Ripping & Duplicating DVDs - a look at the various options

Sometimes we all need to rip DVD videos to the computer and make backup copies for various purposes. It could either be a picnic video which you took last weekend on your handycam or your wedding video which you need to make duplicate copies of to distribute to family and friends or just a movie that you need to put it on your laptop so that you can view them while on the move.

Recently I needed to make duplicate copies of my wedding DVD video for distribution to family and friends. While trying to figure out how to do it I learned quite a bit about ripping and duplicating DVDs. Here I will detail two freeware softwares that I feel are good enough for the job.

HandBrake lets you RIP your DVD to your computer in MPEG-4 (MP4) as well as XviD formats. You can then use any DVD burning software like Nero or CopytoDVD to burn the video on a DVD. It also gives quite a few options to control the output audio/video like language, subtitles, audio quality, video quality, file size/ bitrate, codec, frames per second (FPS), video cropping, frame size and a few other settings. You can either select the output file size or the bitrate based on your requirement. If you are too much concerned with the file size you can specify the size of the output file you want or if the quality of the output audio/video is important then you can specify the bitrate. However, you cannot make an exact ditto copy of your DVD preserving all the languages, subtitles and region code with HandBrake.

If you need to make exact ditto copies of your DVD for backup preserving all the languages, subtitles and region code(s) then DVD Shrink is the best option. You can use this software in conjunction with any DVD burning software of your choice, to make a backup copy of any DVD video disc. DVD Shrink will automatically burn your backup DVD, if you have installed the latest version of Nero or if you download CopytoDVD. And if you already have another DVD burning software then the output from DVD Shrink can be saved on your hard disk as a DVD folder or an ISO image which can then be burned on to a DVD R or DVD RW using any DVD burning software.


DVD Shrink has to following advantages over other free DVD backup softwares:

1. Most Commercial DVD titles are often encrypted to prevent you from either copying them to your hard drive, and if you manage to do so, being able to play the resulting files. DVD Shrink has built-in decryption algorithms to overcome this problem.
   
2. Most DVD video titles are simply too large to fit, without modification, onto a single recordable DVD-R disk. DVD Shrink compresses or "shrinks" the data from your original DVD. DVD Shrink's compression algorithms comes close to those found in the best commercial softwares.
   
3. It allows you to re-author your DVD so that you can make your own compilation from one or more source DVDs, or select only the parts of a DVD which you intend to view, thus preserving more space on your backup for the highest quality viewing.

There might be other, probably better DVD ripping and burning softwares available out there in the freeware jungle. But since I was kinda satisfied with the results of HandBrake and DVD Shrink, I stopped with my search right there. If you think there are better freeware applications out there then please do HashOut! » Continue reading

Read more on Computers, Multimedia

Are you ready to own the Internet?

AllAdvantage, an Internet advertising company that payed users to browse the net while running their Viewbar software displaying advertisements based on the users' browsing habits, which had shut operations in February 2001 after nearly 2 years of operation due to the sharp decline in advertising spending as the dot-com bubble burst and the U.S. economy entered a recessionary period in mid-2000, is now back as AGLOCO which stands for A GLObal COmmunity with a little change in its business model.

Last time they paid a flat fee per hour to users of their Viewbar software whereas this time it will give users a share of the income that Viewbar earns from advertisements. Not just that! It paid users to refer other people to use the Viewbar and paid users again if those referred people refer other people - down until four levels. The income is paid out either in stocks or cash as per the user's wish.

AllAdvantege's Viewbar software was one of the earliest desktop user tracking and ad targeting technologies. The Viewbar displayed advertisements in a narrow application window that could be docked to the bottom of the user's screen, targeting those advertisements to the content being viewed by the user as they browsed websites. The same technologies, minus the permission of users or monetary compensation, became the basis of the adware and spyware industries - Wikipedia

Launched on November 20th 2006, the Viewbar software of AGLOCO is still under Limited Beta Testing and is slated for release sometime in March 2007. However the company has already started building the user referral network so that users can start earning right from day one. Last time the network grew to 10 million members in the first 18 months and by the time the company closed its doors, it had paid out over $120 million to its members.

Are you ready to get your share this time? If yes, sign up now and start building your referral network here.

Sources: johnchow.com, agloco.com » Continue reading

Read more on AGLOCO, Internet, Web 2.0

Shuttling Favorites or Bookmarks between home, work and Hawaii

I have been traveling extensively since the last few months and it has not been very practical to carry my Laptop everywhere I traveled. So I uploaded all my Internet Explorer Favorites and Firefox Bookmarks to Google Bookmarks so that I can access them from anywhere in the world using just a computer with an Internet connection and any Web browser.

However, every time I needed to access these favorites/bookmarks from my Laptop, I had to sign in to Google Bookmarks as I did not maintain a separate list of bookmarks locally on my Laptop. This became too cumbersome and I began looking around for a plug-in or add-on for either Internet Explorer 7 or Firefox 2 that would synchronize my Google Bookmarks with either Firefox Bookmarks or IE Favorites.

