Dvd To Mp4 Converter(Free/shareware) – Rip Any Movie Dvd To Mp4 Players Iphone3Gs, Ipod Touch, Zune Hd For Watching

admin    Google's Nexus One     ConverterFree/shareware, Iphone3Gs, Ipod, movie, Players, Touch, Watching, Zune

Why some guys are hot for converting DVDs to MP4 videos ?

MP4 was released for public use in 2002. It can be said that Apple’s iPod popularized MP4s more than anything else. But in recent times, profiting from its less space yet high video quality, MP4 is playing a more and more important role in internet-videos, kinds of portable multimedia player, such as the iPod, PSP, iphone 3gs, Zune HD, mobile phone like Nokia 5800, Motorola droid, Google nexus one etc.

How to convert DVD movies to MP4 format with DVD to MP4 Converter freeware/shareware ?

I looked at two programs that rip DVD into mp4 video format for Windows. I found a free open-source program called Handbrake that wouldn’t rip copy-protected DVDs on a PC. I also found a program called Daniusoft DVD Ripper that converts Any DVD into mp4 format for iPod, iPhone 3gs, Zune HD etc. It also works great on Windows 7, and also takes still shots of movie frames – a very useful feature.

Using Handbrake was as easy as plugging in my DVD, selecting the DVD in Handbrake, and clicking a button to kick off the conversion process.

I used a regular movie DVD ‘Ice Age’ and tried it on Handbrake. It took a whopping 4 hours to rip the DVD and convert it into mp4 format, which seemed like an eternity. But when I used The Matrix Revolutions – one of my favorite sci-fi action flicks – and tried it on, The Handbrake wouldn’t even start the conversion though, complaining that the DVD was copyright protected (which it is).

The Handbrake user interface was also hard to figure out. It has so many options to configure, that I found it difficult to figure out where to start.

Due to the slow ripping speed of Handbrake, the large file size of the video file, and since it wouldn’t work for me on a PC running Windows Vista (at least not with a copy-protected DVD), I decided to look for another option.

Next I downloaded Daniusoft’s DVD Ripper, which rips Movie DVDs and convert DVD to mp4 video that will run on iPod, iPhone 3gs, Zune HD and any other device that can view standard mp4 videos.

Daniusoft was able to rip my copy-protected DVD (even on Vista) much faster than Handbrake – it only took about an hour and a half to rip the DVD on the Windows(7) That’s several times faster than Handbrake in both cases, with the same level of quality, and with a smaller video output file (which will take up less space on my hard drive).

I also discovered an additional Daniusoft DVD Ripper feature – the ability to take still shots at any point during the movie. There’s a movie preview window on the lower left side of the screen, and a button that takes snapshots as often and as fast as you click it; saving photos to a folder each time. I really liked this feature.

I used VLC player to view the resulting video and was pretty impressed with both the video and sound quality. I was just using the default settings, and it would have looked even better if I had set it to the highest quality conversion setting.

Additionally, if you only need to convert DVD to your portable device like iPod touch, Zune HD or iPhone 3gs etc. you could select the target directly. It is already optimized for output setting for the devices that can view standard mp4 videos. This will insure the best output quality and no asynchronism in video & Audio. As show in the following figure.

Information About Microsoft Zune 2 Gen. Black Digital Media Player and Its Feature

admin    Misc     About, Black, Digital, Feature, Gen., Information, Media, Microsoft, Player, Zune

We can confidently say that times are changing for the Zune. The underdog of portable music players has pulled up a seat at the cool kids table alongside Apple’s iPod fleet. The 80GB Zune boasts a bigger screen than its predecessor, a new wireless synching capability, and an easy-to-use gesture Zune Pad. In fact, the 80GB Zune and Zune Marketplace have the goods to be our new daily music device and PC listening software combo of choice.

The Zune’s audio and video playback performance is very good to excellent. As with all portables, the bass is a bit lacking, but a good set of aftermarket headphones will make a big difference. The built-in equalizer presets are all too similar to do much good, but the overall sound of the Zune is very satisfying. Photos and videos appear clear, although darker areas of videos showed some pixelation. Microsoft preloads the Zune with a selection of songs, music videos and movies, so you’re ready to go right out of the box. Granted, we didn’t recognize many of the songs or artists, but this is still a nice bonus.

