Settings for PSP H.264/AVC format

[trondah]

Anybody have a preset for H.264/AVC that works with the PSP?

Would love to have this as a default preset in Handbrake. Visualhub has one, but Visualhub doesn't handle subtitles.

[trondah]

How to encode AVC for the PSP:

- Select PSP preset
- Choose H.264/AAC codec
- Select 480 width (this is PSP's max res., you don't need to set it this high)
- Enter "level=3" without the quotes under advanced x264 options
- Place converted movie under /VIDEO on the memstick

The resulting quality is awesome!

Would be nice if the devs added this for a preset. All that's really needed is the level=3 option.

[whimpers]

Keep in mind that this is only for 3.30 firmware and higher, lower firmware versions won't load 480 px wide video.

[rednote]

I followed your instructions, and put the file under /Video on the stick, but the file comes up with "Unsupported Data". My PSP is updated to 3.52.

What next?

-Rod

[rednote]

Hey Trondah,

When I use the "PSP" preset with no mods, the converted video that I put in the /Video folder on the stick works fine. It just doesn't look as good as the video that I converted using the H.264/AAC codec. What's a real drag is that the file made at the smaller screen size of the PSP preset with the MPEG-4 Video/ AAC Audio Coded isn't that much smaller than the 480 width/H.264/AAC codec that you suggested. If my video is going to look subpar, someone at least give me a smaller file size:)

How do you get your settings to show up on the PSP?

thanks for your help.
-Rod

[trondah]

Did you follow my instructions? As long as you are staying within 480x272 resolution and using level=3 it will work.

[Philbz]

How to encode AVC for the PSP:

- Select PSP preset
- Choose H.264/AAC codec
- Select 480 width (this is PSP's max res., you don't need to set it this high)
- Enter "level=3" without the quotes under advanced x264 options
- Place converted movie under /VIDEO on the memstick

The resulting quality is awesome!

Would be nice if the devs added this for a preset. All that's really needed is the level=3 option.

Whoa! Just tried this setting, I have to agree it is awesome!! WHY is this not the setting for PSP?

[Wildfire]

With the current firmware 3.71 I was able to use even more advanced settings:

crf=18:ref=2:mixed-refs=1:bframes=3:b-rdo=1:bime=1:weightb=1:subme=7:trellis=2:analyse=all:level=3:merange=64:no-fast-pskip:me=umh:sar=1/1

Resolution is 480*272. You can speed up the encode quite a bit if you use "subme=6", "trellis=1" and "merange=16". Off course the file becomes larger than

Wildfire

[maximumzero]

Here's a question on 4:3 content.

Should I shoot for the height being 272px or should I shoot for the width being 480px?

[Wildfire]

Here's a question on 4:3 content.

Should I shoot for the height being 272px or should I shoot for the width being 480px?

Hmm, following this post on Doom9 you should aim for 272 heigh. The 'correct' resolution for mod16 would be 368*272. I never did 4:3 encodes myself so test it with a short clip

--
Wildfire

[nt4cats]

With the current firmware 3.71 I was able to use even more advanced settings:

crf=18:ref=2:mixed-refs=1:bframes=3:b-rdo=1:bime=1:weightb=1:subme=7:trellis=2:analyse=all:level=3:merange=64:no-fast-pskip:me=umh:sar=1/1

Resolution is 480*272. You can speed up the encode quite a bit if you use "subme=6", "trellis=1" and "merange=16". Off course the file becomes larger than

Wildfire

I'm a Linux user so I have to do all of this on the command-line. I have a 4 gig memory stick in my PSP (with 3.71 firmware), so I'm interested in the "faster encode with larger files" option.

I've learned a bit from a bunch of different posts, but am not sure how to "blend" the recommendations from multiple posters into a single command-line. Mabye I should ignore all previous posts and just go with what Wildfire says -- but I don't think he included all of the necessary options. Can someone help?

This is what I've come up with:

./HandBrakeCLI -i /dev/dvd -t 1 -e x264 -x crf=18:ref=2:mixed-refs=1:bframes=3:b-rdo=1:bime=1:weightb=1:subme=6:trellis=1:analyse=all:level=3:merange=16:no-fast-pskip:me=umh:sar=1/1 -p --crop 0:0:0:0 -E faac -R 48 -b 2048 -o MyMovie.mp4

[jbrjake]

./HandBrakeCLI -i /dev/dvd -t 1 -e x264 -x crf=18:ref=2:mixed-refs=1:bframes=3:b-rdo=1:bime=1:weightb=1:subme=6:trellis=1:analyse=all:level=3:merange=16:no-fast-pskip:me=umh:sar=1/1 -p --crop 0:0:0:0 -E faac -R 48 -b 2048 -o MyMovie.mp4

