DiscRipper may not rip all your discs, but it should handle most of them.
(Credit: Rick Broida)Giveaway of the Day is a site that offers a different software freebie every day of the week. It may sound too good to be true, but trust me, I've grabbed some real gems over the years.
Today's giveaway is an app for anyone looking to archive their DVDs or convert them to a mobile format. The aptly named DiscRipper normally sells for $29.95, but if you download and install it today, it's free.
Let me repeat that: The only catch is that you have to download and install the program before 12:00 PST tonight.
After downloading DiscRipper, be sure to read the instructions contained in the readme file. They're quite simple, but I'm always amazed by how many people report that a GotD freebie "doesn't work" or is "not the full version"--because they didn't follow the instructions.
I'll help out: Copy the license key from the readme file, run the program, click the Buy Now button, and then click Enter License Key. Paste in the key and you're good to go.
The program is a pretty basic ripper: Insert your DVD, choose an output folder and format (it supports everything from AVI to WMV), tweak any other settings you want, and then click Rip.
In my quick, informal test, it worked just fine on a new-release DVD, but I ran into trouble ripping a much older DVD. Your mileage may vary.
Either way, it's still a free DVD-ripping utility. I know some commenters will find a way to complain about it, but I say don't argue with free.
Backup deal: Speaking of freebies, Amazon Video on Demand is offering a free rental (by way of a $4 credit) when you enter code AVODGIFT. Today's turning into a free-nanza!
iPodMeister promises to turn your unwanted CDs and DVDs into bona fide gadget goodness.
Like many people, I have a fairly sizable collection of CDs sitting in a storage room collecting dust. It's literally been years since I even touched a CD, let alone played one. So why am I hanging onto them?
Forget Craigslist. Forget eBay. Forget garage sales. Do you want to spin that jewel-cased straw into gold? Head to iPodMeister, where you can trade your old CDs for a brand-new hard drive, iPod, or even iPhone.
Here's how it works: You pack up your CDs (or DVDs), then e-mail the company to let them know how many boxes you have. It then sends you prepaid FedEx labels. That's right: iPodMeister covers the shipping cost.
The number of discs you send determines what kind of booty you can get in return. The minimum, 150 discs, gets you a 1TB hard drive or an iPhone 3G. (Actually, you get a check covering the cost of an iPhone 3G, as iPodMeister can't do activations and all that.)
Scrape together 250 discs and you can land an 8GB iPod Touch or 16GB iPod Nano (current-generation models in both cases). For 350 discs, you can cover the cost of an iPhone 3GS. See the iPodMeister Web site for the complete list of trade options.
Interestingly, iPodMeister also gives you the option of digitizing your CD collection, meaning you get back not only your free gadget, but also a set of DVDs containing your music in (presumably) MP3 format. But that "costs extra" (meaning more discs). My guess is most folks have already ripped their CDs to MP3s.
I'll admit that all this sounds a little too good to be true, but I've yet to find a single complaint about the company. For your reference, check out Consumerist's recent interview with iPodMeister, this guy's review of the service from March, and the company's Facebook page.
I will say that the iPodMeister site looks atrocious and, suspiciously, offers no contact information except for an e-mail address and toll-free number. But with a little Google recon, I had no trouble finding an address and local number.
Did I mention I'm packing my CDs as we speak? It may take a couple weeks to complete my trade, but I'll definitely report back once it's done (so bookmark this article if you want to learn what happens).
In the meantime, I'm just kind of happy that I can clear out some boxes and don't have to spend a dime on shipping.
If you've tried iPodMeister, please share your experience in the comments!
A one-year IOBit Security 360 Pro license normally costs $29.95, but right now it's free.
(Credit: IOBit)Nothing thrills me like getting something for nothing. Yesterday, for example, I redeemed the last of my birthday coupons, wolfing down a free scoop of Cold Stone ice cream (Fudge Brownie Batter with brownies mixed in--yum).
Today I've rounded up three software freebies that have a combined value of $1,089. Seriously! Take a look:
- IOBit Security 360 Pro Normally $29.95 for a one-year license, this security app is free until Nov. 11. It promises "advanced malware and spyware removal," along with protection from all manner of threats: trojans, keyloggers, worms, etc. I haven't found any reviews to speak of, but the always-free, non-Pro version earned four stars from CNET users. So it must be halfway decent.