The Zune is a bit larger and heavier than the latest 30GB iPod, but its bright, beautiful color screen is a half-inch larger (measured diagonally) than the iPod’s. When you’re watching videos on a screen that small, every extra bit of real estate counts.Rounding out the package are a USB cable, a carrying case, headphones, and a 14-day trial membership in Zune Pass, Microsoft’s $15-per-month, all-you-can eat music subscription service.

Audio was clean and crisp – although the hard drive is distractingly audible at times. The on-player interface is easy to use and handsome, especially the large album art while track are playing.Video performance is very good, with the screen size really helping. Color was strong, brightness more than adequate in our test environments. I’m still dying for DivX support without transcoding, but hey I’m just happy to watch

Battery life didn’t meet the published specs of 20 hours for music and 4 hours for video with the Wi-Fi turned off. My rundown test on music was 18 hours, and video was 3.5 hours, which is, you know, fine.So call it a 6, with points off for HD noise and uninspiring battery life.

For video, the Zune is compatible with WMV, and the included software will convert MPEG-4 and H.264/AVC for playback. However, it won’t play video from Unbox, Vongo, Tivo to Go or other similar sites, and there is no support for DivX. It can only display JPEG pictures.

Features:-

Storage Capacity:-80.0 GB

Number of Songs:-20000.0

Main Storage Type:-Hard Drive

Audio Format:-MP3, WMA, AAC

Video Format:-MPEG-4, H.264, WMV

Screen Size:-3.2 inch

Interface:-USB 2.0

Outputs:-Headphone Jack

Additional Features:-FM Stereo Tuner

Power Source:-Rechargeable via USB cable

Width:-2.4 in.

Depth:-0.5 in.

Height:-4.3 in.

Weigh:-4.5 oz.

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What is the Microsoft Zune and is It Better Than the Ipod?

admin    Misc     Better, Ipod, Microsoft, Than, Zune

/>So what is the Microsoft Zune? Is it going to be the so-called iPod killer?

Zune is more than a brand from Microsoft that incorporates a line of portable media players. It is also software that will drive the devices, and an online service for acquiring and sharing media. The flagship Zune product is the portable media player, that will compete directly with Apple’s Ipod. The Zune was released on the US market on November 14, 2006 with a price tag of $249.99, and you can order it today here at OneStopZuneShop – as well as all of the Zune Accessories.

The Zune has a 30 GB hard drive which stores up to 7,500 songs, 25,000 pictures or 100 hours of video. It has built-in FM tuner with Radio Data System, 3.0-inch screen, and 802.11 wireless networking. The player comes in three colors—black, brown and white. Supported codecs include H.264, MP3, WMA, WMV, MPEG4, JPG and AAC6 [7].

The wireless networking connects two Zunes together, enabling the sharing of “full-length sample tracks of select songs”, recordings, playlists and pictures with others. Tracks received from another person can be played for up to three days or three plays, whichever comes first, after which it will need to be purchased via the Zune Marketplace store—their official name for the store.

The Zune is able to connect to the Xbox 360, which allows the user to stream music, videos, and pictures via USB. Microsoft Points is used to buy music via the Zune Marketplace. The Zune Marketplace can be used as a per-song purchase plan or as a subscription-based flat-fee service, known as a “Zune Pass”.

What does the future hold for the Microsoft Zune?

Rumours suggest the Zune will, in the near future, also act as a mobile phone. But in the interim, we’ll have access to a broad range of Zune accessories, such as:

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Microsoft Zune Player Vs Apple Ipod

admin    Misc     Apple, Ipod, Microsoft, Player, Zune

Apple’s ipod has been long dominating the digital media player (DMP) market. And why not; ipod has been far superior in performance and features when compared to its rivals.
But Microsoft is set to change this by coming out with their own media player named zune, which will debut to the world on November 14, 2006. The product is being manufactured by Toshiba under Microsoft’s name and will be available for exactly the same price as the 30GB ipod.
Here I’ll compare and list a few key differences between zune and ipod. For example I’ll take the 30GB ipod. Since, Microsoft is also offering 30GB storage for zune.
Below are the list of features supported by zune and not Ipod.
* Landscape video
* Preloaded Audio and video
* Built in FM tuner
* Social networking (and)
* Custom background.
But two major differences are file sharing and Wi-Fi (aka wireless) support.
Yes, every zune will have the ability to wirelessly share and play songs, videos and pictures with other zunes. Microsoft zune will be able to hold 7,500 songs, 25,000 pictures or 100 hours of video.
With all the exciting and promising features, Microsoft will definitely take a big chunk of media player market form apple, but how much only time will tell.

