handbrake

How to encode movies to play on your Galaxy Tab 10.1

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1's beautiful 1,280x800-pixel screen is great for watching movies. The Honeycomb tablet supports WMV9, WMV7, WMV8, H.264, MPEG4, Xvid, DivX, H.263, and VP8 video codecs. If your movie isn't already in one of the supported formats or it's still on a DVD, you'll need to encode/re-encode it first. Here's how:

Step 1: Download and install HandBrake.

Step 2: Click on the Source button, and select your movie. For DVDs, select "Folder" then select the "VIDEO_TS" folder from your DVD drive. HandBrake does … Read more

The 404 709: Where I touch it and it works (podcast)

"Stoopid Andy"--not as stupid as his name implies (TM)--joins us on the show today along with MTI, otherwise known as Mark Licea, to fill in for Justin, who again is enamored by a printer.

You may not realize this, but Stoopid Andy is a bit of a computer genius. We spend a good portion of the first half of the show talking about how he transcodes Blu-ray movies that he owns over to an MKV file in H.264 using a variety of pieces of hardware and software. He does this just so that he can watch his movies in HD and Dolby Digital surround sound anywhere in his house. Kind of cool. But I think most consumers would rather just watch it on Netflix or rent it from iTunes.

Speaking of iTunes, Apple has changed the home page of its Web site with a mysterious message that reads: "Tomorrow is just another day. That you'll never forget. Check back here tomorrow for an exciting announcement from iTunes." As much of a fanboy as Wilson is, he's got nothing when it comes to speculation other than the rumors that have already been floating around the Web. We're hoping for iTunes music subscriptions or more streaming-media services from the cloud. We're going to be really disappointed if it is just the already announced iOS 4.2 download or the iTunes 10.1 download.

Facebook's new messaging service press conference started just right after the show was over today, so we don't have much feedback on that, except that tweens will certainly embrace it. We also mention that Wal-Mart will be offering free shipping to all its orders between now and December 22, but it's a little odd for everyone in the studio because there isn't a Wal-Mart within New York City!

Finally, we don't have time to get to the voice mails, but Wilson does point out that Jeff is dearly missed, and will hopefully be making his return tomorrow! *fingers crossed* He may have just decided to stay in sunny Hawaii and finish playing Call of Duty: Black Ops. You can leave him a message by calling 1-866-404-CNET (2638) or e-mail us at the usual address. Oh! And tell your friends about the show!

Episode 709 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Handbrake 0.9.4: Your best deal on Black Friday

Desperate for a deal after sleeping right through Wal-Mart's early-morning Black Friday frenzy? You're in luck. The best deal this holiday season may be just a download away.

That's right: Handbrake, arguably the world's best video transcoder, just hit version 0.9.4.

And boy, is it beautiful.

Handbrake has long been my go-to choice for ripping DVDs to my hard drive (saves battery life when watching videos while traveling and ensures my kids won't ruin the DVDs), but this particular version exceeds my expectations. Why? Because it delivers over 1,000 new enhancements while … Read more

Handbrake 0.9.4 adds 64-bit support

Handbrake, the open-source, GPL-licensed, multiplatform, multithreaded video transcoder, has updated to 0.9.4. With over a year passing since their last update, Handbrake has titled this update, "Not Dead, Just Pining for the Fjords." The update boasts over one thousand changes with the crown jewel being 64-bit support.… Read more

Have Mac, will open-source

Some in the open-source camp would have you believe that open source is an all-or-nothing proposition. For such people, to believe that Linux makes for a superior server operating system is also to dedicate oneself to using open source for business applications, personal productivity, mobile, and likely brushing one's teeth. Open source on a proprietary platform like Mac OS X? Perish the thought!

But life is more complicated than that, and it turns out that there is exceptional open-source software for the Mac (or for Windows, for that matter).

The H Online has kicked off a nice "Open Source Stars for Mac OS X&… Read more

Handbrake 0.93 released, capitulates on DVD decryption

Handbrake, the closest thing to entertainment manna we have, has released the newest version of its open-source DVD ripping software, version 0.93. There's just one problem: it no longer rips DVDs. At least, not the kind you'd want to rip.

While it has some shiny, new functionality, like the ability to ingest video in any format (not merely DVDs) and superior video quality, it rid itself of the number-one reason for getting it in the first place:

DVD decryption.

Handbrake's author tries to put a brave face on this by offering a klugey workaround:

HandBrake will … Read more

Ripping audio from concert DVDs: Ask the Editors

Q: I have a collection of live concert performances on DVD that I would like to be able to listen to on my iPod. Is there an easy way to rip just the audio, but not the video, and export the soundtrack to my iPod? -Tom (via e-mail)

A: There are many roads to take on a project like this, but I'm going to show you two that are free and both Mac and PC compatible.… Read more

Handbrake releases 0.91: Perfecting perfection again

Handbrake just released an update to its exceptional DVD ripping tool. Now at 0.91, the new version offers significant performance enhancements, quashes several bugs, improves the UI (on the Mac more than Windows), and offers a wide range of other upgrades.

Handbrake is increasingly an application that I refuse to live without. I'm headed to Argentina this week, and have been madly ripping several new DVD purchases to my hard drive (saves battery life, more convenient): Daniel Deronda, Our Mutual Friend, A Night at the Museum (for my kids), etc. All have been happily turned into compact MP4s … Read more

Handbrake 0.9.0 just released - perfection has been perfected

I've written about Handbrake before. It is manna from heaven. I'm happy to report, however, that the latest release of Handbrake (0.9.0) is even better.

If you have a computer download Handbrake. Now. Put a DVD in. Let the magic begin. Now supports Mac and Windows (and, in fact, this newest rev has a dramatically improved Windows user interface).