Digitizing Your Media Life

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Batch Convert/Import Tivo shows to Adobe Premiere Elements 10 without commercials

A guide to show how to remove Tivo TV show commercials and batch convert them to MPEG-2, so that we can edit in Adobe Premiere Elements 10.

Q: I have TIVO and I have downloaded some programs, using TIVO Desktop, onto my computer. The thing is, I want to be able to import these programs onto my Adobe Premiere Elements 10, but always got an error said file format not supported. I have the Media Access key and can play them on Tivo box. So what’s the next step?

Yes Tivo files cannot be playback unless you have the Media Access Key which should be on the back of your Tivo box; but it’s not all. Tivo recordings are embedded in unique codecs so that you cannot load them into editing programs like Adobe Premiere as the latter doesn’t include a proper decoder to unblock this.

Moreover, it’s so annoying to have the commercials in Tivo recordings while most popular TV show or TV play have many episodes, like The Big Bang Theory, Grey’s Anatomy, Revenge, Teen Wolf, etc. so we have many ads in TV head and end.

I was so confused with all the tasks but finally found out a workflow to finish all of them: the Pavtube Tivo Video Converter Ultimate. (Mac version is available here: iMedia Converter for Mac)

Pavtube Video Converter, which works as a prefect Tivo to Adobe Premiere Converter, can help you batch convert Tivo recordings to Adobe Premiere Elements 10 acceptable format without commercials, so that you can edit the trimmed videos smoothly.

How to batch convert Tivo to MPEG-2 for Adobe Premiere Elements 10?

Step 1. Load TiVo files.

You can directly drag and drop the TiVo files to the software, or click "Add" button to locate and import the TiVo files into the TiVo converter.

Tip: When first loading, this TiVo Converter will ask you to input your Media Access Key. Enter your Media Access Key, and click "OK" to confirm.

Step 2. Choose Premiere preferred format

Click "Format" pull down list to select Adobe Premiere/Sony Vegas> MPEG-2(*.mpg) as the best video format for Adobe Premiere Elements 10. WMV, MOV formats are the good choice as well.

Tips: If the default settings do not fit you requirement, you can click "Settings" icon to and enter "Profile Settings" panel to adjust video size, bit rate, frame rate, sample rate and audio channels.

Step 3. Remove Tivo commercials

Click “Edit” on the top to enter video editor window. Follow the “Trim” tab to choose the i/o point; click OK to confirm the trimming.

Step 4. Start Conversion

Click "Convert" button to start encoding TiVo to MPEG-2(.mpg) for Adobe Premiere Elements 10; it will convert all the files in queue. When the conversion task is completed, click "Open" button to get the exported files quickly. Now load these videos to Premiere Elements 10 for editing.

Money saving bundle:

ByteCopy($42) + Blu-ray Video Converter Ultimate($65) = Only $80, Save $27
Video Converter Ultimate($65) + DVD Creator($35) = Only 65$, Save $35

Backup Blu-ray/DVD to AC Ryan Player on Mac for TV playback

This article shows how to remove your Blu-ray/DVD protection and rip them into MP4 format, so that you can playback the movies on TV via AC Ryan Player.

AC Ryan Playon is a media player which works similar to Apple TV; with HDMI to your TV, it helps to playback various video formats in widescreen.

We have one AC Ryan Playon connected to our TV in living room to play TV shows downloaded from Internet. This device support video formats as below: ASF/AVI/BD-ISO/DAT/DVD-ISO/FLV/IFO/MPG/MP4/M2TS/MKV/MOV/M4V/TP/TS/TRP/WMV/VOB/RM/RMVB

So generally we don’t need to work with format transform and it works pretty well.

But recently we got plenty of DVDs and Blu-rays (most Blu-rays) from a friend; and we decide to backup them so we can view these movies on TV via AC Ryan. Don’t need to keep the original file size as we have limited storage, but want to get pretty good video quality.

We did a lot of researches online and finally got this SM named Pavtube BDMagic for Mac (Mac based); it has a simple yet very easy-to-use UI, and has a large output list that supports various formats. The most important thing is it accepts my every disc, which Handbrake and Jack the Ripper couldn’t.

For people who want to backup all the audio tracks or subtitles, you are suggested to try Pavtube ByteCopy for Mac.

How to rip Blu-ray/DVD to view on AC Ryan Player?

