VisualHub updated

Looking for iPod Video Zen:
I use xTorrent because it has a feature where it monitors my downloads folder, and when I download a .torrent file, xTorrent will automatically opens the torrent, download it, and then shift the downloaded to my 'Movies' folder. Next, I want the video to be converted to an iTunes format, so I open up iSquint (free, by the makers of VisualHub), drag the file in, press a button, and it converts and then adds to itunes. Problem is, I have to be sitting in front of my computer to do this. If VisualHub acted like xTorrent, monitored my Movies folder, and immediately started converting any videos that get dumped there, I would have an end-to-end torrent-to-iPod system. If I add in XCast's RSS downloads from tvrss.net to the front-end of this implementation, I achieve total zen. I would gladly buy VisualHub, or any other video conversion software that incorporated this 'folder monitoring' feature. I emailed the VisualHub guy about this, but he never responded. Can anyone out there in TUAW-land help? Thanks!

hey, that filmstrip logo is in the shape of the rosetta stone

Gee Culler - thanks for stating the obvious. You're a video professional and a $25 piece of software doesn't meet your needs? Wow. The term "it just works" is NOT for professionals - it's like telling my mom she needs a $20k workstation because YOU work on video.

> For those of us who own the product, it would have been nice to include the VERSION NUMBER

Seconded.

This news is actually a few days old and in that time I'd already updated to VisualHub 1.19. I saw the story and thought it must have gone to 1.20, but of course it hasn't yet.

Agree with the comments that VisualHub is an excellent product.

Disagree that ffmpegX is any better: it has more options in its (badly designed) UI, but half the time they simply don't work. The number of times I've had a lengthy operation start and then complete in 2 seconds as if nothing is wrong is frustrating beyond belief.

Besides, ffmpegX has turned into nagware anyway, which I don't count as free.

All these tools do the same fundamental job (being all based on the same ffmpeg Unix tools) but how you get there is very important. VisualHub is solid, reliable, and an excellent value amongst the various front ends.

"[PS: how does this guy get away with charging for open source software?]"

Because he doesn't. He makes a wrapper GUI that makes it simple to use open source software. If you love command line so much, go back to DOS and use the "C:" prompt. Do you not know why people veer towards the Mac interface? Ease.

"[PS: how does this guy get away with charging for open source software?]"

He doesn't actually include the open source stuff with the app. The Application itself is a shell which passes the info to ffmpeg. Tyler's put a lot of work into VisualHub, and he's free to charge whatever he likes for it.

There is no prohibition in the GPL (that I'm aware of) against selling open source software, by the way. But he's NOT selling open source software. He's selling a tool which makes the open source software accesible to those of us who DON'T encode video for a living.

For those of us who own the product, it would have been nice to include the VERSION NUMBER for this update so we could see whether we have it or not. I mean, if the whole point of the blog entry is to tell us about an update, wouldn't it make sense to throw in exactly what release it was?

I love VisualHub and use it almost daily at work and at home. I loved iSquint, and VisualHub is ten times better. I think VHub is worth it's weight in gold, and it DOES "just work" so I don't know what the complaints are about.

It's easy to use, it works, and it makes it easy for those of us who don't want to or know how to struggle with other more complicated programs.

CUllerClassik - good comments! I *do* use ffmpegX and VLC, but I also like VisualHub which IS much easier to use. ffmpegX can convert almost anything, but I still find myself fighting the interface fairly often. Anyway, we're drifting from the point - check both out and choose what's right for you - or both...or something totally different! Now you've got me rambling... ;)

If you're wanting to purchase VisualHub so you can stream video to an xBox 360- Beware! It doesn't! As of now, xBox 360 will only play WMV9 files and VisualHub doesn't export it's WMV files as WMV9.

Just a heads up! ;)