How To: Convert video to iPod

Do you have video files on your PC that you would like to watch your iPod? This tutorial will explain how to convert PC video files to a format you can upload to your iPod.

Choosing your conversion software

There are many video conversion products that are capable of converting video files to iPod format. Many general purpose video conversion toolkits can do the job, but they complicate the process by having a large number of options.

The ideal tool is one that can take a wide range of video formats as input, and which knows the best formats for your iPod, as output. It should also be fast - since video conversion can be time-consuming - and easy to use. We recommend Cucusoft iPod Video Converter Suite. This tool can quickly convert just about any video file into the best format for uploading to your iPod, and it also includes DVD to iPod Video Converter, which can convert DVD movies to iPod format in a single pass.

Download a free trial of Cucusoft iPod Video Converter Suite.

Step 1: Start the software

Start iPod Video Converter.

The utility has three windows. On the left is the Audio/Video Output Settings window. Use the drop-down list under Profile: to select the most appropriate output format for your iPod's screen size. Once you have done this, you can close this window using the X button. You can open it again by clicking the Advanced buttin on the main window.

The middle window is the main window. You use this to specify the input video file, the output location, and to start the conversion process. The right iPod window is just a screen that shows you how your video will look after conversion.

Step 2: Select the video for conversion

Click Open file at top left of the Input video panel and select the video file you wish to convert using a familiar Open file dialog box. You can also drag and drop video files to the converter window.

The file name will be added to the input list box, and the first frame of the video will appear in the iPod preview window.

TIP: If you have several videos to convert you can add them all at once. They will then be converted as a batch while you go off and do something else.

Step 3: Convert the video

To start the video conversion, just click the Convert button.

The conversion will start, and the progress will be displayed in the Conversion status window.

Step 4: Uploading the video to your iPod

When the conversion has finished, iPod Video Converter will display the Conversion Done dialog box.

You can choose to open the output folder to check the output video files, or launch iTunes to play the converted video or upload it to your iPod. Easy, isn't it?