Brentwood Mind and Copyright.

Usually, about know, I’d be watching Humans: something I’ve got on in the background.

It’s looking … pretty … damn … good: and has just given us a bit of a revelation about Leo Elster.

AND about DI Voss.

But that’s possibly for another time.

What I meant to tell you about … ?

Was the Brentwood branch of mental health charity, Mind.

And about copyright.

~≈®≈~

The Daily Teaser — 21-2-2015: Malcolm In The Middle

Did I tell you I know how to rip DVDs?

In other words, I can take a DVD or Blu-ray, and use various bits of software to transcode it into a form I can play on either my computer, iPod or AppleTV.

I use HandBrake on DVDs.   And a mix of HandBrake and MakeMKV on blu-rays.

For some reason … ?   Well, for some reason, using MakeMKV on blu-ray discs produces groups of video files that share the same name.

I believe that — because of the way the files are structured on a blu-ray disc, and on the experience I’ve had, thus far — that the metadata of such a group is collective metadata: and needs editing.

To avoid triggering mild annoyance in humble bloggers, if nothing else.

Thankfully?   Thankfully, I’ve found that using a metadata editor editor — in my particular case, MetaZ — can help, there.

Mostly by changing the names, to ones that are useful, can help.

Personally?   Personally, I’m thankful.

Especially as I can use MetaZ on the rest of my media library.

You have to love useable software, don’t you … ?

~≈Â≈~

Blu-ray Discs: Ripping Movies and Avoiding a Bag Of Hurt.

18th January, 2015.

I’ve occasionally written pieces, here, about DVDs.

DVDs, movies, TV series, all sorts of media.

Occasionally?

Occasionally, I’ve written about how to use a programme called HandBrake to rip DVDs.

In other words, to re-code the contents of a DVD — whether those contents are TV shows or movies — into a form that can be played on a computer, iPod or other media player, or tablet.

Partly as back-up.

Partly because I feel if I’ve bought a copy of a film, it’s my copy of the film: and I should be able to watch that film on whatever device I own.

Whatever that device happens to be.

~≈®≈~

The Daily Teaser — 26-12-2014

You know, I think I had a very good Christmas Day, in case you’re curious: I’m just helping yours went as well.

Personally … ?

Bless ’em, my family picked me up all sorts of things for me: including a Mac compatible external optical drive, capable of reading of reading Blu-ray discs.

~≈Œ≈~

The Daily Teaser — 90-5-2014: The Peasant’s Revolt

Hmmm … 

Looks like I’ve found a work-around, there.

In case you DIDN’T know it … ?   I’ve long been an advocate of ripping DVDs: copying and transcoding a dvd to a computer, so we can watch it on a computer, iPod, or other video player.

I’ve long used HandBrake* as my default ripper: but have ALSO used commercial app, RipIt.

RipIt offers a trial period: you get ten rips for free, after which you have to play.   I’ve found, though, that opening a new user account^ get’s around this.

That’ll do me me: until I can afford to buy it.

AND let’s me rip the rare DVDs that HandBrake can’t handle.

Useful!

~≈‰≈~

HandBrake Get’s an Update

Oh, now that’s just silly … !

I’ve got to admit, JUST before I got home … ?

I got asked for directions from three rather glamourous women.

To Brentwood High Street.

I, of course, drew the obvious conclusion — they were The Only Way Is Essex fans looking for the Sugar Hut —, and, immediately after telling them how to get there, said “If you’re looking for the Sugar Hut … … ”

“It’s ok”, the eldest of the three replied, “we went there, last night.”

I had to gently tell them that it was in the middle of Brentwood High Street.

But somewhere … ?

A little part of me has ducked, in order to avoid the low-flying irony …

‹‹•››

At ANY rate … ?

What I WAS going to tell you was that HandBrake* — ever reliable open source DVD and BluRay ripper — has now been updated to it’s 0.9.6 version.

All to the good: I’ve just download the 64 bit version, along with the libdvdcss that it now uses, instead of the relevant VLC codecs.

Go get, folks: it’s STILL rather good!

Now …

Can anyone tell me the phone number for Angry Birds Anonymous … ?

* Just so you know, I’ve also managed to find out how to use my TV’s record function, that let’s me record a given programme as an mp2 transport stream. It took me a while and a lot of askingº to find out how to convert that to a smaller file I can use on my Mac. Basically … ? I then had to use VLC to change the mp2 transport stream (or .ts file ) into a programme stream. I then had to buy — and install — the QuickTime mp2 playback component from Apple: a one off purchase, so you know. Once that was done, it allowed me to use MPEG Streamclip to edit and export the programme stream, into whatever I happened to prefer: about the only thing it hasn’t worked on was something I recorded for a friend of mine: but I have a feeling there were timecode issues with the broadcast, as trying to edit the transport file — from a stick — AND the version I’d ripped from a DVD had timecode problems.

º I owe a big thank you to Jon Walker, who worked out how to do the change with VLC, and posted it onto the relevant forum for me. Jon … ? Thanking you, sir.

Copyrght, Hargreaves … And stuff …

Oh, well, now …

It looks — LOOKS — like I can honestly turn around and say “Well, FINALLY” with both a certain amount of force.

And a certain amount of relief, as well.

Because, after a certain amount of consideration, Business Secretary, Vince Cable has announced the government’s response to the Hargreaves Report on Intellectual Property and Growth.

And it’s favourable.

»»·««

Just so you know, the report was published some time ago, and deals with the state of UK copyright law in the modern age: and, in part, how to deal with one or two of the anomalies of UK copyright law.

The bit of it that’s always struck me and many others as stupid, here … ?

Is the simple fact that in the UK, one cannot do what’s become known as format shifting.

In other words … ?

We can’t, legally, copy a CD or DVD we own from the original optical media, to our hard drive, and then to an iPod, MP3 player, flash drive*, external back up drive, home theatre computer … or the earlier models of Apple TV streaming device.

Ridiculous, really, isn’t it … ?

But, at ANY rate … ?

As you’ll have probably figured out, I’ve always thought that that was — speaking frankly — bloody stupid.

The law, in this sort of case, is not only an ass, but a bloody slow one, at that.

It’ll still be slow.

But if you’ve been watching the news, today, you’ll know that Business Secretary Vince Cable has announced the the coalition government will — in possibly the only good move I think they’ll make — be accepting those conclusions.

He also announced that the government will be dropping the web-site blocking aspects of the Digital Economy Act, that passed into law, just before the general election.

Mostly because of the legal moves afoot to force ISPs to block them: something I believe to be very dodgy ground. After all, it’s turning the people who provide you and me with access to the ’Net into policemen. And policemen I’d rather not have stomping around MY hard-drive, just on principle, thanking you … !

But, at ANY rate … ?

At any rate, this hopefully means that, now Mr Cable’s announced this … ?

It means we can all heave a collective sigh of relief.

Because we’re now no longer being made criminals, unintentionally.

»»·««

* I mention that as many modern models of DVD and Blu-Ray player/recorders, PVR and television set have USB ports on them, and happily play any correctly encoded video file on a USB flash drive.