Comments on: Encoding Video for Android

By: Hooloovoo

Hooloovoo — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 01:22:43 +0000

http://diveintohtml5.info/video.html is an invaluable reference for encoding files for HTML5. It suggests Miro video encoder for Windows and OSX.

For Gnu/Linux, I use Arista Transcoder, which is excellent software with both Android and HTML5 presets.

By: Sue

Sue — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:51:41 +0000

@Dave,

Install Handbrake (http://handbrake.fr/downloads.php).

Encode videos with the following formats:
Preset: Normal
Form: MP4 file
Video codec: h.264,
Important!!: check Web optimized
(The Web optimized will move the moov atom to the front of the video.)

I tested this on the Samsung Galaxy and on Google phone Android 2.1 and 2.2. However, you still have to provide for the users of Android a link to the video since it will not load in the HTML5 video player.

If you have to batch encode videos you can load them into the handbrake interface queue. If you know how to run command line you can use Handbrakes command line HandBrakeCLI (need to be downloaded at http://handbrake.fr/downloads2.php).

Here is the code that I use in the OSX terminal. The –O is the flag for the Web optimized option:
for file in ‘ls /Users/path-to-video-folder/mov/‘; do $(//Applications/HandBrakeCLI –v –i /Users/path-to-video-folder/mov/${file} –o Users/path-to-video-folder/mp4/”${file%.mov}.mp4” –Z Normal –O); done

You might have to change or tweak this according to your folder structure and original file types.

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:09:55 +0000

Hi Peter,

Thanks for your response. I don’t don’t know what to make of the advice. Well over my head I fear but I have put all my problems into this link and posted it to and Android forum hoping someone can help: http://ffmpeg.play4gain.com/ will let you know if there is a good outcome.

By: Peter

Peter — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 22:08:42 +0000

@Dave: I think there is a very specific action that you need to take; see here: http://www.broken-links.com/2010/07/08/making-html5-video-work-on-android-phones/#comment-40896 However, I don’t know enough about FFMPEG to say how to do that.

By: Dave

Dave — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 15:43:31 +0000

Hi,
I have a Commtiva-n700 — Android 2.2. I came across your page and found that 2/3 videos where working so I tried to implement your ideas. The difference is that I am using ffmpeg. I have tried many encoding command lines with no success and am out of ideas. Info from here: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AndroidVideoEncoding
and here: http://h264.code-shop.com/trac/wiki/Encoding
All mp4 videos work great on my web browser but not on the tablet.
Am I missing something? Do they video’s need to be streamed or something like that? Many thanks in advance — hairless Dave

By: Walter bamert

Walter bamert — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 17:58:20 +0000

Many thanks for the work done here. i have been reading everything i can get my hands on about this nothing worked until i read thru your stuff and changed my mp4 encoding.

GREAT JOB!

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By: Alexis Deveria

Alexis Deveria — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 14:17:06 +0000

Okay, thanks again! I look forward to hearing your findings. :)

By: Peter

Peter — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 09:41:47 +0000

I ran only a very cursory check just to see if the format was recognised, but otherwise using the same code as previously; so the answer to your question is, I don’t know! When I have more time I’ll put together some more structured tests.