Okay, here goes. The video I’ve been working on in Adobe Premiere is supposed to be 480×800 (WxH), but I have the Adobe Media Encoder output the sequence as an “Uncompressed Microsoft AVI” using the “UYVY” video codec, 24fps frame rate, progressive, square pixels, and dimensions: 720×800 (WxH). This outputs a rather large file with 120px black borders on either side of the video content. I then take the video into Handbrake 0.9.4 and use the following settings (I started with the Regular->Normal preset):
Container: MP4 File
Large file size: [un-Checked]
Web-optimized: [un-Checked]
iPod 5G support: [un-Checked]
Width: 320 (this is key, any higher than 320 and it won’t work)
Height: 528
Keep Aspect Ratio: [Checked]
Anamorphic: None
Crop Left: 120
Crop Right: 120
Everything under the "Video Filter" tab set to "Off"
Video Codec: H.264(x264)
Framerate: same as source
2-Pass Encoding: [Checked]
Turbo first pass: [un-Checked]
Avg Bitrate: 384
Create chapter markers: [un-Checked]
Reference Frames: 2
Mixed References: [un-Checked]
B-Frames: 0
Motion Estimation Method: Uneven Multi-Hexagon
Sub-pixel Motion Estimation: 9
Motion Estimation Range: 16
Analysis: Default
8x8 DCT: [un-Checked]
CABAC Entropy Coding: [un-Checked]
No Fast-P-Skip: [un-Checked]
No DCT-Decimate: [un-Checked]
Deblocking: Default, Default
Psychovisual Rate Distortion: [MAX]
My main problem was that I was trying to output an mp4 file with 480×800 (WxH) dimensions. After changing the width to 320 (higher values didn’t work), yet keeping the proper aspect ratio, the output video now plays without errors. I hope this helps someone else with a similar problem.
Side note: I wish the Android video restrictions were better documented.