Have you ever wanted to watch videos from your computer or tablet on your home TV? Well believe it or not, there are several products on the market which will allow you to do just that! These little media boxes will enable you to watch all of your movies, media, and music on your TV just by connecting a hard drive. There are actually several different brands, the most common being the Apple TV, WD TV Live, and Roku.

Apple TV is most beneficial to those of you who own Apple products such as iMacs, Macbooks, and iPads. Apple TV plays all of your media wirelessly on your widescreen TV. No managing storage. No syncing to your iTunes library. HD movies and TV shows from iTunes and Netflix play over the Internet on your HDTV, and music and photos stream from your computer. All you have to do is click and watch. Apple TV also integrates itself with iCloud, which will allow you to play all of your media stored in the cloud.

WD TV Live is another option, similar to Apple TV. The newest version comes bundled with it’s own wifi adapter, so you can connect to the internet from anywhere in the house. The WD TV will stream media, and also play media directly from a hard drive, if plugged in via USB.

Roku is one of the first streaming media boxes, and one with a lot of support from users and the company. Roku is popular due to it’s design, and capabilities such as being able to play streaming HBO channels and movies straight from wifi. Roku also comes preloaded with apps and channels including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Crackle and Pandora.

All in all, these are wonderful new devices that everyone should use for their own media. They’re especially great for streaming family movies and audio from the cloud after a video to DVD transfer, or a 8mm to DVD transfer!

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• share via Reddit
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend
• Print for later

We all know the Betamax format was technically superior to the VHS tape if we simply compared specs on the tapes themselves. However, you also need to consider the “whole product”.

“The whole product” model also provided a convincing explanation of why VHS had thrashed Betamax. VHS offered a bigger choice of hardware at lower cost, the tapes were cheaper and more easily available, there were a lot more movies to rent, and so on. Indeed, the main thing that didn’t fit was the idea was that Betamax was “technically superior”. Standing in a shop at the time, there was absolutely no visible difference in picture quality, and some reviews had found that VHS’s quality was superior.

When transferring betamax to DVD and VHS to DVD, it’s often hard to tell which one is of better quality due to the age of the tapes, you be the judge!

to Read more, click here!

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• share via Reddit
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend
• Print for later

10: The VHS Revolution

The story of the effect of the DVD on the film industry starts with the introduction of the VHS tape in the early 1980s. Home video changed how the film industry worked, by providing people a way to enjoy movies from the comfort of their own homes. VHS tapes were pretty expensive when the first came out, as the heads of the major studios were worried about profit loss. When they realized that they weren’t really losing any profits, it paved the way to the low priced DVDs we know of today.

9: Special Features

One of the most attractive features of the DVD over conventional video tapes was the amount of recording space available. A typical VHS recording would run about 400mb, while a commercial DVD can hold up to 15 times that amount. This has allowed studios to insert graphical menus, additional commentary and audio tracks, and of course — special features and behind the scenes looks. Special features are also something that cannot be added through a standard VHS to DVD transfer.

8: Rise of the Popular Auteur

D.W. Griffith, Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock and Orson Welles are a few examples of early auteurs. Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Woody Allen, Roman Polanski and Stephen Spielberg became popular in the ’60s and ’70s, along with James Cameron and Ron Howard in the late ’70s. Digital video has given people a much easier chance to get ahold of the unique films produced by these directors.

7: Multiple Releases

While new and revised releases of older films have always been a way for the industry and filmmakers to make new profits and show improved versions of their films, it’s only in the DVD and digital age that multiple versions and re-releases of films are possible on a large scale. Movie companies release film to DVD in several different editions. Improvements in special-effects technology, for example, led to the mid-’90s theatrical release of the classic “Star Wars” trilogy, and subsequent releases.

6: Behind the Scenes

Of course, even when the selling point for a given film is something other than the director or creative team behind the movie, we still show an interest in learning more about the process of making the movie. This is enjoyable for, and now expected by, consumers, but it also makes sense to the studios, who like to give us as much incentive as possible to buy the DVD by loading it with things you can’t find anywhere else.

5: Brand and Franchise Extension

While there have always been sequels to mega-films, particularly beginning with the age of the blockbuster in the ’70s, the DVD has given all kinds of new dimensions to the idea of the franchise. Before home video, a film might produce a sequel if it was particularly successful at the box office — but with new films coming out weekly, a movie might not stay in theaters long enough to justify a second production.

