For anyone looking for a (name your format) video to ipod/ipad converter. Here is a free opensource one for PC/MAC!

[url=http://handbrake.fr/]http://handbrake.fr/[/url]

Can't remember if I found this here or elsewhere but thought I would share.

Handbrake rules!

I prefer to have the VLC player app installed, which can play more video formats, and then I don't need to encode anything for iPad/iPhone.

I'm with J. Mattson on this one.  VLC saves you all of the troubles of encoding, plus it reads nearly every video format...it has at least played ALL of the video formats I have tried thus far.  It is a very intuitive program, too! 

I'm was actually referring to converting the files so that you can import them to iTunes and play them on your device. . . Not on your laptop/Desktop. I love me some VLC too. I looked for a VLC app in the app store after reading your post and found some cool remote control and streaming apps though. . .  :-) 

That's what I'm talking about- playing on iPad/iPhone, not on laptop/desktop.  There's a VLC app for that.  No need to encode anything.  It looks like it was pulled from the app store- but here's a link to the actual .app file:  http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-ios.html