Downloaded an installed perfectly. No highjacking of home page - that's nonsense.
To all you ipod tools that are giving this bad ratings, get a life. This is exactly what this Zune user has been looking for. THANKS!

Extra DVD to Zune Ripper is a nice looking software. It seems you just have to click to rip a DVD to MP4 or WMV file format, but there is no help to learn how to use it well.

Installation was fine on my Windows Vista 32... and it did NOT change my home page.

Registration does not work...! Each time I want to check out if everything is OK, it opens a empty registration box. I tried to fill up with and without administrator rights, but it's the same problem. What I have to do? Thanks for answering.

#4: "What a useless piece of software for the NON ZUNE owner, the decelopers could have at least developed it to rip to other devices too."

Rather than force people to buy more expensive, & potentially more confusing software with more options, Extra also sells versions tailored for one device. Normally you just buy the version you need. In fairness to Extra, they seem to provide different apps to GOTD on different days, so with a bit of patience, everyone can be happy. If it seems to take too long between Extra's GOTD offers, whenever there's too many converters in too short a time, people complain.

* * *

#7: "...how is this program any different than: Extra DVD Ripper Express? Extra DVD Copy?"

Today's ripper gives you files formatted for the Zune. The Express version has more output options. The Copy copies.

* * *

#11: "It supports conversion without quality loss. Even in the intro here it says that it converts other formats. The Converter supports Copying DVD to DVD, WMV, MPEG, Ipod, IPhone, FLV, PSP, PS3, and more."

Sorry... There is no such thing as video or audio conversion without quality loss. Resizing video itself to fit small screens requires quality loss -- half or more of the picture data is tossed out. RE: the other formats, select one and your browser opens to the page where you can upgrade.

* * *

#22: "However, to the developer it is unclear about what your product does and does not do. Some testers state that it can convert to other platforms while others do not"

There are fewer formats than players -- if you want/need/can play audio/video formatted for the Zune [AVC/AAC, wmv, mp4] you're all set.

Extra's Rippers work by re-recording a DVD, thus you only have to be able to play it -- on retail DVDs DRM is designed to keep you from accessing the digital video/audio directly. While you do lose quality, at usual hand-held player screen sizes it's not noticeable. Recent rippers & converters from Extra featured on GOTD have suffered from a lack of encoding options, like the inability to set custom frame sizes -- this isn't a problem on today's Extra DVD to Zune Ripper because you don't need that sort of flexibility. The app itself worked better than the last 2 GOTDs from Extra, but the results to AVC/AAC were disappointing -- I fed the same difficult opening scene to today's ripper from Extra & the Xillisoft DVD Ripper Ultimate 5 [also from GOTD], & only Extra's results showed quite a lot of blocking & artifacts on a difficult background [in fairness this may be because of a bad profile setting -- though I chose identical profiles in both apps, Extra's seemed to be lower bit rate]

As [unfortunately] usual, Extra's developers include an older version of the free Xvid codec -- files that go into Windows' system folder [videohelp.com has the latest version to download]. To use Extra DVD to Zune Ripper you make any needed settings, like format & output folder, then select a DVD [or DVD folder], bringing up a window to set the duration [either full DVD or a portion of it]. When you click OK, everything starts converting, unfortunately before you can turn off subtitles -- to do that hit stop, turn off the subs, then re-start the conversion from the menu [while they can be useful, subs on a 1.8" screen aren't exactly the most readable].

A family member has a Zune that I frequently encode video for -- however it's not something that I've got hands-on today, so can't comment on how well Extra DVD to Zune Ripper encoded files play on it -- in the past I've had good luck with their Converter but not their Ripper, encoding AVC/AAC for the Zune. AVC [H264] video with AAC audio is the format that looks the best, but having tried every ripper & converter offered on GOTD that had a Zune profile or template [& quite a few free-ware alternatives], Xillisoft had the only ripper, & Extra the only converter that didn't mangle the audio &/or have it out of sync [all based on playing the AVC/AAC in the VLC player & feedback from the Zune owner].

