How to Convert AVI to DVD: A Quick Look at the Facts

This post is a companion to my earlier post on How to Copy DVDs, which explored how to burn DVD movies with freeware and open source software.

When I examined the traffic logs, I realized that quite a few of you are looking to convert your AVI files to something that can be burned to a DVD. I assume the reason is because you are using a digital video camera of some sort, and when you transfer the video to your PC, you have no idea what to do with it from there.

There are several options available to convert AVI files to DVD format, and which one you choose will likely depend on your tolerance for bugs and errors, and your knowledge of topics like conversion and burning. I’ll cover each briefly below.

Convert and Edit AVI Files to Burn to a DVD

 If you’re copying files from a digital video camera to your PC, you will probably also want to edit them, unless you’re looking for a strict 1-to-1 copy of what’s on film. To do this you’ll need more than just the converter — you’ll also need a video studio. 

Video studios (or video studios that work) won’t be found for free, and they’ll range in price from anywhere in the neighborhood of $50 up to around $500. I use Pinnacle Studio for converting and editing my digital video, but that is one bloated piece of software! If I recall correctly, it loaded on multiple software discs, and requires a ton of horsepower to operate, but it does just about everything you can think of and is a really mature piece of software. 

A bit cheaper than that is the Movavi video studio, which is packed with features for about as cheap as this kind of software gets. You can convert AVI files to DVD and just about any other format — so if you want to move a video to your iPod, PSP, Zune, PDA, cell phone, etc. you can do it. You can also live record narrated screencasts, like you can in Camtasia. And then you have all of the typical editing features like transitions, joins and splits, burning capabilities, etc.

This installs and uninstalls much more cleanly than Pinnacle, and they have a fully functional trial available, so you can give it a shot to see if you like it. You can download the free trial here — it’s a secure download from Digital River, who also handles downloads for companies like Norton.

Convert Multiple File Types to Multiple File Types

If you want to be able to convert files between different file types, you had better be prepared for some headaches. The software I previously used was called Super, and is a free download available here. Super is infamously error prone, and it frequently locks up, crashes, and doesn’t convert for reasons that are largely unknown to me! It also requires some technical knowledge or experimentation as you select different codecs to work with. But it does work at least occasionally.

Once you convert the files with Super, you’ll need a separate program to actually burn those files to DVD. That is, it handles conversions only, not getting files onto your PC or getting them onto disc.

Simple AVI to DVD Conversions

If you just want to do a straight conversion from AVI to DVD, a good piece of software for that task is Cucusoft AVI to DVD. It will handle the conversion and the burning to disc. There’s nothing fancy about Cucusoft, but it gets the job done, is very easy to use, and runs without error. It is also a clean install and uninstall and like Movavi, a free trial from Digital River is available. You can download the free trial here.

When choosing your software, just keep in mind that nothing works all of the time for everyone, and everyone has different needs. Just keep your technical ability, and your willingness to experiment and encounter errors in mind as you choose the right software for you.

Also watch the PC requirements for each piece of software. Everything listed here will run on Windows machines, Windows 98, 2000, XP, and Vista, provided you have sufficient RAM. I would consider 256 MB of RAM sufficient for the basic converters, at least 512 MB for Movavi, and at least 1 GB for Pinnacle. I have a dual-core processor and 4 GB of RAM and Pinnacle is still slow as molasses for me!

FeedFlix Review: Are You Getting Your Money’s Worth from Netflix?

If you’ve ever wondered if you’re getting a good value out of your online DVD rental subscription, FeedFlix might be a handy little service for you to try. FeedFlix is free, and works by aggregating RSS feeds from Netflix to compile usage statistics for you and other FeedFlix users. With it you can see in objective terms how much value you’re getting out of Netflix.

Signing up is easy. Head to FeedFlix, and enter your Netflix username and password. It’s important to note that Feedflix is not associated with Netflix; they just consume Netflix RSS feeds and obtain an authorization token directly from Netflix.

