The Xilisoft DVD Ripper Platinum is a quick and easy-to-use DVD converter software. It allows you to easily burn DVDs into some of the most of the popular video and audio formats.

Features of the Xilisoft DVD Ripper

Xilisoft DVD Ripper Platinum includes functions for both DVD Ripping and DVD Audio Ripping.  Following are some of the video and audio formats supported:

Video conversion formats include:

• AVI
• MPEG
• WMV
• DivX
• RM
• MOV
• MP4
• 3GP
• 3G2
• Xvid
• ASF
• etc.,

Audio conversion formats include:

• MP3
• WAV
• WMA
• AAC
• AC3
• M4A
• MP2
• OGG
• etc.

To me this is an impressive number of formats, and covers most all of the formats that I’d have converted for my own use.  Another plus is allowing for adjustable output sizes, since these files can get pretty large and take up a good chunk of hard drive space.

Other Additional Features

The Xilisoft DVD Ripper auto-detects the CPU of your PC, so the ripping will be done at the optimal speed. It also supports the auto-splitting of output file into several files, so that it can fit to a CD-R or other device.

Xilisoft DVD Ripper In Action

User Reviews for the Xilisoft DVD Ripper

Softpedia reviews were fairly positive for the Xilisoft Ripper, noting the ease of usage and it’s ability to rip material.

Amazon reviewers were mixed: some praised the Xilisoft Ripper as being worth the price and working as expected, while some cited negatives in terms of how slow it performed, and also noted some poor customer service experiences.

Xilisoft DVD Ripper Platinum – Prices, Deals and Discounts

On Amazon:
Available to buy at Amazon

On eBay:

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These days it seems as if a lot of people have older media on their hands that they’d like to have transferred to a digital format (for instance, VHS tapes or old family footage captured with a camcorder, etc.)

For anyone who is looking to make some backups of old video footage like this, and would like to capture this video on a digital format with a PC, the Diamond VC500 One Touch is an ideal choice.

The Diamond VC500 offers capture technology for a number of different sources such as VCR, camcorder, DVD (or basically any device with video output offered through S-video or composite RCA ports) the One touch allows the user to capture video footage easily with just the touch of a button.

Once the capture software has been installed on the users PC, the Diamond VC500 device is then bridged between the particular video player to the computer’s USB port.

The software that is included with this helps guide the user in the process of capturing the video footage, and allows one to change the details and size of the video being saved.

There are a number of ways that a user can capture older video and bring it into a digital format on a PC, such as using a DVR system for example, but with a simple device like the Diamond VC500 One Touch, the transition is going to be very straight-forward and simple, using a simple connection between the device and your computer.

System Requirements

The system requirements are relatively simple, requiring 256 MB ram with an Intel or AMD CPU 1.4GHz (or faster) system. Disk space would depend on how much the user wishes to capture with this device, but 200 MB is recommended (with 600MB to 3GB per 1 Hour of Recording, again depending on how much the user wishes to capture).

Since this is dealing with video footage, and potentially a lot of it, it’s probably a good idea for those using older PC’s to close out other applications while running this capture software.

Hands-On With the Diaomond VC500

The Diamond VC500 One Touch offers an ideal and affordable solution to backing up older-format video footage, and is worth checking out for anyone who has old, nearly-obsolete video footage on their hands.

Diamond VC500 Marketplace – Deals & Discounts

On Amazon:
Available to buy at Amazon
On eBay:

Diamond VC500 One Touch Video Capture Device VHS to DVD US $41.93   Auction Ends: 5d 10h 39m Make it yours…

Diamond Best Data VC500 One Touch Video Capture Device US $43.50   Auction Ends: 24d 17h 32m Make it yours…

You may also be interested in:

• More About Video Editing & Productin
• How To Build A Portable Video Streaming Kit
• Searching for more Video Capture Devices on eBay

Live Video Streaming

The live video streaming sector is one of the most competitive across the whole online video market. Big names such as Justin.tv, Ustream, and Mogulus continue to evolve and improve in their efforts to become the number one brand and recognized in the same breath as Google, eBay, Amazon, and YouTube.

Mogulus recently rebranded itself to LiveStream, buying the frankly worth its weight in gold domain name to go with it. While Ustream underwent a radical redesign this time last year and then again in April of this year. Now, Justin.tv, the current traffic leader, has done the same. As well as a complete redesign of the site there are also a number of new features being added to the mix.

Justin.tv Redesign

The Justin.tv site has been given a visual overhaul, now looking cleaner and more simplified than before. The usability of the site has also been made more simpler, obviously an attempt to persuade more people than broadcasting isn’t something which requires degrees in film-making and electronics.

