Converting to 3GP at 30fps?

[TeknoZX]

I've been using the 3GP converter for a while now and I've always wondered why it's limited to 15 fps. I've read a few bits here and there saying that some people have managed 30fps and it has worked fine.

My question to anyone knowledgeable about this area is, what converter do you use? I've tried Xilisoft or whatever it's called, imtoo, and they both don't show an option for 30fps. I tried to download SUPER but the installation file is always corrupt...after 5 downloads...without download managers btw..

Or if anyone knows the specific codecs and settings I need, I can use other video encoders maybe? Thanks.

[w7excursion]

I use Super and convert to 3g2 at 25fps. The files come out a little smaller. When I get my computer running Ill upload it and send you a link if you want or email you. Other people seem to like Media Coder but it has failed some.

[jcu]

I use Super and convert to 3g2 at 25fps. The files come out a little smaller. When I get my computer running Ill upload it and send you a link if you want or email you. Other people seem to like Media Coder but it has failed some.


People has mentioned problem running with Super before. Someone said....

Super from eRightSoft may crash your other applications or even your system. And it may also cause all kinds of Windows DLL error depend on what you already installed (or going to install).

Some of the issues are Super take some of the dll from Cygwin and other video / audio programs and use it. The problem is Super install those DLL directly into Windows\system32 directory and make the files Hidden and READ ONLY. Addition to making it READ ONLY, the version they put in system32 may be older version. If your other application use the same DLL and find the older version of dll in system32, it may cause a lot of problem.

I don't know why Super would do something like that since it is rare for non-Microsoft application to put something in system32 as Hidden and Read Only and can interfere with other applications.

If someone really want 30fps with 3GP converter. They can go to
3GP_Converter034\default_setting
and play round with the Transcoding_3GP2_AAC.ini, etc files.

Or play with Transcoding.ini directly since that's the default you pick when you run Setup.exe.

If you go inside one of them, you can see something like

Command0=""<%AppPath%>\cores\ffmpeg" -y -i "<%InputFile%>" -timestamp "<%TimeStamp%>" -bitexact -vcodec mpeg4 -fixaspect -s 176x144 -r 14.985 -b 190 -acodec aac -ac 1 -ar 16000 -ab 48 -f 3gp -muxvb 64 -muxab 32 "<%TemporaryFile%>.3gp""


I bet the FPS is the -r 14.985 option. May be someone more familiar with ffmpeg can confirm if changing just that option can change the fps.

[w7excursion]

I havent had any problems with Super. Maybe you could recommend something else if the OP doesnt want to try Super. Good points though, I never heard of what you are talking about but good to know.

[TeknoZX]

Samsung A940, latest firmware.
3GP converter 034

Finally got a working copy of Super from some website. Used it and it's pretty good. I played around with the settings for a good few hours trying to see the best quality I could get. Audio didn't matter too much so I kept it at 22050 64 mono. Video was another issue. Wow..I tried so many combinations. I ended up at 240 and 25 for watchable without chopping on my A940.

The best part about super is the wide range of videos it will accept and the task list. I just dragged a bunch of mpegs, avis, and wmvs and it just churned them out no problem. But alas, my quest for quality would not end there.

I read the posts above and thought I might have a go with the ffmpeg settings.

I was surprised that the QCIF high quality setting used a 400 bit rate for video while I could only manage 240 with playable results. However, the fps setting was at 15. Time for a boost. 30? Worked fine. But the audio was a little lacking. 16000hz at 32? Not for me. 22050 at 64. Might as well try to bump it to 30fps also. No go..too choppy. 25 fps? Bingo.

So 25fps at 400, 22050hz at 64. Seems to be the sweet spot. Sometimes there's a hiccup in the beginning but the rest plays smooth so I'm thinking it's just a buffering thing or quirk. However, file sizes are a little bigger. ~57k per second, ~3.37megs per minute. For my SUPER settings, pretty much the same but video at 240, it was ~43k per second, ~2.52 megs per minute. I think the added size is worth it as the video is cleaner, to me at least.

What I don't get it why 3gp converter, while using the same ffmpeg program, perhaps a different version, will not allow higher than video at 240 for watchable results.

