Handbrake Updated! Not Just for DVDs Anymore!

[Rene Ritchie]

Awesome app just got awesome'r!!!!


HandBrake 0.9.3 adds Universal Input - The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

 

[Jeremy]

Not a fan of Handbrake. VisualHub is so much better IMHO.

 

[jamesus]

This is great! I use both Handbrake and Videora to convert files. One nice thing about Videora is that it will automatically add a converted file into iTunes, but having just one program to do this is worth manually adding the files into my iTunes library.

 

[Rene Ritchie]

I prefer Visual Hub as well, but until a new version of the now-open source code pops up, I like having redundant options as well.

I used Handbrake to move my 200+ DVD collection to a Drobo for easy AppleTV access, so I'm also a fan of that

 

[jamesus]

How did you set up the ATV with Drobo? I'm curious since I am in the process of converting all of my DVDs and will quickly run out of storage space.

 

[Rene Ritchie]

@Jamesus,

I just created an iTunes library on the Drobo, then created an alias to that library in my local Music folder, which pointed to the Drobo (I understand this is a little safer than pointing straight to a removable drive of any type).

With iTunes feeding directly off the Drobo, it works auto-magically via Front Row and AppleTV!

I'm super happy with it, if incredibly lazy now

 

[Rene Ritchie]

UPDATE FROM ARS:

Looks like one of the developers didn't want to risk IP headaches from his employer, so they removed direct DVD decryption from Handbrake, and you now need to install VLC as well so Handbrake can mooch off the player's libraries.

(Sadly, the governments have totally screwed end-users out of fair, personal use rights in subservience to the big media lobby -- I'm happy to pay for my content, but then I want to be able to watch it -- myself -- how and when I want. Get off our lawns!)

 

[jamesus]

As weird as this may sound, I'm ok with not having the direct DVD decryption not included. I currently use a combination of DVD Decrypter and RipIt4Me to rip the DVDs to my hard drive. Being as the conversion of a DVD to the AppleTV format takes ~90 minutes for me, I like to queue a few movies to encode overnight. I find that using this setup, I can convert more of my DVD library in a shorter timeframe.

Of course, once I am finished converting my library and need to only convert 1 DVD at a time, I will be clamoring for this feature to be standard! I guess there is just no pleasing me...

 

[jamesus]

Well well well...just updated it on my Vista machine and the Direct DVD decryption works with VLC installed. Very niiiiiice!