Play videos on an iPod, iPod touch or iPhone

To play videos on an iPod, iPod touch or iPhone, you need to ensure the file is of the correct type. The video needs to be encoded using a codec that your device understands, and the picture has to be the correct size for the screen.

Once you have a file that meets these standards, you can drag it into iTunes and then copy it to your iPod or iPhone.

There are several different programs that will convert video for you. The trick is finding one you can get along with and that makes the process as easy as possible.

Most conversion utilities store the requirements of an iPod or iPhone as a profile, so all you need to do is select your file, choose a destination, and pick the profile that works.

Some iPods need slightly different profiles, so it's a good idea to make a note of the precise model and generation of your iPod before you start converting video.

Videora

One conversion program is Videora. It's ad supported, so you may need to pick around some banners to find the controls you need.

In its simple mode, video conversion is straightforward – see the walkthrough on the left. A nice touch with Videora is by default it automatically adds your video to iTunes, ready for you to sync to your iPod or iPhone when you next plug it in.

HandBrake

An alternative, if you want to avoid advertising is HandBrake. This is open source and cross-platform, and is also quite easy to use. The interface has a lot of options, but you can comfortably ignore most of them and just opt for the profile that matches your device.

aunch HandBrake and click Source > Video file. Browse to the file you want to convert and click Open. Browse to your destination folder and select it. In the right-hand pane under presets, choose Apple > iPod, or "iPhone & iPod Touch".

Click Start to begin encoding. Once it's done, drag the newly converted file to iTunes, then transfer it to your device.

Freez

Freez iPod Video Converter will also convert video from many formats into a type recognised by your iPod. It's also free to download.

Install and launch the program and select your movie file. Now choose the destination folder, tweak some basic video and audio settings if you wish, and click the Convert button. Again, once it's finished, use iTunes to transfer the converted movie to your iPod.
Other devices
Other mobile phones and MPEG-4 players are capable of playing video, but you'll need to convert it to the correct size and format and use the device's utility software to transfer the file across.

One option is to set HandBrake to convert the video to a format that matches your device. Another option is PocketDivXEncoder.

Download and launch it, then select a target device from the list, picking the closest match. Click Browse under "1 – File to encode". Locate your movie file and click Open. Then click Browse under "2 – Output file" to set the destination folder.

The Output options show you what size your file will be. Click the Resize button if you need to change the dimensions to match your device's screen, or adjust the audio and video quality sliders to get the best balance between video quality and file size. Click Preview to check your converted file.

This encodes a short clip using the settings you've chosen, so you can see whether the quality is good enough. When you're happy, click Encode Now.