DivX to WMV in 5 Easy Steps

[milleym]

Okay, there seems to be alot of jumping through hoops to get your Divx/Xvid Movies on your Zune.

I've tried the registry tweaks to get avi files into the the zune desktop software library, and that works great, but the conversion on sync is unreliable.

Here's the thing, If you're running Vista Ultimate, you don't need to buy or install any Third Party conversion software; nor do you have to download windows media encoder. This tutorial uses software that is most likely already on your windows box.

Windows Movie Maker. Yes, Windows Movie Maker. Duh! (slaps forehead)

1. Open Windows Movie Maker. If, by chance, you don't have it installed, go get it from M$. It's free.

2. Click the import button and open the file that you want to convert.

3. Drag the file into the first frame of the "Storyboard" at the bottom of the screen.

4. Under Publish to, click This computer.

5. In the wizard that pops up, select the destination path (preferablly in one of your zune-monitored folders), and on the next page select Windows Media Portable Device.

That's it. You're done. After it's done converting, the result is a WMV version of the Divx movie, perfectly formatted for your device.

Pop some popcorn as you sync it, lower the lights, and enjoy your video.


***ADDENDUM***

If you'd like to skip the second transcoding when you are synching, you can:

a) Choose Low-Bandwitdth when publishing in step 5 above.

b) Create a new Windows Media Encoder profile that matches the settings on your zune. (Steps are below). This is a bit complicated, so it's only reccomended if you desire a high-quality divx-sourced video experience on your device (who doesn't?) and not have to re-encode the file.

1 - Set your Maxiumum Video Conversion Settings. NOTE: This may cause previously synced video to be re-encoded.
a)Right click on your device name in the zune software tree while your device is connected.
Open the Advanced Options menu.
b)Under Quality, Videos and TV Shows, pick Select maximum quality level. Move the slider to the third value, 1.11 Mbps. I think this offers the best quality to size ratio; you can select whichever value you'd like, but for the purpose of this Tutorial, that's what I'm going to use.

2 - Download and Install Windows Media Encoder 9.
a) Open the Windows Media Profile Editor (in start->programs->windows media->utilities).
b) Under Name, type something memorable like Zune Media.
c) Check Audio and Video (DO NOT CHECK SCRIPT), and in each, select CBR and Windows Media 9( or 9.x). DO NOT CHECK Allow Interlaced Processing nor Allow Nonsquare pixel output.
d) Under Target Bit Rates, click add and then type 1.11M
e) Under the new tab for 1110Kbps, change the video size to 320x240 (the size of the zune screen). Make Sure that you do not have more then 2 channels (stereo) selected for the audio.
f) Click save and close, navigate to your \Program Files\Movie Maker\Shared\Profiles folder, and title the profile something memorable. You may have to create the directory. In addition, due to Vista Security, you may have to save the profile to your desktop first, and then move it into the above directory.
g) Select the profile you just created in windows movie maker when converting your video using the steps above.

If you like the results, you can uninstall windows media encoder. The profile that you just created will stay behind.

[kohr-ah]

Hey great post I got it to work but where is this
4. Under Publish to, click This computer.
I look all over and did not see it I just click save to computer and it did it
or is that what you meant
Thanks again

[Super Person]

windows movie maker is the worst possible way to convert a video

[kohr-ah]

Could you you explain why instead of making a blank statement, This is why I don't post on other forums because someone makes a statements and does not explain the reason why ,and please don't it take the wrong way I just want to learn. Thanks

[milleym]

Wow, that's not what I've experienced.

True, It's a bit of a pain to create the inital profile, but once you have that, that following is all true:

1. The movies look GREAT on the device.

2. The software is incredibly user friendly, unlike a lot of the free rippers out there. It's an incredibly simple 4 step process. Import, Throw into the storyboard, click publish, type in a filename and directory where the zune library will pick it up, and select your profile. Setting up a file to re-encode takes less than 30 seconds.

3. The software is from a name I trust, and it's free. I don't have to worry about trials or spyware.

4. The re-encoding is blazingly fast. I just recoded some episodes of Heroes; each 45 minute divx episode took only 7 minutes. I just reencoded a two and half hour movie and that only took about 35 minutes.

5. If you set up the encoding profile correctly, the file doesn't need to rencode when syncing to the zune--it just gets copied over. Period.

6. Last, but probably the best feature: Movie Maker piggybacks windows media player's codecs. That means if you can watch it in media player, you can encode it for the device. I recommend downloading the K-Lite codec pack; with it, I just put a 2.5hour QUICKTIME movie on my device. The same codec pack will also enable you to sync YOUTUBE, IFILM, GOOGLE VIDEO and the like movies to the device. To download these files for reconversion, use http://www.keepvid.com/ .

UPDATE: K-Lite also allows interpretation of VOB files. What this means to you is that you can pop a DVD in your drive, explore it, drag and drop the VOB files into movie maker, and then rip the video directly from the DVD into a zune-ready format.

So... yeah, Movie Maker.

[tjde85]

Does this work with the new firmware and software...(windows media encoder profile)

[Gregory]

Yep, no reason it shouldn't.

Originally Posted by tjde85

Does this work with the new firmware and software...(windows media encoder profile)

[Wootmasta]

Originally Posted by kohr-ah

Could you you explain why instead of making a blank statement, This is why I don't post on other forums because someone makes a statements and does not explain the reason why ,and please don't it take the wrong way I just want to learn. Thanks

it's just slower and less convenient than a straight converter like winavi. Winavi also uses both of my processors in my pentium D

[kohr-ah]

I wonder if Winavi will use my amd the same way,
it is also a dual proc. Thanks for the tip wootmasta