the supposed "MPEG Movie format"

[cjones]

Ok... I think most of us have used the 'Image Converter" software to make something into a .mqv file and play it on their NZ90.

But that file is a "Movie Player format" as opposed to the "MPEG Movie format" that you see as the two file types when you run the Movie Player app.

So I have yet to be able to take what I think is a valid .mpeg file (in windows it says 'MPEG video/audio stream' for the file type) and put it in the magical directory on my memory stick to allow the Movie Player app. to see it and play it.

I did use as a reference the info that n2ifp posted in this thread:

http://www.cliesource.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8014&highlight=macromedia+flash

and tried the two different locations for MPEG files that he mentioned... but the Movie Player doesn't recognize a file when I put it in either location.

I'd be nice if I didn't have to use the Image Converter for *every* video just so I could play it on the NZ. It'd be much easier to just move over a native .mpeg file.

So could somebody who's done this (and I hope there is somebody) please pull the curtain back and enlighten me?

Thanks in advance,

-chris

[cjones]

Ok... there's got to be *somebody* that's figured this out. Please don't tell me that I'm gonna have to use the Image Converter for *every* movie I want to watch on the N90! :)

-chris

[Unregistered]

Make sure it is a Mpeg 1 format in order for your CLIE to play it, and the file should be located under /MSSOUND/MOV(?)/ and named under MOV0001, MOV0002, etc. in order for it to be listed.

It works fine for me, and this is nice when you don't want to convert anything at all.

[Rosenkrantz]

Ya, I have been able to export mpg1 files from quicktime with no problems OTHER than they are very big. A 10 minute clip can be more than 20 megs.

[cjones]

unregistered - just so I can fully recreate what you suggested, do me a favor and check your memory stick and tell me the *exact* path where your mpeg 1 file is.

rosenkrantz - if you can, do the same thing... tell me the exact path.

for both - I tried putting a file in /MSSONY/MOML001 (per what was suggested in the post by n2ifp above) as a .mpeg and .mpg. I tried both file extensions because I've found nothing to tell me which format is needed.

neither of those worked. and forgive my ignorance, but I really don't know how to tell if my test file here is *really* a mpeg 1 format. all I know is what windows called the file ... per what I posted originally.

so what I really need is specifics here.... since I've tried it myself and it's not working... so obviously I've missed something small. I need somebody like the two of you to enlighten me on what I've done wrong.... :)

thanks!

-chris

[cjones]

Ok.. I went ahead and did some more messing around. I've made *some* progress, but not much. I took the file that I *think* (I'm still waiting for somebody to enlighten me and help me know if I'm *really* trying this test with an MPEG 1 file) and put it here on the memory stick:

/MSSONY/MOML0001/MOv00001.MPG

Now when I run Movie Player and click on the 'MPEG Movie Format' I see something... but the title is just '???' and the duration is '???'.

If I try to play it I get the error 'Cannot play the selected movie. This format might not be supported. '

So now I've got to think.. *am* I using a file that's truly MPEG 1?

Somebody please help me! :)

-chris

[TheSpies]

You must not be using a file that is MPEG1 as i just tried using a mpeg1 video named and placed in the dir you had above and it played just fine.

[cjones]

ok... so now I just have to figure out how I know if a file is mpeg 1 or not.. :) if you know specificially, I'd be very grateful. or maybe askjeeves.com knows... :)

-chris

[cjones]

TheSpies - just to make sure... you didn't do anything other than take a .mpeg file on your pc, run msimport on the clie in the cradle, and copy the file to the directory on the memory stick... then exit out and run it and it works just like that?

if that's true then I'm stumped and I think I'm gonna call sony support...

-chris

[cbulock]

I've noticed not all .MPG files work using this method. You might want to try a different file and see if that works.

[cjones]

I did that... I downloaded two different .mpg files from the net (movie trailers) from different locations and they both worked for me.

Then I looked more closely at the .mpg file I had encoded from .rm (real media) to .mpg. I've got a bunch of .rm files that I'd like to run on the NZ... so that's my goal here. But the software I used (EO Video... some shareware software that I downloaded... works kinda nice) *actually* showed two different types of .mpg that I could encode to: VCD (MPEG 1) or just plain MPEG 1.

My first test was with the latter... now I'm trying the former. But as I look at this software more, I see that it's got a lot more options for encoding that I initially thought.

So I think I just have to play around a bit with it... :)

-chris

[TheSpies]

Originally posted by cjones
TheSpies - just to make sure... you didn't do anything other than take a .mpeg file on your pc, run msimport on the clie in the cradle, and copy the file to the directory on the memory stick... then exit out and run it and it works just like that?

if that's true then I'm stumped and I think I'm gonna call sony support...

