Ubuntu For Free

Having struggled with many different programs and all other kinds of junk, I think I’ve found my favorite program to convert any video file to DVD in Ubuntu. It’s called ToDisc. It’s part of the Tovid suite.

Here’s why I like it:

•  Fast! It has no interface so there’s virtually no load time.
• Accurate encoding - It very accurately creates the output in the manner I specify.
• Quality - It uses already existing standard utilities to create output, producing clean quality DVDs.
• No GUI “pains” - smaller space, less resources for visual presentation, the paths are provided from the command line so you don’t have to click through several folders or find icons.
• The command line gives me the absolute power to do anything i desire with the video.
• I can run it from anywhere

I plan to post a more thorough tutorial in the future.

In my quest for the perfect program to use for burning DVD’s from AVI or MPG I found ManDVD. It’s very nice. It reliably creates quality output. Overall I am quite pleased with the application and I do find myself returning to use it, so I’ve spent some more time with it. Because of the graphic interface, I’ve also included several screen shots of the software. Notice all of the areas in need of translation.

Installation was a snap. I downloaded a pre-packed .DEB file from GetDeb although the installation instructions appeared simple enough, I chose to use my regular method of installing a .deb in KDE  (because I use Kubuntu) via right clicking in Konqueror and selecting Package -> Install Package.

The program permits a broad range of options and formats for the user, and directly requests the desired output format. It expertly handles 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratios.

Where it needs help is in localization. Even after selecting the English language for the program, throughout the rest of the user’s experience, the application still presents the user with many prompts, labels, titles, etc, in something other than English.

It’s also in need of volunteers for documentation as evidenced by the gaping void of a help file of any form.

Because the program’s does perform so well, I’d like to see some more community support for this application to improve on the areas that it does need more development.