RSSAudio From Christmas Eve @ Vineyard
Dec 24
Big Changes for Handbrake
Nov 30
Apple, Media, Tech dvd decrypt, handbrake, videolan, visualhub, vlc No Comments
Handbrake is a wonderful, open-source, utility for converting DVD movies to other formats. In my case, I use it to convert my DVD collection for use on my Apple TV. It works great.
Today, a new version (0.93) was released. It includes a long list of improvements from GUI updates to fixes for the lingering errors in 0.92. Among the list of changes was the news that Handbrake will no longer decrypt DVDs! This is no shock to Windows users, who are accustomed to using more than one application to rip a movie. For the rest of us, this is quite the change. I have never needed anything other than Handbrake.
Fortunately, it is an easily fixable issue, and the Handbrake developers include the solution. Simply install the VLC player. Handbrake will automatically leverage the necessary library to do the decryption, if needed.
What makes this news interesting to me is the “why” associated with this change. What was wrong with the built-in solution? Was it fear of some legal pressure? Is it based on a collaboration of those two teams? Is it assumed that the VLC team will continue to develop and manage the necessary library(ies) needed to keep this solution working? Is it possible that VLC is working to have Blu Ray decryption soon that Handbrake would now be able to leverage? In my dreams. 
The possibilities are both exciting, and slightly disconcerting, as this is a relatively important change for Handbrake users.
The more prominent change in their release, while not as interesting to me, was the addition of converting files and sources, other than DVD’s. This is similar in capability to the now open-sourced project VisualHub.
Revision3 – A Real Internet TV Company
Jun 03
Media, Tech Apple TV, AppleTV, CNET, Crankygeeks, Diggnation, Geekbrief, HD Video, Internet TV, Revision3, Tekzilla, Video Podcast 4 Comments
I don’t know about you, but I am a big video podcast consumer. I subscribe to a long list of video podcasts, from various publishers, and stream them to my 50″ TV (Apple TV style). It works great, and I am slowly moving away from viewing “traditional” TV.
I have been doing this for a while, and have noticed some things.
First, I am surprised how few podcasts do HD, or at least higher-than-iPod quality streams. Second, I am surprised at how few of them are well produced. Third, very few of them offer an array of options, designed to meet the modern consumer where they are, irrelevant of platform.
What I have also noticed, is how well Revision3 seems to be tackling all of these. More
Fox iTunes Digital Copy – Interesting, Yet Pointless.
Jan 16
Apple, Media, Tech, iPhone Fox, Fox Digital Copy, iPod Movies, iTunes No Comments
Wait, hang on, calm down. Take your Apple fanboy hat off for a moment and just hear me out.
First, I am a big iTunes, Apple TV, and iPhone user. I am very much interested in an integrated, digital life. I have gone through the many hours of ripping about 115 DVD’s to an Apple TV quality resolution. My wife thought I was crazy, but now that all of our movies are quickly accessible on our HD TV, streamed from an “iTunes Server” of sorts, she never wants to go back. Simplicity and instant gratification.
That is the future. That is the fast track that we are on. DVD’s will be going by the wayside, and even the Bluray/HD-DVD war is really not worth fighting about. More
Stop Making Incomplete Media Player Recommendations
Jan 13
I listen to, and watch, many podcasts, TV shows, and radio shows about technology. Regularly, hosts feel required to throw their hat in the “MP3 Player” ring. For whatever reason, they take sides, pick a device of choice (iPod, Zune, Sansa, etc.), and try to convince the consumer why that particular one is best for them.
The problem is, they miss the whole picture. More
Stephen Colbert is Hilarious
Nov 19
I am not a huge fan of Comedy Central these days. I just don’t find most of the “comedy” funny. It all seems pretty re-hashed, repetitive, and has to drop an F-bomb or say something vulgar every few sentences. Yea, real funny. They are more in being shocking than actually funny. Of course, nobody really cares about being shocked anymore, we’re bored with it. More