-chris

No, i had an mpeg but wasnt sure how it was encoded so just to make sure i ran it through TMPGEnc. It must not have been mpeg1 as the file size jumped from 2 and half meg to 5 and half meg. I then renamed this file MOV00001.MPG and put it in \MSSONY\MOML0001\ and it played just fine. if you need a small mpeg1 file to use as a test let me know.

[kglauber]

Originally posted by TheSpies


No, i had an mpeg but wasnt sure how it was encoded so just to make sure i ran it through TMPGEnc. It must not have been mpeg1 as the file size jumped from 2 and half meg to 5 and half meg. I then renamed this file MOV00001.MPG and put it in MSSONYMOML0001 and it played just fine. if you need a small mpeg1 file to use as a test let me know.

Could you post your small movie. I have run into the same problems where I can't get anything to play. I don't know how to see if the file is mpeg4 or mpeg1.

thanks

[lostether]

Try pocketmovies.net for mpeg1 content. There is a huge amount of content for pockettv, an mpeg1 player for pocketpc/wince.

[med]

Originally posted by TheSpies


No, i had an mpeg but wasnt sure how it was encoded so just to make sure i ran it through TMPGEnc. It must not have been mpeg1 as the file size jumped from 2 and half meg to 5 and half meg. I then renamed this file MOV00001.MPG and put it in \MSSONY\MOML0001\ and it played just fine. if you need a small mpeg1 file to use as a test let me know.

------------------------------------------------------------
I just got my nz 90 this weekend along with a 1Gb Sony MG Memory Stick Pro. While waiting for the MGPro patch I was browsing the net to see how I could play movies on the clie. I read your correspondence with cjones regarding downloading an mpeg 1 movie to the nz 90 and putting the movie file in a folder (MSSONY/MOML0001/MOV00001.mpg).

My question is will this work with the Memory Stick Pro? and if it does where exactly does this path lead up to i.e. is it located in PALM/PROGRAMS..... or some other directory or just by itself on the stick?

[TheSpies]

It goes in \MSSONY\MOML0001\

Nothing before it. Only works for mpeg1 files.

I can only assume it works on the pro as i do not have one. you would just have to try it i guess.

[KenSong]

Here is one directory I have used and MPEG1 movies played perfectly.

For movies, name them MOV00001.MPG etc and store in
DCIM/100MSDCF/

For still,DCIM/101MSDCF/

Works fine for me in my NZ90.

[med]

Originally posted by TheSpies
It goes in \MSSONY\MOML0001\

Nothing before it. Only works for mpeg1 files.

I can only assume it works on the pro as i do not have one. you would just have to try it i guess.

____________________________________

TheSpies......U are the man.....thanks for the help.....i downloaded a movie from pocketmovies.net and saved in the above mentioned directory on the MG stick Pro in my nz90....works great.....now just need a reliable software to convert my movies to mpeg1 format (TMPGEnc....I think)

[med]

Originally posted by cjones
TheSpies - just to make sure... you didn't do anything other than take a .mpeg file on your pc, run msimport on the clie in the cradle, and copy the file to the directory on the memory stick... then exit out and run it and it works just like that?

if that's true then I'm stumped and I think I'm gonna call sony support...

-chris

_________________________________

Just got one problem solved......now i can play mpeg1 moves on my nz90 but getting the mpeg files onto the stick (1GB MG MS Pro) is the problem.............I did hotsync.....tooooooo slow......from your message it appears that you are using msimport (what kind of memory stick do you have?).....the reason I ask is because if it is a pro i would like to know how msimport is working without the soon to be released pro patch from sony.

thanks

[TheSpies]

Im using a 128. So i do not know if msimport works well or at all with the pro sticks. I thought i saw something about that in another thread, so you might do a search and see if it comes up with anything.

Just curious, why are you using mpeg1 straight instead of converting to mpeg4 with image converter for the smaller size?

[kglauber]

Originally posted by lostether
Try pocketmovies.net for mpeg1 content. There is a huge amount of content for pockettv, an mpeg1 player for pocketpc/wince.

Thanks
it worked out.

Kurt

[cjones]

Originally posted by med


_________________________________

Just got one problem solved......now i can play mpeg1 moves on my nz90 but getting the mpeg files onto the stick (1GB MG MS Pro) is the problem.............I did hotsync.....tooooooo slow......from your message it appears that you are using msimport (what kind of memory stick do you have?).....the reason I ask is because if it is a pro i would like to know how msimport is working without the soon to be released pro patch from sony.

thanks

Ok... I thought the "official" Sony MS Pro patch came out last week that should... and didn't it let you use msimport to copy files to and from the new big sticks?

I know that until I can do that, I don't see a reason to get one. Of course if I had a memory stick reader, that'd be different. Anybody know of any good 3rd party media readers out there that *CAN* read the new MS pro sticks?

I have been thinking for a while of getting one of those 5-6-7-or whatever-in-one readers that can read the SD, MS, CF, etc. cards. But if there are issues with them reading the new MS Pro guys, then that would suck.

