This is probably the first application from Giveawayoftheday.com that I keep using on a regular basis. It ripped some of my DVD's in 30 minutes, to 1.6 Gb DixV AVI's. This file size is a bit high, but the picture and sound quality and the simple enough UI make this a worthwhile installation (as a free giveaway).

Concerning the response by the software publisher I feel that they took too long before responding and clarifying their position regarding access to the Internet. Many viewers will not see their late response - damage has been done. The free offer should be made again with clear information given by the company. I for one did not download the program because of the concerns raised but following their clarification I would happily download and install the program.

As far as what Steve (#4) claims about the supposed illegality of disc ripping,I really can't comment on USA laws because I don't know them that well - still, it's a widely spread idea that they tend to be much more restrictive, in every sense of the word, than those generally accepted in Europe.
What I can tell for sure is that when one buys a DVD (or a book; or a CD, for that matter) one already is paying, included in the overall price, a copyright fee that should give him the right to make 'backup' copies of that product, as long as they are intended for private use - as opposed to profiting. In this sense, and in agreement with many western countries legal provisions, I see no illegality whatsoever.

the whole debate over legality is pretty much moot now, isn't it? I mean, I stopped purchasing ANY DVDs--and sold on ebay/amazon all the ones I had accumulated--a half decade ago when I started my Netflix membership. You see, ANY DVD that I wish to see is now two days away from my door. Period. So why buy one? Why copy one? The whole concept of "ownership" is now meaningless, as any DVD on my shelf will simply sit there untouched.

Installed on Vista Business SP2 no apparent problem. Registered, no apparent problem. When I restarted it, it was no longer registered and all, sorry most, of the Button text disappeared. "Basic Settings" "Save As" "preferences" "Browse" and "Open" buttons still have text, others do not.

I have to wonder what it is doing with up to 50% of my CPU cycles when it is just sitting there empty, nothing loaded (including the missing buttons

I tried the program out and here is what I found:

To all of you complaining about the program accessing the internet all you have to do is block it with a good firewall such as Windows 7 Firewall Control or if you are using XP Ashampoo has an excellent free one. When I inserted a DVD and it asked to access the internet I blocked that as well. Now I can open the program and successfully rip a movie with no problems or firewall warnings. I ripped a 2 1/2 hour movie in 32 minutes.

To the person who used the idea informer who said "Needs an uncheck box feature"....it does. Just click the box to uncheck all and then check the longest title.

There is a great feature to save custom settings. I changed the standard DivX options to my liking and then saved it with a custom title. You aren't limited to the descriptions in the drop down boxes either. For instance you can type in 624x352 under the resolution and it saves it. You can also type a custom frame rate and so on.

Another excellent feature is the "Clip", "Effects" and "Merge". All are self explanatory and seem to work great.

mediAvatar DVD Converter seems to be easy to use and has a lot of output options which I like. I will have to do more testing on the output quality but so far I like it.

Ken, comment # 6, if you read the EULA during installation it will tell you why this program connects to servers off site. It's to check that the registratio is legal.

In response to those who are wondering about why DVD Converter phones home, the answer can be found in the EULA that you clicked through.

* AUTOMATIC COMMUNICATIONS FEATURES - The SOFTWARE consists of interactive Internet applications that perform a variety of communications over the Internet as part of its normal operation. A number of communications features are automatic and are enabled by default. By installing and/or using the SOFTWARE, You consent to the SOFTWARE's communications features. Once You have activated the SOFTWARE, user information including Your user id will be sent in communications with mediAvatar Software Studio servers. This information is used to perform a background check against mediAvatar Software Studio license servers. You are responsible for any telecommunications or other connectivity charges incurred through use of the SOFTWARE.

It seems to work well enough. The ripper is fast and with a load of options to encode with this one is definitely a keeper! Thanks GOTD!

Excerpt from the EULA:
* AUTOMATIC COMMUNICATIONS FEATURES - The SOFTWARE consists of interactive Internet applications that perform a variety of communications over the Internet as part of its normal operation. A number of communications features are automatic and are enabled by default. By installing and/or using the SOFTWARE, You consent to the SOFTWARE's communications features. Once You have activated the SOFTWARE, user information including Your user id will be sent in communications with mediAvatar Software Studio servers.
This information is used to perform a background check against mediAvatar Software Studio license servers.

#8: "... Can someone please post a link to a review or a comparison of features or why this one is any better or different than all the others."

If it helps...