Step 1. Load disc

Click “Load files(s)” to import DVDs and Blu-rays. Note you need to have an external Blu-ray drive if you want to rip Blu-rays.

Keep Internet connected during importing.

Step 2. Choose format.

Although AC Ryan Player support lots of formats, I still recommend MP4 format as it’s most acceptable by most devices, so that you can watch the converted video on other devices also.

Click “Format” and choose “HD Video>H.264 HD Video(*.mp4)” as below:

Step 3. Adjust output settings (Optional)

Click “Settings” to change video size, bitrate, frame rate and audio specs. I chose “original” size to playback on TV.

Step 4. Start conversion

Click “Convert” in the main interface to start the conversion (batch conversion supported). After conversion, click “Open” which is below the “Settings” to find the converted video.

Use a USB drive to transfer the ripped MP4 media file to AC Ryan Player, now just enjoy your Blu-ray/DVD movies on TV!

Related articles:

Sony's next smartphone will wield 4K video skills

The current Z1S camera app has lots of extras. Will its follow-up also have 4K video?

Hot on the heels of bringing the Xperia Z1S to America, it seems that Sony plans to pull another, bigger smartphone rabbit out of its hat. Code-named Sirius and tagged with the D6503 model designation, apparently Sony's latest creation will boast a powerful digital camera capable of shooting high-resolution 4K video.

The next Xperia flagship might have 4K video capture.

According to reports by close Sony mobile watcher Xperia Blog, this fresh gadget will also feature a large 5.2-inch (1080p) LCD (hopefully using IPS technology), a full 3GB allotment of RAM, and a Qualcomm MSM8974AB chipset. That means the device will harness the power of at least a Snapdragon 800 processor. Indeed the site claims a 2.3GHz quad-core CPU and Adreno 330 graphics run the show.

Onboard software for the Sirius will likely be Android 4.4.2 KitKat with Sony's proprietary skin layered over it. Most interesting though is the leaked screenshot of the phone's camera app that shows a 4K video option front and center.

If you were keeping tabs on the news from CES 2014, you're probably aware that HDTV makers (including Sony) were heavily pushing the ultra-high-definition 4K capabilities of their upcoming TV sets. That's why a phone and HDTV tie-in makes a lot of sense.

I'll also hazard a guess that Sony's upcoming flagship will be branded as the Xperia Z2, replacing the global Xperia Z1. I bet more rumors concerning Sony's upcoming mobile phones, however, will pop up between now and Mobile World Congress 2014 in February. Many handset manufacturers are no doubt planning to announce their big-ticket devices to great fanfare at the show. Stay tuned, as CNET will be on-site in Barcelona, Spain, covering the show live.

The bottom line: The Xperia Z1 S is the most impressive smartphone Sony has ever sold on any carrier, but an inferior screen makes Samsung's Galaxy handsets better deals. Read Full Review

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

How to transfer TiVo videos on iPad Air on Mac Mavericks?

iPad Air is one of the most popular tablets on the markets this year. It has attracted great attention since it released. The Retina Display with 2048×1536 pixels, 9.7 inches, no doubt adds more fun to your digital entertainment. By any means, it is a great portable video player. Most people use it to play games and enjoy videos. But many users got problems when they want to play TiVo recordings on iPad Air.

Question 1: "I bought a high end WD TV to replace an older model. I love it. Recent days, I got some TiVo recordings and I want to add the files to the WD TV and iPad Air for playback, can you tell me the best way? Thanks!"

Question 2: "I got many TiVo recordings and want to play them on my new iPad Air, I use a software called Handbrake to convert TiVo to iPad Air supported MP4, but of low quality. Is there any other software to solve this problem and help me out?"

Have you had the same questions? The reason is that the format of TiVo recordings can not be supported by iPad Air. The most compatible video format for iPad Air is MP4/MOV files encoded with MPEG-4 or H.264 (Learn more about Recommended Formats for iPad Air).

You can end up the incompatibility with the help of the third-party software Pavtube iPad Air Video Converter for Mac (Reach the Windows version here: iPad Air Video Converter). It is a dynamic video convert tool that can help users convert TiVo to iPad Air supported video format with high output video quality and fast encoding speed. Besides, you are allowed to edit the videos by trimming, cropping, adjusting video effects, etc. to get the wanted part and effects as you like.

Moreover, this iPad Air Video Converter can also enable iPad Air play various HD Videos (such as:MKV, AVI, VOB, MPG, WMV, WebM, MTS, EVO, VRO, MXF, FLV, F4V videos, etc.).

