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DVDx project: DVDx 3 First Experiment available
Software: new Nero 8.3.2.1b is out
Software: new DivX 6.8.2 release
Linux: new Kubuntu 8.04 KDE4-Remix rocks on the desktop!
Friends top ten: sites who link to labDV.com
Software at labDV.com: May updates
VIP Pass: get DVDx updates with 2-year VIP Pass renewal

May 30th, 2008

1. DVDx project: DVDx 3 First Experiment available

DVDx project is a hard work for coders and take time. To provide you quick results, we decided to release a public version of DVDx 3, called First Experiment.

The distribution is some binaries in a Zip file which you just have to extract in your DVDx (2.10) program folder and create short cuts on your desktop or in your start menu.

What's up in DVDx 3 First Experiment 3.0.0.923

GUI: removed all skin stuff for better reliability on multiple monitors PC and Windows Vista

Code: GPL'd libraries are re-organized for better readability, reliability and openness, providing more ease and happiness to developers in order to provide a better software to users

Ongoing work is to fix some DVDx 2 bugs revealed by Debug configuration and get rid off Skin Control which is slowing us in adding new features and make more robust code and Vista Ready.

Release notes

Please forgive us to provide DVDx 3 as binaries only, this is the best way to speed-up DVDx 4 arrival.

This release provides better reliability on Windows Vista, fixing most crashes.

The Debug works and can help to understand DVD I/O issues. The preview display is screwed up, we spent hours and days on this issue before giving up, we apologize for this. However it's just cosmetics.

Code compilation hasn't been optimized at all so it might be slower than DVDx 2.10 release, but WMV encoding is as fast (45fps). A new optimized build will be available soon (92fps vs 34fps for Xvid encoding).

It has been tested on Vista Ultimate 32-bits SP 1: successful to encode all formats (AVI, VCD, SVCD, WMV).

We encourage all DVDx users to install DVDx 3 First Experiment and post feedback in DVDx 3 forum at www.labdv.com. so we can maintain a nice user experience with this intermediate version.

Download DVDx 3 First Experiment (VIP users only):

download DVDx 3.0.0.923

Developers:

download and install free TortoiseSVN,
create a local folder and right-click SVN Checkout... then set URL to https://dvdx.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/dvdx/trunk and you'll get DVDx current source code (known as DVDx-trunk in SVN world) on your desktop!

User download (DVDx 2.10):

DVDx and DVDx InfoTool source code at Source Forge SVN repository
DVDx standard version "ripper free" (and sources) available from Source Forge.
DVDx Ultra Edition (and all versions and sources) available from DVDx download page.
DVDx InfoTool packages (Windows, Linux and Mac OS X) available from Source Forge.

2. Software: new Nero 8.3.2.1b is out

Nero 8.3.2.1b has been released:

What's up

Bug fixes in Nero StartSmart, Nero WaveEditor, Nero ShowTime and Nero Vision
Nero ShowTime: playback compatibility improved for Blu-ray Disc titles with interactive content.

Highlights

Direct access to all features from the project launcher
High Definition format support
Xbox 360™ and PlayStation® 3 streaming features
Blu-ray disc and HD DVD burning support
SecurDisc data protection support
Copy a disc with just one click
Graphics optimized for Windows Vista®

3. Software: new DivX 6.8.2 release

A new DivX Bundle 6.8.2 has been released:

Current versions in the bundle

DivX Codec 6.8.2
DivX Player 6.8.1
DivX Web Player 1.4
DivX Converter 6.6

Benefits of Codec 6.8.2

Up to 50% faster decoding on multi-core computers for better HD playback
New custom matrices that allow better fine tuning of the encoder for specific content types
Compress digital video 5 to 10 times more than MPEG-2/DVD format and hundreds of times over raw digital video
Encode high-definition (HD) video at resolutions up to 1080p
Play DivX videos on almost any 3rd party software media player
Achieve the perfect balance between visual quality and performance with six carefully optimized encoding modes
Enjoy maximized performance for all multithreaded processors (Intel Core Duo and Core 2 Duo, AMD Athlon 64 X2 and Athlon 64 FX)
Reduce grain and low-light noise (common with DV cameras) without significantly degrading the video with the automated noise reduction feature

4. Linux: new Kubuntu 8.04 KDE4-Remix rocks on the desktop!

For a bunch of months now we're looking at Mac and Linux worlds which are becoming very attractive for Desktop PCs.

This month, the new (K)ubuntu long term stable version was released as Hardy Heron (8.04).

Benefits

Based on popular rock solid and easy-to-use Ubuntu distribution
KDE 4 Desktop brings Qt 4 faster and lighter
KDE brings the greatest Linux software for digital video enthusiasts (Kdemultimedia - a jukebox, a soundcard mixer, a midi and karaoke player, and a recording application with ffmpeg experimental support - and the Dragon video player
Promising future with upcoming KDE 4.1 for july 2008: Windows, Mac OS X and OpenSolaris support added, Phonon multimedia api to bring DirectShow support

More at Kubuntu.org...

5. Friends top ten: sites who link to labDV.com

This rubric is to thanks labDV friends who link their web sites to labDV.com:

Major search engine aren't part of this list (Google, Yahoo!, MSN, Excite and Web Crawler).

6. Software at labDV.com

Now there are 241 software available from labDV.com, most of them are freeware.

New software added in May

In DVD copying, we've uploaded DVDx 3 First Experiment build 3.0.0.923 mainly aimed for Vista users.

In video codecs, we've updated DivX Bundle to 6.8.2 release.

In video editing, we've updated VirtualDub to 1.7.8 stable (32-bit and 64-bit binaries as well as

In video players, we've updated VLC media player to 0.86f release.

Get the whole software list available from labDV »»

Latest software updates

DVD copying: DVDx 3 First Experiment 3.0.0.923

Video codecs: DivX Bundle 6.8

Video Editing: VirtualDub 1.7.8 src; VirtualDub 1.7.8; VirtualDub 1.7.8 x64
Video players: VLC media player 0.8.6f

7. VIP Pass: get DVDx updates with 2-year VIP Pass renewal

You can extend your current VIP Pass for 1 year or 2 years for $29.90 or $49.90 (19.90€ or 34.90€).

We hope this will help you to get more connected on DVDx updates and help us to sustain the development efforts for both DVDx 3 ad DVDx 4...

With a VIP Pass, you'll access the whole labDV library, a lot of Digital Video articles and how-to's as well as a huge Digital Video software database, most of them are free. And you will navigate DVDx web site as MyDVDx and all its features.

The 1-Year VIP Pass is only US$ 39.90 (€29.90) and joining us is a strong support for all our efforts such as DVDx project relaunched and our new ambitious 2008/2009 roadmap!

And you can also currently join us for US$19.90 (€14.90) for a 3-months VIP Pass.

Support us: from time to time , we're sustaining our continuous efforts to develop DVDx software so the 1-Year Pass is likely the best deal for now as well as the 2-Year Pass extension.

Thank you for your support by joining us