An update to this post from 2006, I gave up on ffmpeg and mp4creator and switched to mencoder and MP4Box. The new-and-improved version also works properly with widescreen video. The new script is here: podencoder.
See my original post for usage examples, which still work. One new feature is the fitto4x3 option (-f flag on the command line, or fitto4×3=1 in the configuration file), which crops the left and right sides of widescreen video to fit on the iPod’s 320×240 screen. I like this; you might not. The option is off by default. Either way, widescreen video will display properly on the iPod (not be smooshed vertically or horizontally).
This script targets the 5G video iPod, which has a 2-inch screen with 320×240 pixel resolution. If Apple has released a widescreen iPod by the time you read this, this script is not for you. Sorry.
Prerequisites:
lsdvdmplayer, compiled with MPEG-2 and AC3 supportMP4Box, part of the GPAC projectzenity, if you want graphical dialogs and progress bars
On Debian Sid, you can install the prerequisites by adding the debian-multimedia repository and typing
$ sudo aptitude install lsdvd mplayer mencoder gpac zenityPlease don’t ask me how to install these prerequisites on other operating systems. I can’t help you because I don’t know.
Hmm, looks like bash is back ;)
Comment by Anonymous — Saturday, June 9, 2007 @ 2:12 pm
Does that repository work with Ubuntu?
Comment by Justin — Saturday, June 9, 2007 @ 7:13 pm
This post is awesome if only for showing me aptitude. Thanks ~ and I was actually here looking for video converters — VLC isn’t reliable for reencoding.
PS This works in Ubuntu feisty with the universe/multiverse repositories added (multiverse for gpac).
Comment by Henry — Saturday, June 9, 2007 @ 7:55 pm