Once you do this, FeedFlix will begin analyzing your usage data. Within a few minutes, your dashboard should be filled with some interesting numbers. Check out the video walk-through below to see what this looks like, but here are some stats you’ll find:

• Average rentals per month
• Average number of days you hold movies
• Average cost per physical rental
• Average cost per total rentals (physical plus on demand)
• Rentals per week (bar chart)
• How your numbers compare to other FeedFlix users

All-in-all, it’s a very simple, focused application meant to answer one question: Is Netflix Worth It?

In my case, the answer is a resounding ‘YES!’

Check out my Netflix and Blockbuster review if you’re thinking about joining one of these services. It is the most comprehensive review available for these two services.

Both services offer free two-week trials, and both are easy (and hassle-free) to cancel, so if you’re on the fence, don’t feel bad about giving them both a test drive to see which one works best for you.

Blockbuster Total Access | Netflix

Think Geek FTW!

Think Geek always has clever copy and clever April Fool’s jokes. I think part of the reason is that some of their real products are so off the wall that their imaginary products don’t seem unfathomable.

This year’s joke was pretty extensive, featuring a home page almost entirely devoid of real products, and instead filled with jokes. I even got their newsletter in my inbox featuring these same products. And even knowing their tendency to have some fun, I still clicked through — “Spazztroids Caffeinated Cereal? I’ve got to get me some of those!”

Some other winners: Betamax to HD DVD converter, a caffeine patch, a USB pregnancy test, USB sun lamp, USB Foreman Grill, Pii Pii brothers Wii game. Check out their web site while the prank pages up!

Real life products available at ThinkGeek.com

Dash Express: Next Generation GPS Navigation

If you’re a fan of GPS navigation systems, this is the most compelling reason to upgrade that I’ve yet seen; if you’ve been on the fence about whether to try one on, this just might push you over the edge.

Dash Express is a navigation system with built-in WiFi, better routing capabilities, traffic data, and a boatload of minor feature improvements, combined with an online control panel to expand your reach outside of the car.

The old way to navigate: at home, find the address of where you want to visit, write it down on a sticky pad, and head out to your car. Punch in that address and off you go. If they’re closed, you’re out of luck. Hit a bad patch of traffic, too bad.

Dash Express navigation: hop in your car, search Yahoo! Local for a destination, and get routed. Scan ahead for any traffic backups and reroute as needed. Change your mind as needed. Alert your friends (who are also Dash users) of where you’re heading to, or get updates in your unit of locations sent to you by your friends. Or rewind to the beginning. Find your destination address on your home PC, right-click it in your web browser, then select “Send 2 Car.” When you fire up Dash, the address will be waiting for you.

Dash is to standard GPS navigation systems what Google Maps was to MapQuest. One of things I always thought was “broken” in my nav system is the routing capabilities. To reroute, I’d have to pull up the turn by turn directions, and delete some of the waypoints, hoping I deleted the correct ones to force a reroute. Dash displays multiple routes and lets you choose from them. The UI has some significant improvements as well — at a glance it just looks more organized and intuitive.

Dash isn’t cheap at $399, but it sure is pretty! And maybe you can make up for some of that cost with one of Dash’s built-in features: find the cheapest gas prioces in town, and get routed there. Plus, if it ever gets stolen, you can remotely disable it so the thieves can’t enjoy your new toy.

Find it at Amazon

$6400 Diamond Studded Earphones

Jabroni, noun: “A loser, poser, lame-ass.”

Smackdown, noun: “1) A contraction of two words (”smack” and “down”) popularized by WWE wrestler-turned-actor The Rock that refers to the inflicting of a beatdown of epic proportions upon “jabronis” and “candyasses.” Sometimes used in a bastardized form of Elizabethan English.

You, too can get your lame iPod headphones, consisting of 204 diamonds (1.65 carats) set in 18 karat gold.

iDiamond ear will be available at leading jewelery stores worldwide this month. Detailed specs

How to Copy DVDs Using Freeware DVD Copy Programs

UPDATE March 6, 2009: See software update note at the bottom of this post.

 

 

Someone asked me about making DVD backups the other day, so I thought I’d share how to go about this here. Actually, they asked me how to burn DVD movies, but “making backups” just sounds better.  You might also be interested in the companion post How to Convert AVI to DVD.

The biggest hurdles to overcome when making backups of commercial DVD’s are the file size when copied, the encryption on the disc, and the legality of doing so. So the first thing you’ll need is a piece of DVD decryption software.