DVDs use mpg2 video encased with [usually] AC3 audio & graphics-based subs in VOB files. When/if you want to convert that content to something else, you 1st have to strip out the audio & video [& opt. subs], then re-size the video frames if necessary, then encode to your desired formats. And as you've noted, there are all sorts of tools & methods. What makes them different is the GUI [interface or program window], the number of features, how long it takes, & the quality of the results. I'll add in that personally if program *X* does the same things just as well as program *Y*, & only *X* is portable, I'll prefer program *X*, simply because there's less to potentially go wrong.

mediAvatar DVD Converter in a nutshell is FAST -- faster than most converters, even though it uses the same basic ffmpeg code libraries. It also allows you to access more of the encoder settings -- x264 for example [which is included in ffmpeg for H264 encoding] has a *Bunch* of settings [ http://goo.gl/6wWuX ], & most converters force you to use whatever they've put down in their included profiles. A double-edged sword, today's GOTD will also work with a non-DRM video DVD as-is -- you don't have to worry about getting the audio/video into the converter, but at the same time you can't import any other types of video to convert.

A *quick* review of the negative aspects: some people don't like that mediAvatar DVD converter phones home, personally I don't like the install or the size, & better quality is possible [not that a small quality increase always matters -- going to a small screen on a hand-held or cell, *you* have to watch it on that small screen to decide if it matters].

So if the negatives don't bother you, give it a shot -- if they do, & you're reasonably happy with what you've already got, skip it. If you're looking for alternatives head over to videohelp.com, & keep checking GOTD -- odds are there will be other converters.

* * *

#18: "Regarding A **possible** reason — nothing more & nothing less... What a bunch of BULL and double speak"... they are collecting who knows what information for reasons unknown....

With all due respect, sometimes a bird is just a bird [i.e. NOT a spy], not every click you hear on the phone means it's tapped, & not every software dev is out to steal valuable bits of data from your PC/laptop. At the moment I'm typing this no one's posted a definite *why* mediAvatar DVD Converter phones home [that's gone through moderation anyway], so all anyone can do is guess, including you. :-)

I stay using handbrake for this moment...free...faster...and working instead of fail as this software does for certain formats...

mediAvatar DVD Converter is very fast -- the mediAvatar team has joined the switch to QT code [like many other video-related apps], & IMHO it shows... looks like they've done their homework. They've also made most encoder settings available so users can do quite a bit of tweaking -- be careful though & be sure to test, because if you change the preset profiles too much, your converted video may not work on your hand-held or cell. mediAvatar DVD Converter also looks/behaves a bit differently than some converters that have been on GOTD -- it uses scripts, & when you change something it can create a new one that shows up in the job list below your DVD's titles... this adds flexibility but can also be confusing at 1st. Entries in the job list can be deleted, & earlier listings can sometimes be treated like a sort of Undo, e.g. if you don't like the results from cropping, just jump up a line or three to an earlier job listing before you applied the crop. You can import video DVDs on disc or in a folder on your hard drive, you can use an ISO disc image, or you can use a title's IFO file -- video, audio, & subs are combined into VOB files, an IFO file with a similar name holds player directions, & you can normally tell the VOB files that belong to a DVD's main title because there are more of them, each with similar names, e.g. VTS_02_1.VOB, VTS_02_2.VOB & so on. mediAvatar DVD Converter includes an edit window where you can Crop; adjust Brightness, Contrast, & Saturation; add a Watermark; add an Effect [e.g. emboss]; add a separate Audio file; or add a separate Subtitle file [in text format]. Another window handles cutting/trimming.

Whether you mind mediAvatar's installation or not is a matter of personal preference &/or standards, combined with whether or not you think it's worth it "to you"... As already mentioned by others, the app's dr.exe file phones home whenever you start it, & then immdevice.exe places a call too -- I only experienced those 2 "calls", but it happens every time I start today's GOTD. Installing files to handle Real video/audio are optional during setup, though I didn't get a choice when it came to vcredist_x86.exe -- a "Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable". Your mileage may vary as they say, but it runs fine for me without running vcredist_x86.exe, saving me about 500 registry entries, saving me from having several files added to my hdd, & saving me from any possible problems from running that Microsoft setup file. [You might install those C++ runtimes several, maybe even dozens of times without a problem, but all those successful installs amount to zilch if/when things go bad -- it has gone bad for me once, so I personally avoid the risk as possible]. mediAvatar DVD Converter itself only adds/needs a couple of registry keys, & has a program folder that takes up ~84 MB with 1,334 files, 59 folders. FWIW, while I can often cut that in half, compacting today's converter didn't help. You also get a folder under All Users\ Application Data [XP] or Program Data\ [7], & a folder's added to User\ Application Data [XP] or User\ Appdata\ Roaming [7]. As you might expect, this DVD converter relies on ffmpeg.

