I have created a new guide called DoItFast Tools guide, which, based on DoItFast4U and DoCCE4U helps you create perfect DVD backups. This guide replaces the old MultiPGC and IfoEdit CCE guides (which incidentally can still be found and can show you just how much we have progressed since last year). The guide is based on the brand new DoCCE4U 1.0.0.7 beta which should better support Spanish Windows versions, a bug preventing the program from completing the 2nd pass of an encoding session has been fixed and the CCE open dialogue location has been changed so that there should be no more endless loops.

CDR-Info has a very interesting CeBIT coverage. They have focused on recordable CD and DVD drives and media and if you're interested to see what is going to happen in that area in the foreseeable future I highly recommend reading it.

DoCCE4U 1.0.0.6 beta is out. Despite being a beta I think the new version deserves to be mentioned since it no longer activates the noise filter by default, buttons are colored now making it a bit more obvious what they are good for (plus on my machine tooltips now work), CCE will be loaded in the background and with the cancel button disabled preventing you from accidentally killing CCE, the aspect ratio selection when using DoCCE4U together with DIF4U should now work and the RoBa encoding method should finally be OK.

Also, I'm looking for PAL DVDs which are progressive but require a field order change (using the default field order in DVD2AVI they appear to be interlaced). If you know about such disk, please post the details in the forum (it also contains more info on what to look for). Also, since my new PC only offers one 5.25" slot I'm kinda looking for a new DVD burner. Main requirements are fast CSS encrypted DVD-9 reading speed (most of today's burners only do 2x and that's not an option), reasonable CD writing speeds and at least the chance for an RPC-1 firmware. More info on that (and it's also the place to post your suggestions) in the forum.

If you have already downloaded the GKnot source code please download it again. There was a problem with the license which has now been fixed.

On the issue I reported yesterday, sh0dan pointed out a way to make CCE 2.50 support both AviSynth 2.08 and 2.51. You have to replace the resampleaudio line with AddAudio.

eXtreme Movie Manager 1.2 is out. It refreshes the main window after importing a movie, covers and photos can be put in a separate directory, the cursor is placed on the movie list upon startup and some bugs have been fixed.

2 days ago I wanted to test the speed of my new CPU in CCE. CCE 2.50 would always crash upon loading an AviSynth script. It turns out that AviSynth 2.08 and CCE 2.50 do not like each other and I had to use AviSynth 2.07. I also wanted to test AviSynth 2.51. In order to frameserve with the new version you need MarcFD's mpeg2dec3.dll rather than the usual mpeg2dec.dll. When using GKnot specify the new DLL as alternative mpeg2dec.dll in the Options. You also have to install a recent DivX5 or XviD codec (even if you're not going to encode to DivX/XviD.. for AviSynth to work in YV12 mode a WFV codec capable of decoding YV12 data has to be installed no matter what encoder you're going to use). Back to CCE another problem arose: CCE does not like YV12 data either - there goes the speed advantage - and you have to convert the video data to YUV2 by adding a ConvertToYUY2() at the end of your AviSynth script. But perhaps Cinemacraft will add YV12 support in the final version of CCE 2.67 - Cinemacraft, are you listening? - they seem to be taking AviSynth input rather seriously after all.

BeSweet GUI 0.6b72 allows you to use the DVD2AVI option even in batch mode and the button color has been changed for a couple of buttons. The Core Media Player 4.0 RC3 supports shoutcast streaming, has native monkeys audio and MPC support, a new plugin system and improved CDA/CDDB support. A full changelog can be found here. The Corecoded team has also released a TCMP SDK supporting the newly supported audio codecs and the new plugin system. AVI-Mux GUI 1.13 supports srt subtitles (including splitting), contains 2 workaround for DirectShow bugs (one enabling playback of OpenDML files with more than 3 audio streams) and some bugs have been fixed. Last but not least there has been another minor DVD2One update. DivXNetworks has released a public beta of DivX 5.0.4. The beta should fix a lot of bugs in v5.0.3 and adds a new tool to help you manually change the bitrate distribution for multipass encoding.

Last but not least a sad piece of news. TheWef has definitely stopped developing Gordian Knot and development of the successor has been put on hold due to lack of time. In the hope that somebody will continue where GKnot left off, the GKnot source code has now been released under the GPL.

