# Watching WMV, AVI on iTunes/iPod **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 17, 2006, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-wmv-avi-on-itunes-ipod/384550 "2006-12-17T22:30:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2006, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-wmv-avi-on-itunes-ipod/384550/1 "2006-12-17T22:30:45Z")
Just splurged on a new video iPod and looking to watch some of the random WMV and AVI files I’ve collected from around the internets. Googling turns up reference to something called Flip4Mac, which costs like ten whole dollars. There’s a free Flip4Mac plug-in download that’s worked nicely for allowing me to play the WMVs in QuickTime, so that’s nice, but is there something free out there that will let me convert the files or just watch them in iTunes or on the iPod? Running iTunes 7.0.2 which I think is the latest and QuickTime 7.1.3 which also I think is the latest. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2006, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-wmv-avi-on-itunes-ipod/384550/2 "2006-12-17T22:51:01Z")
To get anything onto the iPod, you’ll have to reencode to mp4 and possibly change the resolution. I suggest trying FFmpeg as a start. (I have programs that use parts of FFmpeg but I’ve never used FFmpeg by itself.) ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2006, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-wmv-avi-on-itunes-ipod/384550/3 "2006-12-17T23:15:10Z")
[QUOTE=asterion] To get anything onto the iPod, you’ll have to reencode to mp4 and possibly change the resolution. I suggest trying FFmpeg as a start. (I have programs that use parts of FFmpeg but I’ve never used FFmpeg by itself.) [/QUOTE] So wait, just because it plays on iTunes doesn’t mean it will play on the iPod? ::: checks the one MOV file sitting in iTunes ::: Well hell, what’s the point of that? Like I wanna watch videos in tiny squares at home. Jeez! ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2006, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-wmv-avi-on-itunes-ipod/384550/4 "2006-12-17T23:27:49Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] So wait, just because it plays on iTunes doesn’t mean it will play on the iPod? ::: checks the one MOV file sitting in iTunes ::: Well hell, what’s the point of that? Like I wanna watch videos in tiny squares at home. Jeez! [/QUOTE] Well, that’s part of why I don’t see why selling movies in iTMS makes sense. The price of a download is almost the price of a DVD and I’d rather buy the DVD and then rip and compress it as needed to get it into a format the iPod can handle. (If I do it on my Windows desktop it takes more work on my part than doing it on my Mac laptop but it’s faster on the desktop overall.) Anyway, here are the requirements from Apple on a 5G iPod: Video formats supported: H.264 video, up to 1.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per sec., Low-Complexity version of the H.264 Baseline Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48 kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; H.264 video, up to 768 Kbps, 320 by 240 pixels, 30 frames per sec., Baseline Profile up to Level 1.3 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48 kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per sec., Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48 kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats I’m afraid I’m not much help otherwise as I’ve never tried to convert an existing file into something I can fit on my iPod. I’m sure there are lots of good guides out there if you look. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2006, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-wmv-avi-on-itunes-ipod/384550/5 "2006-12-17T23:59:56Z")
[QUOTE=asterion] Anyway, here are the requirements from Apple on a 5G iPod: Video formats supported: H.264 video, up to 1.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per sec., Low-Complexity version of the H.264 Baseline Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48 kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; H.264 video, up to 768 Kbps, 320 by 240 pixels, 30 frames per sec., Baseline Profile up to Level 1.3 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48 kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per sec., Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48 kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats [/quote] I recognize every single one of those symbols. They’re all letters and punctuation commonly used in English writing. Yet they are combined in such a way as to make absolutely no sense to me whatsoever. I downloaded and installed FFmpeg and apparently converted a MOV file into H.264 format. A new file appeared called MovieName.mov.ff.video.mp4 with the QT icon with MPEG on it. Tried the same thing with an AVI file and got a file with a similar name except avi instead of mov. The avi copied to my iTunes and said “not available” and doesn’t play. Not sure about the mov because it’s still converting but I imagine the results will be much the same. Oh well, would’ve been nice I suppose. Dunno why everything has to be so damn _complicated_. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-wmv-avi-on-itunes-ipod/384550/6 "2006-12-18T04:36:19Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] Just splurged on a new video iPod and looking to watch some of the random WMV and AVI files I’ve collected from around the internets. Googling turns up reference to something called Flip4Mac, which costs like ten whole dollars. There’s a free Flip4Mac plug-in download that’s worked nicely for allowing me to play the WMVs in QuickTime, so that’s nice, but is there something free out there that will let me convert the files or just watch them in iTunes or on the iPod? Running iTunes 7.0.2 which I think is the latest and QuickTime 7.1.3 which also I think is the latest. [/QUOTE] Get yourself over to [this site](http://www.squared5.com/) and download MPEG Streamclip. It pretty much converts every video format to .mp4 (there’s a preset for iPod video) and it works pretty quickly. Be sure to test, because sometimes you’ll get video and no audio. But it works most of the time. I’ve used [Instant Handbrake](http://handbrake.m0k.org/) for DVDs - it’s always worked, though it takes a little while. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-wmv-avi-on-itunes-ipod/384550/7 "2006-12-18T04:50:15Z")
