YouTube Android App Updated

For Android users who wanted to gain better control over their uploaded videos on YouTube, here’s good news. The official YouTube app for Android has recently been updated (to v 2.2.14) and now not only allows users to set privacy controls over their uploaded videos but also lets them edit titles, descriptions and tags of previously uploaded videos. Apart from this, updated YouTube app also sports fresh video uploading user interface and lets you create, edit and delete video playlists from within the app. Moreover, there have been other minor bug fixes and performance improvements from the previous version


While previous version of YouTube allowed users to just delete videos from their video uploads list, the updated version lets them edit the title, description and tags to these videos and define new privacy settings. Said video editing and privacy features have been added to the video upload menu as well for user convenience. Another welcome addition is the “Add Playlist” button in the playlist menu which was badly missed in previous versions. With this option, users can easily add new playlists and tweak privacy option for each. The updated YouTube app also supports video playback even if your device is on standby. This means that you can now listen to your favorite music on the go rather than having to forcefully watch the video.
So head over to the Android Market to update the YouTube app on your device and enjoy the recently added video uploading and playlist editing features. You can download YouTube (v 2.2.14) from the Market link or QR code provided below.
Download YouTube

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Collect & Embed Videos From 6 Popular Sites Into One Player

There are multiple video sharing sites that let you upload and share just about any kind of video content but when you’re more interested in sharing videos already available online but on different sites, you end up sharing several links. Yokto is a web service that allows you to create a video playlist or channel by adding videos from YouTube, Vimeo, Daily Motion, Brightcove, UStream and slideshows from Slide Share. The service generates an embed code that allows you to share the video on your website, viewers can see a complete list of videos that you’ve added and view them all in a single player.

The service has both a paid and a free version, you have to register to use the free version. The free version allows you add videos from any of the six supported sites whereas the paid version allows you to add videos by directly uploading them from your computer. Creating a video mash up is spread out over five simple steps that start out with creating and naming the player i.e. the video mash up.

You can search and add videos directly  from the service. Once you’ve created a player, you can proceed to add media. Select which site you want to search and enter a keyword or phrase. All possible matches will be listed and you can view videos in the service. If you like a video, click the Add Video button and it will be added to your playlist. Click Organize Media when you’re done to view how many video you’ve added. To remove a video, simply drag & drop it to trash.

Click Manage Player to select a layout of how your videos will be listed along with the player. You can preview the layout below to see how your player will appear. You can set the the player to Autoplay by checking the box. This will auto play the player whenever anyone visits your page. Click Embed Code to get the embed code. Viewers will have to manually click on one of the video thumbnails to play the, as videos in the list do not play sequentially.
Copy and paste the code to wherever you want the video to appear on your site. You can create as many players as you want and edit an existing player. The site promises support for more sites in the near future.
Visit Yokto

[via TheNextWeb]

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How To Transfer VHS to DVD

VHS video is inconvenient in today's digital world, and there are a lot of people who want to convert their older video recordings to DVD. You can certainly find a service that will make this conversion for you, but these transfers can get expensive if you have several VHS tapes to convert. This article will describe two ways to transfer that VHS tape of your graduation, wedding or birthday party to DVD so that you can have a more permanent digital copy to share with family and friends.

If you're looking for a way to transfer old VHS but the recordings are popular movies or TV shows - or even unpopular, obscure ones - don't buy costly hardware and spend lots of time with your VHS! You're far better off going to a website where you can download these movies and TV shows onto your computer.

Recording with a DVD Recorder: A DVD recorder is a video device specifically designed for consumers to record to DVD, even if they don't own a computer.

Advantages: DVD recorders will normally record from analog sources like VHS players, older video cameras or even cable TV. They will also record from digital sources like camcorders or DVD players. As mentioned, with a DVD recorder you don't need a computer to make recordings of DVDs.

Disadvantages: What DVD recorders will not do is record copy protected VHS tapes or DVDs. They are often difficult to integrate into a home audio-video entertainment system due to the lack of inputs and outputs on cable boxes and VCRs. They also have very limited editing capability. And one of the biggest drawbacks of all is price. They are not cheap, with the least expensive models starting at about $200 at the time of this writing. They can also be complex and confusing. If you have trouble with a conventional VCR, then a DVD recorder can be a real challenge to hook up and use.

But if you decide to buy or borrow a DVD recorder, it is not too difficult to transfer a VHS recording to DVD - at least not once you get the darn equipment set-up.

1. Connect the DVD recorder to the video source. This could be a VHS camcorder or a VHS player. Use the higher quality S-video cable if you can; otherwise, use standard RCA dubbing cables for both video and audio. Connect from the VHS player output to the DVD recorder input. Connecting to a digital source is different. Consult your recorder's manual. This is one of the easiest ways out there for converting VHS into DVD.
2. Select your recording media. Most DVD recorders burn onto DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R and DVD+RW. The -R and -RW formats are normally more compatible with other DVD players, especially older players, but you should record and test to be sure of compatibility. If you are going to record to a DVD-RW or +RW disk that has previously been recorded, you will have to erase it before you can transfer VHS to it. Your equipment manual will tell you exactly how to do that.
3. Set your DVD recorder up to preview the input signal. Normally you will press record and pause.
4. Position the VHS tape source to the beginning and check the recorder's input. This is a critical step. If you don't get it right, you will waste a blank DVD or will get an inferior recording.
5. Begin the recording and start playing the VHS source. Don't cut off the beginning by playing before starting to record the DVD.
6. Watch the recording or plan to stop the process at the end. You don't want to continue recording static at the end of the tape.
7. If desired, add another tape or passage to the recording. One nice thing about converting VHS to DVD: you are not limited to just one tape source per disk. If you have a number of short recordings that would go well together, you can change tapes, and add these to your DVD recording.
8. Finalize the process. Unlike a VHS recorder, a DVD recorder requires a couple extra steps before you are done. The DVD cannot be played on a standard player until it is finalized. First, decide if you want to add chapter stops to the recording. I highly recommend that you do. Follow your recorder's manual. Defining DVD chapters is normally as easy as finding the right spots and pressing a button on your remote to define a chapter. Multiple recordings will show up on the DVD player menu as different titles. You will be able to label these titles for playback. When you have finished managing the content of the DVD, you finalize the DVD, the recorder will create the chapter stops and menu on the disk, and you are done.

Recording with a Capture Card: I highly recommend this method of transferring VHS video to DVD. If you already have a DVD burner and large hard drive, this method is much less expensive.

Advantages: Using a capture card is usually the least expensive way to record a VHS tape. This method also allows much more flexible editing. You can edit the recorded video on your hard drive in many different ways with many utilities that may enhance your final product. Capture cards often include TV tuners, so if you wanted to add TV capabilities to your desktop, this is another advantage. The capture card method may also allow you to record a copy protected VHS source. You should do this only if you own the original recording and plan to use the copy only for archival purposes. Do not use this as a method of pirating videos.

Disadvantages: Quality can suffer during the transfer process. The original analog video will be converted to a digital format, and the signal will be compressed. Both processes can degrade the quality of your video. Use the highest quality setting your capture card allows without filling up your hard drive. Another possible disadvantage of a capture card is the amount of hard drive space you will need. You will need a large hard drive if you want to do much video recording or editing. You obviously also need a DVD burner too, so the total cost of capture card, hard drive and DVD burner may be about the same as a stand-alone DVD recorder. You can get a quite capable card for under $50. You can also pay hundreds. Do a web search for "video capture card reviews" (without the quotes) to get an idea of what will meet your needs.

Let's get started. Follow these steps to transfer your VHS video to DVD.

