Description: Automen is a free GUI for Mencoder that can perform video conversions across multiple formats and encoders. It supports XviD (for AVI encoding), FLV, X264 (MP4 for Ipod/PSP/PS3), WMV, MPEG4, MPEG2, and Huffyuv and is designed to be simple and straightforward for quick video conversion.

I will not mince words: this little program has unexpectedly come out of nowhere to become one of my favorite video conversion program hands down. The primary reason for this is in it’s user interface: the design is simple and makes sense, yet delivers a high degree of control and advanced functionality. Here are the top 8 reasons why this program rocks:

1. Set output width, not output resolution: you can tell Automen, for example, that you want your output video to be 640 pixels in width and it will determine what the height should be based on the input video aspect ratio. This is a good thing, as one thing I do NOT understand in most video converters is their insistence on the user defining the full, fixed output video resolution (e.g. 630×480), which is totally needless and in many situations results in converted movies with aspect ratios that are out of whack. You will not have to worry about wrong aspect ratios with Automen.
2. Encode by desired file size, not bitrate: how many people know what bitrate is? Not many, yet many video conversion programs insist on asking the user for their desired video bitrate. Instead these programs can do what Automen does and ask the user for the desired video size in megs, something which everyone can understand (the larger the video the more bitrate it can give you and the higher the quality). If you must adjust the bitrate manually, however, you can do so in the “advanced settings” tab.
3. Supports multithreaded processing: i.e. will take advantage of multiple core CPUs for faster conversion (check the box in the lower left corner of the ’basic settings’ tab to turn this on).
4. Offers multiple encoding quality settings: aside from setting the output size, which will greatly influence the output quality, you can select from a number of encoding presets (e.g. single pass or two pass, slow or fast, etc). In this case the tradeoff is between quality on the one hand and how quickly you want the conversion to be completed on the other.
5. Process only video, only audio, or both: simply check the appropriate box in the “advanced settings” tab. You can extract (demux) audio tracks from video files by checking the audio tab and unchecking the video tab.
6. Split output videos into multiple files: simply set the size in megs for each desired chunk to split into.
7. Normalize audio: for your audio track, whether as part of a video or when demuxing. Check the appropriate box in the “advanced settings” tab for this.
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Description: DVDnextCOPY iTurns Manager is a free program that can convert iTunes DRMS protected tracks to normal unprotected MP3s. It installs a virtual CD-writer driver and takes advantage of the option to burn tracks to CD in iTunes in order to capture and re-encode protected audio files to normal MP3s.

I’ve always had an interest in the various software that can remove DRM protection from MP3s, and with iTunes becoming the biggest music retailer in the US I am sure that a lot of people out there would love to find a solution for stripping DRMS protection from their purchases. If this applies to you I present the very strangely named yet rather brilliant “DVDnextCOPY iTurns Manager” (and yes it actually is iTurns, not iTunes, no typo there!). I tested this program on DRMS protected MP3s downloaded from the iTunes store and it worked brilliantly. Here’s more info on this program:

• How it works: it takes advantage of the option in iTunes to burn DRMS protected audio files to CD. It will install a virtual CD-writer driver on your machine that you burn to instead of your actual CD writer, and subsequently captures the data then re-encodes it as a normal MP3 (without the need for an actual physical medium).
• Tags/metadata: are fully preserved in the resulting MP3, including album art.
• Requirements: iTunes has to be installed, and it has to cooperate; (i.e. it has to play the DRMS protected songs). You cannot simply remove the DRMS protection of a track that, say, is copied from a friend’s computer as your iTunes will not play those to begin with.
• Re-encoding: be aware that your music will be re-encoded rather simply being stripped of the DRMS (output file format supported is MP3 only in the free version). The good news is that all information is digitally transferred rather than re-recorded, as the case would be in a straight recording program like Mp3MyMp3. If you like to get as close a copy of the original as possible you can make the re-encoding settings as close to the original audio file as possible.
• Legality: according to the developer’s site, this program is actually perfectly legal and does not violate copyright law. This is because DVDnextCOPY iTurns Manager does not actually alter or strip the DRMS protected files from their protection, but rather uses them to encode new files. The tracks also need to be legally yours in the first place as confirmed by the fact that your iTunes will actually play them.
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Description: Mp3splt-gtk is a free multi-platform tool that can split large MP3 or OGG files without re-encoding. It offers a number of different ways to do this, including autodetecting silences, using a a local CDDB or CUE file, and downloading album and track length info from freedb.org . Other options include splitting by fixed time segments and unwrapping Albumwrap or MP3wrap files.

