Re: Questions for the Nokia N800....
 

Media Player, the basic media playback application that comes built in, plays RealVideo files.

Re: Questions for the Nokia N800....
 

I personally think other posters were being too optimistic. I think you'll be disappointed with any video not transcoded to 400x240 (for widescreen) or 320x240 (for 4:3).

I watch a lot of video on my N800. Video was one of the primary reasons I bought it. I am very pleased with the quality of transcoded video (I usually transcode to One-pass XviD, 550-800kbps, cropped and resized to 400x240).

I am not pleased with the fact that I have to transcode the video in the first place, but I believe that the N800 has a bigger screen and plays video as well or better than any multi-function device at its price point*. From what I hear, future Nokia IT devices will fix the current bottleneck (the LCD controller) that forces us to transcode video.

The other thing I would recommend with video on the N800 is breaking long videos into smaller chunks, unless you know you can watch the whole movie in one sitting. It isn't very fun holding down the FF button through 4/5ths of a two hour movie to get back to where you were when you had to stop.

* I have seen a portable DVD player that has a bigger screen and can supposedly play DivX for under $200, but I haven't tried it, mainly because I don't just want to watch video. The N800 is also a very good e-book reader, web browser, internet radio receiver, photo viewer, instant message client, and Skype client.

Re: Questions for the Nokia N800....
 

For a slightly anecdotal reference:

I watched The Sting in AVI last night with mplayer on my N800 with no noticeable framedrops at 624x336 and 800Kbps, and The Darjeeling Limited the night before that at 640x256 and 1000Kbps.

Re: Questions for the Nokia N800....
 

Can't help, I don't use Real for anything, and haven't in years. They lost me long ago. As for reading sites, I don't have problems with most. I do wear glasses because of senile presbyopia, being older than most here, but I can read most fonts. Some require zooming to 120%, but they're rare.

Re: Questions for the Nokia N800....
 

Again, video experiences are mixed and to a large extent depend on what people are willing to put up with. But-- keep in mind the tablets are really not yet mature as a video playback device. I don't think they will be until there are either ready-made video productions for them, or the conversions are insanely easy. I think either is still a good way off.

Re: Questions for the Nokia N800....
 

. . . or we get OMAP3. :D

Re: Questions for the Nokia N800....
 

I just want to point out (as I did above) that there really aren't many mature, big-screen, hand-held video playback devices at the N800's current price point, and if they do non-transcoded video acceptably (the sub $300 units seem to usually require transcoding), they can't play Quake 2 or make video Internet calls.

Re: Questions for the Nokia N800....
 

I have an Archos PMA430; it dates from 2005; it plays just about any DivX or Xvid file I throw on it, without transcoding (I do transcode though, because it saves bytes). And given the sad fact that the N800 can only play videos at max 400x240 reasonably well, the PMA's 320x240 screen ain't half bad in comparison.

Also, the PMA has video out, meaning that I can play the files it has stored (on its 30GB hard disk) on any TV.

And to add insult to injury, the PMA also has video in, meaning that it can record video from any external tuner (a nice second life for my VCR).

Did I mention the PMA is also a Qtopia PDA, with PIM and office suite? Oh, and I bought it for less than I originally paid for my 770...

Re: Questions for the Nokia N800....
 

And yet, here you are, an IT user... Interesting, no? :D

Re: Questions for the Nokia N800....
 

I'm a pocket computer junk.

BTW, I hardly ever use my Itablets for video playback anymore, it's just too embarrassing.