i use youconvertit.com, and i am very comfortable with it

Also, if you want to use a freebie converter, you can use MediaConverter SA, which is a nice alternative (but without as many options) as Super...the benefit being the very easy to use interface.

Even with the lessened set of output formats, you should be able to convert to the most used mainstream ones (3g2, 3gp, avi, flv, m4v, mov, mp4, mpg, mpeg, rm, wmv)

I believe you will need to be updated with the proper .NET framework 2.0 or higher in order to make it work.

its not just for zune.. since it converts it to wmv it means it will work with all pc's. So convert a 7gig movie to less then one gig on a flash drive and you have a portable movie you can play at work (for those of you that dont have a dvd drive or a dvd player installed.) Worked great for me. just slipped it into the usb port and watched movies on wmv...only thing i did was change the names of the movies to something like "Status Reports" or such.. so that if they check the history it wont say "Debbie does dallas" or "Empire Strikes Back" Just a little info for those of you that might wanna try it...

I always read tyhe comments late and the way I figure it, Users on this site want a software that *most* people can use not just the few.

As with converters, I'm guessing people don't want to illegally copy DVD's all the day or put said movies onto their portable player.

I agree GOTD is having it tough choosing programs to offer (seems being free is'nt good enough anymore)

With millions of net users, how can GOTD keep everyone happy...A free Web Browser to which people will point all the free alternatives on the net?

To be honest, I would'nt know where to start if offering software for free and I'm glad GOTD attempt to keep most people happy.
So todays giveaway is for a few people rather than the majority (This shows in the thumbs down quite obviously)

One thing I wonder about, When loading the site, To get to the comments we have to click on *Click on download link* (Why bother if you don't want that days offering)
All I can think of is to click on the *No* when GOOD comments are left and *Yes* on the bad comments (and of course to hit the Thumbs down icon!

Perhaps Thumbs Up/Down icon should be moved to the first page and just leave the comments in their usual place and see if there's a change?
Mind you, only those awaiting Wednesdays giveaway will be lurking here and voting on todays software by now.

Fact of life is, Every so often GOTD will come up with a great piece of software that gets a good rating...Surely this is better than none at all EVER??

Thanks for doing your best guys, As you know all too well "You can't please all of people all of the time"

I've never posted a negative before. I appreciate all the various offerings here, whether or not I have a need for the programs offered.
This developer was a major disappointment. Even though the program works as stated, I uninstalled it. I don't like that my homepage was hijacked! I'm glad I'm glad I have the ability to fully uninstall the spyware that came along with this. Thanks to a previous giveaway.
I will be careful in the future before installing any other program from here.
Hopefully GAOTD will offer a Spyware/Hijacker remover type software very soon for the other visitors to their site who may not have the software available.

#2 - Not it's NOT JUST about how the program installs or works. That's in part what the comments are for. A thumbs down can only indicate a like/dislike, not the problems a program has. And if you've seen this program 20 time in the past month and this offers even less than the other 19, it's going to get a thumbs down.

We've had about a million video converters. Note to programmers: I think the world has enough pay for video converters, not to mention several FREE ones who do the job as well or better. So unless your converter does something different and useful, such as converting a blue-ray, then please program something else.

There are some rather exclusive type programs that come along. Even when people don't use them they are unlikely to get voted down unless the program runs badly.

I loved the quality of the conversion, if I could only get it to convert past the 5 minute mark and stop freezing after the converstion. Those are my only two beef's with the program. What I got out was some of the best video I have seen.

Downloaded, installed, won't start. YMMV

Add me to the list of those who do not like their home page being hijacked without permission. In addition, the program wouldn't open even though I had gone through the registration process and received an "activated" message. Yes, as noted, it attempted to hijack my homepage which was prevented by other installed software, but then after using the uninstaller built in - somehow my tabbed IE 7 homepages were gone and I was back at square one with Microsoft running their stupid set-up for IE 7 - even though it had been set up long, long ago. A system restore gave me back my homepages and appears to have wiped all remaining residue of this program. The one thing I always wonder when reading these comments is what is it about our various setups that these programs install for some but not all? Or appear to have installed on some but no program opens from the executable? I have a Zune and would have liked to try this out but not with the baggage it comes with.

lately it seems like GOTD just throws up any program doesnt test it, to see if its worth offering, and then everyone gripes..........GOTD how about doing your homework.....download it see if its what it says it is, see if its a registered version, see if it hijacks your home page , etc, is that so hard?

have any problems,can contact the company online service ,MSN oneline: www.dvdtompegx.com@hotmail.com . i have tried to contact them and get best service from them.