I’m not going to get into the legal implications of this here, except to say that copying commercial discs is not allowed, and it’s ridiculous that I can’t copy DVD’s I own as backups. For example, if I were the copying sort, making backups of my son’s DVD’s would be a great application of this sort of thing. They could theoretically get all scratched and gummed up because his grubby little two-year old paws would eventually end up all over them. In a situation like that, I’d much rather use a throwaway DVD-R. That could hypothetically save me considerable expense, and after all, I do own these discs (in this purely hypothetical example).

My father-in-law, who is not a U.S. resident, uses Slysoft AnyDVD for his backups. He says that the program is fast, but the backups tend to be of poor quality, presumably because of the file size issue. If I were to compare one of my hypothetical backups with his backups, I bet it would be of much higher quality, because the software that I would choose if I were the backing up sort would handle compression.

So if I were to choose ripping software, I would choose something like the freeware DVD Shrink, current version 3.2.0.15, which is the first half of the freeware DVD copy combo. DVD Shrink is able to remove encryption, and then compress the file to disc so that it can subsequently be burned onto a single DVD-R. It also has pretty good reauthoring features, so I could choose to leave off the foreign language track or bonus features if I were so inclined.

DVD Shrink’s official web site is here, but software can’t be downloaded from it. Rather, there is a forum that links to the various download locations. If I were to download DVD Shrink, I would make sure that I downloaded it from one of the locations referenced in that forum, and nowhere else. If I were to do it, of course.

A good quick start tutorial can be found, and more in-depth task-based tutorials are available.

Once this hypothetical file were on my PC, I would then go about burning it to a DVD. A very capable program that could be used to burn these types of files is the free ImgBurn software, luckily available for download directly from their site. The current version is 2.4.0. This is the second half of the freeware DVD copy combo.

If I were to go about making backup copies, these are the programs I would use. They are very capable and make high-quality backups. But due to the decryption, compression, and drive speeds, they would take some time to copy a full DVD, perhaps along the lines of 30 minutes to rip and 30 minutes to burn and verify. Or so I would reasonably expect.

In all seriousness, while I do think it’s ridiculous that I can’t backup movies I own for my own personal use, I am strongly opposed to intellectual property theft of any kind. I would never consider it, and I discourage everyone I know from doing it. Fair use on the other hand is. . .well, fair.

IMPORTANT UPDATE:

It looks like the open source DVD Shrink is no longer being updated, unfortunately. The outdated copy can still be downloaded, but probably not via the forum as before. Download at your own risk — now that there is no official download, the executable will be a target of malicious activity. If you’re familiar with security, trojans, spyware, and such, you can still find copies of the software; otherwise, it’s probably wisest to ignore it. Also, due to the length of time since the last DVD Shrink update, it has problems ripping many new DVD releases.

I have done a fair amount of research to find a newer, updated product that will rip and burn backups, and I found a winner. The process is much easier than what I outlined above, because it only takes one piece of software instead of two — essentially, it’s a DVD Copier, and it’s fuller featured than above. You can copy just about any DVD, re-author it, selectively remove menus or just copy the main feature, etc. You’ll want at least 512 MB of RAM to run it.

It’s not free at $35, but it costs much less than comparable software and has a good history of updates. I’ve been using it for about 45 days now with very good success. You can also download a trial just by mashing on this link or the image to the right. It’s the same product, just requires a license key if you want to use it past the trial period.

Modu: Genuinely interesting and slick mobile phone / gadget

Modu is a tiny, credit card-sized, powerful mobile phone. Slip the modu into one of many very well-designed “jackets” to give it a new look and new functionality. These modular components remind me of the concept behind Buglabs, but whereas Buglabs had more geek appeal, with open source hardware and software, modu has much more chic appeal. These things look slick.

When is a phone not a phone? When it has “mates,” which morph the modu into various consumer electronic devices. All modu jackets are universally interchangeable, allowing you to swap modu jackets at any time, and according to the web site, with anyone. It also sounds as if some of these modu’s will be artist-branded and come pre-loaded with applications and music. I couldn’t find any price estimates to speak of, but product is supposed to ship at the end of 2008.

