Universal Video FAQ & Conversion Rates

[SlasherX]

Video FAQ

Introductory to the Guide

 click to show

Introduction
Videos, a popular way to keep up to date on news and TV Shows. In this FAQ I will tell you about the PSP and the video's and necessary you'll need to get playing videos on your PlayStation Portable.

What Is a Video?
A video is basically a series of image that when put together playing at a very fast speed will create what we know as a animation. This is what we call a animation. We classify a video more often as a image that refreshes at a very fast rate (pixels) which create a video, not always though, videos can be created alot of ways and they are 2 of the different methods to create a video.

The PSP!
The PSP is a multimedia device. That covers media, images and games. As well as some other nifty features. The PSP can play different type of videos and music. Which makes the PSP a special device, many of the features can be used on a PDA, but the PSP also specialises in Gaming, with many companies creating games for this, its a popular choice for gamers.

In-depth analysis of PSP Videos

 click to show

PSP Videos
There are different parts to getting a video onto the PSP. In this section I'll explain the method to transporting them onto the PSP.

Encoding
I expect that you've atleast already chosen a video that you want on your PSP, so we are moving onto encoding. Encoding, is when the PC goes through the video and re-adjusts the video so that it goes with your specified specs. In example, you could choose to want the video to go and convert to a resolution of 480x272, well when its converting in each frame it will change the video to 480x272. You may think it will take awhile, and yes it does sometimes not always sometimes, some converters are specialised in converting fast. Really fast and really slow, its your choice on which converter you want to use. Generally the faster ones will be the ones that aren't as complex to operate as a slow one, but thats not always the case. Obviously the faster your processor is the faster your video will convert. Not always though, because some programs do not utilize all the processor power your PC or laptop may have. If you'd like to know how what to encode then please move down to the 2nd post for detailed information.

Transferring onto PSP
Second of all, find the video that you have just already converted, now I believe since you are reading this faq you would have one of the newest firmwares. But I will explain both ways to get the video on.

Method with the MP_ROOT Folder

Upon entering your PSP on USB. There should be a Folder PSP. Well in the same directory make a folder named MP_ROOT. Refresh and the folder should be next to the folder PSP. Now go within the MP_ROOT folder and make a new folder called - 100MNV01 and 100ANV01.
100MNV01 is for MP4 videos and 100ANV01 is for AVC videos. Transfer your videos into the correct folders.
After transferring make sure your videos are named correct

M4VXXXXX.MP4 (X = Any digit)
If your video looks something like that then good. If you converted it and it looks like this

MAQXXXXX.MP4 (X = Any digit)
Then this video is actually a AVC video. Instead of putting this into the 100MNV01 it goes into 100ANV01.


Just to be sure here is what your PSP folder must look like.
(X = Your PSP Drive)

X:/MP_ROOT/100MNV01
X:/MP_ROOT/100ANV01
X:/PSP/Game
X:/PSP/Music
X:/PSP/Photo


However with the newest firmwares they've allowed a much mor easier way to get videos on.

Method Using Video Folder

Finish converting? Enter your PSP and make a new folder named Video. Your drive should now have a video folder along with a PSP folder. Within that video folder you put your converted video in and voila, it'll pop up in the Video section of your VSH/XMB/PSP main menu in the Video section.

(X:/ once again is your PSP Drive)

X:/Video

[SlasherX]

Conversion Rates

Introduction
Now many people here, I've seen have trouble figuring what quality they should use for converting a movie. I'm here to explain recommended kbps to convert at and good examples.

Choosing Video Converters
When choosing a video converter it's important to find one that suits your needs. If you want one with click and drag search for a click and drag. If you would like to edit it extensively take a search for good ones that will suit your type. PSPCrazy has even taken his time to find good converters that have been recommended by users themselves. You may find the link to it [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Xvid4PSP Introductory (all outdated)

 click to show

Xvid4PSP

Upon starting up this program and opening a video file, a preview of the video will pop up, just basically press okay. Depending on your PC performance and speed it will take a while or little time to load up the video. Afterwards you will find youself with a bunch of options. Don't fear, I'm here to explain every option as detailed as possible.

Format
Here you may choose what system you want to encode it to. There are several, them being.