The main way this simple approach is achieved is by the introduction of one-touch recording. There’s no longer any need to sign up for an account or log in to an existing one. You can now start sharing live video with the world by “Live broadcasting in one click.” There is also now a Meebo IM chat bar present on each page of the site.

Camtweet and DVR Functionality

Justin.tv has also introduced a couple of very nice features in the last month. June saw DVR functionality come to the service. Now, when you’re watching something and realize you need to pause or stop watching for a while, you can click a button to give you the option to, “Continue watching this later.” The video will be recorded and you can begin watching from the point you left the video stream for up to seven days.

Just a few days ago Justin.tv also unveiled Camtweet, a new side project aimed at users of the micro-blogging social networking site Twitter. In essence, the yet-to-launch Twitter app allows you to broadcast live video on Twitter. Camtweet is a devilishly simple idea that brings Justin.tv functionality to the much-hyped Twitter just as it goes mainstream.

Conclusions

These changes are making Justin.tv a whole lot more user-friendly than it was previously. Which has got to be a good thing in such a crowded and competitive market. By appealing to the masses, and taking the pain out of live streaming, Justin.tv could be about to increase the lead it holds over its rivals. Until, of course, they up the ante once again. Either way, it’s broadcasters who benefit.

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IPhone 3GS Video

The recently-released iPhone 3GS includes some fantastic video features. The device includes a 3 megapixel camera which is capable of recording video at near-HD quality with full audio and at 30 frames-per-second. What’s more, there is some excellent basic editing software included as standard which also allows captured clips to be uploaded to YouTube and the like with ease.

This inclusion of a good quality video camera in the iPhone is a worry for video camera manufacturers, because if this sort of device is available in a smartphone, where is the need to buy a product which costs more and is only capable of doing that one job? However, the iPhone is still a costly prospect for most people thanks to the monthly contract required to use one.

IPod Touch Video

This isn’t the case for the iPod Touch, the product which has almost everything in common with the iPhone, apart of course from the phone part, with the Touch instead focused on being a multimedia device you can carry in your pocket. Imagine what would happen if Apple decided to put a video camera inside each and every iPod Touch, and possibly other flavors of iPod as well.

This is the latest rumor to have hit the InterWebs. TechCrunch claims a source in Asia is reporting that Apple has recently placed a massive order for the camera modules of the type used in the iPhone 3GS. The order is said to be so large it can only be intended for the next generation of iPods. MacRumors has added weight to this theory with the posting of alleged new designs for the new iPod Touch and iPod Nano, both of which have holes intended for camera lenses to poke out of.

Immediate Effects

If true, this would firstly have a huge impact on the video camera market because millions of iPods are sold every single month, and who would buy a more expensive video camera when they could just upgrade their iPod and get a whole bunch of other features thrown in for the price?

The other obvious impact would be on the amount of people suddenly able to flex their creative muscle and shoot reasonably good looking video on a mobile device. Video shot on a crappy cellphone camera is one thing, video shot on a smartphone or personal media player is quite another. Mobile uploads to YouTube would likely increase by a huge amount once again.

Conclusions

Apple could quite easily corner this particular market while killing another one off if it chooses to go down this route. And as there’s no real reason why the company wouldn’t, it seems likely the speculation will prove to be correct in the months to come. Mobile video is about to come of age, and as with so many other markets, Apple is at the forefront of making it mainstream.

iPod Touch Products on eBay

APPLE IPOD TOUCH 2ND GENERATION 8 GB MP3 PLAYER BONUS US $148.02   21 Bids Auction Ends: 2h 19m Make it yours…

Apple iPod touch 2nd Generation 8 GB MP3 Player US $135.99   1 Bid Auction Ends: 2h 16m Make it yours…

Although its hard for people who use Web video on a daily basis to believe, there are many Internet users who are completely in the dark about the power of Internet video and how to utilise it.

Learning The Ropes

While sites such as YouTube continue to grab viewers attention, the revolution that is Web video is still at quite an early stage and many Web users are still learning the ropes.

We’ve reviewed quite a few books intended to give a grounding for those people looking to move in to the world of Web video, and now we have a review of a DVD intended to do exactly the same thing.

From Books To DVD

In the same way that the How To Do Everything With Online Video and Mastering Internet Video: A Guide to Streaming and On-Demand Video books tried to give an entry-level view of Web video, so does this DVD.

The Easy Guide To Web Video DVD offers a step-by-step guide to capturing, preparing, uploading, and sharing video on the Internet. And being a DVD means it has an added advantage in offering visual guides to the processes involved.

This DVD, directed by Bill Myers, offers advice on everything you’ll need to know to get started with Web video. And it’s all presented in simple steps with clear instructions.

