No, let me explain what I wanted. I have an avi video, average resolution, but the bitrate is above 2000 kbps. The same video with a bitrate of around 750 kbps plays perfectly (I converted it with my pc). I had to convert it because obviously the n800 can't handle the original video. Now my question is: the same way mplayer has the option to 'decode' the video at a reduced resolution like ace said (on the fly, meaning that the file is not previously converted, but mplayer plays it like if it already was at a lower resolution), is there any command that does the same but to decode the video at a reduced BITRATE?.
Thanks for trying vjones777 though.

well... this may not be EXACTLY what you were looking for, but another forum member and I created a script that plays back movies at a reduced resolution depending on how high the bitrate is. You can get that here and run it from the command line with: "mplayer-opt <video file>"

However the bitrate of a video corresponds to how many bytes of information is processed per second and the only way to play a video at a lower bitrate is to slow the whole video down and play it in slow motion :P

So your best bet is a lower RESOLUTION decoding solution

Ok josiah777, I didn't know that about the bitrate. Too bad it can't be done. On the other hand I tried the script and its working great, obviously it can't do miracles but it improved the playback of my file (now its playable without the need to convert it).

Thanks for your help guys!

If you need transcoding on the fly you could set up a UPnP AV server with transcoding capabilities on a machine powerful enough. Canola, the built-in media player, MediaStreamer, and the next of version of MediaBox all support playing directly from UPnP devices over the network.

Try: mplayer -vo x11 filename
I can see the video, very slow indeed, but I can see it.

Sorry, but the question is simply misconceived. Bitrate of the video component (i.e. non-audio) is the product of three factors:

(1) frames per second

(2) pixels per frame (a.k.a. resolution)

(3) inverse of the conversion factor of bits to pixels (i.e. bits per pixel instead of pixels per bit).


File conversion will alter all of these factors, but the first and third factors can only be adjusted to a limited extent.

Factor (1): For a mobile device, you can reduce the fps from its usual 25 to about 18. Anything less will make the video look jerky.

Factor (3): Some file formats are a little more efficient than others, but you are not going to make much of a gain in practical terms. File compression can give you more pixels per MB, but then your processor will have the extra work of decompression when playing the video. This slows all processes down and takes you back where you started or worse.

Resolution is the one factor where you really have a chance to make a difference. Reduce it from 1280x960 to 320x240, and you can reduce the bitrate to 1/16 of what it was before. According to the wiki, 400x240 is ideal for N8x0 tablets. (320x240 amounts to the same thing if the original video is not in wide-screen format.) On such a small screen, you are simply not going to see any improvement from a higher resolution.

In addition to the file conversion utilities previously mentioned in this thread, I would recommend Format Factory, particularly for non-Linux users. Among the many options for the output file format, there are 14 intended specifically for playing video on Nokia devices (in the "All to Mobile Device" menu).

I would also add that audio bitrates are often unnecessarily high. When we have to use dial-up internet, my wife and I sometimes listen to opera on a Russian internet radio station at 24 kbps. However slow the connection, we can always get that one. It sounds like a vinyl recording without the scratches and pops (and in fact much of the station's material comes from vinyl LP's). There is nothing wrong with it, although 32 kbps is better and 64 kbps is better still. Beyond that, you are into the realm of fads and fanaticism, not music. If you are listening through loudspeakers, the speakers don't have the audio resolution to show any difference beyond 64 kbps.