Why would you have -b 2048 *and* tell x264 to use crf=18? You shouldn't use that terminology in HandBrake anyway. Tell it to use CRF by adding -q 0.647 -Q. If you're using -p, don't use sar=1/1 because it won't display right. I don't believe the PSP does anamorphic, so why are you using -p in the first place? There's no need to include merange=16, as that's the default. And you don't need to include -E faac either, as that is a default as well. So, to clean it up:

./HandBrakeCLI -i /dev/dvd -t 1 -e x264 -x ref=2:mixed-refs=1:bframes=3:b-rdo=1:bime=1:weightb=1:subme=6:trellis=1:analyse=all:level=3:no-fast-pskip:me=umh --crop 0:0:0:0 -R 48 -b 2048 -o MyMovie.mp4

...but don't you need to set dimensions that will fit on the PSP? Or can it play 720* files?

[nt4cats]

./HandBrakeCLI -i /dev/dvd -t 1 -e x264 -x crf=18:ref=2:mixed-refs=1:bframes=3:b-rdo=1:bime=1:weightb=1:subme=6:trellis=1:analyse=all:level=3:merange=16:no-fast-pskip:me=umh:sar=1/1 -p --crop 0:0:0:0 -E faac -R 48 -b 2048 -o MyMovie.mp4

Why would you have -b 2048 *and* tell x264 to use crf=18? You shouldn't use that terminology in HandBrake anyway. Tell it to use CRF by adding -q 0.647 -Q. If you're using -p, don't use sar=1/1 because it won't display right. I don't believe the PSP does anamorphic, so why are you using -p in the first place? There's no need to include merange=16, as that's the default. And you don't need to include -E faac either, as that is a default as well. So, to clean it up:

./HandBrakeCLI -i /dev/dvd -t 1 -e x264 -x ref=2:mixed-refs=1:bframes=3:b-rdo=1:bime=1:weightb=1:subme=6:trellis=1:analyse=all:level=3:no-fast-pskip:me=umh --crop 0:0:0:0 -R 48 -b 2048 -o MyMovie.mp4

...but don't you need to set dimensions that will fit on the PSP? Or can it play 720* files?

Thanks for the "clean up". You ask why I'd do multiple incompatible options -- because I'm an admitted newbie trying to blend the (overlapping) recommendations from multiple posts. I will give your "cleaned up" recommendation a try and report on the results. Thanks!

The newer PSP firmware can display videos encoded at 480x272. I can probably figure out how to set the resolution (but I wouldn't mind clarification if you have a minute).

[Lustmorderous]

Great advices people,my vids look much nicer now ([Censored] you MPEG-4)

[maximumzero]

So what's the difference between "level=3" and the "threads=1:level=21" I see in other threads?

I only ask because level=3 seems to work fine and I'm just wondering what difference it made going with the latter.

[dynaflash]

Moved to the "Devices" forum where it should have been a long time ago.

[cbitterfield]

Using Firmware 3.80, I can't get the default PSP Preset to work if the picture is 368x272.

Is there another setting that is required?

[connorxxl]

Trondha,

I tried the settings, and it looks great. But I have one problem: Whenever there's a fast movement in the movie, part of e.g. the (moving) person stays as kind of a ghost picture for a moment.

Since these are my first tries with movies on PSP, not sure if that's the display, or a problem with the movie... any ideas?

Thanks for your help.

Chris

[jntaylor63]

Chris,

The blur or ghosting is the only down side of the PSP. I have the slim with the newest version firm and it only seems to do this with fast dark sences.

I use Trondha settings and the quality is great. Looks good a standard def TV. My brother inlaw has a PSP and was shocked to see this great quality video. (He uses PSP Video 9)

I still would not give it up. I love the screen size, open source and replaceable battery. There are lots of little thing you can do to make it shine as a video/mp3 player. (Video Art, mp3 tags with album art, ect) And hey, it plays games too.

[scrouch]

Where is I'm supposed to type "level=3"? and is it 3 or 30 because I saw 30 in another post.

[JusitnD]

I have had no Success with any of these setting and my PSP I am running Firm Ware 6.00 on a PSP-2000 Slim does anyone have setting for it???


Thanks for all help in advance...

JustinD

[tedtaylor]

Hi JustinD,

I have a PSP-1001, not a PSP-2000, but I do have the official firmware 6.00 installed.

See One setting for iPod Touch G2 & Sony PSP : http://forum.handbrake.fr/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=8405

Hope this helps,
TedT.