All in all I really like the speed [5 minutes of video encoded to 854X480 H.264 in 1:20], & I like the many encoder settings. I don't like the *very* slight stuttering effect I got in test videos [I believe it's an ffmpeg/x264 problem -- not mediAvatar's], & I'm not thrilled by the app's physical size on disk. If you don't mind the installation or the phoning home, & if you value speed over most everything else, do check mediAvatar's DVD Converter out. If OTOH you don't mind how long it takes as long as the quality's the best [e.g. you're the type who uses the x264 encoder at the "placebo" speed setting], you'll likely want to come back tomorrow.

I have a copious DVD library, not merely movies but also my training webinars. When I am travelling & training, it is cumbersome to carry the lot. This program lets me convert my DVD on the fly, right into compact divx or even clips which I can playback through my phone {which also can be hooked to projectors]

This software also suits my purpose well, as I can join different clips from the same webinar together with excellent transition effects , as well as watermark it should I sell/share the videos created with these joined clips. That saves me from switching programs tween a video editor and then to a watermarking one and then to a converting one!

AND the stored ISO images already on my laptop - you got it I can convert them as well to any desired output type.

This software is several softwares rolled into one, if it was being offered by a Sony or an Ulead it would have been priced a few hundred dollars.

Now me off to crack the mystery of the "must-have-internet connected to get it working" setup. There are several softwares (Adobe, MS,etc) which run their data gathering in the background, sometimes gathering user experience/behavior, or mapping how the software behaves in different OS environments and so on.
MS even provides software solutions through this "prying" and while some programs "dial home" everytime my machine boots up whether I use them anymore or not!
Worse still are those which clam shut if I shut off their host programs, which were installed without my knowledge, like Corel programs automatically have Protexis start at bootup. Protexis checks my licensing status every single time I boot!! and should I disable this software once their preliminary check is done, the Corel program wont work - so really everyone is doing it - mediaAvtar is no differentedia, but it probably gets the flak as they need to be in an always on mode. Maybe they dont provide all the software options in their initial setup and keep downloading elements as the user avails them: which could be rather good as you always have updated versions, besides keeping the initial download trimmer & quicker.

There are several programs out there that protect your user info, vaulting your passwords, banking details, etc. While other password protect files and folders while other even decrypt every keystroke. Not to forget anonymous surfing and IP scramblers. So really it is not for a mediAvtar you would be beefing up your security, and choosing what you want to share every time you connect to the net.

I find the softwares multi-functionality rather to my taste and need & its FREE for 24 hours! Like WOW.

The Supreme Court of The United States has determined that we DO have the right to back up EVERY disc that we purchase. This includes audio cd's, DVD's and software. We do not have the right to distribute these copies, but we are entitled to make one for our own use and protection.

I personally think all You ranters and ravers going on about how this company is grabbing Your personal data over the net are a bunch of paranoid hooligans that know little... This is video data remember and it's quite large, so they can improve and sell more of the software not to exploit or do You any intrusion whatsoever as you goofs think they are lol what a big laugh, anyway man Enjoy as this is not bad. but I have been using the free "Any Video Converter" converting from .VOB's to Matroska workzZz Quite well...

This from Fengtao, the DVDFab Architect, on DVDfab's forum:

********************

Dear all,

"There are several reasons for which we have adopted a Internet based service, rather than decrypting the disc on user's computer.

1. Decryption is done once for a disc. All the other users that have the same disc will just receive the decrypted data from our servers rather than doing it again and again. For Internet connections that are getting faster and faster this is the fastest solution there can be!!

2. We also eliminate some cases when clients that are not updated could not open the disc, etc. So sometimes DVDFab without being updated can open new discs. That was the recent case with Avatar: when we added support for it on server... it simply worked for everyone.
3. Protections get better and better because the people that design them can study the decrypters included in our competitors products, and counter attack. Our system is hidden on our servers so no counter measures can be made. Of course we are affected too by the evolution of the *game*, but at least there one less to "help" the protectors.