PMP AVC
PMP is a format that was created by homebrew developers. They had created it as they were in need of a format that would be on par on with AVC. And so it was, except better and enhanced, it was succesful but did not last long because it required seperate programs to run it. PMP not only delivers faster, but is smaller overall and has better quality. Now you may think thats super awesome but it is rarely supported now since MP4 has been improved greatly.

PSP Wise

• Only usable on the PSP.
• Powerful.
• Extremely high quality videos.
• Smaller and better quality as well as quicker conversion then AVC and MP4 converting.
• XviD4PSP has alot of options which enhance quality.
• Advanced options for advanced and knowledgeable users.

MP4
MP4 basically the base of all videos on these PlayStation consoles and several others. It has alot of capability for the PSP being able to play with a resolution 480x272 and 720x480 as well as 380x240. You may also convert this for the PS3 with resolutions going as high as 1920x1080. XviD4PSP will also convert videos to Ipod resolution.

PSP Wise

• Useful for high quality videos.
• Can convert at resolutions from 320x240 to 720x480.
• Popular format which is world wide used.
• XviD4PSP has a lot of options which enhance quality.
• Power to pass the video up to 3 times.
• High bitrates and audio bitrates up to 320kpbs.
• Advanced options for advanced and knowledgeable users.

PS3 Wise

• Once again very popular and is the main format for videos.
• High quality videos are very easy to convert.
• Support for extremely high resolutions.
• XviD4PS3 has a lot of options which enhance quality.
• Power to pass the video up to 3 times.
• Very high bitrates and audio bitrates up to 320kpbs.
• Advanced options for advanced and knowledgeable users.

IPOD

• Quick and fast converting makes it useful on the go.
• High bitrates and audio bitrates.
• Resolution takes advantage of the screen with max resolution 320x240.
• XviD4IPOD has a lot of options which enhance quality.
• Power to pass the video up to 3 times.
• Advanced options for advanced and knowledgeable users.

AVI
AVI is a popular format for anime, but it is not supported for the PSP. It is basically a container, one that holds the audio and video and plays them simultaneously which then forms a video with audio.

In General

• Super popular with anime.
• Standard quality (both watchable and enjoyable)

MPG
Similar to MP4 in some ways, not as popular as a MP4 nor a AVI. Not much as useful.

In General

• Not as popular.
• Standard quality.

MPEG-2
Once again similar to MPG and MP4, is sometimes used for converting so that they could be played on a DVD.

In General

• Used often for DVD's.
• Popular amongst Chinese Videos.

FLV
FLV's are low quality videos. FLV stands for Flash Video, and can be run with a few players, a format that is used by Youtube so popular among online video galleries.

In General

• Most online video sites use this format.
• Quick loading easy to watch.
• Low quality, worth using for on the go videos.

The thing that makes Xvid4PSP so good, is that you can choose a size the video should come out to and how much CPU it will consume. For the size, whatever size you choose Xvid4PSP automatically chooses a particular quality so when the encoding is done it is the size you have specified. But be warned, when choosing a size Xvid will always be slightly bigger. So don't complain if you put it to 256mb, then it comes out 258mb. Its your responsibility to choose the correct size.

Before any converting is done, make sure you are absolutely sure you want that quality, make sure you MS is big enough. Make sure you are going to satisfied with it. To make sure, get a video of the same quality but something that is shorter (1 minute is preferable) then convert it using the encoding options you want to use on your movie/video. If the outcome is good, you may then proceed with confidence that the video will finish encoding with quality as good as your sample one. If you put the quality higher then the video has itself, the quality will most likely be the same as the movie itself. As well as that , if you have encoded a video and the quality is bad, if you are planning to encode back, don't! It will not return to its original state, once converted it is converted and converting it back will just make the quality even worse. At all times keep a backup copy of the video.

XviD Conversion Recommendations

 click to show

Converting
On to converting for the PSP. There are many options for converting, from bitrates to AAC codecs and so on. I'll be teaching you some good encoding options, but everyone knows that its best you choose yourself. This could be useful to you if you are a beginner.


High Quality
720x480
Video Bitrate 1264 kbps
Audio Bitrate 320 kpbs
3 Pass Extreme ( 3 pass or 2 pass for real high quality)

This will definitely give you a movie very close to High Definition or DVD. Here is a comparison of it! Trust me you will be extremely surprised at the quality!

