Converters

Oct 10 2011

Handbrake: A review

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving everybody.

This review will be just a quick one. I’m not an expert with this sort of thing and have only dabbled with it from time to time…

What is it?

Handbrake is simply a transcoder. It converts DVD’s to video files and video files from one format to another.

Does it work?

Yes. It does what it was designed to do quite well and actually is fairly stable in spite of having not been updated in a while.

What platforms does it run on?

It is cross-platform. It will run on Mac (Intel), Linux, and Windows. I reviewed the 32 bit Mac version.

Where can it be found?

http://handbrake.fr/

How much does it cost?

Like almost everything I review, it is free to use.

Any thoughts?

Yes. Plenty.

I rather like the interface. All the information is on the screen where I need it. It is quite intuitive. It even includes tool tips if anyone wants to know what the various settings do.

As I said, it converts DVD’s to video files as well as  video files from one format to another. I’m not sure how many formats are accepted for the source file. The output file will be one of two formats. It will be either an MP4 or MKV. There are lots of options for both.

It is possible to include subtitles with the final file. The program will look for internal or external text streams and add them to the resulting file. Through experimentation I found it is possible to add them as hard subs (as part of the video) or soft subs (the player displays them as a separate stream on the screen).

More features include optimisations for Macs and iPods.

Of all the similar tools I’ve used, it is on the slower side of things. For a 25 minute file it can take over an hour to convert.

In many countries (including Canada in a few weeks) this program is considered illegal since it bypasses the encryption of the original file in order to produce the new file.

By BlankMike • Converters, Cross Platform, Freeware, iPod, Macintosh, Microsoft, OS X, Programming, Software, Video Editing • 0 • Tags:

Sep 1 1978

The Program They Said Couldn’t Be Written

The Aldrich brothers strike again.  Remember, folks, you read it first in Call-A.P.P.L.E..  “Convert”, by Ron Aldrich using the disk, will create a text file from an Integer BASIC program listing, call Applesoft, and presto, your program has been converted.   After Conversion, list it out and note all the lines that need to be changed to conform to the Applesoft format.

This means that the Integer commands that are not compatible with Applesoft must be changed.  For example:  TAB must be changed to HTAB and commas in INPUT statements must be changed to semicolons, etc.  The program listing is show below:

o REM “CONVERT” BY RON ALDRICH
1 REM PROGRAM LOADS INTEGER BASIC PROGRAM FROM DISK, SAVES TO A TEXT FILE ON DISK
2 REM THEN EXECUTES THAT FILE IN APPLESOFT
3 REM SOME COHMANDS WHICH ARE LEGAL IN INTEGER BASIC WILL NOT WORK IN APPLESOFT II (TAB,INPUT ••• )
10 POKE 76, PEEK (202): POKE 77, PEEK(203 )
20 DIM A$( 35 ):D$=”" : REM D$=”( CTRL) D”
30 PRINT D$;”NOMON C,I,O”
40 TEXT: CALL -936: VTAB 3: PRINT “A.P.P.L.E. PRESENTS:”: PRINT: PRINT “APPLE INTEGER BASIC – APPLESOFT II” : PRINT “CONVERSION PROGRAM”
50 PRINT: PRINT: INPUT “PROGRAM TO BE CONVERTED ?”,A$
60 PRINT D$;”LOAD “;A$
65 PRINT DS
70 POKE 33,33
80 PRINT D$;”OPEN “;A$;”FILE”: PRINT OS; -WRITE • ;A$; MFILEM
90 LIST
100 PRINT D$;”CLOSE “;A$;”FILE”
105 PRINT D$
110 PRINT D$;”OPEN I-A FILE”: PRINT D$;”WRITE I-A FILE”: PRINT “FP”: PRINT “EXEC “;A$;”FILE”
120 PRINT D$;”CLOSE I-A FILE” : PRINT D$;”EXEC I-A FILE”
130 END

WELL, RANDY???

By billm • Apple ][, Applesoft, BASIC, Converters, Integer Basic, Programming • 0 • Tags: , , ,