Huge Range Of Topics

The range of topics covered on this 68 minute DVD include:-

• Why you’ll want to have video on the web.
• How having video on the web can increase sales on your website.
• How to quickly have your own video channel for free.
• How to almost instantly create web video from photographs.
• How to capture video from your camcorder to your computer.
• How to prepare your video for the web.
• How to add graphics to your videos – and why you’ll want to.
• How to add background music to your videos.
• How to render video to get the best quality on the web.
• How to upload videos to YouTube, Google Video, and MetaCafe.
• How to get paid for the videos you upload to the web.
• How to share your videos with others.
• How to convert your videos into flash.

Conclusions

This DVD caters for anyone new to the world of Web video, and so people with existing knowledge need not buy it.

For everyone else, it’s a must see if you want to become part of the video revolution currently shaping the Internet.

[Buy the 'Easy Guide To Web Video DVD' On Amazon]

The issue isn’t as cut and dried as just sticking some ads on and hoping for the best, for a variety of different reasons. In fact, the whole business is so complicated, many people just accept they aren’t ever going to make any money out of it.

Copyright Violations

First of all, you have the different advertising methods, with video ads, pre-roll post-roll etc, or text ads on the video page amongst the many choices on offer to you. Then there is the fact that YouTube won’t even advertise on UGC unless it’s checked for copyright violations.

The latter rule, in place to prevent YouTube getting sued… again, means that only an estimated 3% of video on the site can actually have adverts running alongside them.

CPM Rates

If that’s not reason enough to embark on producing more professional videos for the Internet, a new report out from The Diffusion Group, which looks at the CPM (cost-per-thousand) rates, should make it abundantly clear what the future is.

According to TV Week, the report suggests that CPMs for professionally-made long-form online content are $40 today and will reach nearly $46 in 2013. CPMs for short clips are clocking in at about $30 and will rise to over $34 in the same time frame.

Compare that to user-generated video clips, which currently garner CPM rates of around $15 today, a figure likely to only rise to about $17 in 2013. That’s a huge difference, and show that if money is the ambition, professionally made video content is king.

UGC Vs. Professional Productions

The video advertising market is estimated to be at about $590 million today, but that is expected to rise to more than $10 billion by 2013 as advertisers finally switch on to the benefit of the medium, and video sites start monetizing more successfully.

It could even be argued that UGC will fall by the wayside in years to come, as despite accounting for almost half of the video streams we watch, they only make about 4% of the revenue on offer. Professional video soaks up the other 96%.

Expect to see sites such as YouTube do more deals like the Lionsgate one. This could in turn mean Hollywood comes crawling back to the sites, as the movie and TV studios suddenly see dollar signs in lighting up the way.

It’s all very well just shooting a 30 second video clip and uploading it to YouTube, but if you really want to make it, and possibly become the next Internet phenomenon, those clips need some work doing to them.

Just look at Fred, no I know it’s not pleasant, but love or hate him, his clips are well-produced, well-edited, and al the bad shots, and times it didn’t quite go according to plan have disappeared.

Pinnacle Studio Feature Set

One of the best-selling pieces of video editing software is Pinnacle Studio Ultimate Version 11, which currently retails on Amazon for just over $100. That makes it quite an expensive option, but the least of feature maybe warrants the price.

With this software, you will instantly be able to:-

• Achieve sophisticated effects and transitions featuring light rays, colour matching, artistic film looks and much more.
• Add drama and documentary-style motion to high resolution stills with StageTools MovingPicture precision pans and zooms.
• Create multi-layer effects like Picture-in-Picture, Chroma Key or A/B editing with two video tracks.
• Automatically create background music to fit the length of your movie.
• Select from hundreds of real-time, key-frame-able 2D and 3D effects and transitions to give your movie polish and style.

In effect, Pinnacle Studio Ultimate Version 11 will allow you to take control of the quality and style of your video creations, and you’ll no longer have to just make do with what ended up recorded for posterity.

Compatible With Almost Everything

The software is compatible with both Windows XP and Vista, and is also designed to work with HD devices, and Web publishing tools. It also comes with additional video and audio tools to further make the whole process easier.

You can import your videos from most video devices including DV, HDV and AVCHD camcorders, as well as digital cameras. The software then lets you add new layers of content, from audio tracks, to special effects.

You can then share your movies on your Sony PSP, Apple iPod, or DivX player. Or alternatively, you can use the integrated Web upload feature to share your creations publicly or privately with family and friends.

Conclusions

Some of the customer reviews on Amazon suggests that Pinnacle’s customer service isn’t very helpful or friendly, so if you were to have any issues with the product, you may have a problem.

