Most of you, I’m guessing, are familiar with podcasts. In fact, you might have listened to our very own BlackBerry podcast, the BBGeekcast. These informal Internet radio shows have been around for quite a while now. Following in audio podcasting’s footsteps is video podcasting. It’s basically the same idea, except with the added visual element. With a new slew of multimedia BlackBerry devices, you now have the ability to watch video podcasts from anywhere. The problem, as it is with most multimedia and your BlackBerry, is that it’s tough to perform OTA. Today we’ll go over downloading, converting, and transferring video podcasts to your BlackBerry.
A note on formats
As you might already know, BlackBerry only supports a handful of video formats. Thanfully, there is only a bit more than a handful of video formats out there, so you should be good when watching various formats. From what I’ve seen, the preferred format is 3gp. If you prefer that format, you can find a format converter. Otherwise, via BlackBerry FAQ, here are the acceptable formats:
* MPEG-4 Part 2 (Simple Profile and bvop, including DivX 4)
o File formats – .avi, .3gp, .mp4, .mov
o Video – Up to 320 x 240, up to 800 kbps, up to 30 frames per second
* H.263 (Profile 0 & Profile 3)
o File formats – .avi, .3gp, .mp4, .mov
o Video – up to 320 x 240, up to 800 kbps, up to 30 frames per second
* Windows Media Video (Simple Profile)
o File formats – .wmv
o Video – Up to 320 x 240, up to 800 kbps, up to 24 frames per second
Note, however, that not all .avi files will work with your particular BlackBerry. If you have .avi files larger than 320 x 240, you might want to convert it to a 3gp file or resize the .avi with a video editor. I’ve been looking around for such software for Mac, but haven’t had an easy time finding freeware. So it looks like you might have to shell out some cash if you want to do this regularly.
Finding video podcasts
Unless you have a specific video podcast in mind, you might wonder where you can find these. Videopodcasts.tv is as good a place to start as any. It has an enormous directory of video podcasts from a wide range of topics. It can also lead you to video conversion software like AVS4YOU (again, though, no Mac support).
Other than that, you can surf around to find video podcasts. A little Googling can always bring answers. Oh, and there’s always iTunes.
Converting file types
As mentioned above, you’ll probably have to convert any video podcasts you find. Most podcasters record in a greater resolution than 320 x 240, so finding one naturally in that format will be tough. The best bet is to find conversion software (for PC users, there are a few suggestions above) and reduce the size and/or change the format.
Loading to your BlackBerry
There are a number of ways you can load this to your BlackBerry media card. The easiest way would be to connect your Berry to your computer and when the dialog box pops up, say that you want to go into Mass Media Mode. A removable drive should then appear on your computer, which you can open up. From there you can drag the video, disconnect the drive, and you’re set.
You can also use BlackBerry Desktop Manager to load the file to your media card. Or PocketMac, or Missing Sync. In any case, there are a number of ways you can load up this content.
Enjoy
You can now open the video podcast with your BlackBerry Media Player, or another video player of your choice. I really wish the process wasn’t this involved, but it appears to be the reality for now. As we see faster data speeds and more widespread smartphone usage, we might start to see OTA availability. For now, though, it looks like you’ll need the conversion process.
