Batch Convert Audio Files with Switch
Last Updated on Saturday, 21 January 2012 05:07 Written by Alan Monday, 30 January 2012 07:00
Not many people these days keep audio CD’s. For most of us, all of the CD’s we owned have been ripped to our computers, stored on backups, and/or moved to cloud storage. In our house we began ripping all of our CD’s years ago and then selling the discs to a music shop that dealt in used discs. It saved us a lot of shelf space and made listening to our music a lot easier as well. However, in the early days, I elected to use WMA (Windows Media Audio) as my format of choice, although I wave since switched to MP3. Nothing wrong with that, it’s a great format for music. However, it’s also not compatible with all services, like Amazon Cloud Player. So, what do you do if you have a large bunch of music that needs to be converted to another audio type?
One solution is a free program called Switch, from NCH Software. That’s what we’re going to be trying out here today. Once you have downloaded the app and begun the installation you will be asked if you would like to install any of the extras that come along with it. This isn’t anything nefarious, but a couple of them are checked by default (like the Ask.com toolbar) so be careful here.
The user interface is pretty spartan by today’s software standards, and that’s a good thing. You can add files or folders, play songs to get a sample or make sure it’s the file you wanted, and choose from a few options. At the bottom of the screen you can choose the audio format you want to output and the folder where you want the new files sent to.
Select your music, or a folder full of it, by browsing your PC or network and then choose what format you would like it converted to. Now choose the folder that you want your new files placed in and click the big “Convert” button at the bottom right of the screen.
The conversion goes fairly quickly and I am testing it with Switch installed on a Laptop (on 802.11n) and the files I converted were on a computer with an ethernet connection to the the router.
You can choose, in the options, to delete the source file upon conversion (this isn’t set by default), but I would recommend making sure your new files are good and then using them to replace the old format ones.
In my tests Switch worked flawlessly. It’s a small file and doesn’t come with bloatware, although as I said earlier, watch the installation to make sure you only get what you want. It handles a LOT of audio file formats and converts music quickly. The interface is straight-forward to use. The app is free as well, although there is a paid version that adds a few more features. You can get a copy by visiting NCH Software.
TvDB Organizes Your TV and Movie Files, Finds Related Videos
Last Updated on Tuesday, 3 January 2012 10:54 Written by Alan Monday, 16 January 2012 07:00
If you watch, and more importantly collect, TV shows then you are probably looking for an easy way to keep track of your collection. As with all collections, having a database to manage it is the most logical way to go. TvDB is a free app that will keep track of all of your TV shows, including cartoons and anime. It does more than just keep track of your TV shows. It also gives you such extras as plot synopsis, cast, episode guide, cover art, and related videos.
Once you have downloaded and installed the app, you can open it and begin by entering a TV show title into the search box. You will find a series of tabs to the right that allow you to view specific information on that TV show. There is an Episode tab, Cast tab, Posters tab, and more. You can mark a series or episode as watched or unwatched. All of the information comes from the Free TvDB database online and is downloaded into the app. Some of the latest features include:
- automatic data download (info / cast / images) from thetvdb.com
- multi-language series info (up to 23 languages)
- poster and fanart galleries (automatically downloaded!)
- keep track of the series you have watched
- proxy support
- automatic database backup
- export database to txt, csv and xml format
… and more!
TvDB is currently in version 1.6. This latest version added the ability to export your database as a txt, csv, or xml file, and also changed the background color. You can download TvDB for free from MyPortableSoftware. It’s a great way to combine TV with a database to make your life a little more manageable. It’s compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7, and requires .NET Framework 2.0.
Laplink PCmover Updates for Windows 8
Last Updated on Wednesday, 4 January 2012 09:58 Written by Alan Wednesday, 4 January 2012 09:58
We are getting very close to Windows 8. Microsoft plans to show off the Beta at CES next week during CEO Steve Ballmer’s keynote address. A public Beta is expected sometime in February. Now it seems that software makers are starting to get on the ball with updating their products for the future operating system. Today Laplink announced that they would be releasing their PCmover software with new enhancements that make it compatible with for forthcoming Windows 8 Beta.
PCmover is an app designed to automatically move files, settings, user accounts, applications, and a lot more from one PC to another or even one OS to another. The maker, Laplink, announced that it will be releasing a new version that is compatible with Windows 8 tomorrow, January 5th. The new program isn’t actually called PCmover, but is based on it, and will be called Windows 8 Beta Assistant.
The new program will make life a lot easier for IT pros and users who just want to test the new Windows 8 Beta by upgrading from Windows 7. The app will be available beginning January 5th and you can use it for an unlimited number of moves to Windows 8 for no charge until July of 2012.
