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Best software for designing pocket calendars? in Software · May 29, 2011

Kyle Johnson2 said:You can build a calendar in Microsoft Excel and then tweak it for printing 😉

I tried to Google that exact page you suggested—really, I did!—but it just won't work for me. Every single time I attempt to paste that specific formula... you know, the one `=IF(MONTH(DATE(2011;1;1))<>MONTH(DATE(2011;1;1)-(WEEKDAY(DATE(2011;1;1);2)-1)+{0;1;2;3;4;5}*7+{1\2\3\4\5\6\7}-1);"";DATE(2011;1;1)-(WEEKDAY(DATE(2011;1;1);2)-1)+{0;1;2;3;4;5}*7+{1\2\3\4\5\6\7}-1)`... well, it just spits out an error message at me! An error! And honestly? They didn't do a very good job explaining how to link the calendar sheets with the holiday lists either.

Personally, I just went ahead and built my own calendar manually in Microsoft Excel—no fancy formulas or cell references involved—but wouldn't it be much nicer to just have some ready-to-go templates that already include American holidays? That would be the dream, right?
Does anyone know if there is a plugin for Photoshop to make calendars? I am currently having a MacBook Pro.

Best software for designing pocket calendars? in Software · Jan 11, 2011

It just doesn't seem right that a program like that doesn't exist! I mean, honestly—I already have a few different tools I use for designing wall calendars and even desk versions, but what I’m really hunting for right now is something specifically tailored for making those little pocket calendars.

Best software for designing pocket calendars? in Software · Jan 11, 2011

Does anyone happen to know of a straightforward program for designing pocket calendars? I’m looking for something with ready-made templates that already include all the standard American settings—you know, the usual holidays, calendar layouts, and everything else

Best PDF editors? in Software · Jan 6, 2011

And here we go—right here—is a really solid, free program for handling all your PDF needs!

MKV format in DivX? in Software · Dec 13, 2010

VLC media player (the latest version, mind you!) handles MKV files without breaking a sweat—so if even that fails, I guess I’ll have to concede that Douglas Garcia52 was right all along.

How to edit MPG files? in Software · Nov 24, 2010

cosmicrider5 said:Well, if my memory serves, you should be able to handle MPG files in Handbrake too—though I think the output is pretty much locked into AVI, MKV, or OGG. Basically, you can load them up, but you’ll have to save them out as an AVI using whatever codec you pick under the video compression settings. I also suspect there might be some plugins for Handbrake that expand its support for other formats, including MPEG.

http://home.comcast.net/~fcchandler/...EG2/index.html
Handbrake download page

I haven't actually given that a shot myself, so I can't say for certain if it works! Honestly, though, I don't really care what the final format ends up being—as long as the file actually opens and lets me edit it, I'm happy.
You might want to check out VirtualDubMod.

Oh, I am well aware that Handbrake can do that, but then you run into the issue of having to rip everything into an AVI format—which either degrades the video quality or just makes the file size balloon like crazy, right?

That said, I did a bit of digging on Google and stumbled upon a decent little program called WinX DVD. It has its own set of quirks, of course—it's not perfect!—but for instance, it can process a 3 or 4-minute clip in under two minutes (assuming you're going from MPG to MPG, though it supports others too). Plus, it handles audio normalization right within the software itself.
I even poked around in Adobe for a bit, and frankly, it's a step up from the previous one; however, it runs a bit slower because, well, it has to re-encode the whole video again.

How to edit MPG files? in Software · Nov 23, 2010

We all know that when it comes to processing AVI files, Handbrake is basically the king of the hill—but does anyone know if there's a similar powerhouse out there specifically for other formats, particularly mpg or mpeg?

I mean, say you have a file where you want to swap out the existing audio for an improved version—you know, just to get that perfect sound without having to go through the whole nightmare of re-ripping the entire video from scratch!

Best way to boost video volume (up to 20x)? in Software · Aug 3, 2010

Noah Foster57 said:There’s this really great little program called Super—you just click "disable video" and pick whatever audio format you want (WAV is your best bet for quality, though MP3 takes up way less space). If you use Super to strip the audio away from the video, you can then pull them into an editor—maybe Premiere Pro, Edius, or even Vegas—to work your magic.

http://www.afterdawn.com/software/au...ideo/super.cfm

Personally, I think pulling the audio out as an MP3 isn't a bad move at all—and hey, you can actually do that using FormatFactory, which is totally free!

Then, you could boost the volume using MP3 Gain (another freebie!), and finally, use the Direct Stream Copy mode in Virtualdub (also free!) to swap out the old audio track with your newly polished one.

Sure, you could technically merge everything back together using a standard video editor like MovieMaker, PowerDirector, or Corel VideoStudio... but here's the catch: those programs tend to re-encode the entire video file while they're at it. But with the Virtualdub method? You don't need to convert a single thing! You just check the box for "direct stream copy" under the video settings, and you're golden.

How to convert MP3 to video? in Software · Jul 30, 2010

Jesse Thompson22 said:It's a brand new week for me—fresh starts, right?—and I’ve got this one song in MP3 format that I am dying to turn into a video format... you know, because I want to upload it to YouTube! But I’m thinking I probably need to add at least some kind of image to go along with it? Does anyone happen to know of a good program that could help me out with that?