The Winmedia format works on the Zune using most all rippers & converters [free & payware], but the quality's lower. You can do a lot better using Microsoft's own free encoder which can do 2 passes, but it is a bit of extra work if for example I've got a recorded DVD... they've got guides etc at videohelp.com & doom9.org if you want to try it. So I usually only use wmv when pressed for time -- then I use the free DVD Shrink to *copy* [not reduce the size of] the DVD to a new folder with just 1, large VOB file, & feed it to either the free A's Video Converter [bluesky23.hp.infoseek.co.jp] or the one that comes with my ATI graphics card drivers... it's not unusual to reach 500+ fps encoding that way! [Please Note: in my experience the ATI converter works with/without hardware acceleration -- never tried A's without -- but it will be slightly slower if you don't have a 4000 series card/chip or newer] There are similar tools for nvidia graphics, but I don't know anything about them beyond reading that they exist.

@12 There are more than you would think and with the new HD the zune will be compatible with xbox. As you would see if you weren't such a winer is that this will also do most other mp3 formats. Happy now?

I guess as a Zune owner I need to step up to the plate (as opposed to my usual visit of just clicking Thumbs up for Fubar and Ashraf).

First, to alleviate worries some surmised might happen with this product: I experienced no Home Page hijacking.

I presume the rationale for this offering is to supplement/correct the previous giveaway from the same company, "Extra DVD to All MP4 Ripper 6.66". That program offered Zune presets in addition to lots of others, but those Zune presets didn't work (not uncommon--WinX DVD Ripper Platinum also had Zune output presets that didn't work). Today's giveaway only gives Zune presets, and it works.

I tested on a Zune 80. I don't have a Zune HD, but all the presets are 4:3 aspect ratio, which matches all Zunes except the 16:9 Zune HD.
Output formats are combinations of:
- WMV or MP4 (MPEG-4) or MP4 (H.264)
- QVGA (320x240) or VGA (640x480)
- 512 or 768 or 1024kbps stereo/128kbps

My first test was a DVD-RW of a 2 hour recorded TV show, output format set to: WMV, QVGA, 768kbps stereo/128kbps. Ripping took 48 minutes on a Vista system. Quality appears excellent for the 10 minutes or so that I watched.

My second test was a 16:9 commercial DVD, "The Sound of Music," and it converted fine at each of H.264/VGA/1024, and MPEG-4 and WMV, (though of course it came out letterbox on the 4:3 Zune 80). However, it records text captions at the bottom. I don't see any control to stop it, and am not sure if this is typical for commercial DVDs and DVD ripping software (this is my first ripping of a commercial DVD), or if it's my mistake somehow.

There was also a drop-down under "Settings" with these entries:
To AVI
To MPEG
To iPod
To iPhone
To Apple iTV
To FLV
To Sony PSP
To Sony PS3
To WMV
To RM/RMVB
To Pocket PC
To 3GP
Copy to DVD

When you click on one of those, it just opens up a web page to their other program Extra DVD Ripper Express.

Help is online only, and the Step-by-Step Guide is for the different program Extra DVD Ripper Express, and is just screenshots/text descriptions for a typical conversion.

Conclusion: Tailored for Zune as advertised. Not 16:9, so not sure how well (would you see "double letterbox" of a 16:9 DVD?), or if, it works on Zune HD. Works fine on Zune 80 (assuming captioning is not this program's fault). Especially good to add to your arsenal if you already have any previous DVD Ripper that doesn't properly produce Zune output (Wondershare's DVD Ripper *does* produce proper Zune output, the other two I mentioned above don't).

To #9 Spiritwolf:
I'm sorry to hear that that happened, but you can't be serious!! You actually reinstalled your OS just because you couldn't change your homepage? There are tons of ways you could have put it back to normal! You should have asked on a tech support forum... And even if some of the workarounds in IE didn't work, you could have, at worst, switched your browser, which I'm sure would have worked. But formatting seems a bit drastic doesn't it?
Anyway, to make this helpful, I'll say what you could have done, and what someone with this problem should do:
(In order of "drasticalness")
1. Not care
2. Go into IE's options and try to see if Extra installed a plug-in so you can disable it
3. If you can't find it, you can check whether there is one or not by running IE in the "no add ons" mode (found in "Accessories">"system tools" in the XP start menu programs list)
4. If you can change your homepage then, you can make it definitive by going in IE's options and "reseting" it, which disables all of it's add-ons, and sets all options back to default (careful with this though, you'll have to reinstall or re-associate all of your add-ons like flash player)
5. If that doesn't work for you, you can change browser (to Opera, Firefox, Marathon, or Chrome, as a few suggestions), which will work for sure, and I recommend, since IE is one of the least secure ones.
6. If that doesn't work, it means it really is a problem inside windows (well, outside of your browser at least), and you would have to find and delete the file causing your problem, which is nearly impossible if you don't have a clue as to what it could be
7. If there really is no way to fix it, just ignoring it will be better than reformatting your computer.

