What are you doing to you're IPOD!! Size your video right

The first time smaller is always better!

You've just gone out and pick up a classic IPOD, okay so you have 80gb.. Life is great.. you can fill it anyway you like! If you have a smaller hd, then maybe this will be more important to you.

Lately, I don't know how many times I've answered this.

Why are you putting DVD sized video onto your ipod.

1. Maybe because it's easier than sizing in right!
2. Maybe you don't want to spend the time to encode, compress it to the right size

What you are doing is getting no better quality video!

The ipod screen resolution is 320x200 on the average IPOD model. If you use higher video resolution the ipod is still only displaying it as 320x200.

So what are you doing ripping video at 1024x768 (standard screen resolution of your computer. Did you know that you're non-hd TV is higher than 320x200 and lower than 1024x768? It's 640x480..

What does this tell you!

1. DVD video doesn't need to be used as it is on your IPOD
2. if you don't convert the video you are not maximizing you drive space

There are free tools out there, these have been developed using the open source community. Videora is probably the most popular one. The biggest issue with the open source video conversion utilities is the video codec it's using to re-code the video stream, it's prone to pixelation (squares) to scramble. Like the xvid(open source) vs Divx debate. It's up to you! Xvid is free - has clearer video stream but has pixelation problems, where divx is not-as-vivid but is less likely to pixelate.

Do you're IPOD a favor, get any converter, free or not.. but remember that you could have up to 4 times more full length features on it!

Converter Picks

1. Cucusoft
2. ImToo
3. Videora