Oh, you have plenty of options for that! Honestly, even within Windows itself, you’ve got Movie Maker to work with—classic!—and then there’s stuff like PowerDirector or Corel VideoStudio...

You can easily pair your song with your own photos, maybe some clips you took on your phone, or whatever else you've got lying around!

Anyone know of any good software? in Software · Jul 6, 2010

darkmoose17 said:Something for photo editing? And ideally with an American interface?

Honestly, finding a high-quality program that’s fully localized in American English can be a bit of a scavenger hunt—it's tough! But, if you're looking for something solid, I have a great little link for you for some free photo processing software. Now, don't get me wrong—it isn't quite on the same level as Adobe Photoshop or those other big-name commercial suites—but it is actually pretty decent and remarkably easy to pick up!
http://www.photobie.com/

Best software for extracting audio from video? in Software · Apr 8, 2010

analogpuma5 said:I'm looking for a program that lets me rip the audio straight out of a video file. Basically, I want to take an MP4—or even something like an AVI or FLV—and just pull the music track out. Does anyone know of a good one?

You should check out Format Factory! It's right here. Honestly, it does way more than just that, and the best part? It's completely free.

Best audio editing software? in Software · Feb 5, 2010

Douglas Flores33 said:HEY EVERYONE! I'M ON THE HUNT FOR SOME AUDIO EDITING SOFTWARE... AND HERE'S THE THING—I'M THINKING I COULD TAKE CERTAIN TRACKS AND STRIP OUT THE VOCALS ENTIRELY SO JUST THE BEAT AND THE INSTRUMENTAL ARE LEFT... YOU KNOW? THAT'S MY MAIN GOAL BECAUSE I HAVE A BIRTHDAY PARTY COMING UP FAST, AND I REALLY WANT THE KIDS TO HAVE A BLAST WITH A LITTLE KARAOKE SHOW... SO, I AM LITERALLY ASKING ANYONE WHO ACTUALLY KNOWS HOW TO DO THIS THE RIGHT WAY TO PLEASE HELP ME OUT...

SO, HOW DO I EVEN PUT ALL OF THIS TOGETHER INTO ONE SMOOTH SETUP? I HOPE YOU ALL FOLLOW WHAT I'M GETTING AT...

You actually have a "Karaoke filter" option right under the "tools" menu in AEW editors.

How to convert AC3 to MP3? in Software · Jan 2, 2010

Kenneth Grant70 said:Thanks, analogwalker2! I actually knew about that whole process with Virtual reality, but I can't seem to open an MKV rip with it—I'm not sure if there's an upgrade available? I haven't checked for any updates lately. I'm currently running version 1.9.8. I downloaded a bunch of different converters today, but honestly, none of them stack up to Virtual reality. I thought finding a similar tool would be a breeze, but nothing else offers that direct video stream option; they all force you to convert everything, which just takes forever and ruins the picture quality. Do you happen to know of any programs that act similarly to Virtual reality?
Best regards,

Look, if you’re trying to convert from one format to another, you simply can't avoid losing some quality—it's just the way it works! Think of the MKV format as this relatively new thing; it's essentially a type of video compression. It's a lot like when you take high-fidelity audio and convert it to an MP3; yeah, you lose some fidelity, but if you set your conversion parameters to the absolute maximum, that loss is going to be practically imperceptible. So, really, if you want to convert, you have to accept that slight dip in quality, or just don't bother doing it at all!

You also have to keep in mind that since MKV is still somewhat "new" in this arena, very few standard standalone DVD players can even read the format. What does that mean? It means you're pretty much stuck watching it on a PC. If you actually want to play it on a regular old DVD player, you'll have to convert it back to something like DivX again.

How to convert AC3 to MP3? in Software · Jan 1, 2010

Kenneth Grant70 said:Hey everyone!
I’m trying to watch a movie via the USB port on my satellite receiver—an Infinity 1040—but while the picture looks great, there's absolutely no sound! Here are the rip specs:

[Video Info]
Decoder - (MPEG2) KMP Video Codec(AVC1-libcodec.dll)
Format - Major Type: Video - Sub Type: YUY2
VideoInfo2: YUY2 1024X-416, 16 bits

[Audio Info]
Decoder - (0x2000) AC3 Filter for AC3
Format - Major Type: Audio - Sub Type: PCM
WaveFormatEx: PCM(0x1), 48000 Hz, 16 Bits, 2 Ch

Now, my plan is to convert just the audio from the AC3 format into something like an MP3—but here is the kicker—I want to do it without touching the video at all! You know, for the sake of speed and to ensure the video quality stays perfectly intact... I just need to swap the sound. Is there some kind of program out there that can handle this, and if so, what's the best way to go about it?

