MadZ Software has announcedthe release of version 2.5 of its DVD to iPod / PSP Video Converter software. DVD to iPod / PSP Video Converter rips DVD video files and converts them into the appropriate format for uploading to and viewing on an Apple iPod Video or a Sony PSP.
With DVD to iPod / PSP Video Converter 2.5, you can convert almost all DVDs for play on an iPod Video or Sony PSP, including purchased DVDs, original DVDs, DVD copies, even downloaded DVDs. The input video can be in either NTSC or Pal format. For multilanguage DVDs, you can even choose which soundtrack language to convert. You also have full control over which titles and chapters are converted. Also, you can control the output format such as setting a custom sample rate for audio and custom resolution and bit rate (quality vrs. size) for video.

DVD to iPod / PSP Video Converter also features a preview function that allows you to preview DVD title and/or specific chapters prior to conversion or monitor the video during the conversion process.

You will also be automatically notified you when software updates are available, and at your command, the updates will be downloaded and installed free of charge.

Works with Windows XP and 2000.

A demo version is available.

According to Variety, Apple is negotiating with the film industry to let it sell movies via the iTunes Music Store. The main sticking point appears to be price.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who has been personally involved in the talks, wants to sell all films at a flat $9.99, but the studios have rejected this.

“We can’t be put in a position where we lose the ability to price our most popular content higher than less popular stuff,” said a studio exec close to the negotiations.

Apple gives TV and music companies a 70% wholesale rate and is offering the same to film providers.

While the homevideo market is slumping, it still generated $23 billion in the U.S. last year, and studios don’t want to risk angering major retailers like Wal-Mart or Best Buy by giving better terms to Apple.

Some are predicting feature films will debut alongside new video iPods, but this will depend on negotiations with studios.
“Every studio wants to have broad distribution in digital, and we all know that having Apple as part of that is very, very important,” a studio exec said.

HandBrake is an open-source, multiplatform, multithreaded DVD to MPEG-4 ripper/converter. It can be used to convert DVDs and other videos for playing on video iPods.

Handbrake supports a variety of sources:

* Any DVD-like source: VIDEO_TS folder, DVD image or DVD (even encrypted)
* PAL or NTSC
* AC-3, LPCM or MPEG audio tracks

It can output to a variety of formats:

* File format: MP4, AVI or OGM
* Video: MPEG-4 or H.264 (1 or 2 passes or constant quantizer encoding)
* Audio: AAC, MP3, Vorbis or AC-3 pass-through (supports encoding of several audio tracks)

Additional features:

* Chapter selection
* Basic subtitle support (burned into the picture)
* Integrated bitrate calculator
* Picture deinterlacing, cropping and scaling
* Grayscale encoding

Source: Handbrake

As if the iPod wasn’t hot enough on its own, Playboy has introduced a new service, iBod, that promises to steam things up.

iBod is a set of images from the Playboy collection, optimized for viewing on Apple’s iPod Photo. Playboy describes the image collection as “a veritable ocular orgy”.

Apple’s latest iPod, the iPod Photo, lets you store and view individual images or entire slide shows in the palm of your hand. Playboy has harnessed this latest innovation so their “girls next door” can be added right to your portable player.

The free image gallery can be downloaded to your desktop from Playboy.com. Then it can be uploaded to an iPod Photo handheld device.