Encoding MKV Files for the Droid X

[BossBrew]

Hello everyone,

I have seen a number of different posts about the best settings to encode videos for the Droid X, and I have found a method that I am extremely happy with. I use these settings to encode HD MKV files for playback on the Droid X. This method results in video without stuttering and free of Artifacts (no Audio/Video Sync issues either). These encodings play without a hitch, and only suffer slight sync issues that occur when changing volume, and skipping forwards/backwards into the video. This is not a huge problem, as the sync issues only last for 1-2 seconds maximum and do not take from the viewing experience. I have tested a large variety of Video players, and I have found that RockPlayer offers the smoothest playback available (in my experience). These settings will also work for many other file types, just make sure your Source resolution is higher than that of your output and you will be pleased!

Software Required: MediaCoder (Free, can be downloaded HERE)

Settings

Video Tab:
Format: H.264
Mode: Constant Bitrate (1400)
Source: Auto Select
Encoder: Auto Select (If your video card supports CUDA, select CUDA Encoder for faster encoding).

x264 Tab (On the right when selecting the Video Tab):
Profile: Baseline (This is extremely important!)
Level: 3.0

Sound Tab:
Encoder: FAAC
Format: LC-AAC
Average Bitrate: 160
MPEG Version: MPEG4
Container: AAC

Container Tab:
Container: MP4

Picture Tab:
Resize: 848x480
Aspect Ratio: Keep Display AR
Crop: Disabled
Frame Rate: 25
Effects: Filter by Encoder


I hope these settings will come in handy for others. I have spent a lot of time testing different settings and Encoders, but I can honestly say I have gotten the best results using these!

Let me know how these settings work for you, if you find a better player please post your findings!

 

[erasmus354]

curious, why are you chopping 6 pixels off of the resolution? The screen is natively 854x480.

 

[BossBrew]

curious, why are you chopping 6 pixels off of the resolution? The screen is natively 854x480.

I use 848x480 to maintain a 16:9 Aspect Ratio (Widescreen). I have encoded many videos to 854x480 and the output resulted in video distortion.

These are my findings, someone else may have different results with 854x480 but I personally find 848x480 to be perfect.

 

[BodyBagz]

curious, why are you chopping 6 pixels off of the resolution? The screen is natively 854x480.

I use 848x480 to maintain a 16:9 Aspect Ratio (Widescreen). I have encoded many videos to 854x480 and the output resulted in video distortion.

These are my findings, someone else may have different results with 854x480 but I personally find 848x480 to be perfect.

A lot of people either forget, or just flat dont care (like my own brother..arghh) that films are 16:9 natively...they want the whole screen filled...lol

 

[BossBrew]

curious, why are you chopping 6 pixels off of the resolution? The screen is natively 854x480.

I use 848x480 to maintain a 16:9 Aspect Ratio (Widescreen). I have encoded many videos to 854x480 and the output resulted in video distortion.

These are my findings, someone else may have different results with 854x480 but I personally find 848x480 to be perfect.

A lot of people either forget, or just flat dont care (like my own brother..arghh) that films are 16:9 natively...they want the whole screen filled...lol

To each his own.

The 6 pixels lost are barely noticeable and the video looks amazing at 848x480 with a constant bitrate of 1400 Kbps. Coming from an HTC HD2, I am extremely happy with these settings.

To anyone who has tried these settings, feel free to post your experiences and results with the encodes. If you find a better player, post it! I recently purchased RockPlayer because I have been extremely satisfied with its performance.

 

[garath]

ACT1 video player. I didn't like Rockplayer as much. Rockplayer uses software acceleration which is why it can play a lot of formats the native app cannot. But as a result I found issues with some conversions where it had sound out of sync with the video.

As far as I know, a player like ACT1 uses a mix of hardware and software. I also greatly prefer the UI of ACT1. There are hot spots for doing skip ahead and jump backs, it's very customizable.

I use DVD Catalyst 3 for converting DVDs to a format for my DroidX. It's very simple to use and takes a lot of the trial and error out of the equation.

 

[BossBrew]

ACT1 video player. I didn't like Rockplayer as much. Rockplayer uses software acceleration which is why it can play a lot of formats the native app cannot. But as a result I found issues with some conversions where it had sound out of sync with the video.

As far as I know, a player like ACT1 uses a mix of hardware and software. I also greatly prefer the UI of ACT1. There are hot spots for doing skip ahead and jump backs, it's very customizable.

I use DVD Catalyst 3 for converting DVDs to a format for my DroidX. It's very simple to use and takes a lot of the trial and error out of the equation.