- WinX DVD Author Remember WinX DVD Ripper Platinum from last month? (Since expired, sorry.) The same developer, Digiarty Software, is now offering its DVD-authoring tool, normally $29.95, for free until Oct. 31. Use it to turn AVI, MPEG, FLV, and other kinds of video files into menu-enhanced DVDs. I haven't tried it myself, but DVD Ripper Platinum was a little gem.
- Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard This might be the weirdest and most surprising giveaway ever. Microsoft's DreamSpark program is offering this new Windows Server release to eligible high school and college students. Why? To learn IT skills, I reckon. Obviously not everyone needs or wants this OS, which is worth $1,029, but I had to mention it. Anyone who does want it will need a Windows Live ID, a valid student e-mail address, and a way to burn the downloaded ISO file to a CD or DVD.
Free till the end of the month, WinX DVD Ripper Platinum makes movie archiving and converting a snap.
(Credit: Rick Broida)Want to archive your DVDs to your hard drive? Convert them for viewing on your iPhone or Zune HD? What you need is a good DVD ripper.
From now until September 30, Digiarty Software is giving away WinX DVD Ripper Platinum, which normally sells for $24.95.
Just pop a DVD in your drive, fire up the program, and choose an output format: AVI, MP4, WMV, iPhone, PSP, 3GP, or any of half a dozen others.
DVD Ripper Platinum has a clean, simple interface; I think that most users will have zero trouble using the program. Advanced users have the option of tweaking video and audio settings, like bit rate and resolution.
I just tried the program with a DVD of mine, and it worked quickly and flawlessly. I'd recommend disabling subtitles, which are enabled by default.
There are, of course, some decent freeware rippers out there, most notably Handbrake and DVD Fab, but WinX DVD Ripper Platinum offers a friendly interface, a flotilla of output options, and the satisfaction of getting for free something that's usually $25. Score!
Last month, GE revealed that its research scientists had discovered a way, using holographic technology, to store 100 DVDs worth of information on a single standard DVD. What a difference a few weeks make.
In what can only be seen as a "serving" (or pwning) of the GE researchers, the B-Boys researchers at the Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, have gone way past 100 and on to 2,000.
While standard DVDs are made with three spatial dimensions, the Aussie researchers added two more.
Using nanoparticles--extremely small bits of matter--the Swinburne team was able to introduce a spectral (or color) dimension and a polarization dimension.
To create the "color dimension," the researchers inserted gold nanorods onto a disc's surface. Because nanoparticles react to light according to their shape, this allowed the researchers to record information in a range of different color wavelengths on the same physical disc location. Their findings appear in the current issue of the scientific journal Nature.
Current DVDs are recorded in a single color wavelength using a laser. Brain explode yet? No? Well just keep reading, pal.
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Own one of the best sci-fi shows ever for less than $20.
(Credit: Amazon)After yesterday's free-pizza minidebacle (make sure to read my final update to learn how to get a free order of Cinnastix), I thought I'd shift gears and find deals designed to entertain your brain rather than tickle your tastebuds:
- DVD: Amazon has "Firefly - The Complete Series" on sale for $19.99 shipped. This is one of my all-time favorite shows. And check out the five-star ratings from nearly 3,000 reviewers!
- Game: Like first-person shooters? Newegg has Prey (PC) for $5.99 shipped. It has a lot of action, but very story-driven. Highly recommended.
- Music: Amazon MP3 is offering "99 Perfectly Relaxing Songs" for 99 cents. Choirs, chanting monks, classical classics--all designed to chill you out. A penny a tune! Beat that.
- App: Guide airplanes to their runways in Flight Control (iTunes link), a ridiculously fun and addictive game for the iPhone and iPod Touch. It's a steal at 99 cents.
So those are my picks; how do you have fun on the cheap? Hulu? Your local library? Buck-a-movie RedBox rentals? Hit the Comments and share your favorite sources of cheap entertainment.
On Monday, Netflix announced that the privilege to rent Blu-ray titles would be going up in price, beginning April 26. Citing the significant increase in the number of titles releasing on Blu-ray and the high cost of the discs over traditional DVDs, that comes out to a raise of anywhere from $1 to an additional $8 over what users were previously paying, for a total of $9 a month extra for its heavy renters.