I tried to get the latest version of ffmpeg to run additional tests but it seems unavailable. The sourceforge pages don't list any files and the ffmpeg site leads nowhere.

3GP is the way to go for quality for me but it can't handle wmv's. Perhaps different version of ffmpeg?

*edit
Just checked SUPER's version of ffmpeg and sure enough, it was the latest version. I'm not sure I can just copy and use the newer version because I think ffmpeg comes with a bunch of other stuff linked to it. Like someone said, SUPER puts funky files in funky places and registers funky stuff and some of them maybe associated with ffmpeg.

Just tried with the newer version of ffmpeg. 25fps@400, 22050hz@64 worked just as the older version with identical results. So ffmpeg version is ruled out for the choppiness at above video@240 with SUPER. Also tried converting a wmv with the newer ffmpeg. No dice. It seems SUPER deals with wmv's in a different way.

Here's my custom settings for video with 3gp converter.

TitleE=QCIF 400 25fps 22050 64 Mono

Command0=""<%AppPath%>\cores\ffmpeg" -y -i "<%InputFile%>" -timestamp "<%TimeStamp%>" -bitexact -vcodec mpeg4 -fixaspect -s 176x144 -r 25 -b 400 -acodec aac -ac 1 -ar 22050 -ab 64 -f 3gp -muxvb 64 -muxab 32 "<%TemporaryFile%>.3gp""

Command1=""<%AppPath%>\cores\QT3GPPFlatten" "<%TemporaryFile%>.3gp" "<%OutputFile%>.3gp" -c QT_3GPP(MobileMP4)_QCIF_AAC.ini"

Command2="rm "<%TemporaryFile%>.3gp""

I changed the titles so I know which one I'm using.

The first command is easy enough to understand. However, the others, I have no clue. The QT3GPPFlatten thing I have no clue. I checked the ini for it and have no idea what it means. I suspect it's irrelevant because when I converted a file with the newer ffmpeg, I didn't do any of that QT flatten stuff and the file came out identical. Maybe it's some sort of tag.

So there you go. My adventures with quality video. Video at these settings do tend to eat up space quickly. I only have a 512 card and most of it is taken up with 192k or higher mp3's. Again, I want quality.

However, for non essential videos, you can reduce the quality to your liking. However, from my experiences with SUPER, video@192 doesn't cut it for me. It's just too much compression.

So I'll use 3gp for most all videos while I use SUPER for wmv's. I hope it doesn't screw up my system..

I hope this helps some people searching for quality videos on their mobiles...Although not for A900's..sorry for your limited space folks..

I just had a thought...I GUESS you could technically use a converter like STOIK to convert the wmv into an avi or something else that 3GP can use...and seeing as how I'm willing to go this far technically, I might as well do that and ditch SUPER....you know what..I will. Stoik is a fine program and I've never read anything about it destabilizing your system and what not. So huzzah!

[iSleek]

3gp, 3g2 = crap
it's only good for streaming..
if u wanna keep the frame rates of the movies (aka 30fps), get Quicktime Pro... that's what I use to encode.. it will ALWAYS, NO MATTER WHAT come out choppy, why? aspect ratio. i tried changing the aspect ratio of it to a higher resolution and the video doesn't play on my phone, A900.. u have to keep it on w/e the default one is... so it suxx0rz... but yeah.. other than that, it's pretty cool

[TeknoZX]

Umm, aspect ratio? I don't think that's a problem. As far as I know, it should all be 1.2 or 11:9. Resolution should be 176x144. Any more is useless because your phone doesn't have the display to show a higher res. Well, current regular phones. I'm not talking about other fancy phones and what not. Actually, that should be for 176x320 phones like my A940 or A920. For a900, to maintain 1.2 AR, it should be 240x196. And come out choppy? I'm sorry my friend but I can get 30fps running BUTTER smooth. However, I'd have to lower the bitrate of the video. 25fps is fine and actually closer to theater movie fps. 30 may be smooth but 25 is pretty damn close and I prefer the higher bitrate for better quality. 3gp = crap? What do you think the videos you're using quicktime to convert come out as? It's the only way to watch videos on our phones. I won't start bashing but do some more reading and research. There's lots of info out there. I just wanted to share my experience.