If you ’re like a deal of our readers ( and editor ) you have more than one Apple media gimmick on which you play videos — a click rack iPod , iPod touch , iPhone , iPad , and Apple TV . While throw such a collection allow you to play videos in just about any environment , it does pose this interrogative : If you want to rip a DVD you own or encode a video on your intemperate drive just once — for all your Apple machine — what ’s the best option ? Two answer award themselves :
1 . Encode for the least - capable gimmick .
2 . There is n’t a exclusive best choice . You should encode more than once .
HandBrake lets you encode good-looking videos at a file size smaller than iTunes.
permit ’s take them in order .
Encode once
It ’s helpful to infer that in regard to video capabilities , Apple ’s medium histrion break down into two camps . The iPod nano , classic , touch , and all iPhones prior to the iPhone 4 support 30 frames per 2nd ( Federal Protective Service ) H.264 video at a resolution of 640 by 480 at an average routine charge per unit of 1.5Mbps . The iPad and iPhone 4 support 30fps H.264 video at 1280 by 720 ( 720p ) . The Apple TV also supports H.264 at 1280 by 720 , but only at 24fps . For 30fps video you have a maximal resolution of 960 by 540 .
Therefore , the least capable of these devices are those in the first group . If you attempt to copy TV encoded specifically for the 2d group of devices to members of the first chemical group , iTunes will tell you that it ca n’t be done because the file are incompatible . ( They ’re ill-sorted because their resolution is too high . ) This facilitate excuse why iTunes ’ innovative fare includes two preferences for converting television : Create iPod Or iPhone Version and Create iPad Or Apple TV Version . ( That first option is n’t entirely precise , however , because the iPhone 4 can play videos encoded at higher resolutions that are compatible with the iPad and Apple TV , but not to begin with iPhones . )
This means that if you need to encode your TV just once , you ’d choose Create iPod Or iPhone Version if you ’re encoding with iTunes . And that may be absolutely fine if the only devices on which you ’re view your video recording are a click steering wheel iPod and iPhone — possibly even an iPad . A 720p telecasting I encode using these setting had a resolution of 640 by 360 and look fine on an iPod and iPhone and fair to middling on my iPad . However , when I viewed it on a television with a connected Apple TV , iPod , and iPad , the artifacts were in grounds .
Before you encode that second copy , however , you have another option . you could use a third - company usefulness to make a in high spirits - resolution translation that turn on all Apple wandering media players . The free and open - reference HandBrake ( ) offers a diversity of encode presets . One of them is the world-wide preset , which , in my test , encoded that same 720p video at a resolving power of 705 by 400 pixels . Although artifacts were visible when the video was shown on an iPad and TV , the image was cleaner using this ecumenical preset than with iTunes ’ iPod option . And if you ’re ripping a DVD or dealing with a file that iTunes ca n’t empathize ( AVI or MKV file , for example ) , you ca n’t apply iTunes anyway and will need a utility like HandBrake .
[ Geek note : Wait , does n’t that exceed the iPod and older iPhone ’s resolution limits ? Yes and no . you could exceed some of these settlement numbers because the limit is n’t resolving , but rather the macroblock counting ( a macroblock is a group of 16 by 16 pixels ) . To determine the maximum figure of macroblocks one of these machine keep , reproduce the resolution width by the tiptop ( 640 meter 480 , for example ) and then separate by 16 by 16 ( 256 ) . This tells you that iPods and pre-4 iPhones have a macroblock limit point of 1200 , and the iPhone 4 , iPad , and Apple TV ( at 24fps ) support up to 3600 macroblocks . In this instance , a answer of 705 by 400 pass on us a macroblock count of just more than 1100 , which is under the 1200 macroblock limit . ]
Encode twice
The 2d option is to encode your TV twice — once for your iPod and older iPhone , and once more for your Apple TV , iPad , and iPhone 4 . Again , iTunes provide an option to encode video for the iPad or Apple TV in the Advanced carte du jour ( and , as mentioned , you’re able to use this scope for an iPhone 4 too ) . The craft - off is file cabinet size of it . I encode a two - and - a - half minute 720p cartridge clip using iTunes ’ iPod place setting , HandBrake ’s Universal setting , and iTunes ’ iPad and Apple TV setting . The iPod setting produced a 29.5 MB file cabinet . HandBrake ’s Universal setting create a 20.1 MB Indian file ( it was smaller than the iTunes - farm Indian file because its bit rate was low-toned ) . And the 1280 by 720 iPad version produced by iTunes was 95.3 MB . The iTunes version await clearly better on a TV but not so markedly better on an iPhone 4 because of the iPhone ’s low screen .
HandBrake lets you encode good - looking videos at a single file size small than iTunes .
But iTunes is n’t your only option in this case either . If you choose HandBrake ’s High Profile preset and configure the resolution to 1280 by 720 ( if you ’re encoding an HD video , of course ) , you may save some space because , with this circumstance , HandBrake encodes at a depleted bit pace . My trial run movie came in at 54.7 MB , for representative . And it looked great on the iPad as well as on an committed TV .
What to do?
You experience upright the devices you have , the situations in which you ’ll use them , and how broad you are of video artifacts . encode for a individual equipment using HandBrake ’s Universal preset mean encode just once , produce smaller video than you may with iTunes ( when iTunes is even an pick ) , and being free of the worry of which imitate to sync to which equipment . Encoding doubly , on the other hand , gives you the choice to best match the quality of the video recording you watch to the gadget you watch it on . Now that you have the fact , the choice is up to you .
