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Feb 11 2006
ffmpegX Review
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| Summary: Perfect multi-purpose tool
97
ffmpegX is a Mac OS X graphical interface to the amazing FFMPEG tool. Through open source projects like mplayer, x264, and mp4psp, and many others, ffmpegX can convert virtually any file format to practically any other. Most importantly for those who are reading this review, it also converts PSP videos.
FFMPEG is renown for its versitility and its efficiency. On my iBook G4, it can convert video at faster than 1x speed, even from MPEG-4 sources. What FFMPEG is not known for is its user-friendliness, as is true of many open source projects that rely on the command line. This is where ffmpegX comes in. It acts as an interface for this wonderful tool.
The program is very easy to use, even if you don't know anything about transcoding video. Simply drag your file from the Finder into the "Source" box, change the Destination box to PSP, go to Options and change the PSP name to whatever you need, and click Encode. Voila!
Of course, the tool has more uses than just that. It can take almost any source, and allow you to easily create an entire DVD file system from it. Or convert one file to another. It will even convert video to play on your shiny new Video iPod! Got a DVD? It can convert from dectpyted VOBs too.
Feel the included presets are too weak? Then tweak it! Only have a 32 MB Memory Stick? Your Memory Stick running out of space, but you want to cram one more video on there? Tell it your destination file size, click Auto, let it fix things up. It even has a batch mode function, so you can tell it to convert several videos without your need to be there to start each one.
Of course, the program isn't perfect. The Auto function tends to change the output resolution to something the PSP might not like. Or if you encode one video, then drag in another one, the resolution tends to change to the source resolution. Most of the time, it's easily fixed just by re-selecting the PSP pre-set.
The only hitch is that ffmpegX, version 0.0.9u has no support for PSP H.264 video (A.K.A. AVC). That functionality is coming, but it doesn't help that the PSP requires specially muxed MP4 files, and requires another differently muxed file if you want H.264. Give it time, it'll happen soon, though.
Another fancy feature is support for subtitles. Have a fan-sub with SSA, SRT, MicroDVD, or SAMI subtitles? Just include them in the Filters tab, and away you go! It can't read subtitles from Matroska or OGM files, yet, but you can always extract the subtitles.
Despite its minor flaws, ffmpegX is one of the greatest tools a Mac OS X user could have on his or her machine, whether or not they own a PSP.
It's shareware, and requires a few additional tools to be installed, but all of those tools have pre-compiled versions ready for download, and well worth the time it takes. Go for it! And if you don't like it, no pressure.
REVIEW IT
PRODUCT INFO
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Comments
02/11/06
1 
jdfrag
| California USA | SOCOM: BlackShark
only for macs huh? damn!!!
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02/11/06
20
newar
| Texas USA
cool i have a mac!!!so can i convert an aiff music file into an mp3 music file?
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02/12/06
ThnkDffrnt
| Maryland USA
Good news Mac users, looks like the latest release of ffmpegX (0.0.9v - Feb. 12, 2006) includes complete H.264 (AVC) support for the PSP.
http://homepage.mac.com/major4/
My initial testing showed that it works like a charm. (The only change I made to the settings were to decode at 384 kbit/s vice the 250 default. The change wasn't necessary to get it to work, it was just a matter of personal preference.)
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02/12/06
20
Motoi
| Japan | SOCOM: Motoi
This program is EXCELLENT
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02/13/06
ScoobieDoo
| Michigan USA
I use this program every single and love it, they have great how to's on their site also
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WHAT MORE CAN I SAY? THE GUY IS A GENIUS!! BRILLIANT SOFTWARE! NOW CONVERTS EVEN QUICKER!
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02/18/06
8
Gutya
| UK
Looks good, if only i had a mac.
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02/21/06
42
theazhrei
| Michigan USA
My PC is (supposedly) far faster than my Powerbook, but using ffmpegX I can turn a DVD into a PSP compatible movie in less than an hour. My PC can't even think about that kind of speed, mostly because of the extra steps. The quality is great!
This program may not be perfect but it's the best thing I've used so far. I just wish I wasn't out of movies to convert so I could try that newest release.
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