Absolute newbie questions

[riversr]

I am an absolute beginner with all things related to digital video and audio. I received a portable playback device(not sure what to call it) for Christmas that I'm having a real problem with. For anyone who might be familiar with it, it is an Archos AV500E(marketed by Dish Network). I want to be able to move movie files from my computer to the Archos and play them there. I've tried dragging and dropping and syncing in Windows Media Player. But, no matter what I do, when I try to play the movie, I get an error that says that file type is not recognized. The documentation specifically states that WMV files are supported. I contacted the support folks and they tell me that it has to be a wmv-9 file. Never heard of that.

Bottom line:
I need to know what application, with what Codec will produce wmv-9 files and/or convert other file types to wmv-9 or possibly AVI files.

Any help would be greatly appreciated...

RiversR

[photo_angel2004]

Hello and welcome to the forum,

It looks like this device is set up to work with Dish net work sattelite or calbe boxes. Is there any software that came with it to conver your movies files?

http://reviews.cnet.com/Archos_AV500_Mobile_DVR_30GB/4864-6499_7-31517717.html?ctype=msgid&messageSiteID=7&messageID=1494367&cval=1494367

[riversr]

Afraid not

I wish it had, but it came with no software. I've asked Archos several times to recommend something but every time I ask I get a different answer and none of them have worked so far. I've tried one called PocketDivx which makes the conversion but still won't play.

Very frustrated...

[Chewy]

I want to be able to move movie files

what type of movie files, specifically?

avi is a container, you would have to make avi's that use wmv9 compression

[riversr]

Not sure!

I guesss I'm not sure quite how to answer that. As an example, I have a wmv file that was created by Windows Movie Maker(V2.x I think) that will not play. I would like to convert it to a format that will work on the Archos player.

[Chewy]

something must be wrong with the wmv file, that device even plays divx and xvid avi's?

[riversr]

Maybe, but I don't think so

I don't think it's a file problem. That same wmv file and many others play fine on my PC using Windows Media Player, but won't play on the Archos.

How can I tell if a wmv file is wmv-9?

[LT. Columbo]

riversr

that device even plays divx and xvid avi's?

so does it? if so convert to avi with SUPER.

[riversr]

Super?

What is Super? I'm not familiar with it.

[LT. Columbo]

conversion tool (free)

[riversr]

Found Super and installed it. I think my problem is that there are so many combinations of options in these tools that I can't seem to find the right combination. I tried converting my wmv files to avi but it still doesn't work. Player just says the file is not valid.

I guess I give up! I can't believe that Archos can't tell me how to do this.

[LT. Columbo]

can u post a screenshot of the settings used in SUPER and the file requirements for the archos?

[paglamon]

Mediacoder can convert specifically for Archos.