Convert .FLV files to MP4 for iPod

Here is a quick and painless guide for converting those .FLV files you got off YouTube and elsewhere to MP4 for your iPod.

Introduction & Requirements

	Software you must download and install
	Total Video Converter
	Required: You need to download and install Total Video Converter on your computer. Download!

Download and install the software to a folder of your choice.

Head over to YouTube, or Myspace, and download a few videos that you would like to convert. If you already have them saved to your computer, then make sure you know where they are for easy accessibility.

Getting Started

In case you do not want to convert your FLV files, and would prefer to keep them on your computer, then follow the following fantastic guide written by our Afterdawn staff for easily playing FLV files without the need for converting. View that guide here: How to play FLV files

You will however, need to have a few codecs installed on your system which is easily completed by downloading and configuring FFDShow which I will show you in the next section.

Install and configure FFDShow

Step 1. The obvious and vital first step is to download FFDShow by clicking here.

Step 2. Now you have to install FFDShow on your Windows operating system (the OS used in this example is XP Pro). Run the installer. Select your language and click Next. Now you must accept the license agreement of FFDShow; select "I accept the agreement" and click Next. Now you can choose an install directory (default is fine) and click Next again. You are now on the Select Components screen; "VfW Interface" should be selected by default, but if it is not, then please select it as shown.

Click Next and select a start menu folder (default is perfectly fine again), Click Next again and now you reach the "Select Additional Tasks" screen.




It is important now that you ensure that under "Decode the following video formats with ffdshow", FLV1 and VP5/VP6 options are selected. Scroll down further until you reach "Decode the following audio formats with ffdshow" and just ensure that MP3 is selected (these settings are usually default). When you click Next, you will come to a "Management of compatibility issues" screen.

It is recommended to leave the option to use FFDShow for video only with the programs listed beneath to prevent any compatibility problems with other software. Media Player Classic and Windows Media Player will be in here. Click Next and you will get the same screen again, this time for audio. Click Next and select your speaker setup (if you only have 2 speakers, its stereo). Click Next again and then "Install".




When the installation is finished, the installer will give you the option to open some configuration windows. Here we will ensure that FLV will work with plays like Media Player Classic. Select the options and click Finish. Three new windows will now pop up. The only two that you really need will be titled "ffdshow video decoder configuration" and "ffdshow video encoder configuration". Select the "ffdshow video decoder configuration" window.




Step 3. Under the "ffdshow video decoder configuration" window, make sure codecs is selected on the left (just as in picture). To the right you will see a list of video formats and what's used to decode them. On this list you will see FLV1 (selected in picture), now click inside the cell beside FLV1 in the decoder column and you will get the option to select libavcodec (again,. shown in picture).

Now, several formats below FLV1 you will also see VP6F, again, select libavcodec as decoder. Click Apply. You are now finished with this window. Close it by clicking OK and now select the "ffdshow video decoder configuration" window.




Step 4. Under the "ffdshow video encoder configuration" window, select the Decoder tab and on the left, click Codecs (as illustrated in picture). Again, as with the previous window, to the right there is a list of video formats and you can change their decoder or disable them. Make sure that FLV1 is set to libavcodec as before, and the same setting for VP6F as before (see picture). When you are done, click Apply and close the window by clicking OK.