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In this tutorial I will demonstrate how to convert a video file into Windows Media Video (wmv) to allow you to play back the video through Windows Media Player, Windows Media Center and through the Media Library and Media Center Extender on your Xbox 360.

It is possible to install something called a Codec on your PC to allow Windows Media Player to play file formats that it was not originally designed to play, but no such Codec package exist that you can install on your Xbox 360 – this usually means in order to play the same video file on different devices like your PC and Xbox 360, the only option available was to have the video file duplicated in two or more different formats so you can watch it on the device of your choosing.

This tutorial aims to eradicate that task and provide you with one simple file in the Windows Media Video format so you can watch that video on either your PC through Windows Media Player or Windows Media Center, or through your Xbox 360 using the Video Library folder or with the Media Center Extender. This process will inevitably save you a great deal of disk space as anyone who works with video files will know, even a relatively short video clip can consume tens if not hundreds of megabytes of disk space.

By the end of this tutorial you will know how to do the following:

• Convert almost any video format into the Windows Media Video (wmv) format.
• Add Titles to your video
• Upload your video to YouTube
• Configure the correct Properties for the video once you have uploaded it to YouTube

Convert Your Video File to Windows Media Video (WMV)

To convert your current video format into Windows Media Video you will need a piece of software called an Encoder – what this software will do is take your current video file and according to the settings that you tell it, it will then create a duplicate file in the Windows Media Video format which you can use on the devices I mentioned earlier. When the encoding process has finished and you are happy with the result, you can safely delete your original file to free up valuable disk space.

There are a number of Encoder programs available to do this job, either as a free download or as software to buy; in this tutorial I will show you one of each. The free encoder is a little known programme published by Microsoft, although it hasn’t been updated since version 9 in 2003 it still does exactly what you want it to do and if you’re on a tight budget, it’s hard to compete with free.

The Encoder to buy is published by Adobe and is usually shipped with their Creative Suite software package, I’m using Adobe Media Encoder as part of Adobe CS4 but I should warn you, this software is not cheap.

For details about each piece of software please visit the following websites

Windows Media Encoder

>www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/forpros/encoder/default.mspx

Adobe Media Encoder

www.adobe.com

There are subtle differences between the free and the paid for software, the main point to note is with Windows Media Encoder you can only encode one file at a time but with Adobe Media Encoder you can add as many files to the Encoding Queue as you want and the software will encode each file individually and then move on to the next, this is much easier if you have a large number of files to encode and you just want to leave your PC to do the work, overnight for example.

How to encode a single file with Windows Media Encoder

1. Start Windows Media Encoder

2. On the New Session screen select ‘Convert a file’ and click OK

3. On the File Selection screen Browse to the source file that you want to convert and then browse to the Output Folder where you want to save the converted file. Make sure that the extension wmv is selected as the output format and click Next to Continue.

 

4. On the Content Distribution screen select File Download (computer playback) from the list and click Next to continue.

 

5. On the Encoding Options screen under Video select ‘High definition quality video (5 Mbps VBR)’ and under Audio select ‘High definition quality audio (VBR)’. Leave the Bit Rate setting as it is and select Next to Continue.

 

6. On the Display Information screen enter the Title and Author and click Next to Continue.

 

7. On the Settings Review screen make sure the box for ‘Begin converting when I click Finish’ is ticked and select Finish to start the encoding process.

 

The time it takes to encode each video will depend on the length of the original video as it will play back the video in real time as it encodes.

Encode multiple files simultaneously with Adobe Media Encoder

1. Start Adobe Media Encoder

 

2. Click the Add button to the right of the panel and navigate to the file or files you want to encode. If you are selecting more than one file you can hover your mouse pointer over a single file and then hold down the Shift key and hover your mouse over the remaining files (you will see each selected file highlighted) When you have all the files selected click the Open button to bring those files into the encoding window. This can take a minute or so depending on the number of files selected.

 

3. Click the Source Name of the file at the top of the list, hold down the Shift key and click the Source Name of the file at the bottom of the list to select all the files.

 

4. In the Format column for the file at the top of the list click the down arrow and select Windows Media (it’s the very bottom choice in the list).

 

5. Do the same for the Preset button by selecting the down arrow in the file at the top of the list and select ‘PAL Widescreen Source to High Quality Download’ or whichever format you prefer. You may want to play around with these settings using a short 15-30 second clip and compare the results before you commit to encoding large lengthy video files.

 

6. Click the Output File link for the top most file and navigate to a folder where you would like to save the finished encoded files to. You will need to do this for each individual file.

 

7. Finally click on the Start Queue button at the bottom right side of the encoding window. Your video files will now automatically begin encoding one by one, as each file completes a small green tick will show at the end of the file name to illustrate that file has finished. Wait until all files are done and then close Adobe Media Encoder and move the files to the folder on your hard drive already configured to play your video media files on the Xbox 360

 

Adding Titles to individual video files with Windows Live Movie Maker (Windows 7)

1. Open Windows Live Movie Maker

 

2. Click the arrow in the top left corner of the screen and select Open Project

 

3. Navigate to the folder where you previously saved your title sequence and open the file into Windows Live Movie Maker.