4: Cult Films and TV Shows

As DVD production became cheaper and cheaper, more and more movies from the past have begun to surface as digital copies. Some studios dedicate their time to restoring old classics, and cult films to digital formats such as The Criterion Collection. The Criterion series is noted for helping to standardize the letterbox format for home video, bonus features, and special editions. Criterion is also known for taking great lengths to restore and clean all films released on their label. In addition, full seasons of TV shows have begun to pop up as DVD box sets, full with bonus features that fans can purchase.

3: Music Licensing and Duplication

Because sale of a DVD means sale of the music contained on that DVD, films (and television shows) must contend with music and soundtrack licensing, as well as publishing rights and other artist revenues. Because of the importance of music and how it relates to the movie, show, or story, many companies include DVD and online streaming clauses

2: Online offline tie-ins

DVD technology has also responded to our expanding entertainment universe. Where once films stood or fell based on their box office standings, now every movie is an opportunity to develop a world that takes advantage of both online and offline technologies. While classic merchandising products like toys and novelizations still make a lot of money for movie producers, the possibility of taking that experience online means the only limit is the creativity of the franchise team.

1: Theft, Bootlegging

Of course, the digital format has its problems. DVDs can be hacked easily, copied and shared, and even the classic hand-filmed theater bootleg is much easier to sell or share now that digital networks are the norm. Peer-to-peer sharing, bit torrents and the rest of the modern pirate’s toolkit mean studios spend a great deal of money tracking down offenders and making trouble for them.

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• share via Reddit
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend
• Print for later

Converting 8mm video tapes like Video8, Hi8, and Digital8 tapes can actually be pretty confusing, especially if you have different types of tapes. Having multiple different tape formats can cause problems because not all camcorders are capable of playing each format. The earlier camcorders are typically only able to support Video8 and Hi-8 tapes. I’ve compiled a list of Sony camcorders that will support all formats of 8mm tapes. These are the best camcorders to look for if you plan to transfer video tapes to DVD or your computer.

Post in the comments what camera you prefer, or use to transfer your camcorder tapes to DVD!

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• share via Reddit
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend
• Print for later

Cloud-based video editing startup Magisto will soon launch an iPhone version of its automated video editing app, the company announced today.

Magisto’s free (for now) service automates the video editing process for the untrained or lazy, making it possible for people to submit video clips to the service and let it do the work of cutting the video in an interesting fashion. Magisto scans the clips for noteworthy action and packages it with tricks like transitions and split-screens. Then users simply give the video a title and pick a soundtrack, and the video is ready to share on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or e-mail. And now, you’ll be able to do so on the iPhone in just a few weeks.

To find out more info, check it out here!

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• share via Reddit
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend
• Print for later

With video editing, you have a couple of different options for your workstations. There are several advantages and disadvantages depending on what kind of system you plan to use for your project. Typically, you’d either be working on a desktop computer, or a laptop computer. However, recently, tablets and other mobile platforms have begun to support video editing software and apps.

Desktop Computer

Desktop computers have a variety of advantages when it comes to editing video. For one, they have the ability to hold multiple hard drives within the system. Standard definition video in AVI runs about 13gb per hour of video. As you can see, with multiple hours of footage from a video to hard drive transfer, you’ll need quite a bit of hard drive space to accomodate it all. When working with high-definition footage, the amount of space you’ll need gets even larger! With the advantage of multiple hard drive bays, you have the ability to swap out or add additional hard drives to your system with little to no modification.

Another distinct advantage of the desktop computer is the ability to swap out not only hard drives, but other critical components such as your processor, RAM, motherboard, or graphics/video card. Upgrading any of these components can dramatically increase your computer’s overall performance.

With a desktop editing system, you’ll typically have more space to work with. Your keyboard and mouse are at a good distance, and you can hook your computer up to one or more monitors to help with multi-tasking or editing multiple different things at once.

Laptop/Mobile computer

Laptops and mobile computers come with their own advantages and disadvantages over desktop computers. One of the main reasons people opt to purchase a laptop over a desktop computer is because they have a need for mobility. With a laptop, you can easily pack it up into a briefcase and work from wherever you’d like. The addition of a battery makes it so that you can finish your work where there is no immediate power source. However, the advantage of mobility brings forth a host of additional problems and disadvantages when it comes to video editing.

Another disadvantage of the laptop is the price. A laptop with comparable specs to a desktop computer will usually be higher in price. This is because of the smaller form circuitry and electronics, and the fact that laptops come equipped with a screen. Although laptop prices have dropped slightly in the last few years, it’s still very tough to find a laptop for the same price as a desktop with the same specs.

