AppleTV (HockeyPuck) Best settings

Discuss encoding for devices and presets.
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STARCASINO
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2010 7:06 pm

AppleTV (HockeyPuck) Best settings

Post by STARCASINO »

Hi,

I would like some input on what the best settings might be for flawless AppleTV playback, for most DVD copies. I currently have the new hockey puck unit... and the older pizza box silver unit. I generally pass new DVD Movie releases through SlySoft's AnyDVD and save as ISO files, no compression, just decryption. I was playing my movies as "ISO" archives with Boxee; worked nice, However, AppleTV only accepts MP4 File Formats, so I am pressed for a converter. So... HandBrake to the rescue!, So I thought. I find that some movies just don't look that hot and I wanted a preset, that was tuned for the AppleTV Task. I'd hate to be changing settings for the over three thousand movies I want to run through Handbrake v0.9.4.

So, I am not too concerned with the final size of the encoded mp4 file, as long as it isn't bigger that 4GB, My main want's are "QUALITY" smooth playback. Can someone recommend a preset that'll work for me? Is it possible for the final MP4 file to be in HD 720p? Thanks so much for offering a fellow noob a pointer or two. :P

STARCASINO
mduell
Veteran User
Posts: 8187
Joined: Sat Apr 21, 2007 8:54 pm

Re: AppleTV (HockeyPuck) Best settings

Post by mduell »

Why did you start yet another thread instead of posting in one of the many existing threads?

Do you want the file to only work on the new tv or do you want to maintain compatibility with the old tv?

Either way there's no point in upscaling to 720p.
STARCASINO
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2010 7:06 pm

Re: AppleTV (HockeyPuck) Best settings

Post by STARCASINO »

I believe I came across a bit of info that explains what's going on... The new AppleTV automatically downscales to SD, and SD at 480p sucks on my 55" Sony Plasma; showing crappy details. However, the content from trailers that I sample on the new hockey puck AppleTV, looks great. It looks like 720p. I think the dynaflash settings for my DVDs are fine, and probably yield good playing output at 720p, but the new AppleTV's downscaling might be an issue.

Now, if there was a way to stop the AppleTV from doing that...


STARCASINO
TedJ
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Joined: Wed Feb 20, 2008 11:25 pm

Re: AppleTV (HockeyPuck) Best settings

Post by TedJ »

Technically speaking, failing to upscale SD content is not the same as downscaling.

I would assume that the option to upscale is there somewhere... the new Apple TV attempts (and fails) to downscale 1080p content to 720p during playback.
mduell
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Posts: 8187
Joined: Sat Apr 21, 2007 8:54 pm

Re: AppleTV (HockeyPuck) Best settings

Post by mduell »

STARCASINO wrote:I believe I came across a bit of info that explains what's going on... The new AppleTV automatically downscales to SD, and SD at 480p sucks on my 55" Sony Plasma; showing crappy details. However, the content from trailers that I sample on the new hockey puck AppleTV, looks great. It looks like 720p. I think the dynaflash settings for my DVDs are fine, and probably yield good playing output at 720p, but the new AppleTV's downscaling might be an issue.
Outputting 480p as 480p is not downscaling... it sounds like the issue is your TV's upscaler sucks. And DVDs suck.
SicMX
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Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2007 11:31 pm

Re: AppleTV (HockeyPuck) Best settings

Post by SicMX »

Did the old Apple TV upscale SD 480p to 720p?
nightstrm
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Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2007 5:43 am

Re: AppleTV (HockeyPuck) Best settings

Post by nightstrm »

SicMX wrote:Did the old Apple TV upscale SD 480p to 720p?
Everything was upscaled to the output resolution selected.
dynaflash
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Posts: 3820
Joined: Thu Nov 02, 2006 8:19 pm

Re: AppleTV (HockeyPuck) Best settings

Post by dynaflash »

Moved to the more appropriate Devices forum.
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