Tutorials: Converting Tivo to iPad Air friendly format on Mac Mavericks

Step 1: Load TiVo videos to iPad Air Converter

Launch the TiVo to iPad Air Converter; click the top left two icons to load your TiVo video files. When first loading, the program will ask you to input your Media Access Key. Simply enter your Media Access Key and click “OK” to confirm.

Step 2: Choose MP4 format as output format.

Hit the menu bar of “Format”, choose “iPad” category and find the optimal video format for iPad Air. “iPad HD Video(*.mp4)” is recommended here. You can also choose MOV, MP4, M4V format from Common Video.

Tip: If the default settings do not fit your requirement, you can click “Settings” icon to enter “Profile Settings” panel to adjust video size, bitrate, frame rate and audio channels.

If the TV shows you recorded by TiVo have some advertisements during the video and you want to get rid of it, the “Trim” function in “Edit” may help you.You can cut the part that you do not need.

You also can merge videos into one complete file for output with the help of “Merge into one file” function.

Step: 3 Start TiVo to iPad Air conversion

Click the “Convert” button to start the conversion. Once finished, you can get the output files for your iPad Air via clicking on Open button effortlessly. Afterwards, connect iPad Air to PC, and then sync video files to iPad Air via iTunes 11.

Additional tip:

When you transfer your TiVo recordings to your PC, you need to download and install TiVo Desktop on your PC. Connect TiVo to your home network, and then the TiVo Desktop will provide you with a list of shows for transferring to your PC. Then please transfer the TiVo TV shows you want to PC. Once all the shows you selected have been downloaded from your TiVo, they will appear in the Now Playing list in TiVo Desktop.

How to keep chapter markers when ripping Blu-ray to MP4 for iOS devices on Mac Mavericks?

A guide to show how to keep chapter markers when ripping Blu-ray to Apple iOS devices readable MP4 format on Mac 10.9 Mavericks, so that you can sync the ripped movies to iOS devices like iPhone, iPad, iPod touch with chapter marks for quick viewing.

Now Blu-ray may be the best option to you if you want to enjoy full high definition 1080p movies. However, Blu-ray drive on your computer or Blu-ray player for TV is necessary for watching Blu-ray movies. Since more people choose to watch movies on portable devices, it’s not possible for us to take a Blu-ray player everywhere. Moreover, although these devices are quipped with high resolution displays, there’s still something different from playback Blu-ray movies on computer – that is to say, we cannot skip viewing movies without chapter markers.

In my experience, there should be lots of Blu-ray ripping tools on the marketplace so you have various choices, but what I’d like to suggest that if you want to rip Blu-ray to MP4 for IOS device on Mac and keep chapter markers intact at the same time, you are in the right place.

Come and meet this Pavtube ByteCopy for Mac, a magic tool to help you rip protected Blu-ray/DVD to IOS devices acceptable MP4 format with chapter markers, as well as multiple audio tracks (or we say languages when it comes to disc).

Money saving bundles:

ByteCopy($42) + Blu-ray Video Converter Ultimate($65)

How to convert Blu-ray to MP4 with chapter markers for IOS devices?

1. Import Blu-ray to Pavtube ByteCopy

Click "Load file" icon on the top left to import the Blu-ray disc.

2. Choose Multi-track MP4 with chapter markers

Under "Format" menu, there are lots of video formats. Go to find "Multi-track Video" option and choose "Multi-track MP4 (*.mp4)" and it will retain chapter markers by default.

Tips: If you want to convert Blu-ray to other video formats or portable devices, just choose the video format you need in the dropdown list.

3. Adjust V/A settings (Optional)

Click “Settings” to change video/audio specs if you are not satisfied with the default settings. Usually the high bitrate you set, the larger file size will be; so is the video quality.

Switch to Audio tab, you can choose wanted audio tracks by checking them. All the audio tracks will be checked if you don’t change them.

4. Start conversion

Click big "Convert" button to start conversion. It won't take much time for conversion and then you will get MP4 file once completed. Hit "Open" button you can open the location of generated files.

Ripping Blu-ray to MP4 with chapter marker

Now you can transfer the MP4 files to your IOS devices.

How to check the movie chapter markers on iPhone?

Open the movie in your iPhone, click the marked icon as below:

Then you will find all the markers; touch it to skip to corresponding chapter: