What are the 3 highest resolution video file formats for portable media players possible? Is ‘H264’ #1?

Question

Don't laugh, but I almost purchased a portable DVD player yesterday. All of a sudden I'm getting picky about resolution and screen size.

My iPod and I are going through a very difficult relationship right now. We have disagreements with higher res file types, we have arguments over space (capacity), and we hardly see each another anymore because the damn screen is too small.

Lol
In any case,

Although it will be hard for me, I have to do what's best for me and ask these three questions: (3 Simple Questions)

1st
What are the 3 highest resolution video file formats for portable media players possible? Is ‘H264’ #1? (Archos’s new 605 device is off the chain)


2nd
Which software program can convert DVD’s to these 3 highest file types?


3rd
What is an estimate range of how big these files will be @ max (assuming it’s a 2.5 hour movie)?


I need some relationship advice yall, I need clarity and space!-lol

Simply, my ultimate intention is to convert my DVD's to the highest file possible that my portable player can handle, any extra advice for me?

Call me a perfectionist (I'm not really a perfectionist), but I suppose I am about this anyway ; )

Answer 1

Well you use the higest resoution formats possible if you player can't handle it. If H.264 will work then that is the best, then DivX, then MPEG. You can find software on download.com, and a 2.5 hour movie will be at least a gig.

Answer 2

You confuse picture resolution with screen resolution.
Just because a portable may have high screen resolution (lets call it A) it does not mean the file needs to have the same resolution (say B); a scaler in the portable can scale B to match A.

Obviously if your screen has 360 lines, it makes little sense to create videos at 480 lines and then scale down' but a video created at say 240 lines will play just fine on a larger screen.

H.264 is very good, but WMV (or VC-1) is very good as well, especially for low resolutions.