Since I have been using AAC I haven't had any trouble with out of sync audio. Playing MKV Encodes I get a lot of stutter from ACT 1 Video Player, whereas I get none from RockPlayer. I haven't tested converting DVD's to a format for Droid X, so your results may vary. I recently converted an 8GB MKV file and it plays back flawlessly.

Recently I have been doing some testing with VPlayer Alpha and it runs like a charm. I have been able to move seamlessly throughout videos with no stuttering at all. The App is still in its Alpha stage and it has some bugs so I can't recommend it as much as RockPlayer at the moment. It also seems that you cannot resume your video from where you left it, which is a huge downside. After I do some more testing I will update this post, but I think VPlayer may become my default because I am extremely impressed. I look forward to a final version immensely.

 

[cjriddle22]

Quick question regarding this topic but not specifically. It is my understanding that you are coping these files (after encoding) to your SD card and then playing them on the phone, correct?

My question is, has anyone found a media server that can encode on the fly so I can stream video to my Droid X over my Wifi network (and over 3g if I can get the wifi part to work first). I use Tversity or PS3media server to do this with my PS3 at the house. I realize that I can just use the above method (already do use a more difficult method, plan on using your method tonight!!) I just like to have all my videos organized on my external hard drive and if I could stream and encode them on the fly from one source, it would complete me .

Also, has anyone found a real use for DLNA?

 

[BossBrew]

Quick question regarding this topic but not specifically. It is my understanding that you are coping these files (after encoding) to your SD card and then playing them on the phone, correct?

My question is, has anyone found a media server that can encode on the fly so I can stream video to my Droid X over my Wifi network (and over 3g if I can get the wifi part to work first). I use Tversity or PS3media server to do this with my PS3 at the house. I realize that I can just use the above method (already do use a more difficult method, plan on using your method tonight!!) I just like to have all my videos organized on my external hard drive and if I could stream and encode them on the fly from one source, it would complete me .

Also, has anyone found a real use for DLNA?

Yes I am encoding these files and transferring them over to my SD card. I cannot help you with the streaming of videos, as I have not done this myself.

 

[cjriddle22]

Quick question regarding this topic but not specifically. It is my understanding that you are coping these files (after encoding) to your SD card and then playing them on the phone, correct?

My question is, has anyone found a media server that can encode on the fly so I can stream video to my Droid X over my Wifi network (and over 3g if I can get the wifi part to work first). I use Tversity or PS3media server to do this with my PS3 at the house. I realize that I can just use the above method (already do use a more difficult method, plan on using your method tonight!!) I just like to have all my videos organized on my external hard drive and if I could stream and encode them on the fly from one source, it would complete me .

Also, has anyone found a real use for DLNA?

Yes I am encoding these files and transferring them over to my SD card. I cannot help you with the streaming of videos, as I have not done this myself.

Ok thanks anyways. I plan on trying your method tonight, seems very simple and I am excited to give it a try. I would just like to have my whole library (2 TB) literally at my fingertips. dancedroid

 

[shadowx582]

Thanks for the info! I'm generally pretty lazy and tend to just use rockplayer.

But it's nice to have a bookmark for if I ever decide to encode a video!

 

[atek3]

I followed the settings as closely as I could, but I still get audio out of sync issues that get gradually worse during the course of playback. My source is 720p rips in MKV format.

Will Fiddle with settings and try VPlayer later. I'd love to find something that works flatout so i can start encoding my crazy large media library.:motdroidvert:

Thanks,
atek3

PS Darn, tried VPlayer, it skips...

 

[timrock]

I followed the settings as closely as I could, but I still get audio out of sync issues that get gradually worse during the course of playback. My source is 720p rips in MKV format.

Will Fiddle with settings and try VPlayer later. I'd love to find something that works flatout so i can start encoding my crazy large media library.:motdroidvert:

Thanks,
atek3

PS Darn, tried VPlayer, it skips...

try Mvideoplayer. I convert mkvs all the time, some range from 4gb to 8gb. im not on windows, but when i was, i would use handbrake, they have a preset for the droid x. theres also DVD Catalyst, which also has a preset. No need to go in and change any options. Try those out, along with mvideoplayer. i havent had a movie out of sync since i first got my droid. dvd catalyst is not free, the owner is also a member of the forums. handbrake is free.

 

[BodyBagz]

try Mvideoplayer. I convert mkvs all the time, some range from 4gb to 8gb. im not on windows, but when i was, i would use handbrake, they have a preset for the droid x. theres also DVD Catalyst, which also has a preset. No need to go in and change any options. Try those out, along with mvideoplayer. i havent had a movie out of sync since i first got my droid. dvd catalyst is not free, the owner is also a member of the forums. handbrake is free.

I use Handbrake...just updated to the newest release, and i see no "preset" for the Droid X....where might I find it in the Handbrake settings?