Original Video (High Definition Resized)



PlayStation Portable Video (Converted)


This picture is pretty high quality, just compare them, don't see much of a difference. So you can be sure that the following option gives you quite a nice conversion. Only thing that is unnecessary would be the size, 720x480 is completely useless unless you are going to use the PSP to TV cables. So stick with 480x272 for some good sizes and faster converting. Another problem is it nearly took me 1hr and 30 minutes to convert a 3 minute video o.O Only recommended if you have the time and space. This is what it would also look like if it was on 480x272 , except it would be resized. Any of the below will basically be a toned down version of the upper image.

Read before looking at encoding rates!
Of course, I have very high standards when converting a video so these encoding specs might be a little to high for you or a little to low. So experiment on a short video to see what you'll like. You generally get better at judging what bitrate you should use for a particular video or so. So in the end it all comes down to experience. Please don't rely to much on it, don't wanna get angry people chasing me down because its not good enough or its too big and you wasted 3 hrs converting.

High Quality
480x272
Video Bitrate 1024 kbps
Audio Bitrate 240 kpbs
3/2 Pass Extreme


Medium 1
480x272
Video Bitrate 820kbps
Audio Bitrate 180kpbs
2/1 Pass Extreme (Or Any other)


Medium 2
480x272
Video Bitrate 768kbps
Audio Bitrate 180kpbs
2/1 Pass Extreme (Or Any other)


Low
480x272
Video Bitrate 400-600 kbps
Audio Bitrate 180kpbs
1 or 2 Pass Extreme (or any other)

Xvid4PSP Tutorial (Outdated)

 click to show

With the settings and all being explained, thanks to Vahid he has suggested I make a tutorial on how to use it. So I will teach you how , with pictures and words!

Open up your Xvid4PSP it should look like this.

With that being said, you see a red rectangle in my screenshots? That indicates you should take notice of it.

As you can see I've circled a section, thats what you should take notice of, now click on it. It should now look like this.

This part is for choosing your media file. Find you video you'd like to convert!

Afterwards click open. Xvid4PSP should now look like the following.

A preview window should pop up and it'll show you what the video looks like now.
Don't use any of the options you see on the page unless you know what you are doing.

Now that've you opened the video, click on okay. This should bring you to the next window.

This is where you can change the quality of the video. Please refer to the previous section to find a setting you'd like. Now for the resolution make sure it isn't larger then the video.
You can find the resolution of the video by right clicking on the video then properties. Then go into summary tab and it should tell you width and height. Choose one that is the closest. I recommend you do not touch the advanced settings at all.

Once you have your desired settings you may click on preview to see how your video will look (recommended), next click on okay. This should bring you to your next part.

At the top red part, it shows what quality and options the video is going to convert at. You can either add more videos to convert by doing the same steps or press start.
Below you can see Below Normal, well you can change this. Basically this tells you how much CPU you are going to use when converting. Real Time is not reccomended! It uses all your CPU and therefore makes it hard for you to change it back because of the lag.

Upon clicking start you should be taken to your final window.

The big part tells you its status and if there are any errors. The bottom black bar will tell you your progress. Once the bar has gotten to the end the converting has been done.

Navigate your way to the desktop and you'll see your video there.




Enjoy watching it on your PSP!


Xvid4PSP Pro's and Con's!

Pros

• Advance with a variety of useful options.
• Simply and easy to understand gui.
• Capable of converting HQ videos.
• Program is free to use.

Cons

• Very complicated for begginers (no easy way to convert without help or knowledge)
• Confusing when first using.
• Slow converting (sometimes)

3GP Converter

 click to show

3PG is known well for its simple GUI and fast conversion of videos for the PSP. Its simplicity proves popular with begginers when converting videos (that included me when I first got a PSP) a simple drag and drop and your video converts. Only problem is that 3GP for the PSP still only converts at 320x240, but it can be fixed .... I'll tell you about that later.

Even with its simplicity, there are some words that I have seen people asking for help on. I'll explain every word you see on 3GP here.

QVGA (Quarter Video Graphics Array): Basically a different word for the resolution 320x240. Its a word that'll be used alot, so remember this.

FPS: No not First Person Shooter, it means frames per second. This determines the speed the video will run and whether the video will be choppy or smooth. Usually a good 20FPS is enough for any user.

