Sunday, July 26, 2009

Playstation 3 - Converting PS3 incompatible MP4s into PS3 playable MP4s (no transcoding)

When it comes to consoles the gaming side is a toss but here at G0 Go we firmly believe the Playstation 3 is the most capable media center from the pack.

Below is our first look at hints, tips and hacks on getting the most out of media playback.

The PS3 has great playback capability but like the other consoles occasionally you have to massage your media files to get them to actually play.

Like many videophiles we appreciate quality and will do everything possible before having to transcode a file and lose quality.

MP4 playback on the PS3 will occasionally run into compatibility issues that arise from various factors such as file header information and profile levels.

Below are the steps you need to convert Playstation 3 incompatible MP4s into Playstation 3 compatible MP4s without transcoding.

1. Using mp4box, available for the Mac and PC, obtain the profile level.

2. Using your favorite Hex editor, many available for free, open the mp4 file.

3. Find the Profile Level hex string using the chart below and from mp4box info:

Right next to the ascii "avcC" string, you can find the Level hex code:

42E0xx: baseline

58A0xx: extended profile and low complexity aac

4D40xx: main profile and low complexity aac

6400xx: high profile


The xx is the level.

Level 5.1 is "33"

Level 4.1 is "29"


4. Do a Find and Replace All to level 4.1 since it is the highest the PS3 will playback (so if 640033 then change to 640029)

Your file should now be able to play!

Go Go

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