 

4. Right-Click the first segment of the included video file and select Remove

 

5. On the ribbon click the button marked ‘Add videos and photos’

 

6. Navigate to the folder where your files are stored and select the next video to include the title sequence

 

7. If necessary move the titles so they are positioned where you want them to be

 

8. Click the down arrow in the top left corner and select Save Movie > Widescreen (480p)

 

9. Navigate to the folder where you want to save the file, enter the correct File Name and click Save

 

10. The file will take a few minutes to complete

 

11. Once the file has completed, locate that file and right-click > Properties – Select the Details tab and enter the Artist and Song Title in the Title box if it is not already there (this is important because the file will not display on the Xbox 360 if the Title Box is empty)

 

12. Move the file to the correct directory that you use for watching videos on the Xbox 360 and then through the Xbox 360 play the file both through the Video Library and through Windows Media Center to confirm the file works as expected

13. Upload Video to YouTube through Windows Live Movie Maker

14. Click the YouTube logo in the Sharing box inside Windows Live Movie Maker

 

15. Enter your YouTube Username and Password

16. Enter the Title and Artist information along with Tags, and Category information

17. Click Publish to start the process of publishing your video to YouTube

 

Upload Multiple Videos to YouTube

1. Login to your YouTube Account

2. Click the Upload link on the home page

 

3. Select the first video file to upload and make sure the correct Artist and Song Title information is shown

 

4. Click to upload another video and continue this process (up to a maximum of 10 video uploads at any one time)

5. Set the Properties for each video uploaded to YouTube

6. Login to your YouTube Account

7. Click the down arrow next to your username in the top right of the screen

 

8. Select My Videos

 

9. Locate the video that you uploaded and click the Edit button

 

10. Complete the following information under the Video Information heading: Artist – Song Title, Description: Artist – Song Title, Tags: “Music Video”, Category: Music

11. Complete the following information under the Broadcasting and Sharing Options heading: Privacy: Share your video with the world (Recommended). Comments: Allow comments automatically. Comment Voting: Yes, allow users to vote on comments. Video Responses: Yes, allow video responses to be added automatically. Ratings: Yes, allow this video to be rated by others. Embedding: Yes, external sites may embed and play this video. Syndication: Yes, make this video available on mobile phones and TV

 

12. Click the Save Changes button to save these properties

13. Repeat this process for each video you upload

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Experience teaches us that no matter how glossy the advert, how many bells and whistles a product comes with, the true value of any appliance, television or computer shines through in the after sales service. All of us hope we never have to go back to a retailer or manufacturer to report a fault but when a problem does occur, especially within the warranty period we expect the retailer where we bought the product from, or the manufacturer to promptly repair or replace the defective item in a timely manner and with as little fuss and inconvenience as possible.

Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case and experience has taught me in particular that time and again when a product develops a fault during the warranty period, the manufacturer appears to abscond from all legal responsibility and try to pass the blame onto you, the consumer.

In March of 2009 I bought what was considered at the time a very high spec Acer desktop computer and despite technology advancing in leaps and bounds over the past ten months, that PC is still ranked very high with regard to specification, but alas its all worth nothing now the system has developed a fault. About two weeks ago and completely out of the blue the machine started to make what sounded like a loud grinding noise, I immediately switched the machine off and back on again but the noise continued, and I then switched off the machine at the plug and removed the side panel to investigate further – I could smell burning coming from the processor area of the motherboard and telephoned Acer to report the fault straight away. Acer, quite naturally assured me the PC would be repaired under the terms of the warranty and sent me an email shortly after to explain what I needed to do to return the unit to their repair centre.

During that telephone conversation I asked Acer if I could return the unit without the enclosed hard drives, as I had a lot of important data on these drives that I had not backed up and Acer advised me to remove the drives and back up the data using a hard drive caddy, and then replace the drives back inside the machine before sending the unit to their repair centre. I followed Acer’s advise with some considerable financial outlay as I had to buy a hard drive caddy and an external USB terabyte hard drive, as I had neither at the time. When I removed the hard drives from inside the machine, I also unclipped the fan to the processor and the processor came away from the motherboard with no effort, even though the processor clip was still in the ‘closed’ position and after investigating the processor closely, I noticed what appeared to be about 3 or 4 pins on the processor were bent slightly – this quite clearly was where the fault had occurred.

I packed the unit up in bubble wrap and put the processor inside a padded envelope along with a note outlining the fault in more detail and then packed the PC into a sturdy box with plenty of protective filling. A quick telephone call to Acer’s courier and the machine was collected the following day to head back to the manufacturer for repair. Ordinarily what would have been a minor irritation at losing my desktop computer for a week or two has now turned into a serious headache and threats of legal action.

