Omniquiti Lathe 2-click video conversion for PSP, PMPs and smartphones

The Lathe software from Omniquiti is a sort of meta-conversion tool for getting video files onto your portables without a lot of hassle in the settings stage. It uses a number of presets optimized for playback quality and file size for a number of different devices, including the PSP, Archos AV400 series, DVX-POD, PocketPCs, palmOne handhelds, and smartphones. We had a chance to try out a beta version of the software, and found it refreshingly easy to use — video conversion is basically a two step process of choosing your device, then choosing your file. You're welcome to tinker with the settings if you choose, but we didn't have any issues with the presets for any of the devices we tried. Batch conversions are available for all devices except the PSP, which should be added in a future version. Pricing for Lathe is $4.95, which will include future updates and new devices/features/codecs as they're released.

[strider_mt2k @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Excellent.

I'm looking forward to using this with my new PSP.

[Useful_Arts @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Nice UI from 1983.

[OddManOut @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Cool.

Must you select a device or can you just customize file type compression, codec etc yourself ?

Any chance it supports the Sharp Zaurus Cxx00 ?

[rotten_fruit_fan @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Hope they put a zodiac template.

[Mark Farina, Jr. @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Is there a website for this software?

[EatingPie @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Um... No info on what OS this runs on. I'm guessing Windows.

-Pie

[rotten_fruit_fan @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

A play yan template would be nice too.

[Tom @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

It crashes every time I try to load a movie to put on my psp, including an mp4 file that already is formatted to work on the psp (i.e. one that works fine when I manually load it). Note that this won't take something like a .mov file and convert it to mp4 - you have to start with an mp4 to get it to work on your psp, or at least that's the only format that I can browse to with the psp default selected.

[Jake @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Tom, I don't know how that is possible as this has been fairly extensively tested. You definitely DO NOT need to start with an mp4 file. Lathe works with MPEG2, AVI and multiple other formats. The software works fine and if you would like to send an email to [e-mail], we would be happy to help you figure out why you are having problems.

Jake

[Jake @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Tom, one more thing, and this was a screw up on our part.

Here's a link that should have been included with your download email but wasn't. The link is to Easy Start-Up instructions. Check it out and see if that helps.

http://www.omniquiti.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1

Jake

[Kon @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Is this just another FFMpeg GUI?

[Jake @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Tom, one more thing, and this was a screw up on our part.

Here's a link that should have been included with your download email but wasn't. The link is to Easy Start-Up instructions. Check it out and see if that helps.

http://www.omniquiti.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1

Jake

[Jake @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Kon,

Yes and no. It is based on FFMPEG but it is not just another GUI. The whole encoding engine has been updated and re-optimized with all the latest bells and whistles from all the encoders it uses. We're pretty sure it's the best one out there right now.

Jake

[Kon @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Jake,
Interesting! Are your source changes to the FFMpeg cores available for download somewhere?

[Jake @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Kon, I'm sure they must be (they have to be, right?) but I don't really know because I'm not the techie developer type. Send an email to [e-mail].

[Kim Laughton @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Not used it, but nice to see some reasonable pricing. Far too much shareware is overpriced for what it is.

[b0mb0klat @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

@ 5$ its cool but pocketdivxencoder does all this already for free...

http://divx.ppccool.com/

[Jake @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Hi, b0mb0klat.

We actually worked with the developer of pocketdivxencoder in creating Lathe so, in a way, Lathe is the "premium" version of pocketdivxencoder.

To create Lathe, we updated and re-optimized all of the encoding engines in pocketdivxencoder.

We also added support for additional devices, such as Sony PSP, which is not supported by pocketdivxencoder.

We agreed with the developer that pocketdivxencoder should remain available and should remain free. But all the new bells and whistles are in Lathe and we purposely kept Lathe very inexpensive.

Jake

[Shucker @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

What would be really helpful for the PSP is to be able to tell it the required size of the output file so you can fit it on your Memory Stick. E.G. It'd be great if I could tell it to give me a file that is 500MB and then have the software do the work to make it fit.

[FJ @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

What file format does it produce for PPC's? WMV? Will i be able to play them in Media Player on my XDA IIs?

[Jake @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

shucker. it sort of does that already and we are working to make that better. Right now, on a test run I did of Lathe, I got Terminator 3 down to under 400MB with really good quality.

We are very focused on continuing to enhance Lathe for PSP. It's actually kind of challenging (which we like) because we want

(a)optimal resolution (because the PSP screen is so killer),

(b)minimum file size (because you're restricted to using memory sticks for storage - although omniquiti has a solution for that in the works, too), and

(c)ease of use (because, in our opinion, Sony made it overly complicated to do video on the PSP).

We think Lathe is already the best option available on all of those fronts but we're continuing to work on it to make it even better.

Jake

[zed @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Jake

How much time did it take you to convert and load T3 on the PSP?

[Shucker @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

DO NOT BUY FROM THIS COMPANY. SERIOUSLY.

Why?
1. Their store checkout is terrible all around. Basically, you have to checkout twice. What this does is put two items in your shopping cart, but it's by no means obvious that it has done so. I've been shopping online for years and years and I totally missed what their process did. As a result, I paid twice for the software.
2. I have sent 3 emails to get my CC refunded. The first reply said they'd try to find a way to refund me. Try to find a way?? Since then, no replies at all to my 2 follow-up emails.
3. And finally, just as important... the software is awful. Simply awful. It's barely even Beta worthy. Potential? Absolutely. But this never should have been released to the public commercially. Buggy, crashes, and lack of key features. No wonder they don't provide a demo to try first. The only reason I tried it was because of this Engadget "review" :(

Jake, if you're reading this, quit jerking me around and give me my refund.

[Das @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Zed if there's any chance you're still out there:), I just did a conversion of Training Day (classical action with some stupid "heroic" scenes) which is 2h long in 1h25m with a P4 3.6Ghz 1GB Ram
I'm using the AVC codec (version 2.0 of PSP firmware recquired) so if you're using version 1.5 and the mp4 codec I can't help you, but I've got to say that file size/quality with the new version is mucha mucha better and with the "hello"-thing for 2.0 soon it won't even matter ...
P.S.: For the guys who're running 2.0 like me (or 1.52 -> just upgrade it's both crap for emu's etc.) there's a beta going on for the new version that supports AVC so just check out the forum and website

It's really good software, and the problems with paying (I didn't have any) are fixed so recommended :) 5$ can't be wrong imho

[Michael @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Are there plans for a Mac version? Can anyone recommend a similar program for the Mac? Thanks.