Movies on the Tab

AirMech74

Well-known member
Feb 17, 2011
131
3
18
Anybody putting full length movies on their Tab? If so, how? Are you having to convert them to a certain file size?
 

xvflutop

Active member
May 20, 2010
44
0
0
The Android OS can't handle files over a certain size. I believe it is 4 GB. Don't quote me on the size though. I know its multiple gigs. I've been able to just drag movies from my HTPC onto the tab. I found one movie that didn't have sound, but I just reencoded it and that solved the problem.
 

AirMech74

Well-known member
Feb 17, 2011
131
3
18
Ok, I will keep that in mind, most of my files are smaller than 4gb, so I should be good....thanks.
 

PookiePrancer

Well-known member
Jul 17, 2010
1,110
51
48
I use dvd fab decrypter, paid for the mobile version. There are ways to rip and convert movies for free, but by paying for a lifetime of upgrades, it's a one click process.
 

Weirdo0815

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2010
105
29
0
DVDFab 8 Works

Movie watching is one of the main reasons I bought my galaxy tab last month. I travel a lot for work and don't really want to pack around a bunch of DVDs and Blurays (nor a notebook that can play Blurays) on my trips. I was going to hold out for the Motorola Xoom but the projected price scared me away, and I was worried it wouldn't have the same battery life I was hoping for due to the dual core CPU and the 10" screen (plus I like the Tab's 7" screen better).

I have been using DVDFab to convert my movies to various formats, including a format I feel is great for my new Galaxy Tab. I have used DVDFab since version 6 (its now at 8). You can test all of the DVDFab programs/add-ons for 30 days. Go here to get the program. It handles DVD and Bluray decryption, copying/backing up of discs, and converting them to various file formats. It can even convert video files to other formats too.

For example, I converted a DVD that is 5.6 GB in size to an MP4 file that is 682 MB. The MP4 file is in h264 format at 700x300 resolution 750 kbps with stereo AAC format sound at 96 kbps. The movie looks great on my tablet. Its a bit grainy when I stream it from my Tab, through the media dock, to my HDTV but that wasn't the intention. I use DVDFab to convert my movies to a much larger format that streams to my PS3 just fine.

As far as battery life, I watched the movie from my above example and only saw a 19% battery loss. Thats watching a 1 hour 50 minute long movie! I don't know what others think but I think thats pretty dang good. Now mind you, I had the brightness turned down all the way (it was a coast to coast red-eye flight when I watched it).

If you end up getting it, I can provide you with the profiles/configurations I use to convert to the MP4 file I listed above, and my PS3 profile if you want that too. I didn't like any of the pre-defined profiles/configurations.

Note: I'm not promoting pirating or any illegal activity, all the movie conversions I've done are with movies I own a physical disc of, in either DVD or Bluray format.
 
Last edited:

PookiePrancer

Well-known member
Jul 17, 2010
1,110
51
48
@weirdo,

I get similar battery performance with the brightness all the way up for movies; I'm very impressed. I think three movies in a row wouldn't be out of the question. The profile I use is the ipad profile. I used to max out the resolution to as much as the Tab could support, but I find that by leaving the settings dvdfab chooses, the picture fills the screen perfectly when I stretch it to full-screen.
 

RC46

Well-known member
Oct 11, 2009
108
4
0
I don't buy movies, (I have seen less than a dozen movies in my life that I wanted to watch more than once) but I rent them through Samsung's Media hub. The quality is incredible. In fact it looks about 50% better than the same movie looks on my Ipad rented from Itunes. I guess its the higher pixel density or itunes just compresses the movie to death?

BTW, I have watched 3 movies on a transcontinental flight and still have 31% battery left when I arrived.
 

PookiePrancer

Well-known member
Jul 17, 2010
1,110
51
48
I don't buy movies, (I have seen less than a dozen movies in my life that I wanted to watch more than once) but I rent them through Samsung's Media hub. The quality is incredible. In fact it looks about 50% better than the same movie looks on my Ipad rented from Itunes. I guess its the higher pixel density or itunes just compresses the movie to death?

BTW, I have watched 3 movies on a transcontinental flight and still have 31% battery left when I arrived.

That's a great option for rented movies; I've read elsewhere that the quality is very good.
 

Weirdo0815

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2010
105
29
0
Weirdo, I sent you a PM

Sorry about that, I haven't had any time to reply to it. I just did though.

If anyone else wants to know the settings I use for my Galaxy Tab movie conversion from DVDFab, let me know. I'm happy to help :)

I also have settings to convert to a PS3 format that works pretty darn well.
 

Weirdo0815

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2010
105
29
0
I don't buy movies, (I have seen less than a dozen movies in my life that I wanted to watch more than once) but I rent them through Samsung's Media hub. The quality is incredible. In fact it looks about 50% better than the same movie looks on my Ipad rented from Itunes. I guess its the higher pixel density or itunes just compresses the movie to death?

BTW, I have watched 3 movies on a transcontinental flight and still have 31% battery left when I arrived.

I too have watched a few movies from Media Hub, thanks to the $50 gift card from Samsung for my Epic 4G. The quality is really good and the file sizes are too bad. I think the quality is better in the Media Hub movies than what I convert to using DVDFab but my files are also a wee bit smaller so I can fit more on it; plus on a 7" screen, you just don't need absolutely perfect quality anyway. I could probably drop my audio settings from Dolby PL2 to Stereo and conserve a bit more space but I'm just not that picky about 10-20 MB.