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Latest Microsoft Zune 80 Detailed Information

admin    Misc     Detailed, Information, Latest, Microsoft, Zune

Microsoft Zune 80 is the latest version of Zune generation from the company, which features 3.2” 320×240, 64k Color LCD, weighing 128 grams with size of 61.1 x 108.2 x 12.9 mm and also able to supports WMA, WMA Lossless, MP3, AAC as well as WMV, MPEG4, H.264. Microsoft also claims that the battery should lasts up to 30hrs Audio / 4hrs Video. It has the capacity of up to 80 GB stores 20,000 songs, 25,000 pictures or 250 hours of video.

The Zune 80 is part of a sweeping update by Microsoft of its digital media player offering. Along with Zune 80, two flash-memory players are being launched, as well as a significant firmware update, new PC software, an updated online Marketplace, and a new Zune Social community site.

Video performance on the 80GB Zune is quite good. The Zune’s 3.2-inch screen is a monster, bested only by the iPod Touch and full-fledged PVPs. The glass-covered 320×240 LCD presents excellent viewing angles, with above-average clarity and color.

The second time around I am seeing something a bit more impressive. The hardware has been updated and features have been added. The Zune is much more social this time around with the ability to share your listening preferences online. It has also tightly and seamlessly integrated podcasting and the wi-fi has finally been put to good use with wireless sync.

Design

The 80GB Zune cuts a much slimmer figure than its bricklike older brother. Measuring 4.3 inches high by 2.4 inches wide by 0.5 inch deep, Microsoft shaved some considerable bulk off the Zune’s thickness, while nearly tripling its capacity. Beyond its more pocket-worthy form, the two major improvements to the Zune’s hardware design are its screen and its navigation pad.

Features

We admit the first-generation Zune certainly wasn’t the coolest-looking MP3 player on the block, but its features were fairly advanced. With subscription music support, wide-screen video playback, Wi-Fi music sharing, high-quality photo viewer, RBDS-enabled FM radio, and composite video output, the original Zune looked like a serious iPod challenger on paper. The 80GB Zune maintains all of the original Zune’s compelling features and ups the ante with tightly integrated audio and video podcast support, as well as the unique ability to automatically sync content over a home wireless network.

Pros:Works seamlessly with redesigned Zune Marketplace. Navigation pad works well. Excellent graphics. Bundled earbuds aren’t bad. Customizable rear panel. Syncs to PCs wirelessly.Cons: Screen is too small. Headphone jack poorly designed. Interface can freeze up. Player-to-player wireless can be fickle. Full wireless syncing capability will be added in a firmware update.”

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What Microsoft *should* Have Done With Zune

admin    Misc     Done, Microsoft, Should, Zune

When we all first heard about Microsoft’s Zune — it sounded like a decent contender for an Apple iPod competitor. Big screen, video, pictures, wireless sharing of music plus rewards for people sharing music. It sounded like it was to good to be true (or to good to be Microsoft). It sounded like a big fat powerful idea.

But reality and corporate trenches are a bitch. Here is only some of what went wrong.Pay Per Sale to Universal

Despite what most thing, the decision to pay Universal for each unit sold was a relatively good strategic move. This will force iTunes to renegotiate with potentially different terms with the Major labels. (“If Microsoft did it, then so can you”).

However, take special note that giving Universal a piece of the pie indicated that both sides are in agreement that there is a relatively large amount of piracy that happens on these devices. Therefore, the payment is basically a levy in MP3 players which goes right into the labels pocket. Wireless

Seth Godin has clearly demonstrated, in his book The Purple Cow that for a product to be popular, it must be remarkable in some way. The wireless feature was it for Microsoft, but here is where they botched the job.

Here is what they should have done, since they already agreed to pay for the piracy subsidy. It should have been a free for all. Let people share everything that wasn’t purchased from the Zune store. Let them trade video, audio, text, ebooks, cracks, patches, everything. Publish an API and let people build applications on it. Make it every nerds dream.