The PC was returned to Acer last Friday, 22nd January 2010 and I waited patiently for an email or phone call to tell me when the machine would be returned. Yesterday on 28th January I received an email from Acer with an attached form for me to sign and return authorising Acer to repair the computer as a chargeable item and agreeing to pay £181 before the machine would be returned. I was furious to say the least and immediately called Acer to find out why I was being asked to pay for a repair which was quite clearly still within the warranty, Acer’s response – and I’m not making this up: the computer had been working without any problems for ten months and therefore the fault with the machine could not be inherent with the way the computer was manufactured. If it wasn’t so serious, an excuse like that might be quite funny and I explained to Acer that just because a product works when you buy it, doesn’t mean it isn’t capable of developing a fault during or after the warranty period. But Acer have chosen in their wisdom to abscond from all legal responsibility and pass the blame onto the consumer while I on the other hand have chosen in my wisdom to challenge them and accept responsibility under the terms of warranty. Acer explained that I had two options, I could either pay for the repair or request the machine be returned unrepaired, and I explained to Acer that I would not accept either option until I had sought professional legal advice first.

My first port of call was to contact Trading Standards and after a lengthy telephone conversation regarding the background leading up to this point, Trading Standards advised me my case was strong and to write a letter to Tesco (where I originally bought the machine from) and also to write to Acer reminding each of their legal responsibility under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 and the manufacturers warranty which was provided with the product when purchased. I have followed the advice of Trading Standards and letters have been sent by recorded delivery. It is worth noting at the time of writing this blog, I have no complaint with Tesco – Trading Standards have advised me to now bring Tesco into the loop because of the response received from Acer, and I am hopeful that Tesco will take a more considered view instead of absconding from their legal responsibility as Acer quite clearly seem to be doing. In my experience, Tesco’s rival ASDA have always exchanged a faulty electrical item without any fuss during the warranty period and we will see now if Tesco have a similar policy – I will keep my blog updated to the response I receive from Tesco, and for that matter Acer in due course.

My advise to anyone considering buying a new desktop or laptop computer is to steer clear of Acer, no matter how nice the machine looks and how good the specification appears – if it develops a fault during the warranty period you will be annoyed that you didn’t follow my advise when Acer try to charge you to fix the computer when they have a legal obligation to do so. I am now stuck with a second hand five year old machine until I can resolve this issue with Acer, what should have been a minor irritation at losing my PC for a few weeks looks in all certainty as though it will proceed through a legal avenue, unless Acer or Tesco recognise their responsibility or a solicitor advises me that Trading Standards were incorrect in their assumption that I have a strong case and suggests that I avoid a long legal battle – I’m not at that point yet but I will keep my blog updated as this story develops.

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Sending 1st tweet through Xbox 360 to check it works!

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I know I’m a computer geek with no social life outside of my PC but every few years something simply breathtaking happens that transcribes the inner world of sad and lonely computer nerds and breaks out into the wider world that will quite literally change the way you use your computer and communicate with friends, family and work colleagues. Google will soon be releasing a clever piece of software called ‘Wave’ and I promise you once you realise what it is capable of, everything that you use at the moment to communicate with including email and instant messaging will seem really old fashioned and dated. Today is the day to mark in your calendar the moment in history that email upgraded from version 1.0 to 2.0 – it’s only taken around 20 years to release the next version but the changes really are worth the wait.

If you’ve got a spare 90 minutes, grab yourself a coffee, sit yourself down in front of the PC and watch this video – what you’re about to see is nothing short of the future of the internet and communications, it’s breathtaking!

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I’ve been thinking recently, well for a few years really but I haven’t mentioned it in my blog before because I was rather thinking that some bright spark would have turned it into a reality long before now. If you ask anyone with a home cinema system; the wide screen TV, the Dolby 5.1 Prologic Surround Sound, the DVD Recorder and squillion watt amp to feed it through, if you ask anyone with this sort of set up what really annoys them most about having a system like this, they’ll probably look at you for a few seconds with a blank expression and in the blink of an eye they’ll look you dead-center and tell you its the spaghetti junction of cables they have to contend with behind the television.

I am a little curious why those eggheads at Philips, Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba, Denon etc haven’t built Bluetooth into their equipment so you can just pair each device together and leave the communications to happen through wire-free technology. Now I’m not an expert on Bluetooth, I’m not even sure how it works but surely if they can build the technology into mobile phones, headphones and PDA devices, then why not DVD Recorders, televisions and amplifiers. The joy and excitement of connecting your home cinema system together when you first buy it is something probably only guys really understand, the problem is when you move home once or twice and you have to (try) to label each and every cable individually so you know what goes where when you get to the other end – it’s just a nightmare and fills anyone with complete horror.

I would love to know if this is a viable proposition, are there any tech heads out there who can tell me definitively if its possible to adapt Bluetooth technology for this type of situation, and if it is why has it not been done yet. This problem has been around for years and nobody has really tackled it head-on – surely we now have the technology to put an end to the spaghetti junction once and for all?

I would love to hear your comments

Bluetooth

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