re: Zune software refuses to add .MP4 videos into collection

I've been trying to add some .MP4 videos into my collection, but they just don't get added. I've tried resetting the software, adding the folder it was in to the recognized folders, I've tried moving them to a different folder, and I've even tried restarting my computer, but nothing has worked thus far. Can anybody please assist?

nobody has responded to my thread about this either:

http://forums.zune.net/486988/ShowPost.aspx

The specs are very specific about the codecs...that may be your issue.
MPEG-4 media created with either the MP4pt2 video codec or the H.264 video codec and the AAC-LC audio codec

according to my reading/calculations the settings i set forth in my thread are exactly correct.

Can you play them with the Zune software?
(In Windows Explorer, right-click a video and select "Open with" > "Microsoft Zune".)

If not, what is the error code you get?
Where did you get them? Or how do you encode them?


@Bill Pet
I don't use Super, but you didn't give the most important information:

 Bill Pet wrote:

options:  hi quality and stretch it are checked

h.264 profile: default except reference frames which is set at 3

Anyway, reference frames of 3 should be fine.

FYI
http://forums.zune.net/316137/ShowPost.aspx
Also I've seen people who use the program.

on the right side of super are options that are set by default...high quality and stretch it are 2 of them (the third is 44K audio which i uncheck).

can't find any description of them at super's site, but i've been told they have no effect on the zune's recognition of the file (although that was 9 months ago from a few ppl with "zune" in their tag from this site).  i've made no changes to the h.264 profile button option in super except to change ref frames to 3 and not adjust the audio volume under the other options button.

i have 3 different types of vids....

from dvd using dvd decrypter to .vob
from tv tuner cards to .mpg (mpeg 2)
from the www (anything and everything from .avi to divx and god knows what else)

it truely is hit or miss with the video recognition and/or playback.  the software seems to recognize almost all the vids formerly known as .mpg, and a good portion of the .vob ones.....but i can find no reason or common link in the files it recognizes but won't play.

i have not tried opening the vids via your way, only through the software or device itself....no error messages, the vid tries to play, get a black screen and no vid....i'll try your way when i am finished with h/d hokey pokey, but am not optimistic.

the only reason i can think of why the software would play this .vob and not that one is tags (ack!) they were all recorded in the same manner using the same equipment and settings (or damn near).

it seems by mike's post that this software has no potential to play any file properly converted to .mp4 if the file was ever an .avi?  could use some clarification here......and presales had better be fired for all the lies they've told me "as long as the original vid is not copyright protected and converted to h.264/aac .mp4 then you will be able to play them".  i just spent 6 months having 4 winxp machines converting video full time 24x7 to these settings just to find out it was never capable in the first place?

 Bill Pet wrote:

on the right side of super are options that are set by default...high quality and ...

I was actually asking what was the default settings (for high quality if it matters) since I don't want to download & install the program on my PC right now.
As you probably know, Zune devices (except Zune 30) only support h.264 baseline profile, and the Zune software probably supports h.264 main profile but not high profile as far as I know.

 Bill Pet wrote:

i have 3 different types of vids....

from dvd using dvd decrypter to .vob
from tv tuner cards to .mpg (mpeg 2)
from the www (anything and everything from .avi to divx and god knows what else)

it truely is hit or miss with the video recognition and/or playback.  the software seems to recognize almost all the vids formerly known as .mpg, and a good portion of the .vob ones.....but i can find no reason or common link in the files it recognizes but won't play.

The Zune software does not support .vob, .mpg/.mpeg, and .avi (DivX, XviD etc.), so it shouldn't recognize/add those files to your collection unless you are using a hack.

 Bill Pet wrote:

i have not tried opening the vids via your way, only through the software or device itself....no error messages, the vid tries to play, get a black screen and no vid....

It sounds like the video profile is close but not really compatible.

 Bill Pet wrote:

it seems by mike's post that this software has no potential to play any file properly converted to .mp4 if the file was ever an .avi?  could use some clarification here......and presales had better be fired for all the lies they've told me "as long as the original vid is not copyright protected and converted to h.264/aac .mp4 then you will be able to play them".  i just spent 6 months having 4 winxp machines converting video full time 24x7 to these settings just to find out it was never capable in the first place?

You are just using a wrong settings. I've never had any problems when I encoded videos (h.264 baseline profile with AAC-LC) for my Zune 80 except this one.

 Bill Pet wrote:

[snipped]
it seems by mike's post that this software has no potential to play any file properly converted to .mp4 if the file was ever an .avi?  could use some clarification here......[snipped]

No, I don't think I said or implied that... I was only picking up on the very precise wording about formats and codecs listed in the zune specifications, and suggesting that was a place to look earlier vs. later.  As long as you can get to the right destination format after conversion, I can see no reason why the source format would have any impact...
But, you have the real video expert helping you now... stick with x264movies for video help.

ok, i'm not being clear again darn it.

the "high quality" is just an option button, it is checked by default, i do not remember what i was told it does specifically, but was told to leave it....and all vids have been converted with that setting....was hoping someone knew off-hand but if no other suggestions i'll get to retrying the super's settings.

all of my vids that i am even concerned about have been converted to .mp4 h.264 aac:  they are sorted into catagories dependent on their original (which are now long gone)....no hacks.

 

ok, i've got some settings wrong (ugh and ack!) but why would the software be hit and miss for recognition and playback for different catagories...even though all .vob files were converted the same way, some are recognized some are not and to make matters worse, of the ones that are recognized some play and some don't.  only the .mpg files are recognized and played at a high success rate it seems.

 

if you aren't using super what are you using?  i tried using handbrake (and will again i think) but gave up because it wanted to take 3 days to 3 weeks converting a single file, would be interested in a seperate thread for this later if you don't mind....

 

thanks much guys!  i hadn't got a response in a while so i started reconfiguring some stuff.  i'll be able to give more specifics in a couple days.

 

just to be clear (and avoid an aneurysm) it doesn't matter what the original is (from webcam .avi to dvd .vob to divx) as long as you convert it correctly the software will recognize and playback the vid??

 Bill Pet wrote:

[snipped]

just to be clear (and avoid an aneurysm) it doesn't matter what the original is (from webcam .avi to dvd .vob to divx) as long as you convert it correctly the software will recognize and playback the vid??

that's only logical...  

I've never used the program nor installed it on my PC's, so I cannot really say but, if you've used the same settings for all of your videos, the results should be the same and not hit or miss.

 Bill Pet wrote:

if you aren't using super what are you using?  i tried using handbrake (and will again i think) but gave up because it wanted to take 3 days to 3 weeks converting a single file, would be interested in a seperate thread for this later if you don't mind....

I use MeGUI. It has a preset for Zune, but I made my presets for Zune (probably described in a linked thread) before they added it.
If you are interested in Handbrake:
http://forums.zune.net/282205/ShowPost.aspx#282205
I hear Videora is a good program too.
In general (as long as the codecs are h.264 and AAC), iPod presets should work; so use one of them if you don't know settings.

iam having the same problem, i cannot add a single video from my PC to my Zune, regardless of what the format is. It wont bring up any videos in my collection.