Any software you install that changes your IE homepage to thiers should be regarded as NASTY.

Shame on you GAOTD for not spotting and warning us of this browser hijack loaded into this software.

Yes it's easy to change back for most of us, but not all know how.

FINALLY!!!!

Most Zune converters/dvd-to-Zune things do NOT work perfectly for my Zune. Unlike most ungrateful people that say they hate this because it's only for Zunes, I appreciate something different that I can use.

And is it just me, or has EVERY program that GaOTD offered in the past 6 months never made it above 70% thumbs up? Most never even hit 60%...
Why??????? EVERYTHING IS FREE!!! WHY RATE ANYTHING BAD?????

Well it's obvious Give Away of the Day can't handle the truth. I just posted a long opinion on how bad I thought this program was to install spyware and change my home page to Plato website. It was up for a minute or two and then removed. So in a short version stay away from Plato.

While looking at "add/remove programs" today trying to uninstall/reinstall Firefox (to be sure to remove whatever Plato may have added), I noticed one extra program with a publisher of "Plato Global Creativity" - guess what the program title was... "Acala DVD Ripper Pro"!

Yep, when they reskinned it to sell under another name, someone forgot to change the copyright string! There's been a lot of staggering coincidences suggesting that all these media converter companies are related, but this I think is the first good hard evidence.


G

Dont like changes to my computer with out my oking it!!! The software worked ok . But dont trust programs that change things for me. Dont know if any thing else was changed before I uninstalled it!!

A BIG NO! How dare this program take over my home page. That is unforgivable. I will NEVER try or use anything by this developer again. (Plato) I will pass the word on to all the people I do support for to stay away from these guys. I work for a large advertising agency and spreading the word on these guys will be easy and hopefully hit them where it hurts. In the public relations area. I still can't beleve the nerve of these guys to take over a home page. GOD only knows what else I'll find messed up on my computer. Thankfully I just did a Acronis backup image and will be restoring it pronto.

And now Give Away of the Day is also very susspect in my book. Rotten Tomatoes to both of you. STAY VERY FAR AWAY.

#26:
"The only thing worse than people kvetching, are people kvetching
about other people kvetching."


Oh yeah? What about people kvetching about people kvetching about
people kvetching about other people kvetching?!!!


(Sure, you can top this, but what kind of schmuck will read it?)


Garfey

I look at this site everyday, and I usually look at the ratings to see if a program being offered has more positive then negative before deciding to dnld and install. It is too hard anymore on here to just look at the rating due to the enormous amount of people just complaining because it is not something that they want. I would love it GOTD if you could find a way to get rid of the comments that are truly not helpful to someone who is considering the programs that you are offering. Reading thru all of them have become tedious. I now look only at a review from white rabbit lately because he seems to be the only one without a pathetic gripe. Thanks to you GOTD and white rabbit, and the other who managed to actually write and appropriate review of the programs so that when someone like me comes here I can read the true positives and negatives of the program and not the tantrums.

Question: this looks good, but I have the opposite need. I want to convert Zune to VIDEO. Basically, I want to enlarge the 4 inch Zune video to use with my high definition, 48 inch screen plasma tv. Can I run this software backwards to do that? And will this work on Windows 3.11 (with service pack 93)? Thanks, GAOTD!

how this thing managed to get even 20 percent thumbs up is a mystery

Be warned that this program obnoxiously attempts to change your Internet Explorer home page to http://www.dvdtompegx.com when installed.

If you're not running any guardware that blocks that sort of thing (SpybotSD's TeaTimer, AnVir Task Manager, etc.), you're going to have to manually change it back.

I'd be rather leary of any software from a company that thinks nothing of hijacking your browser settings this way.

It's fast and works well with my Zune. Thumbs up. Wonder whether it would work with sansa e-series.

hey #12, today, i was pleasantly surprised to learn that #3 was correct about what else VLC can do besides play almost any audio/video file under the sun. it can indeed rip DVDS! talk about timely: lifehacker had a post on just that today - http://lifehacker.com/397573/master-your-digital-media-with-vlc - i really must PayPal a few bucks to VLC.

I wonder if there's some free software that would filter all the complaining and then filter the complainers about the complaining.

Keep up the good work GOTD. I come here every day to check what you're offering. Your service has great value to me even if I don't need everything you're offering.