[QUOTE=Hippy Hollow] Get yourself over to [this site](http://www.squared5.com/) and download MPEG Streamclip. [/QUOTE] I looked at MPEG Streamclip and something about it was off-putting. That was, like, hours ago though so I don’t remember what. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-wmv-avi-on-itunes-ipod/384550/8 "2006-12-18T06:26:56Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] I looked at MPEG Streamclip and something about it was off-putting. That was, like, hours ago though so I don’t remember what. [/QUOTE] OK, so I downloaded it (I think I downloaded it before but something didn’t launch right or something) and converted a file. Worked fine, except it’s sort of slow and it plasters “made with Flip4Mac trial” and the website across the bottom third of the image in those see-through letters, which is annoying. But it works and it’s free, which is the important thing. ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-wmv-avi-on-itunes-ipod/384550/9 "2006-12-18T10:13:04Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] OK, so I downloaded it (I think I downloaded it before but something didn’t launch right or something) and converted a file. Worked fine, except it’s sort of slow and it plasters “made with Flip4Mac trial” and the website across the bottom third of the image in those see-through letters, which is annoying. But it works and it’s free, which is the important thing. [/QUOTE] Well, obviously it’s Flip4Mac that’s doing that - the freebie trial version only lets you view, not convert, by any means. Might also look into [iSquint](http://www.isquint.com). I haven’t tried a .wmv yet, but the site says it can convert 'em. And it’s free. ---
**Author:** ![SuperNelson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@SuperNelson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuperNelson)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-wmv-avi-on-itunes-ipod/384550/10 "2006-12-18T13:12:29Z")
I use HandBrake to convert DVD’s, but for converting about anything else for the iPod or Treo, I use [VisualHub](http://www.techspansion.com/visualhub/) . It’s $23.32, but it handles anything I’ve asked it to. It has presets for iPod (and now for the Wii). It also lets you queue up a bunch of files for batch conversion, and will stitch together a bunch of shorter files into one long file. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-wmv-avi-on-itunes-ipod/384550/11 "2006-12-18T17:14:21Z")
[QUOTE=drewbert] Well, obviously it’s Flip4Mac that’s doing that - the freebie trial version only lets you view, not convert, by any means. [/QUOTE] See, that’s what I thought, but how if Flip4Mac doesn’t convert the files does the imprint end up on a file hat’s converted by Streamclip? When I convert the clip it seems to be taking place completely within the Steamclip environment. Should I uninstall Flip4Mac and see if it stops happening or do the two programs somehow work together? ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-wmv-avi-on-itunes-ipod/384550/12 "2006-12-18T19:32:36Z")
Flip4 Mac & iSquint should take care of all your video/iPod needs. I have those two and I toss all kinds of video files around via DVD, internet, iTunes and the iPod. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-wmv-avi-on-itunes-ipod/384550/13 "2006-12-18T22:52:34Z")
[QUOTE=Troy McClure SF] Flip4 Mac & iSquint should take care of all your video/iPod needs. I have those two and I toss all kinds of video files around via DVD, internet, iTunes and the iPod. [/QUOTE] Downloaded iSquint and it seems to be converting OK, although it remains to be seen whether it will emblazon “USE VISUAL HUB, IDIOT” across the bottom. Now if I can just find something to handle the couple of random .rm files I have kicking around… ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2006, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-wmv-avi-on-itunes-ipod/384550/14 "2006-12-19T04:37:18Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] See, that’s what I thought, but how if Flip4Mac doesn’t convert the files does the imprint end up on a file hat’s converted by Streamclip? When I convert the clip it seems to be taking place completely within the Steamclip environment. Should I uninstall Flip4Mac and see if it stops happening or do the two programs somehow work together? [/QUOTE] My WAG is that Streamclip wouldn’t know what to do with a WMV without Flip4Mac’s making it accessible through Quicktime. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2006, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-wmv-avi-on-itunes-ipod/384550/15 "2006-12-19T13:15:15Z")
[QUOTE=drewbert] My WAG is that Streamclip wouldn’t know what to do with a WMV without Flip4Mac’s making it accessible through Quicktime. [/QUOTE] ::: head explodes :::