Podcast Academy

Upon reviewing the specs of encoded movies using the new Movie to iPhone preset in the latest version of Quicktime [7.2], it’s nice to see that my aspect ratio recommendation is now formally endorsed by Apple.

From the QT Export menu located in the Export Settings - you will notice two iPhone presets. Selecting Movie to iPhone will encode a native 16×9 movie to a 480×270 distribution copy. Quicktime uses the H.264 codec [.m4v] with medium to low data rates. My guess is the data rate is program dependent. Standard 4×3 or NTSC 720×480 movies yield distribution copies at the native iPhone 480×320 aspect ratio.

The second available Export option is Movie to iPhone [Cellular]. This is a .3gp movie version that is optimized for the EDGE Network and considers limited bandwidth restrictions. As I previously stated - not something that I’m particularly interested in, however the setting is available if needed.

Remember these presets are fixed. Now that we are clear on the recommended aspect ratios, don’t be afraid to experiment with your favorite encoder and strive to optimize your projects. Personally I prefer to use slightly higher data rates in order to maximize image quality.