Posts Tagged ‘DVD’

How to copy DVDs to your iPod

Thursday, September 18th, 2008

iTunes StoreFor many iPod owners the idea of watching your favourite movies on the go is really appealing. You happily buy your iPod and some DVD’s and then realise it’s not so easy to just move them onto your iPod. You aren’t doing anything illegal; you have a right to watch the movie you bought on your iPod.

Apple has finally realised this and is now very slowly adding iPod versions of movies onto DVDs. This means you just have to pop in the DVD, put in a code, and your movie will be added to your iPod perfectly. But while we wait for that to get into full swing we still want to watch movies on the go. You can buy all these weird and wonderful pieces of software or you can do it all free!

Here is the step by step guide to getting your DVD to your iPod.

1)     Download Handbrake here.

2)     Download DVD43 here.

3)     Put your DVD into the disk drive of your computer. The DVD43 face should be happy once you have done this.

4)     Open Handbrake

5)     Under source, click browse and locate your DVD. Look for the VIDEO_TS folder and click on it. Then click OK. Handbrake will read your disk.

6)     Under the Source Title select the longest time, this is usually the movie.

7)     Under destination put the location you want your iPod ready file to be saved and give the file a name.

8)     Select your iPod from the white box on the right.

9)     Click the video tab and select 2-Pass Encoding

10) Click the start button in the top left hand corner

11) Your movie will now be made. This may take a few hours depending on your computer speed.

12) When your movie is done open it in iTunes. You can do this by right clicking the movie and selecting open with, and then iTunes.

13) Then simply drag your movie into your iPod.

It’s that simple. There are many other options you can play with to adjust the video quality, size and more. You could also use this program to create files that will support other devices like a PSP. Now you can watch your DVDs on the go.

Lindsay Lohan

Thursday, September 11th, 2008

Lindsay LohanLindsay Morgan Lohan was born on the 2nd of July, 1986 in New York City and raised in Long Island. She is the eldest of four with two brothers and a sister. Lindsay’s career started at a very young age. At just three she was the first redheaded child to be signed by the Ford Modeling Agency. She appeared in print ads for companies like Toys “R” Us and modelled for Calvin Klein Kids (usually with siblings Michael and Ali) and Abercrombie Kids.

Lindsay was talented but after auditioning for some T.V. commercials she was unsuccessful. Just before she was about to give up she was awarded the role in a Duncan Hines commercial. Over sixty commercials followed including a Jell-O commercial with Bill Cosby. Lohan began appearing in soap operas, and in 1996 she landed a role in NBC’s soup opera, Another World.

Lohan was ready for the big screen. She left Another World when Nancy Meyers cast her in the Parent Trap. She played twins who attempt to bring their divorced parents together. The movie pulled in $92 million worldwide with critics praising Lohan’s performance. Disney signed her onto a three picture deal after the movie’s success. Her next two movies, Life- Size andGet a Clue, were made for T.V. Just before Get a Clue she shot a pilot for a new sitcom called Bette but left when production moved to Los Angeles. The show was cut after sixteen episodes.

After Get a Clue Lohan took time off from her movie career to focus on music. In September 2002 she signed a five-album deal with Estefan Enterprises. But Lohan was soon cast in her next Disney film, Freaky Friday. The remake of the classic had her starring alongside Jamie Lee Curtis. The movie pulled in over $160 million and allowed her to show off her singing abilities. The soundtrack ended up in the Billboard’s Top 20 in less than three weeks.

Lindsay Lohan

But her movie success didn’t follow into Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004). Lohan’s first movie which was not a remake only grossed $30 million and was a failure according to critics. “Though still a promising star, Lohan will have to do a little penance before she’s forgiven for Confessions,” Robert K. Elder wrote. Later that year Mean Girls was released to critical acclaim and $128 million worldwide. It was her first non-Disney film. Steve Rhodes said, “Lohan dazzles us once more.”

Lohan was asked to host Saturday Night Live three times, in 2004, 2005, and 2006, after her Mean Girls success. In 2005, she released her debut album, Speak, followed by A Little More Personal the next year. In the same year Lohan became the first living person to have a My Scene Goes Hollywood doll released by Mattel. She also voiced her doll in their straight to DVD movie.

Lohan was back on the Disney set in the 2005 Herbie: Fully Loaded film. Fully Loaded earned $144 million worldwide. She followed Herbie with Just My Luck. The movie received poor reviews and only $38 million worldwide. Lohan was in three limited release films leading up to 2007, the films made very little leaving critics unimpressed.

Lindsay LohanLohan began a troubled 2007, admitting herself into rehab in February. On the 11th of May Georgia Rule was released. Lohan was seen alongside Felicity Huffman and Jane Fonda. The film received mostly negative reviews and grossed $22 million worldwide. Things got worse from there. Lohan was arrested and her latest movie, I know who killed me, opened to a shocking $3.5 million dollars. Lohan was cast in Dare to Love Me after leaving rehab in 2007; the movie is due in 2009

In February 2008 Lohan re-created Marilyn Monroe’s final photo shoot, known as the Last Sitting, including nudity. Lohan continues to search for a more adult identity but is searching in all the wrong places. She turned down a few roles in 2008 but is due to star in Labor Pains. At the time of writing the film is in post-production. Lohan will play a young woman who pretends to be pregnant to avoid being fired.