Hope this helps, (sorry, it probably won't help the majority)

AR

I have downloaded and used Extra's software before without issue.

However, to the developer it is unclear about what your product does and does not do. Some testers state that it can convert to other platforms while others do not.

In all fairness, I reviewed your website and it states this program supports WAV and MP4. MP4 can be used with Apple Ipod but not wave without another file converstion program. The website has different programs for different types of players. For example your website promotes Extra Dvd ripper for the Ipod.

Pros
This could be a very useful program for anyone that owns a zune or who only wants to rip to MP4 or wav if they don't own a Zune or any other media device.

Cons
For the $29.00 I find that it is overpriced due to the limited functions that it provides.

Overall,
I give it an ok for Zune owners but a thumbs down as it is extrememly limited and for the price one could easily find a progam that does the same for free. Or another paid programs and even free programs offer more functions than this product. I would much rather have a product that supports numerous formats and would be willng to pay a fair price, this is for the developers, otherwise I find the program extremely limited and over priced for what it does.

As for a free program, Asharf has WinXDVD Ripper Platinum for free on his website DotTec.org. If you need a program that rips to just about all formats I highly recommend it and you can get it for free for a limited time.

Vidimo Se!

@ #12 Mike Rowe By may 2008 MS had sold over 2 million Zune http://www.electronista.com/articles/08/05/09/ms.sells.2m.zunes
try to do some research before you speak rubbish we want to know facts about the software not what is floating about your little brain.
Thanks GAOTD keep up the good work

As for #9 comment, i am not very tech. savy so i appreciate all comments on all products offered here so please leave a comment , it will mabye save me problems in the long run. thanks BOBO

Has anyone experienced voices and streams on their computer after clicking on #6 (whiterabbit)....http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/forum/17 ??? wierd....and i can't figure out how to get rid of it...any idea's would be welcome..

to #9:
This is EXACTLY why it is strongly recommended to ALWAYS use an uninstaller. It will take a pc snapshot 'before' and 'after' the installation. With this logged information the uninstaller can perform a clean uninstall and revert changes made, such as homepage changes.
I use 'Total Uninstall', it's the best.

http://www.aplusfreeware.com/categories/util/uninst.html

You could also use Revo, but that doesn't clear the homepage change since it does not create a log.
Hope this helps.

To #9 there is a small program that will help you change your homepage back when its been highjacked, but I cant remember the name right now. A google search may have been easier than a re-install. As 4 everyone else, if you cant use the software provided here for free, then just move along and stop whining about it. I’m sure there may be something tomarrow that may be just for you. thanks GAOTD FOR THE FREE PROGGYS AND A CHANCE TO TEST THEM FOR FREE BEFORE YOU BUY.
JMHO

can any one tell the solution to problem which was encountered by #9 changing of homepage without the need of reinstallation of the operating system

@Mike Rowe - If you don't have anything useful to say, please stop cluttering up our screens. Thanks. I'm sure MS would be interested to find out there's "only a few hundred Zune users on the planet". I wonder where you get your statistics?

As for the rest, does anyone know if it has any issues with 64bit? Is it good for a novice user? Are there any actual problems or issues about it (not just speculation)? I ask because I have a friend who's a novice user and can't really handle anything high-tech. Super confused the hell out of him, as have a couple of other progs. Thanks in advance.

Ok, there might be, at best, a few hundred people who use a Zune on the entire planet.

The Rush to Judgment without facts or investigation is a shame. It supports conversion without quality loss. Even in the intro here it says that it converts other formats. The Converter supports Copying DVD to DVD, WMV, MPEG, Ipod, IPhone, FLV, PSP, PS3, and more.

It downloaded and installed easily on my XP, SP3.

