I'd recommend 7-zip as it's free and can handle all the formats involved in my post.

Can you share exactly what you typed and the response it gave?

Once you've got it installed, you should be able to use it as follows:

1. Open Command Prompt
2. Type tablet-encode and press space.
3. Optional: type -p <preset> and press space.
4. Drag a file to encode from Windows Explorer into the command window, and press space.
5. Drag a destination directory from Windows Explorer into the command window, and press enter.

You should end up with a command looking like:

Ok... which file from windows explorer?

If I double click on the dvd drive, it loads windvd, which isn't what I want at all.

Opening the dvd using explorer offers me Audio_TS or Video_TS - do I want one of those? If I choose something from the video folder, will I still get the audio?

The video folder looks like the attached file. Do I want one of those? Which one?

The actual dvd output is a collection of individual 5 minute programmes (which handbrake recognised as individual chapters). Can I choose them? If so, how?

OK, I was describing it for a file already ripped from DVD.

You have two choices:

1. Assume tablet-encode is all set up wonderfully and do: tablet-encode dvd: D:\myfilm.avi - this should find the DVD, auto-detect the best thing to rip and stick myfilm.avi on your DATA drive.
2. Test with a video file first to check tablet-encode is setup correctly: 1) Find some random video, such as Standard_MPEG-2.mpeg; 2) Download it to your computer; 3) Follow the instructions above; 4) Test it on your N900.

In addition to supporting dvd: to mean "the longest track on the DVD", you can use MPlayer's dvd://title to choose which track to rip, or even point it straight at a folder containing AUDIO/VIDEO_TS, e.g..E:\ in your example (so you should be able to drag the drive icon, but I've only got XP to test with).

Well now for the obvious question - what settings did you use and ideally what software did you use to do the conversion - looks lovely btw.

Update: Looks like YAMB which seems to be Windows and Newbie friendly too. I'll check it out and see what we can do. The converted trailer though looks great.

Jaffa: Do you know the settings that tablet-encode uses? Maybe we can get some consistency here for Linux and Windows users that want to use other tools that they might have loaded already.

Ok - the import settings file has worked without any errors. Am on Windows 7 64bit, by the way.

Am just going to try ripping a DVD now and will post back.

Apart from some low-level mencoder stuff to try and improve quality/encoding speed, the main presets are:

Whow, doesn't anyone but me have to sleep, eat and work every once in a while? The number of posts here is amazing!

Ok, basic walkthrough for Handbrake on Ubuntu Karmic(worksforme) follows.
Sorry, no screenshots, my connection is crawling slow at the moment...

1. optional: rip DVD to ISO image with a program of your choice (k3b, brasero...). Handbrake CAN also work directly off a DVD in the drive, but especially 2pass-encoding is significantly faster off image files...

2. open HandBrake

3. in the Top/Left corner, click "Source". Either select your DVD drive or the appropriate .ISO

== you should now see a preview image, chapters and some metadata...

4. Where it says "Destination", pick a filename of choice...

5. directly to the left of destination:
- Format: MP4
- disable "iPod 5G Support"
- Enable "Web optimized" (not really neccessary, but improves loading speed since not the whole file has to be cached)
- disable "Large File"

5. below that, go to the "Video" tab.
- Video Codec "MPEG-4 (FFmpeg)"
-Framerate "Same as Source"
- Bitrate: anything up to 3500 works for me
- Enable 2-Pass Encoding (not available when "constant quality" is checked)

6. Goto Audio Tab
- select the audio track you want, then select:
- Codec: AAC (faac)
- Bitrate: 160
- Samplerate: Same as Source
- Mix: Dolby Pro Logic II
- DRC: whatever you like, I'd recommend on

So much for codec things, now let's tweak the picture:

7. on the UPPER BAR, select "Picture Settings" (really colorful Icon)
All these settings have nothing to do with the actual playability, but rather with "how it will look"

In the dimensions-tab:

Cropping: Auto crop on, Loose Crop on
Storage (in that order, otherwise the controls are greyed out):
-Anamorhic: Off
-Alignment: doesn't matter, use 16 for fast encoding
-Optimal for source: off
-width and heigth: manually adjust so they best fit the 800x480 screen

Display section: mostly grey, "Keep Aspect" is on

Close subwindow, go back to main window

During all that in the "Presets"-List on the right the "Regular --> Normal" entry is bold. I have no Idea what this list actually does, haven't played with it.


Hope I could help

That's it, push start, grab a snack, copy to device, enjoy

Thank you.. please let us know. I think this will be the simplest solution for Kathy.. we just need to get the preset settings correct.

Bastler,

Thanks for your detailed list of options there... I will compare that with my other preset and see what differences there are in windows. I have learned that the windows handbrake != Ubuntu's handbrake, unfortunately.

On Ubuntu, installing tablet-encode is very easy:

If you have the Debian Multimedia repository enabled:

• Find tablet-encode in your favourite package manager and install.

Or, if you don't:

• Download and install the deb.

Or, finally, the manual way:

1. Open Terminal
2. Run sudo apt-get install mplayer mencoder perl
3. If you want to use the GUI: sudo apt-get install libgtk2-perl
4. Download the latest release
5. Unpack it: tar xzf tablet-encode-2.30.tar.gz

Now I'm confused as we seem to have several possible solutions going at once.

I took a few hours out to go serve my family with my very fine onion gravy, and am now recovering. Will be up for tackling whatever you decide is 'Kathy-friendliest' a little later.

Thank you ALL so much for bearing with me, and sticking with this. Never ever let it be said maemo people are impatient with n00bs!