Thoughts folks?

-chris

[hansschmucker]

Right now, I'be got no time to read all of this stuff, but generally, here's what an MPEG file is:
It's a container, much like an AVI, ASF or MOV file.
So 1. About the container. There can be an infinite number of streams, but typically with MPEG-1 there are two or three:
a) Video Stream
b) Audio Stream
c) Padding Stream (to make sure datarate stays constant)

I haven't tried playing MPEG files on my NX yet, but I guess you need a file that has stream a) and b)

Also, the container has a content flag which tells the player if it's ready for VCD conversion (A VCD .DAT file is NO MPEG FILE, eventhough it contains one) or a non-standard MPEG file or a non-standard VCD or ...
The NX/NZ player probably wants an MPEG file with a VCD flag, again I didn't test.
About the indivdual streams:
The video stream: I only know the PAL options by heart but I think NTSC means:
Datarate 1150kbit/s
29.97 fps
320x240 video size

PAL means
25 fps and 352x 288 video size

MP2-Audio is usually 44.100khz (48000 is theoretically possible as well, but a bit unusual)
Joint-stereo
224 kbits/s

All the above can be done or checked using TMPGenc.

[hansschmucker]

OK, I've fooled around a little with various settings. And, guess what, MoviePlayer lets you play far more then standard files!

Here are my settings (The result equals roughly a standard MPEG4 file when it comes to quality and filesize):

Stream type: MPEG-1 Video
Size:320 x240 (tested as well 160x120 and 352x240)
Frame rate: 11.988 (23.976/2)
RateControlMode: CBR
Bitrate: 172

Audio:
Sampling Frequency 32000
Channels: Joint-stereo
Bitrate: 64
Use Audio Edit / Settings / Change Volume / Normalize

System:
StreamType MPEG-1 VideoCD (non-standard)

The rest is from the standard VCD/NTSC profile.

You can view and download an example file showing Jamiroqai's Supersonic at
http://hansschmucker.free.fr/MOV00001.MPG (6MB) (236kbit/s: Low DSL Quality)





----------------

Here's a second profile that offers even better compression (higher then LP mode) by decreasing visual quality

(Basis is the profile above)
Resolution 160x120
Framerate 23.976/3
Birtrate 32
Motion Search Precission: HighestQuality (Very Slow)

GOP Structure:
Number of I (Key frames) in GOP : 1
Number of P in GOP : 32

example: http://hansschmucker.free.fr/MOV00002.MPG (2MB) (96 kbit/s low 2xISDN quality) (In other words: 2.8hours video per 123MB MS)

[med]

Originally posted by TheSpies
Im using a 128. So i do not know if msimport works well or at all with the pro sticks. I thought i saw something about that in another thread, so you might do a search and see if it comes up with anything.

Just curious, why are you using mpeg1 straight instead of converting to mpeg4 with image converter for the smaller size?

_____________________________________
I have tried using Image Converter but the memory stick is not on the list of "Save to:" items (on this list are the different drives - A:, B:, C:, D:, E)......I'm not sure why this is.

Any thoughts?

[cbulock]

Are you running MSImport on the Clie while you are running the Image Converter?

[TheSpies]

Just convert to your c: drive and it will make the \MQ_ROOT\100MQV01 on c: and put the file in there. then copy the file over with msimport. i prefer this myself so i dont have to have my clie hooked up through the whole process.

[med]

Originally posted by TheSpies
Just convert to your c: drive and it will make the \MQ_ROOT\100MQV01 on c: and put the file in there. then copy the file over with msimport. i prefer this myself so i dont have to have my clie hooked up through the whole process.

________________________________
I tried what you suggested i.e. choosing the c drive for the converted mpegs (*.MQV format) to be saved and then moving the MQV file to my nz 90.....but just realized that since my MS is Pro (1Gb) I cannot use MSImport (still waiting for the patch) and when I try hotsyncing the MQV file I get an error message saying that I "don't have the application on my nz90 to run the file"......I have noticed that the Movie Player on the nz90 has a format called *.MQA (not MQV).

Any help appreciated...

[TheSpies]

About using msimport you might try a search for that, i saw something a while back about people formating the stick to fat16 instead of fat32 and then msimport worked. i could be wrong about that but its worth a shot.

[TheSpies]

try this thread:


http://www.cliesource.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=146028#post146028

[Icy]

What if I have .dat files?? How could I use to convert them into mpeg1 format. Tried using image converter but that doesn't seem to work. Please help...

[TheSpies]

You mean from a VCD? if so you might try looking here:

http://www.dvdrhelp.com/forum/userguides/141726.php#vcd

[hansschmucker]

Originally posted by TheSpies
About using msimport you might try a search for that, i saw something a while back about people formating the stick to fat16 instead of fat32 and then msimport worked. i could be wrong about that but its worth a shot.

The Clié can only read FAT16, and so does MSIMPORT