dvd

It's one thing to burn a DVD disc and another to create a DVD that anyone can pop into a tray and play. For making DVDs out of your videos, Xilisoft's AVI to DVD Converter is a good place to start. It converts not just AVI files but also MPEG, MPG, M2V, VOB, and DAT to DVD disc, DVD folder, or ISO file. The flexible output options mean you can create DVD disc images that you can store on your hard drive yet play like regular DVDs (with a disc-mounting tool). But AVI to DVD Converter does much … Read more

Update: According to software developer WonderFox Soft, iWonderSky Software is not allowed to give away WonderFox DVD Ripper licenses. Therefore, at the former's request, we have removed the link for the promotion.

Why settle for one freebie when you can get three?

From now until October 19, iWonderSky Software (which I believe was formally known as WonderFox Software) is offering CNET readers this exclusive: three Windows video utilities absolutely free.

First up: WonderFox DVD Ripper. Normally $39.95, it can convert just about any DVD into just about any digital format. It comes with profiles for a wide variety … Read more

Problem: you just bought a MacBook, ultrabook, Netbook, or some other 'book that lacks an optical drive, and you need to install some disc-based software. Or you want to watch a DVD. Heck, maybe you've got a PC that already has an optical drive, but it's busted.

Solution: while supplies last, Amazon has the Samsung SE-208AB/TSBS external DVD drive for $24.99. Shipping is free if you're an Amazon Prime subscriber or you pad your cart by at least a penny. (Not sure what else to throw in there? Try the Amazon Filler Item Finder.)

If … Read more

MagicISO's MagicDisc Virtual CD/DVD-ROM is a free tool that lets you create and use virtual CD and DVD discs that play just like the real thing, only you don't need to open and close the disc tray. You can create up to 15 virtual discs, which you can configure like any real disc: audio CD, DVD, game disc, or rewritable disc. You can create audio programs, save them as ISO images, and play them like an audio CD without having to burn them to disc. The tool offers versatile compression, encryption, and mounting options, too. It supports … Read more

There was a time when Sony was the first name in consumer electronics. The company's Trinitron TVs dominated the TV market for decades. In 1975, Sony's Betamax was the first widely adapted consumer video recorder format. The Walkman hit the market in 1979 and changed the way people listened to music, creating the personal audio market category. In 1982 the CD, which the company developed jointly with Philips, changed the way we listened to music even more. Sony extended its reach when it purchased CBS Records in 1988 and Columbia Pictures in 1989, and scored a triumph in … Read more

Mac DVD Creator HD for Mac is a feature-rich application that aims to replace iDVD in creating awesome DVDs readable by all players. However, the app's nice theoretical editing features and support for a wide variety of video formats can't counterbalance the trial version's stability issues and limitations; all the editing features are missing, it is limited to only converting 5 minutes of each file, and it only converts half of the file if it is shorter than 5 minutes.

If you are looking for a Nero-like DVD creator for Mac, Mac DVD Creator HD is … Read more

The iPhone 5's screen may not be huge, but it's definitely a little nicer for watching movies than the old screen.

Consequently, you may want to rerip some of your movies to take advantage of the extra screen estate. Just one problem: your old DVD ripper doesn't support the new screen resolution or aspect ratio.

Here's one that does -- and it's free. For a limited time, you can get uRexsoft's iPhone DVD Ripper (Win) free of charge.

True to its name, the utility copies DVDs to your PC and converts them to iPhone-friendly … Read more

Acala DVD Ripper Professional Free Copy is a free DVD ripper. It's an easy-to-use program for ripping some DVD videos and converting them into a number of video formats, as well as ripping the audio into popular audio formats.

The interface is good, though very simple in appearance. We were able to understand the layout and navigate it easily, but getting started was a little difficult without the tutorial video. The tutorial video doesn't completely match the free version we downloaded, but the steps are pretty much the same. Without it, we probably wouldn't have known how … Read more

Blu-ray players are notoriously unreliable. Check the user reviews for just about any model and you'll see any number of "died after a week!" and "died after two months!" comments. It's the unfortunate nature of the beast, I guess.

So call me maybe crazy, but why not keep a spare on hand just in case your primary player croaks -- which will invariably happen just as you and the kids are sitting down to watch "The Avengers." That way, boom, you just swap in the backup and dry everyone's tears.

And … Read more