With so many video formats on the market these days, finding a video in the format you need for the device of your choice can be a difficult process that isn't always successful. One of the more widely used formats is the Windows Media Video format, or WMV. If you're an iPod user, you'll likely come across a WMV video that you'll want to use with your device. But rather than search around for a properly-formatted version, a simpler method of solving the problem is converting the WMV video into iPod's MP4 format.
Converting the Video
In order to convert the video, you'll need conversion software. Fortunately, there are software solutions that can convert from WMV to MP4 in a matter of minutes. Video conversion software is available for any OS, so Linux and Mac users need not despair. For this guide, the software used is the Cucusoft iPod Video Converter for Windows. It's retail, but the price is under $40. If your computer doesn't have it already, you'll need to download and install Windows Media Player, available for free from Microsoft.
When you run the software, you'll be able to choose the video files you wish to convert using the "Open File" command. Once you've chosen the files you need, click "Output" and pick a path name for saving your soon-to-be reformatted files. After you've chosen the path name, click "Convert" to begin the conversion process to MP4. You can also choose the "Advance" button for more options prior to conversion, allowing you to set the resolution, frame rate, output quality and change format. IPods are capable of supporting up to a 640 by 480 resolution, but you may choose to go with a smaller resolution to cut down on file size.
After the conversion process, you should find your newly-formatted iPod compatible video files in the chosen directory path. The new files are ready to be transferred to iTunes by drag-and-drop method or by using the "Add File to Library" menu option. When you sync your iPod, the new files should be available for play.
Conversion Software
Cucusoft is just one of the many software converters available for the PC. Mac users have multiple choices as well, including the 4Media iPod Video Converter for Mac, and for Linux users, the Auau MPEG MOV AVI to iPod Converter (see Resources). Regardless of OS or program, the process of conversion is essentially the same. Take the WMV clip, run it through and output the MP4 iPod compatible clip. The more powerful the computer used, the faster the conversion process will be.
