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SPECIAL DVDx 2.5 RELEASE!

DVDx: new 2.5.1 release is out!
DVDx: copying a part of a DVD movie
Software update: new Nero 7 release
Software update: new Roxio Easy Media Creator 8
Software update: new DivX 6.2.2 release
A taste of Windows Vista: download Windows Media Player 11 Beta
Friends top ten: sites who link to labDV.com
Software at labDV.com: updates and adds
VIP Pass: prefer 1-Year Pass for $33.00 (€28.00)

May 22th, 2006

1. DVDx: new 2.5.1 release is out!

The DVDx team strikes again! Thanks to our friend Dev-DVDx, this new 2.5 release solve many a/v out-of-sync problem repeated reported by users since the version 1.0 release and brings a better user experience.

DVDx packaging has changed:

- DVDx is "ripper free" and now called "DVDx standard version" while another version called DVDx Ultra Edition can copy any DVD thanks to the legacy DeCSS and De-Macrovision capabilities

This "ripper free" packaging allows DVDx to be available (and hosted by websites) in every country because DVDx standard version is compliant with every regulation in the world. And the DVDx full decrypting version, so called Ultra Edition, is available for countries which permit it. DVDx Ultra Edition can be hosted for gratis by any website and distributed gratis on CD-ROM magazines. The source code is open, GPLed, available from Source Forge and labDV. DVDx is freeware and gratis (forever). From labDV website, DVDx Ultra Edition is only available for VIP members.

New DVDx 2.5 features:

- Improved DVD Native IO Access (use SPTI for native IO access, deprecating ASPI and add more compatibility and smoother DVD initialization).

- Improved DVD Decoding: realtime dynamic framerate detection, adaptive framerate support, better NTSC DVD unregular telecine support, better audio/video synchronization algorithm.

- Added support for WMA 9.1 and WMV9, compress videos up to 50% smaller than previous versions under the same video quality and added more options for MP3.

- Fixed some hidden bugs which cause unexpected behaviorduring video decoding and conversion.

All release details will be found in the Readme_1st file.

The very first 2.5 release had a bug with the Lame DLL, we fixed it thanks to Rarewares.org and Mitch, so we released the DVDx 2.5.1 as the new current version.

DVDx related links:

We recommend to get a 1-year VIP Pass (for $33.00 or €28.00) and download DVDx 2.5.1 Ultra Edition from labDV.com but you can also get DVDx from SourceForge.net, we've updated the CVS repository and file release.

2. DVDx: copying a part of a DVD movie

This has been asked several times in the DVDx forum, how to copy only a part of the movie ?

DVDx allow to select chapters from a movie, which is what we're considering here at first (just hereafter, we'll explain how to define a part to extract from the movie preview timeline):

1. Launch DVDx. 2. Insert the DVD movie in your DVD drive. 3. Open the DVD Root (Figure A) and select the biggest program chain. 4. In Input Settings (Figure B): ensure the Program Chain Index is set to the biggest one choose preferred Audio Track choose subtitle if desired set appropriate Frame Rate (25.0 for PAL, 23. 976 or 29.97 for NTSC, eventually 24.0FPS) set iDCT optimization to SSE2 for recent PC (including SSE3 processors) or MMX or 3DNow for older processors even to output a VCD format, set Deinterlace filter to "None" for a Hollywood movie click OK 5. Open Output Settings (Figure C) and to make a VCD movie: select Video CD (MPEG1) keep standard VCD settings: 1150Kbits/s for video, 224Kbits/s for audio, 352x288 for PAL resolution (352x240 for NTSC) set Very High for Motion search if your PC is powerful keep default values for Expert Settings as well (to learn about all settings, click the Help button - but we'll see that in further tutorial ;-) click Check standard button, answer should be VCD Compliant: PAL (or NTSC) To make a DivX movie proceed like in the quick start guide published in previous newsletter (2.5). 6. Assuming we want to extract Chapter 3 and Chapter 12, stay in Output Settings: set Custom chapter for Volume don't exceed and click the Settings button nearby 7. Assuming we want the two chapters in different files: select Chap 3 and then click the Create volume button (Figure D) click again on Chap 3 to unselect it select Chap 12 and then click the Create volume button So now we can see the list of volumes (files) in the Summary (Figure E). The volume file size is estimated from the Current Bitrate set when creating the volume, so should be 1374kbps for VCD, but you can click Enter Bitrate to change it when doing a variable bitrate output format such as SVCD or DivX. You could group several chapters in same volume to fill a 700MB CD-R, but it isn't our purpose for this tutorial; anyway if it's yours, you'll do easily repeating process 7 actions. To learn more about creating volumes, click to Help button. When you're done with Custom splitting, click the Close button. Then Apply the output settings. 8. Open File... Select Output File... and browse to the desired folder, then type a file name. 9. Click on the Encode button and enjoy the encoding preview! The monitoring data are reliable during encoding (Figure F) showing FPS, encoded duration, encoding time (done and remaining), current output size / current volume size and current volume number / total volume number. Voilà! You're done. Now, let's consider how to select a part from the movie preview timeline: 1 to 5: let's do the same as chaptering hereabove. 6. Set the timeline cursor position in the preview mode: use the play button and the timeline cursor to preview the movie and locate the part you want to copy place the cursor at the beginning of the part to copy define the part duration in time or frame number. Example: 6 minutes is 6x60x25 so 9,000 frames for PAL or 6x60x29.97 so 10,790 for NTSC. 7. Set the part duration in Output Settings (Figure G): in Max frame set the number of frames you've defined above in 6 check the related Time to encode value which should be corresponding 8 to 9: let's do the same as chaptering hereabove.		A.

		B.

		C.

		D.

		E.

		F.

		G.

