Handbrake - Open Source MP4 Video Transcoder

Apple TV, Audio/Visual, Linux, OS X (Mac), Open Source / Freeware, Video/Image, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP No Responses »
Dec 062010

I have been using Handbrake for quite sometime now but have recently increased my usage due to my acquisition of an Apple TV. The Apple TV is only capable of playing video files that are supported by iTunes. These supported video formats do not include AVI (well not without a Jailbreak and aTV Flash, but I will save that for another time) which is the current format of majority of my movies and TV shows. Due to this flaw in the Apple system I have been forced to convert all my unsupported videos to a format supported by iTunes. Enter Handbrake!

Handbrake is an open source video transcoder available for Windows, Mac and Linux and comes equipped with various conversion setting presets. Handbrake can convert a single video file, a queue of video files or a DVD video in a few simple steps:

  1. Select the source video file or DVD title/folder
  2. Select a destination for the converted file
  3. Select a conversion preset or configure the specific audio/video settings
  4. For a single file conversion click the Start button or click Add to Queue if you wish to convert multiple files. Click Start once you have added all videos to the queue
  5. The conversion process will start and notify you once all videos in the queue are complete

Note: For greater compatibility with iTunes, enable the ‘Use iPod/iTunes friendly (.m4v) file extension for MP4′ setting

Handbrake is by far the best free MP4 video transcoder that I have come across. Let me know your opinions or alternatives that you may use in the comments.

Posted by agreenlees at 8:41 pm Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Connecting to a SAMBA Share from Windows XP

Linux, Network No Responses »
Feb 082010

I was working on a project that required the use of a mapped drive to a SAMBA share. This all went off without a hitch on my test PC running Windows 7 and I was about to tick the job off my list. But… when I attempted to replicate this on the staff members PC running Windows XP I ran into an issues with authenticating to the SAMBA share. I have read numerous pages and forums that provided many different ways around the issue. Below is what worked for me and allowed me to have the mapped drive reconnect at login without continuing to prompt the user for authentication:

  1. Edit the requiresignorseal registry setting:
    • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Netlogon\Parameters
    • requiresignorseal - Change hex value from 1 to 0
    • RESTART PC
  2. Map a drive to the SAMBA share and select “Reconnect at login“. Usually at this stage you would use the “Connect using a different user name” option. However, do not use this option as it will not allow you to save your credentials.
    MapDrive
  3. Click Finish and you will be prompted for your credentials. Input your user name and password (SAMBA sever credentials) and select “Remember my details“.

As I mentioned there are numerous solutions out there to resolve this issue. This is just what worked for me…

Posted by agreenlees at 9:11 pm Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , ,
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