Video Encoding Software
Most movies and TV series have a lot of additional content on their discs such as extra language tracks, commentaries, featurettes, trailers and much more. In theory, one could assume that you would want to have a perfect, 1:1 collection of your DVDs and Blu-Ray movies on your computer for easy access. But how much of the ‘extra’ content do you actually need? I have personally never tried to watch Zoolander in French, and while I do enjoy the Extra Features, I rarely view them once, let alone enough to have it available at my finger tips. If this sounds like you, then you could probably benefit from eliminating this excess and cutting your Media Collection down to just the essential movie files.
In order to do this, we are going to rely on one seriously amazing piece of software called…
Handbrake
Handbrake is a powerful video encoder that can take high resolution video and reduce the overall file size with little loss of resolution. It also allows you to use presets for your iPad and iPhone so that, with just one click, you can convert a movie or TV show and watch it on other devices.
Using the software can be easy if you stick with the presets (which are very good) or you can tweak it indefinitely to maximize your video for viewing on a wide variety of formats. It is such a useful piece of software that we actually have a whole section dedicated to it. So don’t worry about using it, just know that it is a must have application for your Media Center.
Price: Free!
Website: Link