4. To help users even more, we plan to include decryption data in DVDFab so Internet connection will not be needed for some discs. We will publish a chart with BD+ generations and the conditions when an Internet connection will be needed. Considering the above, new discs will always need Internet connection."

********************

One would imagine that there is a similar explanation of why mediAvatar DVD Converter "phones home". However, it would be nice of them (and smart) to explain the internet activity on their web site. AND mention this vital internet info in their system requirements, which simply read:

System Requirements

OS : Microsoft® Windows XP (SP2 or later), Windows Vista, Windows 7
Processor : 1GHz Intel/AMD processor or above
RAM : 256MB RAM (512MB or above recommended)
Free Hard Disk : 50MB space for installation
Graphics Card : Super VGA (800×600) resolution, 16-bit graphics card or higher
Others : DVD-ROM drive

********************

“Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.” - Spock

#15- DVDFAB does not phone home or connect for any reason other than program updates (If you have it checked). I manually download the installs and it never uses the internet since I have updates turned off. There is no reason for this application to connect back home.

ET Phone Home, This program sends too much data to the internet I have uninstalled it, even me being an extraterrestrial I don't understand why so much data sent to internet.

What a shame that this program needs personal information. I agree with the above post, it would be nice if the company chimed in with an explanation, as it is going to scare away potential customers reading the comments here. No worries, I am sure GOTD will have more programs like this in the future that we feel comfortable using.

Regarding
A **possible** reason — nothing more & nothing less — is that mediAvatar DVD Converter *might* follow the model used by DVDFab for their Blu-Ray copy/backup… DVDFab’s app contacts their server to find out how to decrypt the disc. As the dev explains it in the DVDFab forums, 1) it’s more efficient for everyone, instead of constantly updating the app when new DRM comes out, & 2) knowing how it’s bypassed makes developing newer, better DRM easier — apparently the folks developing DRM reverse engineer DVDFab to find out how DVDFab gets around their protections, & this way those methods are unavailable, not included in the app itself."

What a bunch of BULL and double speak. The ONLY time the program would need to call home (other than check for updates) is when it encounters a DRM it does not recognize - and then it should ask your permission. Otherwise they are collecting who knows what information for reasons unknown. NO THANKS.
Thanks for the info about DVDFab - I just removed their app from my system.

Having read the many comments concerning this program's insistence to access the Internet I feel that the software publisher should immediately reply to these comments. At present many potential future customers are taking note of this company and will avoid purchasing any software released by them. This is doing the company a lot of harm.

Cannot see why any information is required after registration. Microsoft Office doesn't send a copy of every letter you write in Word back to Microsoft (Does it?) !!!

To not even have the choice of monitoring this is bad practice. However good this software might be is irrelavant. Deleted and thumbs down, for the intrusion alone.

Purely FWIW...

#1: "This is a great product used by the pros."

:-) :-) :-) LOL...

It's not that mediAvatar is good or bad -- a legal pro is going to work with the originals, not lower DVD quality, while a pirate pro is going to duplicate the DVD pretty much exactly. OTOH I'm not complaining at all, because I needed the laugh. ;?P

* * *

#3: "Wanted to back up my favourite DVDs so I could watch them on my iPod but it failed."

#4: "Most commercially available DVDs contain encryption. If you live in the USA and use this software to backup such a DVD you are committing a crime under the DCMA."

Most retail or commercial DVDs use all sorts of DRM, some to the point that the DVD is so far out of spec it won't play properly in some players. While I'm far from a legal expert or lawyer, court rulings in the US said that it's sometimes OK to backup &/or re-purpose content on a DVD... here's just 1 link http://goo.gl/IJf7V -- Google/Bing for more. However it is illegal **AFAIK** to reverse engineer a patented product or process etc. -- that could include DVDs & the DRM used on or with them, since info on either is not made available free by the owners. That last part means [for right now at least] that there are just 2, well known companies making DRM bypass software: SlySoft in Antigua & DVDFab in China... DVDFab has been on GOTD. That said, if you have video without DRM, transcoding for the iPod [& siblings] is arguably the most well-known, most widely supported conversion out there, so I'm pretty sure mediAvatar will handle it just fine.

* * *

#9: "... It sends quite a lot information to the internet without giving you the option not to and it doesn’t let you view the info being sent out..."

