_x_to_dvd/

works perfectly and there's a torrent out there for it as well but I'm not allowed to post a link. google is your friend

[d0ndela]

I'm not discounting the folks suggesting buying the HD box but since I live 100km from 'civilization' I'm trying to save the trip into Bangkok.

They are easily available online as well, so you can pay the postal company 100 baht or whatever to take it the 100 miles

[montri69]

OK, 1st, converting to PAL didn't work either. Same result, picture but no sound.

Went to the ConvertX website and unless you buy it, all you can download is the trial version that converts with a watermark popping up every few frames. Tried going to their (ConvertX) software forum where they are offering the new v3.8.0.193 Beta version. Now correct me if I'm wrong but, aren't Beta tests supposed to be free?? All it gives you (without telling you until you have installed it) is another 'free trial' version with the watermarks. Since it's already downloaded and installed, I'm trying it to see if it gets me the sound as well.

Ok, same result with ConvertX, video with no sound. <--that's why I like to try before I buy) d0ndela - That's also why I don't like to buy online in LOS.

New Twist - I'm still using my memory stick (to save money and I haven't been to town to buy more DVD-R discs) and when I plug it in my home system it plays without sound but when I plug it into the mini home system in the other room it says "No Disc".

The home system has an AJ D-222 DVD player and the mini system has a B&J RC-502G/DU DVD player. Similar quality and price and both play my DVDs from the states and from here. Maybe a bad USB port??

mca - I'll look for the torrent but I'm not sure it will help if the trial version failed me.

Maybe I just have to drag my behind to town and buy discs

[mca]

I have never had a single problem with any video file in any format using convert x. I've got about 300 downloaded torrents converted to dvd which I watch on my home theatre to prove it.

My default video player on my PC is the VLC one. It's great. If you haven't got it. I'd highly recommend it. Forget other players. Then when you open your video file from the convertx menu you just click on the VLC logo'd file (it'll automatically combine the sound and picture into one). If you do that you'll be running the same set up as me and like I said nary a problem.

[montri69]

OK, I'd like to say a great big THANK YOU!!!!!!! to everyone who chipped in on this one.

Turns out, converting into PAL DVD format with DVD Flick then burning to DVD-R discs (not sure why the memory stick didn't work) with BurnAware makes a complete DVD movie that plays with sound and video on both of my home systems. I hope anyone reading this thread in the future follows the great advice and ideas I've received here.

[mca]

Plus it's worth pointing out that the quality of the media you burn to often has a bearing on your success. When I first tried to burn DVDs I bought a bunch of cheap DVD-Rs (being as they were all the shop had) and always got a "disc not compatible" kind of message. I thought my burner was f#cked. Tried it with a quality brand (TDK or Sony) and never a problem