After a very extensive search, I found one Firefox add-on which did not synchronize Google Bookmarks with Firefox Bookmarks but displayed the Google Bookmarks right inside the Firefox Sidebar just like how Firefox Bookmarks are displayed. GMarks lets you add bookmarks to Google Bookmarks using the standard Firefox Bookmark window. You can add bookmarks to either Firefox Bookmarks or Google Bookmarks or both with just one click.

The bookmarks are displayed in a folder tree using the labels. You can have nested labels or sub-folders using a nested label separator of your choice. For example you want to have a folder named Extensions within a folder named Firefox and you have selected > symbol as your nested labels separator then all you have to do is enter Firefox>Extensions in the Labels field.

Other useful features include:

1. A search function that searches not only the bookmarks' details, but also the content of bookmarked pages.
   
2. Filters to apply labels or descriptions to bookmarks matching your query or to batch edit/delete bookmarks.
   
3. Hiding entire labels from view in the sidebar so you only find them while searching.
   
4. Shows not only your Google bookmarks, but optionally your starred Google Reader posts.
   
5. Import your Firefox bookmarks to Google Bookmarks.
   
6. Export your Google Bookmarks to a bookmarks.htm file.
   
7. Optional Bookmark Count for each label.

Another advantage of using Google Bookmarks with GMarks is that you can file one bookmark under several folders using just one entry.

Google Bookmarks with GMarks is also useful for people who need to access their Favorites or Bookmarks from Home and Work computers. There could be many more possible scenarios where it could be useful. Do let me know if you know one.

Download GMarks here.
You can learn to use GMarks and its features here.
If you don't already have a Google Account then create one now here. » Continue reading

Read more on Firefox, Internet, Internet Explorer, Web 2.0, Web Browsers

Google Reader for Mobile Phones - A feature request

In continuation to Amit Agarwal's post "Google Labs Gathering Dust, No New Product Since 5 Months" I would like to add another feature request to Google.

Google has made the web version of Google Reader to imitate Gmail. However, Google is yet to come out with a mobile version of Google Reader similar to that of Gmail. Google reader currently does have a mobile-friendly interface that works within a WAP browser but it requires signing in every time you need to browse your reading list.

Alternatively Google can add Reader capabilities to Gmail itself, like Yahoo! Mail Beta so that all the info (email and feeds) can be found in one place. » Continue reading

Read more on Cell Phones, Email, RSS/Feeds/Syndication

Now anyone can sign up for Gmail from anywhere in the world!

I think I am a little late on this due to the long break. But I feel it invites a lot of debate. Especially because Google has changed its policy overnight.

Eighteen months ago Google said that SMS invitation codes were used to prevent SPAM accounts and now Google has opened Gmail to anyone anywhere in the world without the need of any invitation code, either from a friend or through SMS. It's true that any web based service that monetizes from ads needs more users but then how is Google gonna fight spam now? Have they got any alternative arrangements?

It has been reported that the change did not occur simultaneously across all Google data centers and there might still be some places where the link is yet to appear.

Also another speculation doing the rounds is that Google might launch a paid premium service like Yahoo! But before that could happen it needs to be out of Beta, or is it already out of beta? If yes, then the folks at Google need to fix the graphic. » Continue reading

Read more on Email, Internet, Web 2.0

Getting ideas for blog posts and RSS feed posts

After a long break, I was scanning the web for the latest news and discussions in the blogosphere and looking forward to discuss something on hashout when I stumbled upon this article by Sharon Housley. It gives 10 very useful ways to find topics for your blog or RSS feeds.

Sharon emphasizes on writing about unexplored topics and "tackling all of the content that many other publishers find difficult or uncomfortable". But considering the vastness of the internet and the anonymity that it provides, one would find it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to find such topics.

From my experience, I would recommend devoting certain amount of time on a daily basis to read blogs, news, magazines and even watch TV shows in the area of your interest. You might not get an idea to blog about spontaneously, but over a period of time it will surely help. For example, you read a news article about the Cisco-Apple iPhone trademark tussle in the morning and then discuss about it with your peers at work during the day. Now you have not just your own thoughts but also opinions from your pears to blog about. » Continue reading

Read more on Blogging

How to grab the attention of A-list bloggers

I just read a post about the benefits of getting noticed by A-list bloggers over getting to the Front Pages of Digg on Digital Inspiration by Amit Agarwal, a highly successful and popular A-list blogger.

After reading his post one would surely want to grab the attention of some of the A-list bloggers, but how? Read this post by Darren Rowse of Problogger, another A-list blogger.

Interestingly, I just noticed a new innovative way of grabbing attention of A-list bloggers on both the above blogs, i.e. displaying AdSense ads on the A-list bloggers blog congratulating them and wishing them luck or telling them how much you love them. If you need to see how? take a look at the screen-shot of Amit's blog below.



And here is a screenshot from Darren's Problogger.



Although this method might cost you a bit, it could serve two purposes.

1. Grab the attention of the A-list blogger.
   
2. Bring other visitors from the A-list blogger's blog to your website or blog.

I wonder if that really works, but you could give it a try and do let me know about the results! » Continue reading

Read more on Blogging