These programs are always really helpful when you need to create a quick how to visual. Also this program is free. Microsoft Expression Encoder I have used these in the past but apparently this one is rated really high so I figured I would write it down before I forgot.
Tag Archive: Media
Finally an application that does everything that I want it to. I subscribe to FileHippo’s updated RSS feed so I need all the programs that are updated daily. MediaMonkey was one of them and it caught my eye that it finds and fixes missing album art. So I figured I would try it to manage my music.
Wow! Amazing application within a few hours I updated all my missing music art and also corrected a bunch of mislabeled tags, deleted some duplicate music, and leveled the volume on a few tracks. This software is amazing and is really easy to use. What would have taken me like 5 applications I can do all in one.
It also will manage my phone and iTouch. So no more working with iTunes to sync music and it is soo much easier to pick music and fill my iTouch and I can also have it automatically sync and fill based on music I listen to here and there on my PC. It also links in streaming music and a few other things amazing!
There is a paid version of the application that gives you more robust usage of ripping music and managing your large music library. The price is a modest $39.99 but so far I haven’t found a reason to upgrade past the free version. One thing I like is the super light package this all comes in <10MB This software is a must have!
These are really amazing and sum up 2008 very well
Well not too sure that anyone will ever use this but something interesting that I found on the net none the less it is a whole bunch of clipart pictures that fall under the CC copywrite laws.
So if you are ever looking for those awsome corporate safe clip-arts to use in your presentation or document here you go!
So tonight Laura needed to convert a WAV file to an MP3 file because she needed to send the file via email. Well the WAV file was about 23mb while the mp3 came down to 2.5mb. This application which is an open source application will convert any audio file type to mp3, ogg, FLAC and any other encoders you want to add. This is a great utility to have. It will also rip CD’s to that format.
Website: BonkEnc
Latest version: 1.09 Local Download
So I decided to buy a license for Playon as we pretty much have been using it everyday and my trail time ran out. With the latest updates they now allow 420p HD streaming for Hulu which makes a big difference and its nice to finally watch some of our shows in HD as it looks a ton better. Using it a lot I have come across a few lessons:
1) Disable the ‘Always Process Entire Video’ – this seems to cause some issues and may cause the application to freeze. This was the case when we were watching Jumanji and it kept freezing every 20 minutes or so. This was really annoying because it was a pain to have to scroll back to where the movie was when it lost its connection.
2) Set the video output to Max. This will ensure that you receive the highest definition picture.
3) If watching multiple movies/shows from playon be sure to run something like CCleaner through before running the next show. This will clear up a bunch of space that was taken up by the buffer while streaming from the computer to your PS3.
4) For smooth playback ensure you are not doing anything too intensive on the PC that is running Playon Desktop. It is fairly resource intensive on your computer while it is streaming.
5) When streaming Netflix start the movie and then pause it for at least 10 minutes and then let it play. This will keep you from running into jerkyness as you reach the end of the buffer.
6) Hardwire the PC with Playon Running as well as the PS3, this will ensure that you have the fastest connection speed
MediaMall is saying that they are planning a lot more upgrades for Playon including other applications to be included, I wonder if they are going to include Slingboxes new streaming website. Also I would like to see all the networks HD streams available as CBS is the only network available and that isn’t an HD stream. This is a huge step in the right direction for online TV and worth the $30
PlayOn TV is an application that you download for your PC and basically it allows your computer to stream from Hulu and Netflix watch it now. It then takes that video and passes it on to your PS3 so you can watch everything on your TV.
Verdict: IT WORKS!! REALLY WELL!! after watching new episodes of Family Guy and the Office, I was very impressed with the Hulu functionality. Then I decided to try and stream Netflix. I added some videos to my watch now queue and then looked it up through PlayOn. It works, no codec’s no error messages it just works! The only thing with the Netflix streaming I noticed is the buffer rate has not been perfected so you can catch up to your download while watching, this means that the video becomes a little jerky. that is something to expect from Beta version software. I found out when this happens just pause it for about 5 mins and then start again and it should be fine.
I actually think that this software would be worth buying because finally they bridged the gap between my computer and my TV. Although it is not hard to plug in my laptop to the VGA port on my TV this makes things a whole lot easier.
Looks like its time has finally come. I have been waiting for an application like this for a while. This application which is a plugin for your PS3 which adds Hulu to your PS3 and there is talk that there might be a place for Netflix watch it now in the future. If I can get my PS3 streaming media that would be awesome and save me plugging in my laptop to our LCD screen and watching it that way. The program is free to download and use for 30 days then it comes at a price. A price that I would be willing to pay if it works the way it is supposed to ($30). Initial reviews are rolling in around the web and it looks like the only complaint is that the video quality isn’t the best and that you hope to have a high speed connection to stream the shows. My first question is who owns a PS3 without high speed Internet? 
With all these new applications, and downloadable games, and videos that I am downloading looks like I might be buying that 120 GB hard drive to replace the 40 GB hard drive it came with pretty soon. Luckily Sony is smart and designed the PS3 for easy upgrades in hardware! Love it!
So I finally got accepted into private beta for Hulu and got able to play around with it today. Hulu blows Joost away with embedable episodes as well as a completely web based application without any download. I was pleasantly surprised to see the number of shows that they offer but was sad to see that they didn’t have the first few episodes of The Office, for some reason I cannot find episodes 1-3 online for season 4. Not even NBC.com has it. So far Hulu seems to be ahead of the game with the online TV idea!
It is nice to see the new standard that was adopted a while ago to replace the new defunct DVI port and the dated VGA port. The port is labeled with the number 7 and looks very similar to an HDMI port. Looks like I have a new requirement for my plasma TV is that it has a display port. Of course that means they need to make graphic cards that have this as an optional output in the first place. Nothing like technology confusing the public as to how to connect their monitor.