If you need a program that can split large MP3 or OGG files, look no further than Mp3splt-gtk. What makes this program noteworthy is the number of different ways that it offers to determine split points inside your audio file. Here are more notes on this program:

• Split by autodetecting silences: you will need to provide the parameters for this such as the threshold level to mark a "silence", the cutpoint offset (0 is the beginning of the silence, 1 is the end), minimum silence length to detect, how many silences to process, and whether to remove the silences between tracks. It actually is quite easy and intuitive; you’ll be on your way the first time you use this method.
• Downloading album info from the internet: (my favorite feature) if what you are splitting is a commercially available recording you can simply search for the audio/album you want to split in the "FreeDB" tab and select the correct match from the list of results. Mp3splt-gtk will use the downloaded track length information to determine the split points, which you can then audit and/or modify if needed in the "splitpoints" tab. This is also a great way to import tag info into your split files.
• Create, view, and edit splitpoints: you can do this visually from the "player" tab (press the play button to get your audio file to load and play your file using the internal player; can also use SnackAmp as an external player). Or you can click on the "Splitpoints" tab and create or edit split points there by typing in or editing time values (by minutes, seconds, and hundred fractions).
• Split by CDDB or CUE files: if you have access to these Mp3splt-gtk is able to use this information for quick audio file splitting.
• Wrapped files: can process files created with Albumwrap or the open source MP3Wrap (these programs can convert multiple audio files into a single file while enabling playing the components individually and maintaining tag information).
• Split by fixed time segments: also supported.

Wish list (or how this program can be even better)
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Description: TubeMaster Plus is a free tool that can download streaming video and audio files from almost any media sharing site, including sites with anti-leeching protection. TubeMaster Plus also can convert downloaded videos to several formats, offers a video search function across multiple video sources, and offers a downloadble audio mp3 search function.

[Review Updated 10/27/2008] This program is a tool for downloading videos/music/streaming media from video and music sharing sites. I have learned a lot more about this program since first publishing this review two weeks or so ago, hence this updated review. Note that my original review of version 1.3.1.4 which as of this writing has been updated to 1.3.1.5.

This program combines the following tools into a single product: Orbit Downloader for streaming media downloads, FFMpeg for video conversion, an IE based internal browser, and a some sort of internet searching resource for finding (and downloading) audio files on the internet and videos across multiple video sharing sites. This program has multiple pros and cons, which I will list as follows:

PROS:

1. Downloads media from sites that have anti-leeching technology: I tested TubeMaster Plus with Last.FM, Pandora, and Imeem and it worked beautifully! Note: this functionality is provided courtesy of the Orbit Downloader component of TubeMaster Plus.
2. Downloads various media formats: video and audio in multiple formats (see image to the right).
3. Does not install itself as a plugin inside your browser: instead uses it’s own internal multi-tabbed embedded browser.
4. Music search: can search the internet and find downloadable tracks. It works very well and I highly recommend it.
5. Downloads YouTube vidoes in "HD" mode: when browsing YouTube, TubeMaster Plus will ask whether you want to download the higher-resolution MP4 video file versions of your desired video if these are available. (Not only are these higher in resolution but they can be uploaded to Ipods easily without conversion).
6. Global video search: looking for a video? Try using TubeMaster Plus’s media search, which offers a "Global Video Search" that can search up to 100 video sharing sites simultaneously.
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Description: TED (Torrent Episode Downloader) is a free tool that can find episodes of almost any TV show for downloading using a torrent client. It’s database of torrent sources is updated periodically to include new shows, and the program allows users to search for and add any shows that are not listed.

This is an extremely useful and impressive tool that can make the process of finding and downloading your favorite shows very easy; TED brings an easy to use iTunes-store like interface to the world of torrent TV shows.

This program is particularly suited for average users who (a) do not want to wade through torrent search sites and get bombarded with dubious ads and popups, (b) do not have the time or inclination to be searching for torrent sources needed for downloading, and (c) would like a reliable and easy way to find just the episodes that they want to watch. Here are more notes on this program:

• Shows in the database: you can choose from dozens of shows that are listed (I counted 191, and more shows are being added continuously). For each entry TED will download information from the net about the show including an overall rating, etc. (see first screenshot above). A search box is provided that makes it very easy to filter the list by keyword and quickly find what you’re looking for. Despite the expansive list I was struck with the number of shows I could think of that were NOT there (although these can be added by the user - see "adding to the list" below).
• Episode selection: you can choose whether you would like (a) a specific (custom) episode that you are looking for, (b) the last aired show, or (c) to put in a request for TED to look out for the upcoming show. The program will display a list of available episodes as well as a gauge that indicates the "availability" (i.e. likelihood and/or speed of downloading).
• Torrent client: you will need a torrent client to download; TED will NOT download anything without one. I recommend uTorrent.
• Adding to the list: if you do not find the show you want listed you can easily add it yourself. All you need to do is simply type in the name of the show and (optionally) choose the season and episode number you want, if any, and TED will generate a list of feed sources for you. I successfully added "Clone Wars 2008" and "Man vs. Wild" (as an experiment for research purposes of couse; I didn’t actually download ).
• Filtering: you can filter the files that TED will list by size of the found file, no. of seeders, or keywords (for example "xvid","2008", or"ipod" in the torrent).
• Scheduling: imagine coming home from work to find that TED had initiated the download of the latest episode of the show(s) on your list. By default TED uses an online resource (EPguides) to determine when an episode will air and therefore when to start looking for it (the period it will wait between lookups is user defined). Or you can use a rules-based scheduler to tell TED exactly when to go out and search for new episodes (e.g. if you know the show will air on a certain day you might set TED to go out and look for it on or after that day). Scheduling assumes that the program will be running in the background, which is a good segue for the next point.
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Description: Satsuki Decoder Pack auto-installs a collection of media decoders and filters on your system. It will allow you to view or open almost any media file or DVD using the enclosed Windows Media Player Classic or from within any other application. In order to avoid conflicts and clutter this pack does not include codecs, only decoders and filters.

Although I’ve often extolled the virtues of Media players such as The KM Player and VLC that support internal codecs and do not need codecs/filters to be installed system-wide, I have found that many situations will invariably require system-wide decoders. This is the case when you need to access the files in your media library by programs other than your all-internal-codecs media player, as in the following examples: you need to embed a video or media file inside a presentation software, you need to open a media file using video editing or conversion program, you want to generate thumbnails for your media files inside a media management or file management software (or even in explorer).

This is why I was recently looking into installing a so-called codec pack (such as CCCP, which is one of my favorites). However, what I also noticed was that there was a big difference between the media formats that I need my programs to be able to READ (i.e. pretty much all of them) and those that I need to WRITE. In the past year, for example, I have only encoded videos using the Xvid encoder as well as FLV, and aside from these I have very little use of any encoder on my system, as it will simply consume resources and clutter up my system all the time without having any practical use hardly ever. My guess is that 90% of PC users out there (if not more) are in the same situation.

This is where a software such as the Satsuki Decoder Pack is most helpful. What this is is a decoder pack that provides codecs and filters to allow your machine to read/view almost all media formats out there, but it does not install encoders that facilitate the process of encoding/writing files. This means that you will be able to view most every kind of media file, but will have to seek out and separately install any encoders when and if you need them. Here are more notes on this program:

• Supported formats: mpeg 4, real media, mp1, mp2, mp3, ac3, ape, ofr/ofs, flac, aac/mp4, ogg/ogm, mkv, dvd, xcd, wmv 7/8, vp6, mpc, XVD, h264, as well as flash (FLV, SWF).
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Description: RichFLV is a free Adobe Air tool that performs a number of operations on FLV video files, including merging files, extracting sections from larger FLVs, exporting audio as FLV or MP3, converting to SWF, extracting individual frames to image files, and defining cue-points and metadata. Operations can be performed on the whole video or user-defined sub-sections.

If you’ve been looking for a tool that can work with FLV video (merge, cut, demux, edit) this may be the one you were waiting for. What is interesting about this tool, aside from being FLV-specific is that it can handle (read/write) FLV without the need to install any external codec packs on your system.

Here are some notes on what this Adobe Air application can do:

• Merge FLV: do this by first opening a file then from the import menu select FLV (stitch) and select the next FLV in line. Save the combined file and repeat for any subsequent files (note: use a new filename everytime; do not save over a file you are merging). Unfortunately it does not seem possible to simply select multiple files simultaneously in one fell swoop.
• Cutting sections from an FLV’s: this is extremely simple; all you have to do is define the inpoint and outpoints (by dragging and dropping these visually or from the keyframes section), and saving it from the "export" menu.
• Export to audio or SWF: once you set the inpoint and outpoint, this can be perfomed from the export menu. Your audio file can be either in FLV format or MP3.
• Cue points: you can define "cue points" on your video, and add informational "parameters" to these. These can be saved within the video itself or exported to XML files. Having said that, I am unsure as to what the usefulness of this is in practice (somebody please advise).
• Performance: excellent. Saving and exporting is ultra fast.
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Description: Totally Free Burner is a CD/DVD burner with a nice, minimalistic interface and an excellent range of features.

