I am using the most recent snapshot

“svn2952” of Handbrake, downloaded

from

http://handbrake.fr/?article=snapshot .

Just so that we know we’re using the

same starting point, click on the Apple

/ Universal preset.

You should see the Output Settings

show (Preset: Universal).

First off, of course, choose your source

file and destination file.

Make sure your destination file ends in

“.MP4”. This will automatically change

the Format to say MP4 File.

Picture Settings

The PSP has a screen that is 480 pixels

wide by 272 pixels high. There is no

sense in creating a file that is any larger

than 480 x 272.

Since you started with the “Apple /

Universal” preset, your Anamorphic

setting should already be set to Loose.

This locks the Height and Keep Aspect

Ratio settings so that you cannot

directly change them. The Height will

be calculated based on whatever width

you choose.

Change the value of the Width up or

down, so that the Width <= 480 and

the Height <= 272. It is OK if one of

them is substantially lower than

480x272 – in my example, my video will

resize to 352x272. Just make sure that

BOTH numbers are lower than

480x272.

Leave Crop set to Automatic.

Video Filters

Set the Video Filters to whatever

makes sense. Their settings have no

impact on the playability on PSP / iPod

Touch.

Video

Since you started with the Apple /

Universal preset, your Video Codec will

already be set to H.264 (x264).

You may change the Framerate and 2-

Pass Encoding options, if you wish. I

leave the as “Same as source” and

disabled, respectively.

Change the Quality to Avg Bitrate,

setting its value to 768 kbps.

I don’t know why I set this to Avg

Bitrate 768 kbps other than “it works

for me”. I have tried values higher than

768, and the PSP starts to have

problems. I have not tried “Constant

Quality”.

Audio

Since you started with the Apple /

Universal preset, you will have two

audio tracks.

Remove Track 2 (the “AC3 Passthru”).

I set Track 1 as follows:

Source = Automatic.

Audio Codec = AAC (faac)

Mixdown = Stereo

Samplerate = 48

Bitrate = 128

DRC=0

Other than the Audio Codec being set

to AAC, I don’t think the PSP / iPod

Touch really cares about the other

settings. Experiment to find your own

preference.

Subtitles

Set the Subtitles to whatever makes

sense. Their settings have no impact

on the playability on PSP / iPod Touch.

Chapters

Set the Chapters to whatever makes

sense. Their settings have no impact

on the playability on PSP / iPod Touch.

Advanced

OK, here is where the nastiest piece of

work is.

Ahem! In order to make the MP4 file

play on the PSP, on the iPod Touch, and

synchronize through iTunes 8.2 … you

must set “cabac=0”.

Various other options may or may not

affect how the file plays, but “the

following settings work for me”:

Reference Frames = Default (1)

B-Frames = Default (0)

Motion Estimation Method = Default

(Hexagon)

Subpixel Motion Estimation = Default

(6)

Analysis = Default

8x8 DCT = (clear box, not checked)

CABAC Entropy Coding = (clear box,

not checked)

Psychovisual Rate Distortion =

(maximum value)

No Fast-P-Skip = (clear box, not

checked)

No DCT-Decimate = (clear box, not

checked)

Deblocking = (Default) (Default)

I have no clue what these settings do.

None whatsoever. They’re pure magic

to me, and I am happy that others

understand them.

OK, start encoding! The result should be an MP4 file that you can synchronize to the iPod Touch using iTunes 8.2, as well as copy to the \VIDEO folder on the PSP.

And speaking of the \VIDEO folder of the PSP … did you know that if you created a JPG file with the EXACT same name as your MP4 file (MyVideo.MP4 becomes

MyVideo.JPG), and if that JPG file was EXACTLY 160 pixels wide by 120 pixels high … then the PSP will use that picture as a thumbnail on its menu?