Lohan, who already guest starred in the season 2 finale of ABC’s Ugly Betty, will be back in the next season for a rumoured five episodes. She also has a new album due soon.

Dylan and Cole Sprouse

Friday, June 27th, 2008

Dylan and Cole SprouseDylan Thomas Sprouse and Cole Mitchell Sprouse (born August 4, 1992) are Italian-born American identical twin brothers and actors. They are collectively referred to as Cole & Dylan, the Sprouse Bros, or the Sprouse Twins, and are known for their roles in the film Big Daddy, as Patrick Kelly in Grace Under Fire, Ross’s son Ben on Friends (played by Cole), and for portraying the title characters on the Disney Channel series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. As a result of the series’ success, they have become “heartthrobs” and “overwhelming draws” among preteen and teen audiences.

The Sprouses were born in Arezzo, Italy, to American parents Matthew Sprouse and Melanie Wright who at the time were teaching at an English language school in Italy. Dylan, named after poet Dylan Thomas, is 15 minutes older than Cole, who is named after jazz singer and pianist Nat King Cole. The twins moved back to the United States, four months after their birth. They grew up in their parents’ native Long Beach, California. Their parents divorced in 1997.

After a suggestion by their grandmother, Jonine Booth Wright, who was a drama teacher and actress, the Sprouses began acting at the age of six months, starting with the twosome appearing in a commercial for toilet paper switching on-screen time every few seconds. As with many identical twin actors, the two have often played the same role, allowing more time for the character to be filmed. Starting when they were only six months old, the two starred on the ABC-TV series Grace Under Fire from 1993 to 1998, playing one character, Patrick Kelly.

In 1999, the twins appeared in their first major feature film, Big Daddy, in which they shared a role of a five-year old boy named ‘Julian’ who is adopted by Adam Sandler’s character ‘Sonny Koufax’. That year, the twins collaborated with Adam Sandler on the second and third versions of The Chanukah Song (Dylan and The Drei-Dels in Part 3 and Cole in Part 2), and the twins also had a minor role in the thriller The Astronaut’s Wife. The Sprouses have noted that after Big Daddy’s release, the two entered into a slow period in their careers and were not cast in any major roles for a time. During the early 2000s, the twins appeared in episodes of the The Nightmare Room and That ’70s Show, as well as in MADtv: Season Four (1998-1999) (episode #425) and the feature films The Master of Disguise and a voice-over role in Adam Sandler’s Eight Crazy Nights. In 2001, Cole started appearing in episodes of the television show Friends, as Ross Geller’s son Ben. Many people think it was a shared role, however their web site and other credible sources specify that Dylan did not appear in any episodes.

Between the years of 2002 and 2003, the two starred in I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus and Just for Kicks, both of which were family films that received a direct-to-video release. The Sprouses were subsequently cast in the Disney Channel original series The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, where they play identical twins Zack (Dylan) and Cody (Cole) Martin . The series, which debuted in March 2005, has become a ratings success and the twins have become very well known among pre-teen and teen audiences. As part of their involvement with Disney, the brothers are now part of the 11-member group, the Disney Channel Circle of Stars, and sang the song A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes along with the members of the circle, for a video that was released as bonus material in the special edition version of the Disney film Cinderella.

Dylan and Cole Sprouse

The Sprouses played one character, Jeremiah, in the independent film The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things, which was produced in 2004 but not given a theatrical release until March 2006, when it played in a total of three theatres across the United States, ultimately grossing $29,000 domestically. In November 2006, the two began filming the Sony Pictures film The Prince and the Pauper, which also starred Sally Kellerman, Ed Lauter and Dedee Pfeiffer, in Palm Beach, Florida; filming had begun in October and ended by December. The Prince and the Pauper came out on dvd on February 5th, 2008. The two also lent their voices to a movie called Holidaze: The Christmas That Almost Didn’t Happen, which also features the voices of fellow Disney Channel stars Brenda Song and Emily Osment. Dylan also played the voice of Shasta in Disney’s “Snow Buddies.” As of late November 2007, they are filming a new movie called Kings of Appletown which is based on Tom Sawyer. It is directed by Bobby Moresco and written by Amanda Moresco. Also starring in it is Victoria Justice from Nickelodeon’s Zoey 101.  It is being filmed in New Braunfels, TX and is estimated to be released around Christmas 2008.