1. Configure your capture card. You will normally record to your hard drive in AVI format. Choose a high quality setting, normally 720X480 (standard Digital Video format). Designate a hard drive with a lot of free real estate. You will generate several hundred megabytes, or even over a gigabyte, if your source recording is long. And you will need even more room if editing copies of the resulting file. The other settings will probably be fine at their default, e.g. 29.97 frames per second, etc.
2. Connect the VHS player to the card. Use the higher quality S-video cable if that is an option; otherwise, use cables with RCA connectors. Use coaxial cable and the card's tuner only as a last resort.
3. Preview the source and make a practice recording. Play a bit of the tape. Record to hard drive. Then play back the snippet of AVI you just put on disk. Is it the right size? How is the video quality? What about the audio levels?
4. Make your recording. When you are satisfied that your settings will produce a good quality movie, start recording, then start playing the tape. Keep an eye on the size of the file. Standard AVI files can be a maximum of 2 GB in size. Special formats can overcome this limitation, but then you run into a file system limitation of 4 GB. Your DVD can be any length. Use your burning software to link the 2 GB segments together to make a longer movie on disk. Monitor the recording process. Stop the recording when the source ends.
5. Edit the AVI as needed. You may want to adjust the volume level or brightness or some other aspect of your recording before burning to DVD. Use a utility like VirtualDubMod.
6. Burn the AVI to DVD. See the companion article How To Convert AVI to DVD.

Regardless of which method you choose, transferring your VHS movies to DVD will add many years to the life of your videos. Copying VHS to DVD doesn't have to be difficult and time-consuming, and, best of all, you will no longer need to be concerned that the VHS tape will be mangled. Plus, making DVD copies for friends and relatives will be a snap.

More VHS to DVD tips:

1. Make sure the VHS tapes are clean and undamaged. VHS flaws show up more on DVDs.
2. Before you put a sentimental VHS tape into a VHS deck, make sure the VHS deck is in good working condition - place an unimportant VHS in first. It would be a shame to have your priceless VHS memories erased before they were transferred to DVD.
3. Finally, if you have video editing experience, you may want to find DVD editing software so you can improve the content of your VHS tapes.

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How To Use Your TV as a Computer Monitor

Many a time I have looked over at my 32" television and thought, why can't I just hook up my computer to that thing and play my PC games on a huge screen? I figured it would beat buying a huge computer monitor for a ton of cash, right? I mean, I can already watch TV on my computer by using Pro Video 2008 -why can't I just switch it around?

Well, I looked into it and it can be done. In fact, more and more homes are using a TV screen as a computer monitor. You can now watch movies, download on-demand movies from places like Netflix, watch YouTube videos on a big screen, watch a slide show of your own stored digital images, view home videos and more! For most folks, it is just a matter of hooking up some cables or using a converter. For others, WiFi may be used in the connection. Either way, there can be some limitations.

This article will explain how to get started -- as well as the benefits and limitations -- so you can decide for yourself if using your TV as a computer monitor is worth your while.

Computer to TV Connection: The Basics
First, you connect and can use your TV as a monitor using Windows, Mac or Linux computers. You can connect any computer to a TV either by using cables or by connecting wirelessly. The method you choose to connect the two depends on how compatible the connections are between your TV and computer (the inputs and the outputs) as well as how much money you want to spend buying additional hardware.

Before You Get Started.
Before you get started, be sure to install the latest drivers for your computer’s video card. To do so, go to the manufacturer’s website of your particular computer’s video card to download and install it. If you have cable or satellite TV, make sure that your provider offers a cable box with a DVI or HDMI output. Also consider how you will hook up sound/audio since computer speakers may not provide enough volume for certain uses. Your computer has a sound card speaker jack. Hooking up the monitor to a separate stereo can work so you can control volume through a cable/satellite box volume control.

One last thing. It might make sense to provide the meaning of the many acronyms used with this technology and within this article. Without these, this topic can be confusing. Feel free to refer to this list as you read down through the rest of the information below.

