Waltr surfaces, allows users to copy previously unplayable media formats to iOS devices

This could be helpful.

Recently, a new app called Waltr surfaced. The app works as an alternative to iTunes to copy media onto your device, except that it transcodes files so that they play on the iDevice using the native Videos and Music apps. You no longer have to worry about file formats, including MKV and FLAC, and deal with errors saying that this format isn’t supported, or (if you use a third-party media player app) deal with files that have been copied failing to play, or playing only the video and not the audio.

Since the video is transcoded and played using the native Videos app, you can be sure that it will play back smoothly (rather than choppily), and that you won’t consume any more battery on the iDevice.

In addition, Waltr lets you drop a directory and transcode all files in that folder and in subfolders.

Waltr has two limitations:
1. iTunes let you mark your videos as being Music Videos, Movies, TV Shows, Podcasts and Home Videos. These show in separate tabs on the iDevice so that you can find what you want, rather than having one movie lost among a hundred music videos. Remember that Videos.app doesn’t support folders, so this is the only way to organize your videos.

2. If you open iTunes after running Waltr, it will erase whatever Waltr copied. This will be the case even if you don’t do a sync, and you copy individual videos onto the device by enabling “Manually manage music and videos”.

Still, Waltr is out there, it could come in handy and might be worth a try.

Waltr is available for a US$29.95 registration fee and requires OS X 10.8 or later to install and run.

If you’ve tried Waltr and have any feedback to offer, please let us know in the comments.