MobileDVD is a combination of a desktop Windows program to transcode video files, and an S60 app to let you watch them easily on the move. The idea being that you use the far more powerful desktop PC to do all the hard work, then porting it over to you Nok for showtime.
But how does MobileDVD stack up, is it worth the asking price? Check out our review and find out for yourself...
Nokia’s handsets – especially the newer N-series models – are pretty good at playing an alphabet soup of media files but it always seems to be the case that the very file you want to view isn’t supported, and how about all those DVDs gathering dust on the shelf? MobileDVD has a small (2MB) Windows program that promises to take almost any video file out there and convert it to Xvid or DivX format for playback on the S60 app on your phone.
Installing both was easy enough, but that’s where the fun ended. The MobileDVD software didn’t work well on my 64-bit Vista installation, failing to transcode any video files. It would open and play commercial DVDs (badly) but gave a software error whenever I hit Convert.
If you do get it to work, you can apparently choose a bit rate and maximum file size, stereo or mono sound and a choice of video resolutions (208x208 up to 416x352). You can also trim the start and end of clips to just keep the good bits.
The S60 app worked better, playing back sample AVI files without any hiccups. Swapping from portrait to landscape mode is quick and easy, but otherwise the plain file browsing and limited options are no substitute for Nokia’s 3D scrolling Gallery.
MobileDVD may be worth a download if you find yourself unable to play some files or if you’re itching to rip your DVDs for mobile use. Be warned that the free trial period is just one day, though, so ensure that you can transcode and watch your videos before you splash out the full fee.
Details
Size: 1.35MB and PC Convertor 2MB
Price: $14.99 (£10.90)