I am not concerned with prior giveaways, since I may or may not have them.

The "Extra" software is useually a great tool... more over, all you who said it is a no use for non zune owners... did you even read the description?!! it converts into MP4 or WMV format... not just for zune but MP4 is a good format that can be used by most up to date potable media device. Also I have experianced thaqt MP4 files can be uploaded to most sites, like youtube, veoh and so on.

I give the software two tumbs even though I dont have a zune!

I won't download today's giveaway because of the MASSIVE problems I had with my pcs (my server still is messed up) because of Extra software's browser hijacker that takes over the settings so that there's no way to change your homepage/starting page back to your choice instead of their site.

I immediately uninstalled Extra's last giveaway as soon as I saw it had hijacked my homepage. I tried rolling back the system with system restore, but that didn't enable me to change my homepage back.

I run Kaspersky antivirus & Spybot S&D with realtime protection, yet neither caught Extra software's previous Giveaway's sneaky hijacking of my homepage while I was installing the Giveaway. I ran several malware detection scans, etc, and spent hours searching the web looking for a solution to change my homepage back to what I wanted.

In the end, I had to reinstall Windows and IE from scratch, just to be able to once again have the homepage I WANT, with the option to change it when I WANT once again enabled. I lost a bunch of Giveaways because of this.

Needless to say, I will NEVER EVER install anything from Extra again. Their last Giveaway was more devastating to my system and software than any malware I've ever had to contend with!

@graham There are other options that this program can rip to. After you install it select settings and you can see everything from To DVD, To iPod, To Soiny PS3. etc. Wouldn’t want the Apple Fan boys to get angry.

@dearkindour I don’t see an option for Zune HD, I started “backing” up a disk using it, it seems to be working pretty well. I also have Handbrake which for a casual ripping seems to be a bit much. (Need to figure out how to use it)

Wait a minute how is this program any different than:
Extra DVD Ripper Express?
Extra DVD Copy?

I gotta go.

@graham There are other options that this program can rip to. After you install it select settings and you can see everything from To DVD, To iPod, To Soiny PS3. etc. Wouldn't want the Apple Fan boys to get angry.

@dearkindour I don't see an option for Zune HD, I started "backing" up a disk using it, it seems to be working pretty well. I also have Handbrake which for a casual ripping seems to be a bit much. (Need to figure out how to use it)

Wait a minute how is this program any different than:
Extra DVD Ripper Express?
Extra DVD Copy?

I gotta go.

Message to master yoda and Caulbox - thanks for your advice re: recovering CRC errors from DVD's and CD's. Much appreciated; and to Caulbox for the ueful software from the Hungarian developer. Nice one.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With respect to the free games project. We’ve posted some extra special freebies over the last 12 days to celebrate over a year since the project was started:


There are several Space arena type games including, Squid Yes, Not so Octopus, Storm Assault, Titan Omega, Gunroar, Gorevania, The Griffon Legend, Return to Sector 9 and Racoon Extended, A great rts game called S.W.I.N.E; several Halloween games such as Vampirako, Voodoo, Halloween Hocus Pocus and the Haunted Mansion. Plus several other games including Disasteroids, Centipong, some children’s games, The Hexagonal Maze, Jet ball, . A really good squad based third person shooter called Full Spectrum Warrior. A couple of Tram simulators and a motorcycle simulator, and an unusual cartoon like r.p.g. called ButaVX: Justice Fighter. Several platform games including the Runman anthology, Noitu Love, Samurai Smackdown; A GTA clone called Bikez II and a space privateering sim called Wazzal,

You can find the above games in the games discussion forums under week 59 and 60:

http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/forum/17

What a useless piece of software for the NON ZUNE owner, the decelopers could have at least developed it to rip to other devices too.

Sorry, here's the correct link for the open-source freeware program MediaCoder.

Will not download today's giveaway (as I don't own a Zune).
Freeware Options (for those who are interested)

Handbrake
MediaCoder
SUPER

I am most concerned whether this DVD to Zune Ripper supports the Zune HD or say whether it has the "Zune HD" format profile embedded.

Actually, I am fond of the DVD Ripper Platinum got from GAOTD for free months ago (by Wondershare). It attracts me most that it has supports for almost all popular mobile players.

Thanks anyway.