A nice surprise, this one. Totally Free Burner offers a set of features that will cover most people’s CD/DVD burning needs. It also offers a sleek design and nice look-and-feel as an added bonus. Here are more notes on this program:

• Automatic data verification: for all burning operations.
• Bootable: can create bootable CDs and DVDs (see image to the right).
• Technical specs: an impressive array of configurations supported; “all current hardware interfaces (IDE/SCSI/USB/1394/SATA)”. Multi-Session or Disc-at-Once mode for all formats; any combination of UDF/ISO9660/Joliet bridged file systems, and UNICODE support.
• Burns Audio CDs: supports mp3, wav, ogg and wma files. Does not rip audio cds (use the free BonkEnc or Exact Audio Copy for this).
• Burns disk images: supports ISO and BIN/CUE. Burns images on the fly without first staging locally on your hard drive.
• Burns video CDs: from Mpeg1 VCD files.
• Burns DVDs: for both data and video DVDs. For the latter it can burn from local DVD files or ISO. Supports using UDF format, for compatibility with hardware DVD players.
• Drag and drop: [updated Aug 14, 2008] as of the just released ver. 4.0, supports drag and drop files and folders (a good thing, since adding files and folders individually through the two seperate dialog buttons is not very practical.
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Description: Debut Video Capture is a free video recording software that can capture video and audio from any USB device, and can also record anything that is displayed on-screen such as a video that is playing or a user’s visible on-screen activity. Supports a wide variety of output formats and encoders.

I was recently faced with the need to make videos of a user (me) interacting with a site that we’ve created at work. This presented me with the opportunity to do some research and find a good screen-recording program; the last time I’d posted something like this was the Krut Computer Recorder way back in April 2007, but since then there seems to have been a proliferation of good free options. I decided to post this program because it is simple and straightforward, extremely easy to use, and offers a good number of output encoders and formats. Here are more notes on this program:

• Input sources: you can record any input coming from a USB video input device (including a videocam with USB input). You can also record your visible screen or a sub-section of the screen.
• Defining an area of the screen to record: is extremely easy; click on the "select a desktop rectangle tool" and draw a rectangle anywhere on screen. Debut will only record that area and any visible events that take place within it. Alternately you can click the "capture the whole desktop" button to record the entire screen.
• Output: can output in a variety of formats, including AVI, WMV, ASF, MPG, 3PG, MP4, MOV, and FLV). You can use a number of encoders which the program - I believe - installs (including DV video), as well as any encoders that you might have installed on your system (e.g. I installed an Xvid encoder and was easily able to use it to encode video screen captures with Debut).
• Editing output: you can resize the output video on the fly while recording and/or change the framerate to something that you set manually.
• Video effects: you can apply a number of filters on-the-fly (black and white, negative, sepia), and also have the option to change output color settings (brightness, contrast, gamma).
• Text annotation: also supported is adding an on-screen text message that is present across the entire video. You can choose it’s on screen placement, alignment, whether or not to use a background color, font, font-style, and font size, etc. The program also allows for variable date and/or time stamping.
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Description: this posting will provide a number of mini-reviews for freeware programs written by the amazing Dirk Paehl: SimplyZip, DP MediaInfo, IndexMaker, and UPXG.

I received an email from reader Christ T (CT) which had insightful things to say about a number of freeware titles written by Dirk Paehl. CT kindly allowed me to use his mini reviews as a posting.

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CT: “Purely by accident (I was searching for a “GUI UPX-er”) I came across a website full of Outstanding Freeware Programs, from a guy named Dirk Paehl (visit his site here).

He has a LOT of nice SMALL programs, notably:

• SimplyZip: 2.22 MB Multi-Archive Tool, with GREAT Encryption ability, spanning/multi-zip, supports Many, MANY Archive types, and it can even run Portably! It’s directory looks like “Universal Extractor”, but it can Create as well as Extract, and more - Very Nice! (screenshot above).
• DP MediaInfo: 0.54 MB, kind of like “GSpot”, only much more comprehensive, IMHO! [Note: for a full Freewaregenius review of the related MediaInfo, go here].
• IndexMaker: 187.28 KB (yes, ’KB’!) & CDtoHTML, 208.35 KB - Which create HTML from Files & Folders and from CD’s/DVD’s (respectively), very handy for cataloging.
• UPXG [UPX Graphical]: the reason I found his site, only 372.55 KB (with Docs & Uninstaller); It’s a Single-File GUI for UPX, but with the UPX 3.03 ’Engine’ BUILT-IN to the single 351 KB ’EXE’ file, Totally Stand-Alone or with optional Shell Integration, plus many other options - I still haven’t figured out how the heck he did it, UPX is 265 KB by itself! Maybe his brain thinks at Machine-Language Level? Beats “UPX Shell”, “UPX Front End”, or “UPX Tool+” - Scary Efficient!

I really like UPXG & SimplyZip particularly, and have been using them a lot lately, with no problems at all.  SimplyZip and Pismo File Mount are working beautifully together. Read more »