Acronymns

• Video Graphics Array (VGA/XGA)
• Digital Visual Interface (DVI)
• Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)
• High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI)
• S-Video = Super-Video
• DLP = Digital Light Processing
• RGB: red, green, blue (video signals)
• Digital Media Receiver (DMR)

Connecting with Cables
If you are going to connect your computer to your TV using cables, you can start by identifying inputs and outputs on the TV and the computer to see if the connections match. For example, check to see if your TV has a VGA input and your computer has a VGA output.  If so, you will need a cable to connect the two.  If not, you may need a converter so the computer and the TV can communicate. Next, identify the type of TV you have. Do you have an analog TV or a digital TV? An analog TV will have an S-video input. Newer, digital televisions will have an S-Video, Component Video, VGA (15-prongs), DVI (29 prongs), or HDMI inputs. Plasma, DLP, or LCD televisions and other newer TVs should have a PC compatible VGA input.

So let’s get started…

1. Identify your TV's input connections. Most TVs these days have three basic types of inputs.
   1) A coaxial cable input (the same input as is used for your cable box or satellite)
   2) An RCA composite input (the yellow, red and white inputs)
   3) An S-Video input connector
2. Identify your computer's output connections. These days, computer manufacturers are adding TV compatible outputs on their products, making it easy to have a computer to TV connection when you hook it up. The “S-video” output in particular seems to be popping up on more and more computers, making a computer to TV S-video connector, perhaps, just what you need. You can shop for S-video cables all over the place online. Mostly you will find the usual VGA output that a regular computer monitor hooks up to (see more later on VGA cables*). The newer multimedia computers will probably have all high definition outputs that connect directly to your High Density Television (HDTV). However, for now, we will discuss what most people have for both computers and televisions. To help you decide which connection you should use, consider taking a look at the list of computer to TV connection combinations listed on this site: http://www.addictivetips.com/hardware/how-to-connect-your-computerpc-or-laptop-to-your-tv/
   *A note on cables: Be careful not to buy a cheap VGA cable at a discount store. You might find a VGA cable being sold cheaply ($20 or so) that looks like a typical VGA cable. However, this cable will not allow you to connect a computer to a TV's component video input unless it is also RGB capable. The signal format is different so don’t be fooled even if the physical connections on this cable match your VGA output and component video input. This cheaper cable is usually used to connect things like a DVD player to a projector.
3. Find the appropriate adapter for your connections. You may need to get a computer to TV cable, or adapter, so you can hook up your computer to the TV. If you have an HDTV, you may need a VGA to component cable. A VGA to component cable connects your computer to an HDTV and acts as a converter. (Again, that computer can be either a Mac or a PC.)
   You should be able to find a PC/computer to TV connector that has a VGA adapter on one end and (usually) a selection of connectors on the other (S-video, RCA composite and Component). The good thing about this connector is that you should be able to hook up a computer to any TV in your home.
4. Connect your computer to your TV. If you have a TV compatible output on your computer, such as an S-video jack, just take an S-video cable and connect it to your computer and then to your TV. An S-video cable has a round connector on the end with 4 or 7 pins sticking up inside of it. If you do not have a TV compatible output on your computer, then you will definitely need a VGA to S-video cable or a VGA to component cable. Attach the VGA end of your adapter to your computer and use the RCA, S-video or Component Video cable to attach this cord to your TV. We should note that using a standard VGA port or using a DVI to HDMI cable to connect your computer to your TV provides a better picture quality.
   After you've made all the connections, make sure you are on the correct TV video input. Using your TV remote, press the input button until you see your computer's signal. Go to "external inputs" on the menu. The default setting will need to be changed from "Video 1" to a different selection, which may be "HDMI 1" or "Video 2" depending on how you have made the connection.

Connecting Wirelessly

I highly recommend a wireless adapter to connect your computer to a TV. A wireless adapter costs a bit more but it is worthwhile because it eliminates the need for a big mess of cords and cables, and it eliminates the need to keep your computer near or next to your TV. If you happen to be connecting a PC to your TV, you will need to install something called a Wireless PC to TV system or DMR. Both of these connect to the TV by using an AV cable. Once this connection is made, it brings a WiFi connection to any computer in the home. Windows Media Center Edition (MCE) is another option if you want to connect your PC to TV wirelessly. Windows XP or Windows Vista PC can come with the MCE application included. This contains a built in wireless and will allow images and content from your computer to stream to your television.

