DVD collections range from meager to impressive yet with all those discs in little plastic binders how can you comfortably take them with you? This is an age of convenience right? The best way to take your favorite DVD with you is to convert it into a format compatible and small enough to fit on your Shadow. This is where DVD Catalyst comes into play. Over the years I’ve used and tested many DVD conversion programs and I confidently say that DVD Catalyst is the best.
The main screen has no fluff and gets right down to business without confusing the process too much. Nearly every setting you need to mess with is displayed right at the start. To begin conversion run DVD Catalyst and insert the DVD you want to convert. DVD Catalyst will begin scanning the DVD and display the results. From there you will be able choose your settings and begin conversion. Keep reading to find out more.
There are many devices that DVD Catalyst can convert for and several profiles for each. Of interest now are the Microsoft and HTC profiles. For those you jamming around with Apple’s iPods there are profiles for that as well. For my conversions I chose the Microsoft Device profile.
Within this profile are several settings optimized for different devices. From a few tests it quickly became evident that the PocketPC Divx setting was the best. To play this format back on the Shadow make sure you have TCPMP installed. You can find this in our post on Watching Online Video.
You might need to choose the correct screen size if it isn’t already selected (320 x 240).
As with most desktop conversion programs you will need to select an output folder. I use my default Video folder to store the converted files.
From here you should be ready to begin. Press Go to begin conversion. Depending on the length of the DVD and the speed of your PC the conversion can take a short time or a long time. If you have a slower computer I suggest beginning the conversion during a period when you don’t use your computer.
If you want more control over DVD Catalyst press the Global Settings button and you will have access to a multitude of choices.
Additionally you can adjust the video and audio quality by selecting the Modify Button under the Video Player device section. You will be able to increase/decrease Video Quality (Kbps) the number of passes, Audio quality, output Volume and Framerate.
Overall DVD Catalyst is an outstanding program and well worth purchasing. I’ve tried finding something wrong with it but can’t. It works exactly as advertised and worked flawlessly on both Vista and XP. I’ve encountered no bugs and have been very happy about the performance of DVD Catalyst. You can download a trial of DVD Catalyst or purchase it from our store for $24.95 which is well worth it. Check it out for yourself.
I am forced to give DVD Catalyst an unprecedented five out five Shadows!
