Converting Your Clips for iPod Video
There's no other major item most of us own that is as confusing, unpredictable and unreliable as our personal computers. Everybody has questions about them, and we aim to help.
Here are a few questions about computers I've received recently from people like you, and my answers. I have edited and restated the questions a bit, for readability. This week my mailbox contained questions about converting video clips for use with the new iPod, different DVD formats and finding the FolderShare program for a Mac.
If you have a question, send it to me at
mossberg@wsj.com, and I may select it to be answered here in Mossberg's Mailbox.
Q: I am seriously considering buying a video iPod, but I have a lot of video clips in different formats. How can I convert these to formats the iPod can handle?
A: The new "fifth-generation" iPod, which can play back videos, is compatible with only three video-file formats: MPEG-4, which is a common format; H264, a newer one; and M4V, which is the copy-protected format Apple uses for the videos it sells online. To convert other types of videos for use on the iPod, you'll need to run them through conversion software.
Apple itself sells such a program, QuickTime Pro, which is the paid version of its free QuickTime multimedia player for both Windows and Mac computers. The software, which costs $30, can import many types of video clips and convert them to a format that's optimized for the iPod. There's a special option under the program's "Export" menu called "Movie to iPod." In addition, other individuals and companies have issued new conversion programs since the new iPod was announced, all aimed at transforming existing video clips into iPod-friendly files.
Q: I am looking for a new computer to create DVDs that can be played on regular DVD players. I am confused by all the different DVD formats -- such as DVD-R and DVD+R. What do I need in a computer to make sure my DVDs can play in most players?
A: I agree that the different formats are ridiculous and unnecessary, but consumers have to live with them. Luckily, there are now computers that include DVD burners that support both formats. So I'd get one of those, one that says it can create disks in either the "-" or "+" format. Most newer set-top DVD players can handle all the formats as well, so compatibility with those machines shouldn't be a problem. With older players, it can be hit or miss to guess which format will work best.
Q: Awhile back, you recommended a program called FolderShare, which can automatically synchronize files among multiple Windows and Macintosh computers. Now the company has been bought by Microsoft, and the Mac version of the software has disappeared from its Web site. Do you know if they are abandoning the Mac?
A: FolderShare removed its Macintosh version for a couple of weeks to rework it, but now has restored it. Not only that, but Microsoft has converted FolderShare to a free, instead of a paid, service. However, one advanced feature has been removed, and the number of files you can synchronize has been lowered, though at 100,000 files, it's still a lot. It is available, for both Windows and Mac users, at
www.foldershare.com. I should note that, in addition to working in mixed groups of Windows and Mac computers, FolderShare will work in groups with only Windows, or only Macintosh, machines. I use it daily, and find that it works well.
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Because of the volume of e-mail I receive, I can't routinely answer individual questions by e-mail, or consult on individual problems or purchasing decisions. I read all questions I receive and select three each week to answer in the column. 转换 iPod 视频剪辑格式
在我们大多数人拥有的大件电器中，再没有什么比个人电脑更令人费解、更变幻莫测的了。每个人或许都有些关于电脑的问题，而《莫博士信箱》将为您提供帮助。
本周我将回答读者有关 iPod 视频格式转换、 DVD 烧录以及 FolderShare 更新版等问题。
问：我正在认真考虑买一台视频 iPod ，但我有许多不同格式的视频剪辑。我怎么才能把它们转换成 iPod 可以处理的格式呢？
答：新款第五代 iPod 能够播放视频，但只兼容三种视频文件格式：普通的 MPEG-4 格式、新一些的 H264 格式，以及苹果网上出售的视频所采用的拥有版权的 M4V 格式。要把其他视频格式转换为 iPod 可以处理的格式，你必须运行专门的转换软件。
苹果自己就出售这样的软件，名为 QuickTime Pro 。它是 QuickTime 免费多媒体播放器的付费版本，适用于 Windows 和 Mac 电脑。该软件售价 30 美元，可以输入多种类型的视频剪辑，然后把它们转换为最适合 iPod 播放的格式。在程序的“输出”菜单下有一个特殊选项叫做“ Movie to iPod ”。此外，有一些个人和公司在新款 iPod 推出后也相继发布了新的转换程序，其目的都是为了将现有的视频剪辑转换为适于 iPod 播放的文件。
问：我正在寻找一台可以烧录 DVD 的新电脑，我希望这些 DVD 并且可以在普通的 DVD 播放机上播放。我对那些不同的 DVD 格式感到困惑，比如说 DVD-R 和 DVD+R 。要确保我的 DVD 能够在多数播放机里播放，我的电脑需要什么样的功能？
答：如此多的格式是荒谬的，也是不必要的，我完全赞同这种看法，但消费者不得不忍受。幸运的是，现在有的电脑配置了支持你所指的两种格式的 DVD 刻录机。因此，我会购买那些具备可以烧录 -R 或 +R 格式 DVD 光驱的电脑。大多数新款机顶盒 DVD 播放机也能处理所有的 DVD 格式，因此与这些机器的兼容性不成问题。对于旧一点的播放机，哪种格式运行得最好就要碰运气了。
问：不久前，你推荐了一个名为 FolderShare 的程序，可以对多台 Windows 和 Macintosh 电脑上的文件进行同步处理。现在， FolderShare 已经被微软收购了，软件的 Mac 版也从公司网站上消失了。他们是不是放弃 Mac 版了？
答： FolderShare 将 Macintosh 版删除了几周，是为了重新对它进行开发，不过现在已经恢复了。而且，微软已经把 FolderShare 转变为一项免费、而不是付费的服务。不过，有一个高级功能被取消了，而且你能够同步处理的文件数量也被减少了，但 10 万份也足够了。它对 Windows 和 Mac 用户都适用，请参阅
www.foldershare.com 。我要指出的是，除了可以在 Windows 和 Macintosh 电脑群当中运行， FolderShare 还可以在 Windows 电脑间或者 Macintosh 电脑间运行。我每天都使用它，发现它运行良好。