Look forward to trying this converter. It is getting harder to find reviews on products anymore with all the non-product personal opinions that are being shared.

Anyone know why Mamutu detected this installer making a change to Internet Explorer? When I told it to block, windows threw an error box pointing at the culprit: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main - unfortunately it didn't say which subkey. I didn't select the GAOTD option for adding the GAOTD page to my bookmarks so there was no reason why this code should even be interested in my browser. It was recorded in the Mamutu log as "Behavior.BrowsersettingsChange" for iexplore.exe.

Mamutu (possibly the best GAOTD ever) also logged "Behavior.Backdoor/Behavior.Spyware/Behavior.TrojanDownloader" for Firefox.exe at the time I was installing (which I don't use, but it's installed on my machine and is often found in preference to IE by programs that attempt to start up a browser)

Confirmation or an explanation of the above from anyone who has both Mamutu and Returnil installed would be welcome. I'll try it again myself this evening with "Community based alert reduction" turned off and "Paranoid mode" turned on in Mamutu. Not happy that the Firefox changes - whatever they were - went through without being prompted for. I suspect it was that "Community" setting that allowed it.

Also I'm none too impressed that Plato installs some DLLs in windows\system32 rather than its own local directory with all the others. They whizzed by too fast for me to catch the names, and I reverted using Returnil before I remembered to check to see what was new.

Sure glad I did the installation under Returnil.

G

after some testing ive found that this is the exact same software as dvd to ipod convertor... just different names so people will still buy the program wether they have an ipod or a zune... if you missed this giveaway the first time around (dvd to ipod convertor) then i recomend picking it up it is great software!!!!

there's a lot of converters that do this (and a lot more) already- I downloaded like 3 video converters from GOTD in the past. no need for another converter guys.. who in his right mind would spend $30 on a prog that only converts to zune?

I see the converter fans are voting on the comments today...Does'nt it show!
Thankfully once again the Thumbs down gives the TRUE indication.

Basically if you have a micro Movie playing gizmo then you MIGHT need this but most people have more sense and watch pictures on a TV with no damage from straining the eyes!
I can only begin to guess the amount of people wearing spectacles and hearing aids in the coming years and governments banning this kind of product just as they're frowning on people drinking and smoking at present.

I can't use it personally but I know many people who can so for them, thank you GAOTD!

And to #5, don't worry bout it hun. I was injured at work over 2 years ago and am still in severe pain as well, so I know how you feel and I hope you feel better soon.

To #32.
Try using DVD Shrink or HDFAB to decrypt the dvd first. Then run whatever conversion software you like.

Let me be the first to say, I have an iPod, but I took a Sharpie and wrote the word "Zune" on it, and this converter is great! Thanks GOTD!

there seem to be a large number of possibly well meaning souls here who an Australian would be no doubt be pleased to call whingeing Poms.
I am from the UK myself
As at least one person said if you do not have a Zune at the moment so what move on life is too short
to quibble and it just might happen that you win one or meet an attractive person who has one . Then you could impress with an offer to make video files from a DVD to play on the Zune
(I used an earlier giveaway called AplusDVDRipper to make a very small but complete 86 minute avi videofile of my favourite music DVD that is only 241MB and thus fits on an otherwise surplus 256MB SD media card to play in my delightful Nokia N800 Internet Tablet/genuine pocket computer
AplusDVDRipper can rip a DVD into a variety of video formats which can then if necessary be converted by SUPER freeware to the format you require (see below)
Quite coincidentally today a probable spammer posted on my very favourite Discussion Forum (for Gordon Lightfoot fans) at:-

http://www.corfid.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=18662
an unsolicited tutorial on the non free, well it is a free-to-try download from Cucusoft copy of the
Zune Video Converter + DVD to Zune Suite
in which the poster "goodfriend: merely copied the instructions from:-
download site

In fact,as anybody who knows how to use google should be aware all these "converters are a waste of time since to convert a video file from any almost video format to almost any other format you only need the
one great freeware programe:-
SUPER © Simplified Universal Player Encoder & Renderer
from
erightsoft.com
I will admit that IMHO its GUI is not amongst the finest so trying these alternatives is a good exercise in honing your critical powers, if nothing else!!!

Not everyone wants to watch their movies on a screen barely larger than a cell phone or GameBoy, and hardly anyone wants to even own and use a Zune, much less watch movies in a really crappy video format on one!

