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.

Yahoo! have become the first service to offer free video calls from iOS devices to non-iOS devices such as a desktop computer or (soon) Android smartphone. The call process is similar to that of FaceTime or placing a Skype voice call and can be initiated or received on either device. The process of making a video call is as simple as selecting an online contact and pressing the video call (webcam) icon or accepting the call if the call has been initiated from another device.

Sending Video Call Request

Receiving Video Call Request

The video quality is nowhere near that of FaceTime, but the app does have the advantages of; working not just on Wifi but also on 3G, it is available on all iOS4 devices not just iPhone 4 and iPod Touch Gen 4 and is not limited by only allowing iOS to iOS video calls. This app has taken a huge step in minimising the current proprietary nature of iPhone video calling (ie: FaceTime only works for iOS device to iOS device).

One thing to note is that the app currently does not seem to be able to accept calls from the Mac OS X version of Yahoo! Messenger. We must remember that this is the first app to successfully provide this type of service and I am sure future updates will improve and strengthen the service. Well done Yahoo!

I thought that I would start the new file association section with playing compressed RAR files that contain video files. I recently downloaded a video file from a source that had compressed and split the video file into a number of RAR part files. I wanted to make sure that the file was in fact the video that I was after without having to download all the RAR parts to be able to do so. I came across Dziobas RAR Player that allowed me to do just that and the following is how this is achieved:

1. Download and install Dziobas RAR Player
2. Open Dziobas RAR Player and from the File menu, select Streaming from unrar… (no rewind)
   
3. Select the RAR file containing the video file and click Open
   Note: You can select any number part file (ie: video.part3.rar) as long as you have the parts proceeding this file in the same folder. You must also make sure that you have part1 before you will be able to play any of the file.

4. The software will now ask you for the RAR files password. If the file is not password protected simply click OK. if the file is password protected, enter the password then press OK.
   
5. A command prompt window will now be displayed letting you know what the player is doing. Do not close this window as the process of attempting to decompress and play the video file will stop if you are to do so. If successful, the video should start playing in a new window.
   Note: If you are using Windows Vista and 7 your colour scheme will be changed to basic whilst the video is playing. Once the video has completed or is closed, your colour scheme settings will return to normal.
   

I have found that some video files allow you to fast forward using the mouse scroll wheel or keyboard arrow keys. From my limited use of the software, I have achieved this with RAR files containing MPG files but majority of AVI files do not allow for fast forwarding.

MP4Cam2AVI allows you to convert and/or join MP4 or MOV files to AVI in four easy steps:

1. Browse to the location of the video file/s you wish to convert.
2. Select the video file/s from the listing.
3. Select the appropriate action to perform on the video/s (Join or Batch Convert).
4. Select the Output directory and start the conversion.

The resulting video file/s can now be imported into Windows Movie Maker.

The application can convert a video in three easy steps (using default settings)…

1. Add the video file/s
2. Select the video conversion profile
3. Encode the video/s

The following is a detailed guide to the above steps:

1. Add the video file/s:

• Press the ADD VIDEO button.
  
• Browse to the location of the video/s that you wish to be converted.
• Select the video/s and press the Open button.

2. Select the video conversion profile:

• Select Flash Video Movie (*.flv) from the Profile: drop-down menu.
  

3. Encode the video/s:

• Press the ENCODE button and wait for the process to complete.
  

Below is a screen capture and video capture from my device…

VidCap3

More on the Windows Mobile PowerPoint controller soon…