Downloading, streaming, or encoding music and movies.
Media
Is the iPod Classic going to go away soon? (Part 1)
Episode 911
Barbara from
Leo says they're not doomed just yet, but that seems to be the trend. People interested in buying music players tend to go with smartphones and double up so they don't have to carry multiple devices. There's always a need for music players for people working out and hiking, though.
Why are the dimensions of my scanned photos suddenly different?
Episode 911
The scanner probably reset itself to the default settings. She changed the settings to what she wanted, but the change isn't taking. Leo suggests using the scanner in pro or expert mode, because basic mode will make choices for her. It also sounds like buggy software, so check for updates on the site. Remember that the scanning software that comes with the scanner is only as up to date as the day the scanner was built.
Why won't the digital copy of Blu-Ray movies play back on my iPod classic?
Episode 910
Von from
Leo says that's because the format of it has changed, and the older iPods won't support it. He can transcode it, but it is copy protected. Von could try VLC Media Player. If it plays in VLC, then Handbrake can encode it.
Why are my ripped DVDs playing fine on my PC, but not playing audio when I burn another disc?
Episode 910
Shelley is ripping her DVDs using WinX DVD Ripper. It plays fine on her PC, but when she burns it in Roxio, there's no audio. Leo says that her settings in Roxio is likely the issue. Leo advises burning in the MPEG2 format instead, with AC3 for audio. It needs to be in that format for the DVD to play correctly.
Why is my music skipping when I try to record onto cassette from my PC?
Episode 909
Leo believes it may be an issue with the on-board sound card. He could buy a cheap sound card and that would not only give him a better sound, but would eliminate the issue. In fact, a USB sound card would be ideal because they're cheap and because it's outside of the computer.
Video capture
Episode 868
Chris has an old video capture card in his computer using Pinnacle 9. But now that everything’s HD he’s seeing his video stuff is rather long in the tooth. Leo says that HD take a lot of RAM power and memory, and he thinks that a MacBook Pro or MAC Air would be enough power.
How can I backup my DVDs now that Mac the Ripper won't work anymore?
Episode 908
Victor from
Leo says Mac the Ripper won't work anymore because the MPAA took it down. Leo recommends Handbrake and VLC Media Player to do it. That will enable him to rip his DVDs pretty easily. The Chatroom recommends a few:
How can I convert my LPs and Cassettes to CD?
Episode 908
Garland from
Garland says he's heard of DAC Industries, and was wondering what Leo thought of them. Leo prefers Crosley instead. They are designed just digitizing record and cassette collections. ION also makes some affordable options.
How can I transfer an MP4 video file from my Windows computer to a friend's iPad?
Episode 908
Steve from
Leo says that the easiest way is to import it to iTunes. Not all mp4s are encoded the same way, though, and it may not be compatible with the iPad. He did use Handbrake and used the iPad preset to encode it, so that should be fine.
When he connects the iPad to iTunes, it wants to erase the iPad. Leo says that's normal, and for copy protection reasons it won't let him sync that iPad to another computer. He could give his friend the file, he could import it to his iTunes library, and sync it to his iPad.
Why won't the DVDs I've made work on other DVD players?
Episode 908
Dutch bought a Panasonic VHS to DVD burner, but it won't play on any other DVD players. Leo says that's because Dutch made a multi-session DVD. Or, it could be that he forgot to finalize the DVD. It also could be a different type of DVD, such as DVD-RAM, which could confuse a normal DVD player.