ImgTools 1.00.4 can shutdown the PC after burning (if the burning process was successful), erasing an RW disc no longer blocks the dialog and the speed reload button now reloads the API and lists all possible burning speeds. AC3Filter 0.66b fixes the bug that would prevent switching from SPDIF to stereo mode after seeking in the movie. SVCD2DVDMPG is a program automating the steps needed to put SVCDs on DVD±Rs (except for the authoring part). It rips disc images to MPGs, demuxes those to elementary streams, re-encodes the audio at 48KHz, patches the resolution of the video stream so that you can import it into your favorite DVD authoring program and optionally patches the authored VOBs back to the correct resolution.

Sony has released a new firmware for the DRU500A DVD recorder. The new version v2.0e allows 4x writing on 4x DVD+R media (I thought v1.0f already allowed that but I don't have a 4x blank to verify that), read and write performance and reliability have been improved and vibration noise due to disc unbalance or eccentricity has been reduced.

AC3Filter 0.65b is a bugfix and compatibility improvement release. SPDIF stuttering and several W98 (you shouldn't use that OS anymore!) have been fixed.

Another DivX capable DVD player was announced at CeBIT: The Scott DVD-842 plays DivX3.11 and 4.02 and MPEG-4 ISO compatible streams, as well as WMA8 and MP3 audio. There's no word about DivX5 support though but that may just arrive via a firmware update.

On a personal message, due to my last semester at university coming to an end and me working part-time I haven't been able to send out personal thank you letters to all donators. I have cashed in a sizable check just last week and I'd like to thank each and everyone of you who donated again and I hope you'll forgive me for not thanking you in a personal e-mail.

Starting in the 2nd quarter of this year the DVD+R faction will increase their speed advantage in the rewriteable field: Both Philips' DVDRW424 and RICOH's MP5240A-DP can not only write DVD+R discs at 4x speed but also DVD+RW discs. Furthermore, DVD disc manufacturers are already testing blank DVDs for 8x writing capability, but DVD recorders capable of 8x speed won't be released until the 2nd half of 2003. LiteOn has announced a new DVD standalone player at CeBIT. The LVD-2001 is not only capable of playing DVDs but also DivX and XviD. What's particularly interesting is that DivX in this case means DivX4/5 AND DivX3.11 so you can finally play all your SBC rips on a TV without having to connect a PC (or modded XBox) to your TV. KiSS' already available DP-450 player will also become DivX3.11 capable via a firmware upgrade (which also enables Ogg Vorbis playback, but not OGM). KiSS' DP-500 even has an Ethernet connection allowing you to download movies from your PC to your standalone. The press release does not outline how the download actually works and since no HD is mentioned I suspect that movies would have to be streamed from your PC to the standalone. All 3 players can handle both MP3 and AC3 audio, and the KiSS models also have a progressive scan output.

The final version of the DivX Player 2.0 has been released and is available for download in the DivX codec packages. It has the DivX5.03 decoder integrated, HTTP download is supported along with progressive downloading, all DirectShow codecs are now supported and the DivX MasterMind software is natively supported. Then there's accelerated video playback, a fix for VBR audio files, an important memory leak has been fixed and last but not least multiple audio streams are also supported. And to conclude the day ZoomPlayer 3.00 beta 6 has been released

Oh, and before I forget, yesterday was the 3rd birthday of this site and we're still going strong :)

VCDEasy 1.1.5b6 is exclusively available at Doom9. It can save and re-use the MPEG analyze information, an anti flickering option has been added to the MPEG stills page, Mjpeg Tools v1.6.1 are supported along with network shares, CD Image recorders are supported, the settings dialogue has been restructured along with the GUI, some file compliance tests have been added and last but not least there's an expert mode.

On the computer hardware side the NDA on NVIDIA's new cards has run out so you can now find reviews of the GeForce FX 5200 and 5600 on the web.

mctooLAME is an open source MPEG2 multichannel encoder from the author of tooLame.

DVDToolbox 0.10.1b can add Change CD pictures when splitting over 2 DVD±Rs and has its own installer now.

As I have previously announced, I did indeed get the Shuttle SN41G2 nForce2 barebone. I've equipped it with a Barton 2800+, 2x 256MB DDR333 RAM, a 120GB WD HD and a GF4TI4600. It's a pretty neat thing once you can figure out the mounting instructions which seem to be referring to another model at times. Besides my I/O wishes (I really need those 6 USB ports and who needs a serial port those days?) I sincerely hope that Shuttle will work on the cooling. The northbridge fan shouldn't be necessary, there are low noise 80mm coolers that can handle the cooling of the heatpipe and please replace that annoying PSU fan.

In site related news we have a new mirror in Traditional Chinese. As all other mirrors they're still looking for volunteers to help complete the translation, so don't be shy.