But they didn’t did they? The reality is, they basically made the wireless connection useless. Every file that you desire to share, regardless of whether it came from the Zune store, or your own CDs is wrapped in a very restrictive DRM which limits three plays or three days.

Now, If it was me. I would have even allowed Zune music to be shared with no restrictions. But I am a communist.

I am also a realist. Microsoft needed to keep the record labels happy. However, they could have easily done this by restricting the sharing of Zune purchased music and allowing a free for all with any other media.

I think Microsoft knew this all along, but failed at the negotiations table. Setting the Price to High

If I was Microsoft (what I believe to be a smart modern organization), I would have the knowledge that traditional marketing is dead. All the money they spent on TV advertising campaigns and branding could have been much better spent.

They did something right with paying bloggers to speak Zune and promote/critique it. (This, is not a paid post).

They should have passed the marketing savings onto the customers. I would have priced it quite below iPod ($50 dollars seems like a doable number minus a multi million dollar advertising campaign).

Combined with wicked sharing functionality, this would have been a low market disruption that could have changed the world.

Sadly, many MP3’s from SanDisk and creative seem to be on par with this initial Zune. No Podcast Support

Podcasting is essential. I use my iPod to stay updated with News and the going-ons of Silicon Valley. I plug in my iPod, it updates my podcasts automagically, and I listen to them at the gym. I won’t buy a Zune because of the inconvenience of this lack of a feature.

There inability to have a backbone at the negotiations table, the pointless advertising campaign, the high cost, and the under utilization of the wireless functionality will be the death of the first iteration of the Zune.

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Microsoft Zune Review – the Future of Mp3 and Digital Media Players?

admin    Misc     Digital, Future, Media, Microsoft, Players, Review, Zune

Earlier this year, the idea of a Microsoft-branded MP3 player was foreign to most consumers. After all, what could the software giant do to the iPod dynasty that Windows Media hardware partners such as Creative, iRiver, and Samsung had been unable to do? Well, we all knew that after Microsoft’s September 14 announcement, the Zune would be a different kind of portable media player, one that integrates wireless technology for Zune-to-Zune sharing of files, and one that works within an iTunes-like closed Zune Marketplace ecosystem. The hard drive device, which comes in black, white, or the love-it/hate-it brown, has entered the real world and will please most users, especially beginners, thanks to an excellent UI, nice integration with Zune Marketplace software, and good playback performance.

By now, we all know the basics of the Zune: it’s a 30GB MP3 player with a photo- and video-friendly 3-inch (4:3) screen, and it costs $249.99 (unless you buy it at buyazune.com). It runs on a customized version of Portable Media Center software (Windows CE-based) and features the same intuitive twist-navigation like players such as the Toshiba Gigabeat S.

While the player is similar to many other players in terms of its feature set–music, video, and photo playback, plus an FM tuner–what sets it apart is its integrated Wi-Fi chip, which allows it to seek out and be seen by other Zune-sters. This sharing feature allows users to share music and photos (but not video) within the same room. Shared photo files, on the other hand, have no limitations. We’d love to see Wi-Fi expanded so that one could sync or purchase music wirelessly (or even see Zunes across the globe), but having played with the device, I see why Microsoft is starting small. So far, the Zune experience out of the box and beyond has been predictable and solid. Wi-Fi or not, it’s one excellent media player.

Quickly, about the box and its contents: the Zune packaging is minimal but has flare. You actually lift the Zune out of the box by pulling on its brown ribbon (nice touch), and the bundled earphones and rubbery USB cable are nowhere to be seen until you realize the flaps adjacent to the Zune lift open. In addition, you’ll get a suede case, a software CD, some guides, and a sticker in the package. While we’d love to see more–such as an AC adaptor– the introductory Zune experience is well done.

The colors are subdued and the shell has a translucent matte finish, and more importantly, the body does not attract fingerprints (though the screen does). The double-shot effect of the secondary color (green on the brown version, bluish on the black, translucent on the white) definitely gives the player visual pizzazz. The built-in battery will last up to 14 hours for audio. Interestingly, the back says this in fine print: “Hello from Seattle.” The Zune, which is manufactured by Toshiba but completely designed by Microsoft, is an original-looking player with a style of its own.