All in all, Pinnacle Studio Ultimate Version 11 is an expensive, but tasty bit of kit which will ultimately appeal to those who have some experience in video editing but want to take their creations to a new level.

[Buy Pinnacle Studio Ultimate Version 11 On Amazon]

Luckily there are resources designed to help you get you started on the road to producing high-quality videos to share on sites such as YouTube, DailyMotion and Metacafe.

One of these resources is a book titled How To Do Everything With Online Video, part of the How To Do Everything series of books which take you through the process from beginning to end and give you a nice overview of the skills and equipment needed.

The Ultimate Guide To Online Video

The book is billed as “the ultimate guide to planning, creating, editing, and sharing video content online” and the range of topics covered include shooting and editing videos, preparing clips for posting, and how to share projects through websites, blogs, and podcasts.

The book was written by Andrew Shalat, a writer, author and consultant on many tech subjects. The book has 12 chapters, and 270 pages full of fact-filled advice for both PC and Mac owners.

Nicely Laid Out

If you buy the book, you can expect to read hands-on tutorials, covering much of the best video editing software, as well as an overview of camera techniques, story-telling concepts, and advice on lighting and sound.

The chapters are nicely laid-out and easy to read. The text is purely black and white, and there are a woefully small number of screenshots, but despite that, the guidelines are very easy to follow, even for beginners.

Whether you are just starting out in the world of Web video, or have dabbled but need to know how to optimize you video output, then this book could prove to be an invaluable purchase.

[Buy How To Do Everything With Online Video On Amazon]

However, to stand a chance of putting video on to the Internet via user-generated content sites such as YouTube, Metacafe or Daily Motion, you first need to have the tools to capture and edit the video to be view-worthy.

Corel Ulead VideoStudio 11.5 Plus

This is where video editing software such as the Corel Ulead VideoStudio 11.5 Plus comes in to play, enabling people everywhere to produce professional-looking videos, slideshows and DVDs without needing a degree in IT.

The Corel Ulead VideoStudio 11.5 Plus is one of a range of video editing suites available, and in this field, consumers certainly have a wide range of products to choose from.

11.5 Plus is an Amazon exclusive, and retails for just $59.99, bringing it in to the bracket of affordability by average consumer who may not necessarily have a fortune to spend.

Web Video Phenomenons

We’ve all seen Web phenomenons such as Fred, or Chris Crocker take off from nowhere to become household names overnight, and using this software, you could do the same, assuming of course you have a killer idea, or at least a strange looking pet.

Features

Using the software, you’ll be able to capture video from an HD camcorder and create HD DVDs or Blu-ray discs. You’ll also be able to use template-based Wizards, or the powerful hands-on tools for a more individual experience.

The software will also enable you to find and fix problems and issues which may occur with your video, add Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround audio tracks and add high-quality titles and transitions to any produced piece of work.

Capture Video from Almost Any Source

VideoStudio 11.5 allows you to capture video from almost any source including:

• AVCHD™ camcorder support – import high-definition video from hard drive and disc-based AVCHD camcorders Plus
• DV camcorders
• DVD camcorders
• HDV camcorders
• JVC® hard drive camcorder MOD file
• USB camcorder device control
• Mobile phones
• Set-top DVD recorders
• Digital & analog TV tuners
• VHS tape
• Web Video
• Webcams

A Must-Buy?

Once you are happy with your finished video, the software then allows you to share it everywhere you can think of, from YouTube, your iPod, DVD, or your Home Theater system.

Everything about Corel Ulead VideoStudio 11.5 Plus is smooth and user-friendly. Everything works as it should, and for a very reasonable price, this is a must-buy for any budding video, or movie producers.

[Buy The Corel Ulead VideoStudio 11.5 Plus On Amazon]

Gilbert has always been passionate about IpTV and the different ways that the technology of Web television are evolving. So it’s an obvious next step for IpTVe to become a service for media companies to utilise.

New Services Launching

IpTV Evangelist yesterday announced the launching of “a video production and media integration services group for companies in the ITV and IpTV space needing video and mixed media for their companied sites.”

The services on offer include “a wide range of services for delivery of video and mixed media online such as Product Demos, Trade show Panels, Video News Releases, Executive Briefings, Sales Presentations, Video Case Studies, and Media Training.”

An Essential Addition

IpTVe has already worked with high-profile companies such as Avon, BBC, General Foods, IBM, Morgan Stanley, Smithsonian, The New York Times, The United Nations, Wowza Media Systems and Yahoo!

To find out more about the range of services available you can visit the IPTVe Production page. With online television or video becoming a must for all companies in this technology driven era, this new service could be an essential for many.