Converting videos using Handbrake for OSX

I'd like to share my experience with using Handbrake to convert videos for IPod, PSP and mobile phone use. Background: This Christmas break is, I believe, one of the longest ones ever. Preparing for it, I decided I wanted to convert the ripped DVD movies on my drive to a format that can be played on an IPod nano, a Nokia 5800 and a PSP. Coupled with the fact that I was playing around with osx86, I found Handbrake. Handbrake is an open-source multi-platform, multi-threaded, DVD to MPEG4 converter. Checking out the available binaries, I found that it was available for my 10.5.5 hackintosh. I downloaded the GUI DMG package file for Intel, installation was simple and easy. I then proceeded to convert a 40 minute episode of House MD Season 2, the process went smoothly and it took about 6 minutes. When I tried playing it using MPlayer for OSX, the audio was flaky and skips. I also tried VLC, it exhibited the same behavior, skipping and unacceptable. I hit google and the forums for Handbrake and indeed, version 0.9.3 had problems with converting certain source streams with certain characteristics. Without goind into the details, the solution was to build my own binaries of Handbrake since according to the developers, the fix was already committed to the SVN repository. Building Handbrake required that I install Xcode and since I don't think the osx86 installer i used had xcode, I registered with apple dev net and downloaded it. I then read up on how to build Handbrake which simply involves doing an SVN checkout of the source and running a make. In an ideal world, this was all that was needed but alas, the compilation keeps failing. Copying the obscure error and using google, I found a post stating that I needed to install yasm. Xcode does not have yasm so I went in search of it and to get it, I needed to install MacPorts. After installing MacPorts, I used it to install yasm and tried to build Handbrake again which finally got me a working binary. I tried using it on the same video source as before and it was able to produce an MP4 file with usable audio i.e. no more skips. For those not up to the adventure of building handbrake, you can download a copy of my binary here. http://sites.google.com/site/jesshenyo/files/HandBrake-svn-122508.zip?attredirects=0 The only guarantee I can make about this binary is that it worked for me. If the binary works for you, please comment and if it doesn't please do too.

My Hackintosh Setup

I got introduced to the osx86 scene by a co-worker and since then, I've followed its development but haven't been completely happy with the stability of my rig ... that is until now.

On the hardware front, here is what I have:

Processor	Intel Core2 Duo E4500
Motherboard	Gigabyte GA-945GCMX-S2
Memory	2x1GB DDR2-800
Video Card	Intel GMA950
Hard Drive	Seagate 80GB SATA
Optical Drive	Liteon DVDRW SATA
Keyboard	A4tech USB Keyboard
Mouse	A4tech USB Mouse

OS: Dual-boot OSX 10.5.5 and Windows XP Installation Procedure and Notes:

1. Boot the computer with the iDeneb 10.5.5 OSX installer DVD
2. Use the Disk Utility to create 3 partitions
   • Partition#1: OSX - mac os file system
   • Partition#2: Data - mac os file system
   • Partition#3: XP - fat32

   Make sure to setup a guid partition table instead of the common MBR one. Also the last partition of the drive must be the XP partition

3. Reboot the computer with the Windows XP CD and do a normal windows xp install. Make sure to install on partition labeled XP. You can format it as NTFS
4. After Windows XP is installed, load the iDeneb DVD into the drive and copy CHAINO file to C:\
5. run msconfig and modify boot.ini, add C:\CHAINO="Mac OSX 10.5.5" and make it the default
6. Install iDeneb onto Partition#1 with the following customized choices
   • Audio: ALC888 patched by Taruga
   • Chipset: ICHx
   • Video: Intel GMA950
   • Applications: All except Firefox
   • Make sure to skip the DVD check
7. After OSX boots and the configuration screen, the gma950 driver will not work i.e. no resolution change and no qe/ci. You need to install GMA950.pkg using the kext helper then reboot
8. Next, you will find that audio does not work, you need to install IP35ProALC888.kext to get it to work

The start of my Hackintosh Adventures

Hackintosh Adventures: http://forum.insanelymac.com http://www.hackint0sh.org http://forum.osx86scene.com