I haven't paid any attention to the battery life when watching Media Hub movies. I am thinking I need to do some testing and see which gives the greater battery life, my DVDFab movies or Media Hub movies...

I do have to say, I'm very disappointed in the fact that I can't show Media Hub movies to my TV through my Media Dock for the Tab... I wonder if anyone at Samsung knows that HDMI has encryption in it so its "safe" to show protected content through it... Oh well.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CharlotteJacket

abredt

Well-known member
Dec 22, 2010
48
0
0
Sorry about that, I haven't had any time to reply to it. I just did though.

If anyone else wants to know the settings I use for my Galaxy Tab movie conversion from DVDFab, let me know. I'm happy to help :)

I also have settings to convert to a PS3 format that works pretty darn well.
I looked at the DVDFab website and am confused by all the choices.
Did you buy one of them? Which one? Are any of them free?
Thanks, cb
 

Weirdo0815

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2010
105
29
0
I looked at the DVDFab website and am confused by all the choices.
Did you buy one of them? Which one? Are any of them free?
Thanks, cb

Although they sell everything individually, its actually one program that you use, regardless of which license(s) you buy. You are actually just buying licenses to unlock certain features and abilities of that software. I will refer to them as individual programs for simplicity of explaining it only.

I realize their website isn't the world's best at explaining what things are... Let me break it down for ya...

DVD Copy and Bluray Copy are used to make copies of DVDs/Blurays. These can copy a DVD/Bluray disc to another disc of the same type or copy a DVD/Bluray to a disc image on your computer (either as an ISO or Folder style). These don't output any video files.

Bluray to DVD Converter can take a Bluray disc and reformat the movie to fit on a DVD. This is very useful but again won't output any video files.

DVD Ripper, Bluray Ripper, and Bluray 3D Ripper are the programs that output video files. These programs are INCREDIBLY powerful. They can output DVD/Bluray movies (even 3D Blurays) to video files that can be played by various devices, ranging from PS3, Xbox 360 to iPods and Cell phones (what we want to do). The license you buy will determine the source of the video, not the destination device like other DVD/Bluray ripping programs I've seen.

What I've been talking about in this topic is primarily the DVD Ripper program. I don't yet own the Bluray Ripper program, though I will be soon.

The good news is that you can download their program (the program that runs ALL their licensed things) and try each and every piece of it out for 30 days. It will run at full capabilities during that 30 days but any output, disc or video file, will have the DVDFab logo watermark in the corner every so often. Once you buy the licenses and re-do the conversion, the logo goes away.

When you go to buy the licenses, you'll notice a Subscription period question. This subscription period is the length of time you are given free upgrades to that licensed program. Once you subscription runs out, you no longer have access to newer releases. It may be that once the subscription runs out, you'll no longer be able to run the program at all. I will admit, I'm not entire sure which of these happen when the subscription runs out because all the licenses I own are lifetime ones.

Although its a bit more money, I would honestly suggest to buy Lifetime licenses. They are actually very good at coming out with updates and upgrades to their software so once your subscription expires, you will get behind very quickly.

I hope this helps... I know my replies are never that short... sorry... I can't help it...
 

abredt

Well-known member
Dec 22, 2010
48
0
0
I bought PavTube because Handbrake crashed my system. I use it to convert DVDs to mp4 for Galaxy Tab and iPad mp4 (which seems to be different.) It works fine on both. But, I don't think Pavtube can reduce the size of the output file.

So I would just download the DVD Ripper program, play with it for 30 days, then pay for it? Is it hard to figure out how to use it?
Thanks, cb
 

Weirdo0815

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2010
105
29
0
Nah, its not hard at all. If you know how to use Handbrake, you will be fine with DVDFab. I even think Handbrake is a bit more difficult than DVDFab but thats just me.
 

AirMech74

Well-known member
Feb 17, 2011
131
3
18
I'm having a lil trouble with DVDfab8, I tried installing that XML file into the profile folder with your profile settings and everytime I loaded a movie, it wasn't there.
 

Weirdo0815

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2010
105
29
0
I'm having a lil trouble with DVDfab8, I tried installing that XML file into the profile folder with your profile settings and everytime I loaded a movie, it wasn't there.

Try putting them here (if you're main drive is C and you're not running 64-bit Windows):

C:\Program Files\DVDFab 8\Profiles

If you're running 64-bit windows, it will be here:
C:\Program Files (x86)\DVDFab 8\Profiles

See if that helps...
 

AirMech74

Well-known member
Feb 17, 2011
131
3
18
Ok, I'm not seeing the (x86)....what is that? I'm running windows 7, and I'll be honest, I couldn't tell you if it is 64 bit or not...lol

When I look in the profile folder in DVDfab8, its there.....cellphone.Galaxytab.mp4....but when the movie is loaded, I select cellphone and try to pick that setting, its not there.
 

jeffnucci

Well-known member
Jan 21, 2010
131
4
0
Handbrake 64-bit on Mac set to a 700MB file size. Works good for me.

Sent from my VZW Galaxy Tab with Tapatalk
 

Forum statistics

Threads
951,068
Messages
6,951,342
Members
3,162,227
Latest member
david362