A **possible** reason -- nothing more & nothing less -- is that mediAvatar DVD Converter *might* follow the model used by DVDFab for their Blu-Ray copy/backup... DVDFab's app contacts their server to find out how to decrypt the disc. As the dev explains it in the DVDFab forums, 1) it's more efficient for everyone, instead of constantly updating the app when new DRM comes out, & 2) knowing how it's bypassed makes developing newer, better DRM easier -- apparently the folks developing DRM reverse engineer DVDFab to find out how DVDFab gets around their protections, & this way those methods are unavailable, not included in the app itself.

But that's just a possibility... right now I have no idea if it's right or not. I don't see any reason not to contact mediAvatar to ask: http://goo.gl/JzLrs . I don't know if they'll respond or how long it'll take, but I don't see any harm in blocking the app's on-line access until you find out -- after all, if you've already got it installed it shouldn't make a difference whether you uninstall it today or next week. ;-)

Likewise, i don't want my personal info shared to 'who knows who'. Does anyone know if their/MediAvatars other programs do likewise, as they have had others on GotD, one of which i DL'ed. If i uninstall it, will that completely 'fix' this unauthorized internet sharing problem and usage of my internet bandwidth and PC resources? Thank you in advance for any support if i happen to miss the chance to reply to your comment(s), and Cheers :)

I am running a netbook, 2Gz with Win 7 Starter and tried this program last fall as a free trial. Wouldn't work on the netbook, kept on shutting me out. I may try this on my desktop computer running Win 7 x 64 and see if more processing power works better. What I could see of the program seemed to offer many output options, however perhaps too many for the "basic" user.

Not going to use, don't like sharing information over the Net. Don't quite understand why that is necessary. I hope GOTD has some more DVD burning programs soon, as I was excited about this one....until I realized I had to share personal information.

This program will not allow you to back up and compress to a 4.7 gb dvd and also a dual layer dvd disc.you also cannot transfer a dvd to your hard drive.
If you want to do this try dvd next copy or clone dvd mobile.

Downloaded and installed fine, runs well on my not so new Windows 7 laptop.

The interface is decent, looks like an easy enough program to use. I don't think this is for me though, so it'll be removed.

As poster #2 said, it sends a ton of information over the net, why? What could the creators possibly need from you after registration? Updates are turned off (as I do with all GoTD programs) yet mire firewall activity monitor goes off.

I'm not a paranoid person, but I do like to conserve my bandwidth. And programs who have to "dial home" frequently get's a low rating from me.

I'm going to give this a 4 out of 10. There are other, better alternatives to backing up your DVD's which won't call home, just use Google and you'll find plenty.

Thanks for the program just the same GoTD.

This program is basically a ripper. It sends quite a lot information to the internet without giving you the option not to and it doesn't let you view the info being sent out. I uninstalled after first use as I very suspicious it could be sending your personal data without you knowing it. Tried to block it from accessing the internet but the program wouldn't work.

Score: 2/10

Yet another DVD media converter in this highly competitive and flooded market.

Can someone please post a link to a review or a comparison of features or why this one is any better or different than all the others.

I did not catch the idea of this program. Yes, you wanna backup your DVD. Why can't you copy all the files to your HDD? Only if DVD is copy-protected. But there isn't a word about bypassing a copy protection, neither here nor on the official page. Actually, this is not a program for backup, this is a ripper. May be a good one, I don't want to try.

This program connects to the internet when in use and that is not a good thing to have it do. If they tell us it does and why then OK and we can choose to or not to use this. I will get rid of it now and watch for other programs by this company to avoid.

I just dont trust programs that send personal details to another web site, not for me.

Most commercially available DVDs contain encryption. If you live in the USA and use this software to backup such a DVD you are committing a crime under the DCMA.

Wanted to back up my favourite DVDs so I could watch them on my iPod but it failed. Not a lot of good to me.

This program sends much data over the internet, to multiple domains including xilisoft(which is apparently the primary developer behind this thing). It does this even if "check for updates" is turned off.

If you try to deny any of the numerous requests for internet access that this program makes, it will just crash. So, assume that whatever you do with this program, someone is keeping track.

This is a great product used by the pros. Installation is easy and you can put your name in the 'Name' field at registration.

Hello everyone, I'm from mediAvatar Software Studio.

Here I assure all of our users: we wouldn’t collect any personal information from you. And you don’t need to enter any personal information during registration even email address. However, when users are using our products, we will check if they’re using the piracy version, if it does, we will stop users from using our products.

Thanks all of you! And Thanks for all your feedback, we'll keep on improving our products!