Beginner's Guide to Managing Mobile Movies

Are you wondering how to put your movie collection on your brand-new smartphone or tablet for some on-the-go video goodness? Read this collection of how-tos to find out how to rip your DVDs and Blu-ray movies, convert them in HandBrake, and sync your iTunes purchases.

 

PCWorld - Watching a movie at home on your TV or home theater PC is a simple affair: Insert the disc or open the file, and you’re ready to go. If you’re a new tablet or smartphone owner, however, taking your movie collection with you isn’t quite so easy. After all, you don’t have an optical drive handy for your tablet, and mobile devices often don’t play nicely with video files unless you use the appropriate file format and resolution. But we’ve prepared this collection of how-tos that will walk you through some of the more complicated steps involved in getting movies from your DVDs to your portable gadgets.

First, we’ll show you how to rip your DVD and Blu-ray movies to your PC using HandBrake and MakeMKV, respectively, so you can leave your optical drives behind. Both applications are free, and will make your movies look every bit as good on your PC as they do on the big screen.            More

Seven Netflix alternatives

Netflix recently announced price increases that upset a lot of customers, to say the least. Whether or not you're planning to cancel your own Netflix account, it's good to know what alternatives are out there. Here are seven Netflix alternatives:

DVD rental

Redbox
Redbox rents physical discs through strategically located kiosks inside retail stores. You may have already seen them in your local drug store or grocery market; the all-red kiosks are hard to miss. To rent a title, you walk up to a kiosk, make your selection and pay for it. For added convenience, you can also use the Redbox Web site or its mobile app (iPhone and Android) to reserve a movie at a specific Redbox kiosk. A search for Redbox kiosks showed six kiosks within 4 miles of us and two kiosks were within a mile. Prices can vary slightly depending on your region, but it's right around $1 plus tax. The catch with Redbox rentals is that they have to be returned by 9 p.m. the following day.
Web site: www.redbox.com
Mobile apps: iPhone and Android for reservations
Cost: $1 plus tax, per title


Greencine
Like Netflix, Greencine movies are delivered and returned by mail without any late fees. However, Greencine caters to a more selective moviegoer crowd than Netflix. Greencine has a large collection of indie, foreign, anime, and documentary films. That's not to say that it doesn't have mainstream movies. A quick search showed "Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part I," "Battle: Los Angeles," and "Little Fockers," among its available titles. It should be noted that Greencine happens to offer adult titles as well, unlike Netflix. Greencine also offers a limited number of video-on-demand titles, but they are not a part of the subscription and are charged a la carte. Greencine doesn't typically offer free trials, but prices start at just $9.95 for the one-DVD-out plan. Greencine isn't a better deal than Netflix, but if you're a fan of the genres it specializes in, you might want to give it a shot. Keep in mind that its service is for the U.S. only.
Web site: www.greencine.com
Mobile apps: N/A
Cost: From $9.95/month for 1 DVD-out up to $49.95/month for 8 DVD-out

Public library
Have you been to your local public library lately? If not, you may be in for a surprise. Many libraries lend out DVDs for a week at a time. While they won't always have the latest releases or the largest selection, you may run into a movie you wanted to watch that was released just six months ago. Many libraries even have online access, allowing you to search for the title before going in to borrow it.
Web site: Search Google
Mobile apps: N/A
Cost: Free

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