It’s a durable device that will withstand scratches, bumps, and bruises, though the primary seam of the device looks as if it might burst open after a hard fall. The body is minimal with no buttons on the sides, only a hold switch and an earphone jack on top and a proprietary USB/accessories port on the bottom. The screen and main controller are surrounded by a thin, metallic inlay, while the three control buttons are dead simple (the small dedicated back and play/pause buttons are flush with the body).

Overall, the Zune is a well-designed portable media device with good playback performance, a snappy processor, and an excellent interface. Wi-Fi sharing worked well, but prospective owners should know its format support, especially for videos, is limited. The Zune looks like a good fit for MP3 player novices, though we hope Microsoft addresses issues and will make the Zune usable as a hard drive; extend video support to include DRM (which they probably will do when its own video store opens); and open up a true Wi-Fi network. The foundation looks good, though, and those not interested in version 1 of Zune can look forward to improved versions 2, 3, and beyond.

This review was brought to you by CNET.

If your interested in the Microsoft Zune, I would recommend http://www.buyazune.com as they consistently offer the best prices for every model and accessory of the Zune.

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Microsoft Zune Vs. Apple Ipod

admin    Misc     Apple, Ipod, Microsoft, Zune

When it comes to listening to digital music, there’s two major giants that are on the market today. The first being Apple Ipod, the second Microsoft Zune. Although Microsoft Zune may be a newcomer to this new digital music market, they aren’t in any way lacking when compared to Apple Ipod. When making the choice between the two, you’ll want to compare both side by side. We’ve done that in this article, to help make the decision making process easier for you when you decide on a digital music player.It seems that Microsoft has learned from the Apple Ipod’s mistakes in many ways, and have thus benefited from these observations. For example, one of the advantages the Zune capitalized on is in the area of video. Apple’s video screen was noted for being small in size and somewhat hard to view clips on it. The people at Microsoft recognized these weaknesses and designed a screen which is about .5″+ bigger than the Ipod’s.Zune is also looking to the future as it boasts WiFi abilities. With a feature like this, Zune users will be able to send songs to their friends closeby. Your friend can listen to the song you’ve sent him or her for up to three days, but then they have to purchase it to continue listening to the song for after the 3 day limit. This is definitely an interesting addition that adds a community sharing-type element to digial music.Price isn’t a deciding factor here. Both Ipod and Zune offer a 30GB player at $249. It’s important to look at the features of each music player so you can decide what is right for you. The Microsoft Zune music selection may not be as large as iTunes, but with backing from Microsoft it grows larger and larger everyday.Personally, I tend to like Microsoft Zune better. Not only is the device easier to use, the screen is bigger and more attractive. I also see a bright future for this device under the leadership of Microsoft, it will be tough on Ipod to see this kind of competitor enter the ring.

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My Microsoft Zune Review

admin    Misc     Microsoft, Review, Zune

Microsoft Zune doesn’t have as large of a following as Apple’s Ipod, but the Zune is very impressive and its overall design and ease of use has won over a lot of users. Microsoft Zune 80 is a very handy package that offers Wi-Fi music sharing, a photo album, FM radio, video output and more. It is certainly competition and true alternative for Apple’s Ipod. Microsoft Zune 80’s video and audio performance is good.Zune 80 is a slim package with a nice design. Its storage capacity is 80 gigabtyes and it has a large LCD screen, but it’s still a slim, sleek player. The LCD screen is also protected by an optical glass screen shield rather than the plastic that most players use for their screens. The optical glass screen shield protects the Zune 80 LCD screen from scratches a lot better than plastic. Microsoft Zune 80 comes in many different colors to choose from including: pink, red, black, green, and white.The Microsoft Zune 80’s navigational pad is very soft and easy to use. It’s easy to browse through a long song list very quickly. You can also browse through photos, videos, and radio stations. The scroll accelerates very fast when the navigational pad is being held down.The software for Microsoft Zune 80 is also very easy to work with. The Microsoft Marketplace offers many categories of music, detailed artists’ pages, good editorial content, a podcast directory and more. The only thing the Microsoft Zune Marketplace is missing is the television and movie content that Itunes offers.Microsoft Zune 80 is very affordable. The average price appears to be around $249 for any color. This price is rather good for an 80 gigabyte mp3 player that has good performance. The only problem some people are having with Microsoft Zune 80 is the battery life. The batteries don’t seem to last as long as they should. But all in all, Microsoft Zune 80 is an excellent mp3 player with a good price.

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