Photos can’t do the concept justice. Check out the Flash intro to see how these work.

Movie rental death match: Blockbuster Online vs. Netflix

I’m a huge fan of online movie rentals. It wasn’t many years ago that finding a good selection of DVD’s at a rental store was difficult. Remember that? When the “DVD section” was just one small rack in the corner? Once DVD’s became commonly available at stores, they were commonly unavailable by demand. Netflix enters the scene with their online rental service. Never go to the video store again, never wait in the weekend lines, get your movies fast. And Netflix dominated. In 2004, they held 90 percent of the online rental business. Of course, I wasn’t ready to give up that local access to movies, so I didn’t venture into a subscription until Blockbuster Online was released, and with it came quite a few exciting features.

I was reasonably happy with Blockbuster for well over a year, but then made the move to Netflix for comparison purposes. Then back to Blockbuster when the Total Access package came out (although it wasn’t branded as that at the time). Recently I decided to give the two a head-to-head comparison in a movie rental death match. I’ve used both services when they were immature and now again when they’ve matured and responded to competition with each other. What follows is my side-by-side comparison of these rental giants.

I’ve been asked why I didn’t include smaller rental houses like DVD Empire, or specialty house like GreenCine, in my comparison. Have you ever used those services? I have. They’re awful. Netflix and Blockbuster are the only two services that offer a consistent and high-quality user experience, it’s as simple as that.

[Read more]

I bricked my TiVo (TiVo sucks)

I’ve been a TiVo user for quite some years now, starting with the Series 1 and moving to a Series 2. To me, it’s just an appliance. I turn the TV on, it works. I don’t feel compelled to upgrade to any new version or even a networked version. A year ago, I turned the onscreen guide subscription off. I was just watching too much TV. Simple enough. I also unplugged the TiVo from the home phone line.

Last month, that line was plugged back in, and the next day I was treated with a slick new TiVo UI, obviously downloaded overnight. And, the killer feature: my TiVo can no longer be used to record TV. My digital video recorder no longer records digital video. How absurd is that? After doing some research, I learned that this is common (and commonly known) in newer Series 2 and later TiVos. And I just don’t get it.

I paid for the box — the recorder itself. I didn’t get a discount, and I never agreed to purchase the onscreen guide in perpetuity. In a fair world, it seems that if the hardware is capable of recording, and I paid for the hardware, I should be permitted to record. But TiVo feels that even though I paid for the hardware, the price of admission must also include the guide subscription.

What perplexes me the most is that TiVo has always been close with their customer base. Contrast that to wireless carriers. I can’t think of any more adversial customer relationship that the average person has with any of their providers. Yet, even wireless carriers give you a free phone (or a subsidy) in exchange for purchasing their service. You’re not required to purchase a phone outright, and then also pay the carrier charges. What’s the rationale behind TiVo bricking a box I paid for just because I no longer want to use their service?

I was eyeing up a Series 3 to go along with a new TV, but I argue with my wallet, and this bricked TiVo is my last. I’m jumping ship. But where to go? My cable operator? Windows Media Center? Who cares, as long as it’s not TiVo.

All I want to do is punch that fat television and rip his damn antennae off. His stupid grin openly mocks me. Bastard.

All I Want for Christmas: BUG, from Bug Labs

This is one of the more interesting products I’ve seen in a while, and although it doesn’t look
like it’s going to be shipping in 2007, this is high on my wish list for 2008.

Bug Labs has created open source hardware modules that can be snapped together like Legos to create a mobile device. You start out with the well-equipped BUGbase, with built-in Wifi, USB, and ethernet. BUGbase has four connectors used for snapping on the open source hardware modules. Each module or combination of modules you snap on enables additional device capabilities. Current and upcoming modules include:

• Camera / videocamera
• GPS
• touch screen
• motion sensor / accelerometer
• qwerty keyboard
• speaker and jacks

Then comes the software, also open source and community-developed with Bug’s own SDK. It looks like there are a handful of applications out there currently, with most being of the test variety, but it doesn’t take long for these kinds of plug-ins to gather momentum.

Sure, these things look like bricks, but you can’t beat the gadget appeal.

Check them out at http://www.buglabs.net/.

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