Techspansion VisualHub User manual
VisualHub Users Guide
By Tyler Loch, Fearless Leader, Techspansion LLC
Release 1.22, 2/26/07
This page unintentionally left blank. Whoops.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Crash Course4
Chapter 2: iTunes6
Chapter 3: PSP8
Chapter 4: DV11
Chapter 5: DVD14
Chapter 6: AVI17
Chapter 7: MP419
Chapter 8: WMV21
Chapter 9: MPEG23
Chapter 10: Flash26
Chapter 11: Advanced28
Chapter 12: Xgrid30
Chapter 13: Tidbits33
Chapter 14: Troubleshooting35
Chapter 15: Appendix37
Appendix A: Cheat Codes39
Appendix B: Supported Codecs/Formats41
Appendix C: Credits and Other Info43
3
Chapter 1:
Crash Course
"This readout tells you where you're going, this one tells you where you are, this one tells
you where you were."
- Dr. Emmett L. Brown
4
Introduction
VisualHub was created to allow people to convert video to many popular formats with ease. Most people will figure it out
right away with no help. If you’re someone who scoffs at the notion that an “easy to use” program needs a 44 page
Users Guide, then don’t read past this page. You won’t need to learn any more than this page teaches you.
Some people will need a crash course (this section) to get jump-started.
Some people would like more in-depth information on a specific format, or on every aspect of the program.
...and a few people will just curl up in a ball and rock back and forth wishing someone else would do everything for them.
You could start a successful business catering tech support to these people since they always seem to have a lot of
extra money lying around.
Workflow
The normal workflow of VisualHub works as
follows:
1: Choose the format you want to convert to.
2: Drag the files you want converted into VisualHub.
3: Click Start.
Easy Settings
Each format has some Easy Settings, such as
quality, TV format, etc. In many cases, the default
settings will do what you want and don't need to be
changed. There is a chapter on each video format
that explains every setting in detail. VisualHub is as
easy or complex as you want it to be. You want more control? Start changing those settings. Want total control? Click on
the "Advanced" button to tweak every aspect of your video conversion process.
Adding Files, Saved File Location
There are many ways to tell VisualHub what videos you want converted. The most popular is drag and drop. You can
drop files either into the File List in the main VisualHub window, or on top of the VisualHub icon in Finder or the Dock. The
"+" sign on top of the File List is another way.
By default, VisualHub will save each finished, converted video to the same folder that the original video came from. If
you're converting videos from multiple locations, you might find it easier to save them all to the same location. The
"Edit..." button right above "Start" will allow you to choose a folder where all converted videos will congregate after
they're completed.
Progress
Once you click Start, VisualHub will take a look at each file, figure out the best way to convert it based on the selected
settings, and start the conversion. The progress bar at the bottom of the window will keep you updated with the overall
progress and the estimated time remaining.
5
Chapter 2:
iTunes
"You know, our next big step is we want it to make toast. I want to brown my bagels when
I’m listening to my music. And we’re toying with refrigeration, too."
- Steve Jobs on video iPods, April 2004
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What Is It?
A specialized set of MPEG-4 settings that play on modern iPods, and on the Apple TV.
What Plays It?
Fifth-Generation (5G) iPods. aka "iPod with Video", released in late 2005, and Apple TV,
released in February 2007.
More Information
The 5G iPod was announced in late 2005 with video playback capabilities. Its 320x240 screen plays MPEG-4 and H.264
video at varying sizes and data rates. The iPod has the capability to hook up to a TV for higher-resolution video playback.
The Apple TV was announced in January 2007 and plays back similar formats, as well as specific high-definition formats.
Easy Settings One-by-One
iPod Screen, iPod/TV Screen, Apple TV
Consider what screen you'll be viewing your video on.
Videos made for the iPod screen will take up less disk space, but may look blocky on a TV. Videos made for TV will look
great on a TV (and your iPod and your Apple TV), but you'll waste space if you only watch them on your iPod. Videos
made for the Apple TV will play on the Apple TV and your Mac. They are not compatible with the iPod.
Quality
If visual quality isn't as important as just getting the message across, you can set the quality slider to "Low" or "Tiny". If
the video demands the absolute best quality possible, choose "High" or "Go Nuts". "Go Nuts" Pushes Your iPod To The
Max. This setting may take over 5 times as much space as "Standard", but will look nominally better.
This is a personal preference. "Standard" is good for the majority of users and video types. The rest is up to you.
Add to iTunes
Checking this box will automatically add each video to the iTunes Videos playlist. If you have your iPod set to
automatically sync to your Music Library, this is a good setting to use.