KBPS: Kilobytes per second, I guess you could call it the quality the video will be converted to, the higher the better the quality.

VBR QBXX (X = Digit): Got no idea what this means .... any help?

QBXX (X = Digit): Again no idea ... any help?

Moving on .... the 3GP converter has many different options and can convert to different portable devices. It can be changed any time using the setup.exe. Remember for a PSP make sure you choose MP4 for PSP (Direct Renamed). That'll make sure that the program will convert and name the video accordingly.


Generally there isn't much to say bout 3GP except for its fast converting and simple drag and drop. I can't gurantee really high quality videos myself as they only convert to QVGA, with some exceptions with AVC.
Probaly last year, people from DCEMU had edited the INI so it supports 480x272. You can download the full package here.

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

PSP Video9

 click to show

PSP Video9, its almost impossible for you to not hear of this while studying or researching about converting videos for PSP unless of course you started off with this thread (yeah you're the best!). PSP Video9 is one of the most hyped and most popular PSP converter ever! I have not ever gone to a PSP forum and not seen a single thread about PSP Video9.




================================================== ======

Section to come soon

================================================== ======

[SlasherX]

Resources

If you would like extra advice on some other Converters, have a look at this fabulous article.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]


Under here will show you where you can go for the latest updates on these converters. As the converters that we may have on PSPCrazy may be outdated one day.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Comes with the latest updates for the converter Super! Very compatible when converting, wasn't designed for the PSP.

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Designed for the PSP, professional fast converting. Find the latest updates! Not freeware, you must buy it.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Professional freeware software. Slow converting, but very compatible with the PSP. Great customizing options.

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

PSP Video 9 is a free PSP video conversion and management application. It can convert regular PC video files (avi, mpeg, etc) into PSP video files, as well as manage/copy these PSP video files between your PC and PSP.

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
Definitely one of the faster converters out there. Maybe even the fastest converter for the PSP ever. Extreme speeds, and its simplicity. It may not have the more complex features for those advance users but is definitely a must for beginners. However it ain't free, must be paid for ... but it is definitely worth the money!


All converters are compatible with the latest firmwares.

Wow, excellent guide slasher
Must have taken you some time
+Karma for ya

[pspcrazy]

Woah nice guide for sure, keep adding onto it, and add some pictures if possible. I'm going to make a PSP tutorials mega announcement for all the new psp users who are looking for 1 play that indexes them all vs looking for them 1 by 1

Ah that be a great idea too Vahid

[SlasherX]

Originally Posted by pspcrazy

Woah nice guide for sure, keep adding onto it, and add some pictures if possible. I'm going to make a PSP tutorials mega announcement for all the new psp users who are looking for 1 play that indexes them all vs looking for them 1 by 1

Yeah I'm up to adding the pictures, I've done the first conversion (man almost took me 2 hrs just to convert 3 minute video.) Got a screenshot now adding to post, and just looking from the picture looks like the PSP one has higher quality then the PC version


" High Quality
720x480
Video Bitrate 1264 kbps
Audio Bitrate 320 kpbs
3 Pass Extreme ( 3 pass or 2 pass for real high quality)

This will definitely give you a movie very close to High Definition or DVD. Here is a comparison of it! Trust me you will be extremely surprised at the quality!

Original Video (High Definition Resized)



PlayStation Portable Video (Converted)
"


Dammmmmmm just look at that hot hq quality! Its a bit fuzzy but its almost on par with the original video!

What looks alot better on the PSP version is on the right the smoke, compare that to the Original one hahaha I love this quality only downside is it takes extremely long to convert to!

[hiphop_quotables]

thanks for all the info for xvid4psp, but i have a question about the remastering thing. Is there a way that I can use it to make a video look more sharper and have a higher quality? I see the settings for the presets, but i don't know which one to choose, thx in advance.

[SlasherX]

I'm pretty sure, when doing things like these you can press the preview button on the bottom. That way you see what the video will look like with settings that you have stated, as there is no remastering filter that will be the best for every video. It varies.

[hiphop_quotables]

Originally Posted by SlasherX

I'm pretty sure, when doing things like these you can press the preview button on the bottom. That way you see what the video will look like with settings that you have stated, as there is no remastering filter that will be the best for every video. It varies.

oh, I forgot about the preview button on the bottom, thanks i didn't see it!