AVI vs MP4

[gino_76ph]

Hi there!

I'm not even sure if this is the right location to start my thread

I'm trying to determine the "best" video format to play on a PS3 in terms of overall quality and file compression (i.e. not taking too much disk space escpecially on a portable hard disk)

would you go for AVI or MP4?

[blueball]

Don't know but please do not start multiple threads in different parts of the forum

[cptwhite_uk]

It's not as simple as that AVI and MP4 are merely containers for various codecs. An AVI can be uncompressed raw video and audio, or highly optimised h.264 video and .ogg audio for example.

I'm not sure if both those codecs are compatible with AVI persay, but it gets the point across.

The different codecs also use varying degrees of processing power, so you need to take into account how large the video size is (480p, 720p, 1080p etc.) how compressed the format is and how much CPU grunt it requires and see if the PS3 is going to be able to cope with that.

Containers: AVI / MP4 / WMV / MKV
Codecs: h.264/divx*/xvid*/mpeg-4/mpeg-2/windows video has it's own codecs too for wmv files typically

Audio codecs also vary in their support for various sound set-ups, 5.1 surround support etc.

* divx and xvid are "brand" names for versions of mpeg-4 codec, as I understand it.

Hope that's of some use. I'd suggest you research PS3 forums for recommended programs for conversion and what bitrates / codecs / file formats are recommended.

[directhex]

It's not as simple as that AVI and MP4 are merely containers for various codecs. An AVI can be uncompressed raw video and audio, or highly optimised h.264 video and .ogg audio for example.

I'm not sure if both those codecs are compatible with AVI persay, but it gets the point across.

The different codecs also use varying degrees of processing power, so you need to take into account how large the video size is (480p, 720p, 1080p etc.) how compressed the format is and how much CPU grunt it requires and see if the PS3 is going to be able to cope with that.

Containers: AVI / MP4 / WMV / MKV
Codecs: h.264/divx*/xvid*/mpeg-4/mpeg-2/windows video has it's own codecs too for wmv files typically

Audio codecs also vary in their support for various sound set-ups, 5.1 surround support etc.

* divx and xvid are "brand" names for versions of mpeg-4 codec, as I understand it.

Hope that's of some use. I'd suggest you research PS3 forums for recommended programs for conversion and what bitrates / codecs / file formats are recommended.

Mostly right - .mp4 is actually a renamed .mov container, with mpeg4 video in it

[gino_76ph]

I'm still inclined to think what the Playstation customer support person i've spoken to saying that "it must be the encoding". hmm....

well, i still don't know what i'm missing here. i have downloaded an MP4 file, put it under "VIDEO" on my portable disk drive (checked it that and still (and yet again) my PS3 can't find that file.

so, that leaves with what remaining options?

please help me out here.....

[directhex]

Does your portable disk drive have multiple partitions? And is it formatted as FAT32?

[gino_76ph]

Yes my portable hard drive has multiple partitions and is formatted on Fat32.

[Pyrii]

MP4 is really bitchy about the kinds of streams it supports and the PS3 bitchier still about what it will allow in an MP4 container. Unfortunately AVI doesn't support h264 HD video. So I often have to recode any audio to AAC and rebox into MP4 with MP4Box before uploading to my PS3 via a simple internal webserver (EasyPHP does nicely)

[directhex]

Yes my portable hard drive has multiple partitions and is formatted on Fat32.

The PS3 will only read the first partition on a removable disk

[gino_76ph]

why would it only read the first partition?

[directhex]

why would it only read the first partition?

Because Sony hardcoded that limitation into it.

[chrisjs]

Have you thought about network streaming? Have a look at Serviio, works great with mp4/m4v over wifi for me.