In September 2005, the Sprouses signed a licensing agreement with Dualstar Entertainment to create a new commercial brand, entitled “Sprouse Bros”, which will include DVD movies, CDs, clothing, sports gear, video games, ring tones and deodorants targeted towards preteen and teen audiences. Dualstar has partnered with Leisure Publishing LLC to create a magazine called Sprouse Bros. Code, which will target boys ages 8-14 with a guide on recent trends favored by the Sprouses; Cole Sprouse has stated that the magazine will appeal to “people who are our age and boys. We don’t want anything too girlie”, while Dylan has said that it will have “something that will appeal to everybody”. The first issue became available on July 18, 2006.

In September 2006, the Sprouse brothers, represented by Dualstar Entertainment, signed a book deal with Simon Spotlight, a publishing company, to release a spy book series that will utilize the “Sprouse Bros.” brand. The book series, which was scheduled for release in the summer of 2007, has been described by the publisher as featuring the Sprouses as “young James Bonds or undercover agents”.

Dylan Cole Sprouse

In June 2007, Simon & Schuster Inc. published the first two volumes of Sprouse Bros. 47 R.O.N.I.N. The series is about 15-year-old twin brothers Tom and Mitch (the Sprouses’ middle names) who learn that their father and live-in butler are members of a rogue crime-fighting organization, R.O.N.I.N., which dates back to feudal Japan; that their father is in danger; and that they have just been recruited to join their father’s clan.[

Dylan Sprouse has stated that the experience of coming to fame after the success of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody is "kind of scary, how fast everything is moving. Just a year ago none of this was happening, it was just doing 'Suite Life,' and now I can't wait for what's in store..." While filming The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, the two received on-set tutoring for three hours each day, and claimed to be getting "straight As and honors".

Skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, basketball and motocrossing, as well as working on drawing a comic strip, The Adventures of Tibblebu and Thumbin, based on a stuffed animal of Cole's.  Cole Sprouse's favorite school subjects are mathematics and science; he names The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time as his favorite video game and Forrest Gump and Godzilla as the films he likes the most.  Dylan prefers science, dislikes mathematics, and enjoys playing the video games Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl; his favorite film is Napoleon Dynamite. The twins have a dog named Bubba, and their favorite actor and co-star is Adam Sandler.

According to a May 2006 interview with Mad Kids magazine, the Sprouses do not speak Italian, despite incorrect reports to the contrary:

Cole says: "I can't say anything in Italian. "Pizza, per favore [sic]” maybe?”

Dylan says: “…I don’t really speak Italian except for “spaghetti”, “Italian ice” (Yum!) and “Ferrari”.

Dylan Sprouse

Full Name: Dylan Thomas Sprouse

Born: August 4, 1992 (He is 15 Minutes older then Cole)
Dylans Favorites:

Color: Orange

Dessert: Chocolate chip ice cream

Pizza Topping: Pepperoni

Arcade Game: Marvel vs. Capcom

Dylans offical Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/official_dylan_sprouse
Dylan Loves: Surfing , Snowboarding, Playing Video Games and Spending time with his Dog Bubba.
Quote from Dylan : “I’m not sure if you want to hear a funny story about Cole and me, but here’s one anyway. One morning, our school was planting new trees. I was playing on them when our principal told everyone in our school not to. I broke a limb off a tree and I said that Cole did it. The next morning at assembly when all the kids were sitting down, they announced his name and he got into really big trouble. I let him take the blame for a while, but then I told the principal it was really me. So, I was beaten with a stick. Just kidding!!!”
Cole SprouseFull Name: Cole Mitchell Sprouse
Born: August 4, 1992 (He Is 15 minutes younger then Dylan)
Coles Favorites:

Color: Red

Dessert:Cold Stone Creamery Cake Batter ice cream

Pizza Topping:Bacon bits

Arcade Game:Marvel vs. Capcom

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/the_official_cole_sprouse
Message From Cole: “I was born in Arezzo, Italy – 15 minutes after Dylan – in a small hospital called Clinica Tanganeli. We were delivered by Senora Maggie, a midwife who had hand-delivered at least half the town since World War II.

I love animals. I’m really into superheroes. I love snowboarding. I’m very outgoing. I’m usually the hit of the parties. I like rock music. What I like in girls is a funny personality, not a crazy fan. I like a girl who is down-to-earth and doesn’t get worked up over anything – not the kind of girl who is so worried about how she looks that she has to put on pounds of makeup!”
Coles’ acting credits:
“The Suite Life of Zack & Cody” (2005- present) Cody Martin
“Friends” (2000-2002) Ben Geller

Dylan’s acting credits:
“The Suite Life of Zack & Cody” (2005- present) Zack Martin
“Piggybanks” (2004) Young John
Shared:
“Eight Crazy Nights” (2002) K-B Toys Soldier
“Master of Disguise” (2002) Young Pistachio
“The Astronaut’s Wife” (1999) Twin
“Big Daddy” (1999) Julian “Frankenstein” McGrath
“Grace Under Fire” (1993-1998) Patrick Kelly

Sources: Wikipedia and Sprousebros websites