Getting a Quality Computer to TV Connection

• Pixels vs Lines of Resolution. Now, here is where things get tricky when trying to connect your computer to the TV. Your TV's usual video signal is called NTSC (PAL if you live in Europe). This signal is different than the video signal generated by your computer. Computers use signals measured by pixels: 320x200, 320x240, 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x1024 or 1600x1200 while most TV's can only get about 500 lines of resolution. In computers, 500 lines of resolution is equal to approximately 500 vertical pixels. The video amplifiers in a television cannot handle higher resolutions than this. So when you factor these things together, you are left with a maximum resolution of 640x480 on your TV.
  Now this is not the worst thing in the world because when you connect a computer to a TV, you can play games and watch video in lower resolutions without a problem. However, you will never get close to the resolution that your computer monitor can give you. This means that images or movies that look crisp and clear on a 17" or 19" monitor may not appear as defined when stretched across a 52 inch TV screen. Also, beware of some PC to TV adapters that claim to give you more than 640x480; they will just reduce the quality of the original television signal to compensate.
  You can get a VGA to component cable for an HDTV that will give you higher resolutions, but you need an HDTV and an adapter that usually costs 2-3 times more than your standard computer to TV adapter.
• Response Time. Pay attention to the response time of your TV screen. Computer monitors have much better response times than LCD TV's. A slow response time can cause motion blur. This might not be desirable if you are using your TV for gaming purposes. On the other hand, if you have a plasma TV, response time should not be an issue since plasma screens use a different method of displaying pixels. Response times of LCD TV's continue to improve, getting very close to the response time of computer monitors. Just remember when buying an LCD TV for PC use to check the response timing as one of the factors when making your choice.
• Viewing Distance. Don’t forget to consider what the primary use will be when connecting your computer to your TV. What will be the main function of the larger TV screen display? If the main use will be to use programs such as Word or Excel on your TV screen or you plan on browsing the internet while relaxing on the sofa, consider resolution issues as well as the distance you will be sitting from the TV screen. Often a computer monitor may be a better choice for such uses since it can provide a sharper image at a higher resolution. You don’t want to have to struggle to read any text. The main reason people connect their computer to their TV is to watch movies, home videos or look at images.
• Connecting Audio/Sound. Don’t forget to connect your computer to speakers or a stereo so that you will have sound available. If you have sound card ports for connecting speakers, you will most likely need a 3.5mm (1/8 inch) stereo plug or jack to an RCA type cable. This should plug in on both pieces of equipment easily.

Limitations

• Speed of the connection. The computer connection may vary depending on where you are located and how you are connected. If you lose service or your WiFi is sporadic, it may be aggravating to use your computer to view movies. However, it will be fine for playing games on a big screen.
• Screen resolution. Older TVs have a much lower screen resolution than newer TVs so images from your computer may appear to have a lower quality when viewed on your television. S-Video connections will provide the lowest quality images and video.
• Location/Length of cable. You will need to move your computer close to your TV due to cables and connection lengths.
• Cost of new hardware. Keep your budget in mind before you set up your computer to TV connection.
• Loss of remote. You will not be able to turn the TV on and off with a remote unless you have a cable box with a built in plug feature (or you buy a remote control surge protector). However, volume and channel changing can be done on the remote that controls the cable box.

Remember, if you own a Digital Video Recorders (DVR), you can watch TV directly on your computer by connecting your computer to the DVR rather than to your television. Be sure to connect the cable from the computer to the TV before turning on the computer so the computer recognizes the external display.

Whatever options you choose, it's not hard to use your TV as a computer monitor as long as you follow the few steps itemized above. A computer's liquid crystal display (LCD) screen is probably much clearer than your regular TV screen, but a plasma TV will have even better clarity than a flat screen TV, making viewing movies amazing and more fun!

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