Due to the mobile nature of laptops, they are difficult swap out or upgrade any of the components because the form factor is so small. This can be problematic if you need a new processor or video card to handle your editing work. Also, laptops typically come equipped with only a single hard drive. This can be an issue if you’re working with high def video or raw video files that take up enormous amounts of data. Although you can purchase external hard drives, if they are not equipped with either e-SATA or USB 3.0, you’ll be spending may more time than you need just transferring data back and forth.

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• share via Reddit
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend
• Print for later

For some, the actual differences between low-def, standard def, and high-def video can be a bit confusing.

High Definition Video – This is the newest form of video that rose primarily at the advent of the HDTV (High Definition Television). Most of us are familiar with high-definition video, as it’s been heavily marketed the past few years by the film industry, home theatre companies, and cable companies. The most common resolutions of HD video are 1280×720 pixels (often referred to as 720p) and 1920×1080 pixels (often referred to as 1080i/1080p). 1080p is one of the highest resolutions that common displays can currently use, which makes for a much clearer and sharper image than video shot in standard definition.

Standard Definition Video – This was the industry standard for years, and is what most types of video tapes such as VHS, Hi8, Video8 and Betamax used. The resolutions for standard def in North America is 720×480 pixels. For Europe, the resolution is set at 704×576. Video transfer projects such as VHS to DVD, or camcorder tapes to DVD are also played at standard definition, as standard definition is also the same resolution that DVD movies use.

Low Definition Video – This video type refers to television systems and videos that have a lower screen resolution than standard-definition. The term is usually used in reference to digital television, in particular when broadcasting at the same (or similar) resolution as low-definition analog TV systems. Mobile DTV systems usually transmit in low definition, as do all slow-scan TV systems.

You’d typically find most of your low-def programming from various internet sites, like Youtube, or videos downloaded on an iPod, or other portable device. The typical resolution of low-def video is 320×240 pixels.

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• share via Reddit
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend
• Print for later

The 2012 Consumer Electronics Show, or CES, is coming up from January 10-13, 2012. This is a yearly show hosted in Las Vegas that features all of the new and upcoming gadgets, computers, software and technology that is being developed by the world’s top corporations and technological companies. Over 100,000 people regularly attend the show yearly!

With more than four decades of success, the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) reaches across global markets, connects the industry and enables CE innovations to grow and thrive.

The International CES is owned and produced by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the $186 billion U.S. consumer technology industry. CEA represents more than 2,000 corporate members involved in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and integration of consumer electronics products. All profits from CES are reinvested into industry services, including technical training and education, industry promotion, engineering standards development, market research and legislative advocacy.

If you’re into gadgets and cool electronic devices, this is the place for you. You’ll get hands on previews of all of the cool gadgets for the year. Tell all your friends before they’ve even heard of it!

Some of the DVD Your Memories staff was present at one of the most recent shows and were able to sample new software aimed at revolutionizing video restoration. To find out some more information about CES, check it out here!

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• share via Reddit
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend
• Print for later

Customers often ask us what we recommend they do with their tapes after transferring their video to DVD. Many peoples first reaction to transferring their collection of VHS tapes is to simply get rid of them one way or another. People will usually want to get rid of their tapes after transferring to DVD because they want the extra space in their home and they don’t want to have to worry about them any longer. While it may seem nice to finally free up the closet shelf, you should think hard about what you plan to do with your tapes.

At DVD Your Memories, we actually recommend that you do not get rid of your tapes, and to hold onto them as long as you possibly can, especially if they are of importance to you or your family. This is because your video tapes are usually the only original master copies, and once lost, there is no way possible to ever retrieve that data again. Although our DVDs are rated to last 100-years, this does not prevent against physical damage, such as deep scratches or breaking of the disc itself. Plus, you can always re-transfer your video from the original tape again if this ever were to happen.

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• share via Reddit
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend
• Print for later

Technorati Tags: video tapes, video transfer

What looks like the world’s biggest videotape collection, is actually an artistic display presented at the Venice Biennale of Contemporary Art in 2009.

The work is entitled “Life Span” and displayed in a small church on Garibaldi Street, this giant block full of VHS videotapes is the work of Australian artists Claire Healey and Sean Cordeiro. It features a total count of 195,774 tapes with a total recording time of over 66 years! Imagine if a VHS to DVD transfer was involved!

Life Span is a physical representation of what a human being can see from its birth, to the day it dies.

Read more here

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• share via Reddit
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend
• Print for later