Help solving the Fuze video mystery once and for all!

MP3 players Sansa Fuze
21

Yes, I have been tweaking with the video conversion and timing.  The timing issues are, in my case, happening in the video conversion on the PC side of the equation, from files I’ve been looking at.

I’ve also been looking into completed AVI files from the Sansa.

Oh, and Miltst- you’re right about digital video.  Gone are the days of simple video, NTSC/PAL/SECAM.  I’ve read a few books on the subject of digital video and the requisite codecs.  The more I look, the bigger the scope of the problem grows.

Bob  :smileyvery-happy:

Message Edited by neutron_bob on 04-11-2009 06:37 PM

22

hi,

i’m using linux, so 'im very interested in converting videos for the fuze without the SMC.

I analysed some working videos and found the following settings for ffmpeg:

ffmpeg -i example.mp4 -r 20 -vcodec mpeg4 -level 3 -b 384 -vtag XVID -pix_fmt yuv420p -s 224x176 -acodec mp3  -ab 128k -ar 44100 -f avi -y example_out.avi

This seems to create the correct video format,

BUT:

there is one difference which, i think, causes the fuze to reject the video:

The audio and video streams are muxed differently:

The fuze video has an audio alignment “split across interleave” and ffmpeg creates “aligned on interleave” video.

Does anyone has an idea how i can change the audio alignment

Message Edited by RoyBatty on 04-18-2009 08:50 AM

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I too am interested in a Linux solution.  And a non-SMC Windows solution.

I have confirmed a working semi-solution found on another thread which is moderately satisfactory, although the audio and video appear to drift in and out of sync (more out than in, but sometimes audio is ahead and other times the video leads!), and the video tends to be a bit stuttery when converted from certain sources (have only had Fuze for a couple weeks now so testing has been only partial).  I cannot bear to use SMC and have uninstalled it from my system completely.   Multiple reasons, but slow transcoding, lack of batch(?), and requirement that Fuze be plugged in for it to work are just the beginning.   I can confirm that their is no need for the *.thm file (it is, as others have pointed out), simply a 224 x 176 jpg with a different extension, and acts as a thumbnail for the same-prefix-named *.avi file.

I have looked high and low for conversion settings, and the only thing I have managed to get to work at all is the $29 WinAVI Video Converter Version 8.0.   I use the  MENU > FORMAT CONVERT > BATCH CONVERT   option, ADD FILES >  ANY TO AVI, then choose the source file (seems to accept everything I’ve thrown at it so far, including MiniDV avi captures, m4v, etc, and then I use a Custom Defined Output format (involves setting up custom design, then text editing the ini files to create a new menu option - instructions are in the help files for WinAVI Video converter), then choose the default Codecs (VIDEO: ZGMedia MPEG-4 Encode, AUDIO:  ZJMedia Mp3 Encoder, with settings  VIDEO FRAME RATE:  20   File Split (deselected) and PICTURE SIZE 224 x 176.   I have ticked AUDIO “Enable DirectAC3” (but have not tested what happens with it unselected),  SampleRate 44100, BitRate 12800.    The audio is superb, but I think there may not be enough data band width for the video, and this likely is causing my video stuttering.   I just haven’t found a way to customize the video bit rate with the ZJMedia MPEG-4 Encoder.   The “…” option to the right of both ZJMedia codecs seems to be inop on my computer.

Conversion is VERY fast as far as video goes, I am quite impressed actually.   I converted over 1.5 hours of m4v files in under 10 minutes.   I suspect very little recompression was going on!

Oh, and I cannot view the resulting files on my computer, only on the Fuze (obviously, I have not installed all the necessary codecs).

I think I am using the firmware that came with my Fuze, but am not sure because I upgraded initially, then had problems (video locked up device by trying to play as MP3) and I reinstalled firmware downloaded from SanDisk.   It was not real old, but probably not the newest.   

I anxiously await firmware that is better documented and allows use of other conversion software.  For example, Quicktime Pro doesn’t output mp3 audio with video etc…

24

The *.thm files appear to be nothing but jpgs with an unusual extension.  Just copy a thm file to your harddrive, change the name, and open it.

(Edit) - Sorry, i did not notice that there are multiple pages to this thread.  I hope that too many people do not become upset with my unability to look at how many pages there are.  :dizzy_face:

Message Edited by halonachos117 on 07-09-2009 09:56 PM

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I believe this fact was already stated:

 

DellAnderson wrote:

 . . .I can confirm that their is no need for the *.thm file (it is, as others have pointed out), simply a 224 x 176 jpg with a different extension, and acts as a thumbnail for the same-prefix-named *.avi file.

 

26

During transfer to the Fuze, the device builds the wee thm image file.  It’s just a “shot” from the opening scene of each video clip, for the same purpose as the thumbnail for album browsing.

Bob  :smileyvery-happy:

27

My experiences when trying to convert my usual Xvid TV episode was it took too long, crashed or simply didn’t work on the player.

I hope that if they’ve added artificial barriers to the smooth and uninhibited conversion of videos that they remove them, so people on Linux can put videos on it as well.