H.264 Encoding
H.264 is a newer, more advanced video compression type. Videos compressed with H.264 will look better than the
default MPEG-4 counterparts at the same resolution, and will take up less disk space. Of course, there's a catch. It takes
much longer to compress to H.264 than MPEG-4. This is another personal preference.
After Conversion
If you checked "Add to iTunes", you're done. Otherwise, drag the completed video into your iTunes library. If you
manually manage your iPods songs/videos/playlists, drag completed videos to your iPod in iTunes' Source sidebar.
7
Chapter 3:
PSP
"This is the design that we came up with. There may be people that complain about its
usability, but that's something which users and game software developers will have to
adapt to..."
- Ken Kutaragi
8
What Is It?
A specialized set of MPEG-4 settings that will play on the PSP.
What Plays It?
PSP, or PlayStation Portable, released in spring 2005.
More Information
The PlayStation Portable is Sony's grand entrance into the portable gaming market. It's a "jack of all trades", competing
with both the GameBoy Advance, Nintendo DS, and iPod. Its crazy-bright and glossy 480x272 widescreen display
makes for great video playback. Sony has placed a lot of restrictions on video formats though, crippling its higher-quality
video capabilities.
Easy Settings One-by-One
Standard/Anamorphic 16:9
“Standard” is the best choice for most video types and most situations. Anamorphic allows the absolute best-possible
resolution for widescreen movies.
The PSP has a widescreen display, capable of stretching video to fit. Video in the
4:3 aspect (most traditional video) can be viewed either with black bars on the
sides of the image, or stretched to fill the entire display. Either way has its
advantages and disadvantages. Personally, I prefer black bars on the sides so the
video doesn't look "squished".
Widescreen aspects such as 16:9 (high-definition TV shows, nearly all movies) can be
displayed on the PSP with no black bars. Due to limitations in the PSP’s firmware,
widescreen video can't be played at the highest-possible resolution. “Anamorphic”
treats widescreen source video as 4:3. Playback on a computer will result in everything
looking "squished"...but the PSP will stretch the video back to its native aspect, giving
you a crisper, higher quality widescreen video. Depending on the source, you may find that Standard provides better
picture quality. Use whichever setting suits your tastes.
Quality
If visual quality isn't as important as just getting the message across, you can set the quality slider to "Low" or "Tiny". If
the video demands the absolute best quality possible, choose "High" or "Go Nuts". "Go Nuts" Pushes Your PSP To The
Max. This setting may take over 2 times as much space as "Standard", but will look nominally better.
This is a personal preference. "Standard" is good for the majority of users and video types. The rest is up to you.
9
AVC Encoding
AVC, also known as H.264, is a newer, more advanced video compression type. Videos compressed with AVC will look
better than its default MPEG-4 counterpart and takes up less stick space. Of course, there's a catch. It takes much
longer to compress to AVC than MPEG-4. This is another personal preference.
Advanced Settings
The Advanced panel will show an extra section of you have the PSP tab selected.
Custom Title - This lets you choose your own PSP-readable title instead of VisualHub using the video file’s original
name. If you are converting a batch of files, each video will have a number placed after the name based on its order.
After Conversion
The PSP requires videos be placed in special folders on
your MemoryStick Duo for playback.
If you selected your PSP’s memory stick as the “Save To”
destination, VisualHub will automatically place your
converted file(s) in the correct location. Otherwise, follow
these steps:
1. Put your PSP into USB Connection mode and plug
it in to your Mac. Your memory stick will show up in
Finder.
2. If a folder named "MP_ROOT" does not exist on
your memory stick, create one.
3. Open the MP_ROOT folder. If folders named
"100MNV01" and “100ANV01” do not exist in this folder, create them. “100MNV01” is for MPEG-4 videos, and
“100ANV01” is for AVC videos.
4. VisualHub will name each file either “M4VXXXXX.MP4”
or “MAQXXXXX.MP4”, where “X” is a random
number. Files that begin with “M4V” are MPEG-4 files
and should be placed in the “100MNV01” folder. Files
that begin with “MAQ” are AVC files and should be
placed in the “100ANV01” folder.
5. Drop your converted videos into one of these folders
based on type. If “Make Thumbnail” was checked, you
can drag the .THM thumbnail file to the same location.
6. Eject the memory stick from Finder, and unplug your PSP.
7. When browsing videos on your PSP, you will see each video's original name, as well as a small thumbnail preview.
Note: PSP Firmwares 2.8 and up allow videos placed in a “VIDEO” folder on the main level of the Memory Stick.
Compatibility of videos placed there differ to the original placement shown above for no logical reason. It’s recommended
that you set VisualHub to save movies directly to your Memory Stick in order to guarantee playback.
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