The complete DVDx splitting guide will be published soon at
http://www.labdv.com/guide/dvdripandcopy/dvdx_splitting_guide-en.html

3. Software update: new Nero 7 release

New Version adds Blu-ray data recording, multi-session writing on BD-R/RE media and the creation of 1:1 copies of any unprotected BD media.

Performance and convenience improvements have also been made to the Nero BackItUp, Nero SoundTrax and Nero WaveEditor applications.

Current Nero 7 customers will be able to receive a free online update at www.nero.com, I received mine by e-mail, with the download link.

We regret to inform you that if you use the update function implemented in the software, you will find 'Update' listed as 'Demo' in our latest software version. You may, however, be assured that your version will not expire after you entered a valid serial number. See the issue notification at Nero website.

4. Software update: new Roxio Easy Media Creator 8

With the new Easy Media Creator 8 Suite, Roxio is a valuable rival for Nero 7.

Roxio Easy Media Creator 8 Suite ($99.99 or $79.99 special offer) empowers you to live your digital lifestyle to its fullest potential. With 25 products in 1, you go beyond just CD burning! Now you can organize, edit, share and preserve your digital photos, music, video and data. And create 16:9 DVD video productions and photo slideshows for playback on your widescreen TV

Music: easily burn unlimited CDs & DVDs, enjoy up to 50 hours of music on a DVD with onscreen menus and Dolby Digital sound, convert LPs and tapes to MP3 in 3 easy steps - remove pops & clicks.

Photo: organize photos by date, last import or most recently used with Smart Views, personalize every photo and video project with premium content, including: special effects and transitions, photos content projects, pre-designed disc labels, and premium DVD menu styles.

Video: turn your home movies into amazing DVDs, merge & edit video clips from your camera to create new home movies, add photos between video clips on your new DVDs.

Backup/copy: copy DVD movies to DivX or WMV files and compress to CD or memory card size for mobile device playback, make perfect copies of DVD+VR and DVD-VR discs from set top DVD recorders, easily burn and copy audio, data, photo and video CDs and DVDs including double layer DVDs.

The Deluxe Suite adds advanced editing feature which provides then a complete attractive "make my own DVD movie" solution ($149.95 or $99.99 special offer):

Integrated Audio editor with 10-band equalizer
Overlay multiple videos for stunning picture-in-picture effects
Advanced support for H.264 (MPEG4) and AAC codecs
DVD control end-of-play action and link menu elements to specific files
Add a DVD menu overlay change size, orientation, transparency, shape, 3D rotation or edge fading properties

Easy Media Creator 8 includes MyDVD 8 with new HD support.

Compare Easy Media Creator solutions at Roxio...

5. Software update: new DivX 6.2.2 release

DivX Pro Codec 6.2: better high speed performance with new optimizations for HyperThreaded, dual CPU (SMP) and dual core systems. With even more advanced threading optimizations in version 6.2, it is now possible to get up to 350% better performance than DivX 6.0, depending on your system configuration and encoding setup. Only have a single CPU? Don't worry - the team hasn't left you behind. DivX 6.2 is faster across the board and also includes new optimizations for older processors.

DivX Player 6.2: play every DivX file ever created ( including those created with any variant of DivX 3, 4, 5 and 6, interactive DivX media files and purchased or rented DivX movies), optimized for DivX HD and interactive DivX media files. New features: download manager, media manager, playlists, burn to disc and user account management.

To correct issue in the former 6.2 and 6.2.1 versions, DivX has released a 6.2.2 version which may have already been installed on your computer thanks to the auto-update

Registered users might have received download link by e-mail.

Read the 6.2.2 announcement at DivX Labs...

6. A taste of Windows Vista: download Windows Media Player 11 Beta

Scheduled for release later this year, the MicrosoftÂ® Windows Vista product lineup will bring clarity to customersâ digital world by helping them easily accomplish everyday tasks, instantly find what they want, enjoy the latest in entertainment, improve the safety of their personal information, stay connected at home or on the go, and help ensure PCs are up-to-date, more secure and running smoothly.

New player GUI As a taste of Vista new experience, improving every aspect of digital entertainment experiences, including photos, video, TV, movies, music and games, Microsoft released a Beat version of the new Windows Media Player.

For the first time we can see "Rip" is a Microsoft menu,
what a surprise!

Please, read carefully installation/uninstallation documentation because Windows Media Player is a component of Windows, not an add-on software, so unistalling won't a newbie job.

If you want to follow on Vista availability and prepare your PC for upgrade, you can download the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor Beta...

7. Friends top ten: sites who link to labDV.com

This rubric is to thanks labDV friends who link their web sites to labDV.com:

Major search engine aren't part of this list (Google, Yahoo!, MSN, Excite and Web Crawler).

8. Software at labDV.com: updates and adds

Now there are 213 software available from labDV.com, most of them are freeware.

New software added in April and May

In DVD copying, DVDx 2.5.1 is the new "ripper free" release of DVDx and DVDx 2.5.1 Ultra Editionis the new complete DVDx release, available as "no upgrade" installer as well.

DVD43 is a background DVD decrypterwhich can be used with DVDx 2.5.1 standard version.

Get the whole software list available from labDV »»

Latest software updates

Authoring DVD and (S)VCD

Nero 7 Premium 7.2.0.3b_FR

Nero 7 Premium 7.2.1.3b_EN

DVD copying

DVDx 2.5.1

DVDx 2.5.1 "noup" 2.5.1

DVD43 3.8.0

DVDx "ripper free" 2.5.1

9. VIP Pass: prefer 1-Year Pass for $33.00 (€28.00)

Now you can register as a labDV VIP for 1-Year to access the whole labDV library, a lot of Digital Video articles and how-to's as well as a huge Digital Video software database, most of them are free.