Well, you could try using Format Factory—it's a free program, and once you get it open, you can set everything to MP3. From there, you just load up the file you want to work on, and boom, you'll have your MP3 ready to go. After that, you'll want to use VirtualDub Mod, which is also free, to strip out the old audio and drop in your new MP3 instead.
To walk you through the steps: Open VirtualDub, head over to "streams," then click on "stream list" where you'll see the current audio track. Click "Add" and select that MP3 you just made. Then, highlight the original audio, hit "disable," and use that little trumpet icon to switch over to the new audio track, then hit OK.
Once that's done, just go to "File," then "Save As," and make sure you select "Direct stream copy" in the video mode! This is crucial because it means you won't be re-encoding the entire video—you're just swapping the audio. Pick your filename, choose where you want to save it, hit OK, and just wait a few minutes depending on how long the movie is.

Best music recording software? in Software · Nov 30, 2009

rowdystag16 said:I went ahead and installed MP3Juices, and honestly, I figured it all out pretty quickly—but is it just me, or does the audio I’m recording just not sound quite as crisp as what’s playing live on the radio?
Even though my bitrate is set to 320 and everything is saving in MP3 format, there's just... something missing.

Is there some kind of little program out there now that can actually fix that sound quality issue?

MP3Gain

Best music recording software? in Software · Nov 30, 2009

rowdystag16 said:Man, thanks everyone—really—but I think I’m going to need a bit more guidance here!😠

I downloaded Audacity, but honestly? I am completely lost.😁

How on earth am I supposed to set this up to capture audio from that TuneIn radio station????

Can someone please walk me through this?

Look, you can't actually "download" music or anything else directly from an online radio stream; instead, you have to record it—kind of like how you used to record a radio broadcast onto a cassette tape back in the day! I'll explain how to handle this using Audacity, though the logic is pretty much identical for other sound editors too.

Basically, while the music (or whatever you're listening to) is playing, you just hit record—but you have to configure Audacity exactly the way I laid out in my previous post.

Set your input option to Stereo Mix and then just start recording. If you happen to select Microphone instead, you'll end up capturing outside noises—like if you're singing along to the radio! Once you've had enough, just hit stop. Afterward, you can trim out the extra bits—you know, like when a DJ starts talking or a commercial breaks in during your recording. Just highlight the part you don't want with your mouse, click the icon that looks like scissors or go to edit and then select cut. Finally, when you're ready to save it—say, as an MP3—just go to File -> then choose export as MP3, and you're all set!

Personally, I think this method is actually a lot simpler than the way Daniel Vaughn3 described it.

Best music recording software? in Software · Nov 29, 2009

rowdystag16 said:Hey there!
I'm having a bit of a situation at home—I'm constantly listening to music through an online radio station on my PC (and please excuse me if links aren't allowed here!)
Link:http://www.trackfm.nl/

But honestly, I just can't face the idea of downloading songs one by one... so, I was wondering, is there some kind of program out there that can just record whatever is playing from that station directly onto my hard drive?
Thanks!

Well, for this specific task, you actually have quite a few free programs at your disposal (I'll list the two most popular ones: "Audacity" and "Adobe Audition"), though you could also certainly do this within Nero using the Nero WaveEditor option. In short—most sound editors can handle this job perfectly fine! Before you hit that record button, we need to adjust the settings—just like in the image for Audacity —to select Stereo Mix, and then, as I mentioned, you just click record (it’s usually that big red button!) and you're good to go. Afterward, you simply choose your output format; if you want it as an MP3, you'll need to have "lame" installed so it can encode it into MP3. And that's really all there is to it!

How to merge AVI files in Software · Nov 18, 2009

Steven Kelly69 said:They aren't standard rar/zip files... it works like this—you have Ice.Age.2.The.Meltdown.avi.001

So, if I just rename them to .avi, I can watch them in Adobe Premiere, but I can't merge them back together. And I definitely can't play them in any other player, like VLC or whatever else is out there.
Actually, Winamp tries to open them, but it just sits there spinning the play/stop button endlessly!
Does anyone have a fix for this?

Those are split archive files, and you'll need to use a program like hjsplit—you can find it right here. Once you join those files back together, everything should work perfectly fine again.

How to merge AVI files in Software · Nov 18, 2009

Steven Kelly69 said:Alright, can I throw one more question your way?

So, I’ve downloaded these eight segments from Mega—you know, the ones labeled avi.001, 002, 003, and so on. But here’s the kicker: when I try to go into File -> Append avi segment and select the next part (which I went ahead and renamed so it just ends in .avi without those extra numbers), the software throws an error at me! It says "Invalid avi file - not a riff file." Isn't that just frustrating?

What's the move here?

If you don't have this specific tool yet, you should probably grab it—it's called hjsplit. If you run those segments through that, you ought to be able to stitch them together properly, and then everything should work just fine!

Any good software for adding subtitles to movies without re-encoding? in Software · Oct 16, 2009

Edward Alvarez7 said:PocketDivXEncoder_0.3.60
Takes about 15 minutes just to burn in a subtitle. I mean, you really couldn't ask for anything more straightforward than that, right?

But why on earth would you waste 15 minutes on that when you could wrap things up in just 3 or 4 minutes using either YouTube Premium or Netflix
? I mean, think about it—that's basically five times faster than what you're doing! And the best part? No installation required, and they're totally free, too!🙂