According to the Official Netflix blog, it amounts to about an extra dollar per tier of the plan you're on, as opposed to the previous system, which simply tacked on an extra dollar. That amounts to:
1 DVD out at-a-time (2 DVDs a month)
Monthly plan cost: $4.99
Additional monthly charge for Blu-ray access on this plan: $1
Monthly plan cost with Blu-ray access: $5.991 DVD out at-a-time (Unlimited)
Monthly plan cost: $8.99
Additional monthly charge for Blu-ray access on this plan: $2
Monthly plan cost with Blu-ray access: $10.992 DVDs out at-a-time (Unlimited)
Monthly plan cost: $13.99
Additional monthly charge for Blu-ray access on this plan: $3
Monthly plan cost with Blu-ray access: $16.993 DVDs out at-a-time (Unlimited)
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Monthly plan cost: $16.99
Additional monthly charge for Blu-ray access on this plan: $4
Monthly plan cost with Blu-ray access: $20.99
Updated at 2:17 p.m. PDT with number of downloads currently available on CinemaNow.
Dell is out with a new external drive that lets you expand your home movie library (legally) by burning downloads to DVD.
The PC maker has teamed with Sonic Solutions to offer the Qflix DVD burner, which lets you download films and TV shows from movie site CinemaNow and transfer them to multiple digital devices.
(Credit:
Dell )
"Two of the key things holding consumers back in their willingness to purchase movies electronically are worries about long-term ownership and portability of the downloaded file," Tom Adams, president of Adams Media Research, said in a statement. "Providing the security of a DVD backup and the assurance that the file will play on the majority of standard DVD players--set-top, desktop, or portable--is a key step forward."
Qflix is a legal, recordable DVD standard. Approximately 100 Qflix-ready movie selections are currently available on CinemaNow, which says it plans to expand the number of offerings (a welcome move). Films can be downloaded for $9.95 a pop.
Starting Monday, the Qflix DVD burner is available for $120 as a standalone product, with the bundle (including the drive, which also supports standard DVD read/write functions; two recordable Qflix DVD discs; Roxio Venue and CinemaNow software; and a USB cable) available as an option on most Inspiron, Studio, and XPS laptops. Dell says the package will be available soon on some consumer desktops, as well.
(Credit:
Toshiba)
Ready to take the high-def DVD plunge? I wouldn't. I think most HDTV owners are better off with a decent (and inexpensive) upconverting DVD player, which makes existing DVDs look a helluva lot better and saves you from having to choose sides in the ridiculous Blu-ray versus HD DVD war.
On the other hand, if you're tired of waiting and want to enjoy every pixel of your 1080p TV right now, consider the Toshiba HD-A20 HD DVD player. Circuit City has it on clearance for $249.99--not quite the sub-$200 price point the players need to achieve critical mass, but definitely a price break. (Most vendors are selling the same model for around $400.)
What's your take on the whole Blu-ray/HD DVD debacle? Are you going to wait it out? Wait for lower prices? Or are you already enjoying the high-def goodness?
HP wants to bring you the news, just like Ron Burgundy.
(Credit: DreamWorks)At this week's Print 2.0 conference in New York, HP's Digital Entertainment Services group announced a new program called NextDayTV, which will make local TV coverage, events, broadcast programs, and televised sports games available on DVD soon after their original air dates. The inaugural partnership for the program is a deal with Major League Baseball, and you can now purchase a DVD of the game in which Barry Bonds hit his legendary 756th home run at San Francisco Giants Dugout stores as well as online at the Wal-Mart, Major League Baseball, FYE, and Suncoast Web sites.
Still to come are more partnerships, so that NextDayTV will be able to create DVDs on demand, as well as offer more "broadcast TV shows and sporting events that have high relevancy in specific geographic markets or with specific consumer segments" within a few days of their original air dates. Many of these, a release from HP stressed, would never make it to DVD for weeks or months (if ever).
This is obviously designed as a competitor to DVR services (some of which can burn programs to DVDs--others, like the one I have, can't) and digital marketplaces like the iTunes Store. But it seems a little bit counterintuitive for a company to be creating a video content program that uses DVDs rather than digital downloads; presumably the NextDayTV market will be those consumers who aren't jumping onto the video-on-demand and digital-download bandwagon. You know, like your mom.
