Backing Up DVD’s (Personal Use Only)
Making a backup of a DVD should be easy... right? Wrong! All recently released DVD's from big film companies have some sort of encryption to prevent you from creating back ups. Why would you want to create a backup of a movie that you paid for and own? DVD's, like CD's are vulnerable to scratches and dents. If this happens the disk becomes unreadable meaning you'd have to shell out another $20 to get a new copy with the risk of it happening again.
There are a few open source and freeware options that are available but fall short when it comes to the most recent movies (such as "Star Trek" 2009). Options that I have used in the past required a set of several programs to produce 1 movie usually taking a few hours to complete.
Recently, the good people at Giveaway of the Day and Digiarty Software allowed people to freely download WinX DVD Ripper Platinum. Normally $29.95, this program has performed flawlessly (with one exception). Even at $29.95, this software is a bargain considering it creates a backup of your movie library preventing you from losing potentially hundreds of dollars if your disks become broken.
WinX DVD Ripper Platinum
I also suggest downloading the open source program XBMC, which is a media player and entertainment hub for digital media on your computer. This program is able to use the internet to download information about your movies to sort them (by actor, year, genre, etc.). By enabling UPnP, game consoles like the PS3 will be able to see your computer as a media server and you will be able to steam your movies from your computer to your TV.
Disclaimer: This website is NOT endorsing the use of these programs for illegal file sharing. Use these programs for personal backup of DVD's you already own. Use these programs at your own risk.
Streaming Media to Your PS3
One of the greatest capabilities of the PS3, in my opinion, is its ability to find media servers on your local network. I have tested two free options, both of which work very well. What are they you ask? The first one we'll look at is called TVersity, the second... the aptly named PS3 Media Server.
Playstation 3
TVersity was my first experience with a Media Server. Overall it is a quality program with an attractive interface. There are two versions of the software, a Pro and a Free version. The Pro version gives you access to "premium online content" such as Hulu. You have to manually add the folders and any online content you want to access and can stream to several devices (I have even been able to stream music and pictures to my Palm Pre using TVersity).
This program has great promise, but it has several flaws. As of today, July10, I haven't been able to get the lastest Beta (ver. 1.6, released in May) to work on Windows XP but have had no problems with ver. 1.5. Another, and seemingly common problem I have read in the forums, is that it is quite easy to accidentally subscribe to the free internet content TVersity has available. This will automatically download the video/audio to your computer taking up internet bandwidth.
The PS3 Media Server seems to be the more stable of these two programs. After install it will detect your PS3 (if its on) and needs no other setup. The media server will find your folders and are viewable by the PS3 and has automatic refresh. Unlike TVersity, every video file that I have attempted to play using the PS3 Media Server has played without any trouble and even shows a nifty thumbnail of your videos.
Tversity and the PS3 Media Server are both free and high quality streaming programs. If you plan to stream your media to multiple devices I highly recommend TVersity. If you plan to stream only to the PS3, however, I would stick with the PS3 Media Server.
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