This software is advertised a a DVD to Zune converter by GOTD. But the software is actually a Video to Zune converter. In other words, you most have the Movie file already ripped to your computer. This takes much longer than just taking a DVD and converting it to a Zune file.

I use MediaCoder, works great for almost all programs, and is free. I.e. I can convert a XviD to Mpeg2 and then burn to a regular DVD with Nero. Has icons for iPod, Zune, Archos, etc so it sets up the parameters for whatever device icon you click on

omgz!! It has the word ZUNE in it!! It must be terrible!! Oh n0ez!! Teh internetz scares me!!


Guys, get a grip. This converts DVDs to WMV, H.264, and MPEG-4. It is a sweet little app for converting from DVD to ANY pocket player that supports WMV or MPEG-4 (or H.264) -- This includes Windows Mobile smartphones. That's what I'll be using it for!

For those who need it, this is a very solid converter. No, it will not rip your DVD's, but once you do have ripped files (in virtually every common format) on your system, this program quite easily converts them into the proper Zune format.

I can easily see folks who are less conversant with the array of shareware offerings than some out here choosing to purchase this program; for me it's a good giveaway.

If you have a Zune, it's a no brainer.

Many thanks to GAOTD.

Damn you people are a bunch of whiners. Don't have a Zune? WHO CARES! I bet this software is awesome for people who do have a Zune. This is obvious for people who have a Zune, I'm reading great comments.
I have an iPod, so I cannot use this software.

Thanks GOTD team, I appreciate your hard work and keep it up!

For those who give me negative thumbsdown....good....I'll know you are even bigger whiners.

# 19 and all other whiners - please note that this site is not set up simply for YOUR benefit. There are millions of other people who didn't have a chance to get previous programs.
Consider this site as a day to day giveaway and give us all a break from your miserable whinings.


@ #26
said:
"The only thing worse than people kvetching, are people kvetching about other people kvetching" Presumably you mean people like yourself then. LMAO

@18 Geoff

Those sound like good suggestions. Please add them in the forum site for software suggestions at http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/1450, so GOTD can find them.

To #32.

THAT WOULD BE ILLEGAL!! O.O

>_>

<_<

Good to see that I wasn't the only one who noticed that this was Plato "Video to Zune" converter and not "DVD to Zune" converter. Although similar, these programs are not the same thing. Sorry but I can't really use the Video to Zune converter, but I really need the DVD version.

Thanks anyway.

Just installed it: This appears to be Video to Zune Converter, not DVD to Zune. The good news is it supports all kinds of video formats. The bad news is encrypted VOBs (aka DVDs) aren't one of them. Thus, you can't use this to rip copy-protected DVDs.

Free programmes!
Take what you use and try the ones you don't know.
Leave a comment about your findings.
Even suggest an alternative.
Imagine how happy a site like that would make people!

Well, some people....

Thanks to GAOTD for the good work.

Thank you for continuing to make this stuff available. It's like a treasure hunt, you never know WHAT will turn up! I've only known about this site for a little over a week. Will there ever be anything for Macs?

Downloaded and installed perfectly. Thanks GAOTD!!

i'm glad that since i am a zune owner, that there is free software on this site that will convert for my player. i downloaded it and activated it, but it will not open. can anyone help.

To 19, Another Converter? I Think I’ll Just Stick With The Extra DVD Ripper Express Released A Few Days Ago - It Rips DVD’s Fairly Quickly And Converts It To Zune Format Without Loss Of Quality Or Sound.

I prefer another DVD to Zune converter, it works much better than the one you said. Some features:

# Direct convert DVD to Zune. (Some other software will convert DVD to avi, then convert avi to Zune, that waste lots of time. We only need one step, direct convert DVD to Zune.)
# Support almost all kinds of DVD to Zune Movie / Zune Video format (MP4 format).
# Support almost all video file including DVD, vob, DivX, XviD, MOV, rm, rmvb, MPEG, WMV, AVI to Zune video (MP4 format.
# Support various Zune video formats including Windows Media Video (.wmv): Main Profile, CBR or VBR, up to 1.5 Mbps peak video bitrate, 320 x 240 pixels, 30 frames per sec., with Windows Media Audio up to 192 Kbps, 44.1 kHz, stereo audio; Simple Profile, CBR, up to 736 Kbps video bitrate, 320 x 240 pixels, 30 frames per sec., with Windows Media Audio up to 192 Kbps, 44.1 kHz, stereo audio.