All the equipment is here and set up to copy my VHS tapes to DVD. So what is the next step? Capturing the signal from the VCR and recording it on my computer. The software that came with the EZMaker USB 2.0 external video capture device is simple enough. Looks just like a VCR itself. The only thing that is tricky is you have to remember to set the recording to pick up the signal from your “line in” port. You might also have to un-mute it in some situations as well.

The capture process is a slow one. In all reality you can only capture as fast as you can play the tape. That means if each tape is one hour in length, and there are twelve tapes, then I was sitting here for twelve hours trying to capture all this stuff. The good thing is I can set it to capture, get up and go enjoy the outdoors for a change. You just have to make sure you are back in time to stop the recording and change tapes every once in a while.

So the capturing process is done. The software that came with the video capture device is simple, but it works. What comes next? Burning the DVDs! We are almost all the way home folks!

I don’t think you need a degree in any sort of education to know this next statement is a fact, “Fear of Spyware Changes Your Online Habits“. I know it has changed mine, and it has probably changed yours. These days you really do have to be a security expert to get Online and do anything semi-productive. This article from the AP does have some interesting facts and figures though:

According to Pew, 48 percent of adult Internet users in the United States have stopped visiting specific Web sites that they fear might be harboring unwanted programs.

Twenty-five percent stopped using file-sharing software, which often comes bundled with adware. Rogue programs can also disguise themselves as songs or movie files awaiting download on file-sharing networks.

Eighteen percent of U.S. adult Internet users have started using Mozilla Firefox or another alternative to Internet Explorer.

In addition, 81 percent have become more cautious about e-mail attachments, a common way for spreading viruses, though rare for spyware or adware.

All told, 91 percent have made at least one behavioral change.

Users hit by spyware or adware were more likely than others to change their habits.

Check out the rest of the article to get a few more interesting facts and talk about how badly spyware is changing our day to day lives.

Now the second step to this madness was to do a little shopping. The first problem I had to solve was hooking up the VCR to my computer. The two are not that far apart, so that isn’t really an issue. The issue came when it comes to converting the tape signals to something the computer could take in and process.

Now I could have gone with a more expensive solution, but I just don’t roll that way. I am one cheap son of a butcher. So I decided to order Avermedia MDVDEZUSB DVD EZMaker USB 2.0 External Video Capture Device. This little box hooks up to the back of my computer via a USB port and the line out port of my computer. The other end hooks right into the VCR. After that the set up is much like what you would have with two VCRs connected together when doing “old school” tape copying. The VCR plays the signal and your computer records the signal. Am I happy with this cheap device? Heck yeah I am! So far it has worked perfectly for me. Not one problem at all.

After I got the video capture device, I needed a way to burn the DVDs. I took a trip back to Amazon.com and picked up HP 640VI Lightscribe 16X Dual/Double DVD-RW and a few DVD-Rs. Once again, I have to say I didn’t have a problem with putting the burner in or burning a few test DVDs at all. So far everything has gone as planned. So now I have done my shopping and gotten everything hooked up and installed. What comes next? The “capture” process.

I was gone last Monday due to the Forth of July, but this week I am back with one heck of a Web Hosting Show for all of you to enjoy. I might be a little sunburned and really tired, but I am ready to put on a good show for everybody who is interested in listening to it. Here are just a few highlights and examples of things that we discussed on this week’s edition of the Web Hosting Show.

Here is a question I got last week from Shumon Hakim, a loyal Web Hosting Show listener:

First of all I love you podcast. Very informative for beginner web designers. I am trying to host multiple sites under one hosting plan. I don’t want to pay for a reseller package. Mainly because the sites are fairly small. I found a hosting service, micfo.com, that will allow me to host multiple sites under one hosting plan. What kind of effect will this have on SEO? Is it good to host multiple sites under one plan? How do robots see the sites? Do they see them as individual sites or on site?

Now I am far from being a search engine optimization expert, heck I don’t even play one on TV! As far as SEO goes though, it shouldn’t matter in your case, as long as the three separate Web sites have three separate domains. Spiders follow links, so if link A has nothing to do with link B, then it shouldn’t see it, even though they are both on the same Web hosting server.

Another thing that we covered on the Web Hosting Show this week was the creation of a new Web hosting blog. The blog is The Web Hosting Geek and worth checking out. I have been talking about how Web hosting needs more bloggers for some time now. I even wrote an article about it in a past issue of Ping! Zine. Nice to see some of the ideas I had are taking shape with others out there in the Web hosting world.

[Download the Web Hosting Show!]

I have had the idea in the back of my head for some time now to transfer a few old VHS tapes I have over to DVD. The only problems that stood in my way were the facts that:

1. It is still pretty expensive to get all this equipment

2. Didn’t have the time to get it all done.

Throwing caution to the wind, I decided to go ahead and move forward with at least giving it my best shot. You see I have wanted to turn about twelve VHS tapes I have to DVD for some time now. They are tapes of my friends and myself doing our old “backyard wrestling” thing back when we were in high school. Now I know what your thinking, and there was no shattered light bulbs and barbed wire here. We just liked to have fun, not visit the ER once a month.

So I figured over the next four days I’d explain what I did, how I did it and what I have learned. From shopping for equipment to burning the DVDs, I’ll show you all the problems I had so maybe you will not run into the same problem. One big issue I had before I started with all of this, is that there just isn’t a good basic guide out there for getting it done. Hopefully over the next few days, that will be the biggest problem I solve.

Well it was cool for the one week that it lasted. The folks over at Total Nonstop Action wrestling were offering BitTorrent feeds of their shows, since right now they are without a TV deal. Being the wrestling fan that I am, I jumped on the chance to download the official show from the TNA Website and watched it. This was pretty darn cool.

Like with many things in life though, it got screwed up. It seems like now they have a deal signed with Real Networks for them to distribute their show for them. So now I need to install RealPlayer to watch the now “streamed” show? No thanks, TNA… you just lost one pro wrestling fan right here.

Mountains
Originally uploaded by Mitch Keeler.

Well I had a lot of fun the past few days, but now it is time to get back to work! Everybody needs a break every now and then though, and I was long overdue for a little R & R in my honest opinion. Anything exciting happen? Nah, not really. Anything worth writing paragraph upon paragraph with wonderful and detailed glory. Nah, not really. What is the point to making this a post then?

Well you can see a few of the pictures I took while I was away!

Now don’t say I never gave you anything.

Due to the holidays, there will not be a Web Hosting Show this Monday. I tried to figure out a way to get it all done in my spare time, and it just didn’t come together the way I thought it might. Don’t worry though, podcast 20 for the Web Hosting Show will be coming, NEXT Monday for sure. Have something to say? Have a topic about the Web hosting world you’d like to hear me cover? Well either leave a comment here or drop me an e-mail because I’m all ears!

Hope everybody has a safe and happy Forth of July!