Member Avatar for jbennet

How can i put DVD movies onto my SD card so i can play them using Windows Media Player Mobile

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Short answer: rip the DVD to your PC, transcode to a format the PDA can actually decode, then copy the file to the SD card. For Windows Mobile devices that means either target the device's native Windows Media format (WMV) or create an efficient MP4/H.264 file only if the PDA/player supports H.264 decoding.

Useful tools and where to start

  • Use a modern transcoder like HandBrake or FFmpeg for reliable presets and bitrate control.
  • If the disc is copy-protected, HandBrake alone won’t read it; VideoLAN’s libdvdcss lets tools read CSS-protected DVDs but removing copy protection may be illegal in some places—check the law before proceeding (EFF on the DMCA).

Practical target settings (common starting point)

  • Resolution: 320x240 (QVGA) or 240x320 depending on device orientation.
  • Video bitrate: 300–800 kb/s (lower for older CPUs).
  • Audio: 64–96 kb/s AAC (mono or stereo depending on device).
  • Container: MP4 (H.264/AAC) for best size/quality if the device/player supports it; otherwise WMV for Windows Media Player Mobile compatibility.
    Always encode a 20–30 second test clip first to confirm playback and sync.

Step-by-step workflow

  1. Rip DVD to HDD (use a ripper or let HandBrake scan the disc).
  2. Transcode with HandBrake/FFmpeg using the settings above (two-pass VBR gives better quality).
  3. Copy the finished file to the SD card via ActiveSync/Windows Mobile Device Center or using a card reader.
  4. Play with the device’s player; if it struggles, try a lower bitrate, lower resolution, or a different container/codec.

Troubleshooting and device notes

  • If video stutters, the CPU can’t keep up with decoding H.264 — switch to WMV or XviD/DivX at lower resolution.
  • Audio sync problems often mean a bad encode — try single-pass CBR or re-encode with different audio settings.
  • Many older PDAs cannot handle SDHC cards (>2 GB). Check card compatibility before buying (SD Association).

’s Palm-specific approach shows device-side compressors exist; for Windows Mobile most people get better results by encoding on the PC and testing small clips first. ’s successful Movie Maker route works — newer tools give finer control and often better quality/size tradeoffs.

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Member Avatar for knsljo

I've done it on my treo 650. There is software for palm is called pocket dvd which compresses a dvd enough to fit on an SD card. I had the whole of War of the Worlds on a 128MB card. The bigger the card the less you have to compress and the better quality you get. It takes ages though about 3-4 hours. once compressed you can use you pda software to transfer the media to card as you would with anything else. You will also need a player that can play the video file in the format you have created and install on your pda. i'm not sure what software you would use for windows mobile. I think there is a windows pocket dvd though.:rolleyes:

Member Avatar for jbennet

Ok i have since found DVD TO AVI (FREEWARE) and have been then converting and compressing them into wma for ppc files using movie maker. a 1.5 hour film takes like 2/3 total

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