Jessica's Audio Fix on Freemake

If you are having trouble getting Jessica's audio when downloading her Living Room workouts with Freemake Video converter, try changing your audio preset to mono from stereo before downloading and converting the file for storage.
My default preset is usually TV Quality.
Click on the blue gear icon which will edit the preset.
Blue Gear icon is inbetween the green + and gray x

Then change the audio codec from WMV Pro to WMV or WMV Voice
and change the channels from stereo to mono

Convert and save this file for a future dvdr burning and/or to play on your pc.

German, Big John, and Jessica on youtube and Nia

This morning I did a bunch of youtube routines to which I added MUsic which were cued in German on the bungee then did some Big John (#14 and 15) with Fitstix:

I really like the simplicity of Big John's moves and his music is really great.

Most of the original German routines can be found at
Purplestore.de - YouTube
I especially like the Hip Hop routines with very slow moves that can be tweaked on or off the bungee.
Speaking of Germany that is where our son spent most of Passover?!?!

Then did the upright segments of Jessica's Strength and Stretch, some of the moves while sitting on a stability ball to open my hips more:


Finished with more of Nia's Awareness of the Shoulder Girdle but did one of the routines led by another Nia instructor which was a nice change.
Nia Class Video - Awareness of Shoulder Girdle | Nia | A sensory-based movement practice that leads to health, wellness and fitness

Jessica and Nia

This morning I did Jessica Smith's Belly, Bun and Thigh Walk to which I had added music but paced myself, starting out on the bungee then off the bungee with Fitstix then some stability ball then back on the bungee and finished on the stability ball. I am finding the stability ball really helps me to open my tight hips.
Here's Jessica's original:



Then I started to visit Nia's Awareness of the Shoulder Girdle which felt really different and I really enjoyed it.  The routine can be found at Nia Class Video - Awareness of Shoulder Girdle | Nia | A sensory-based movement practice that leads to health, wellness and fitness

Should have done something to the Beatle's song *When I'm 64* because I turned 64 today LOL
Just had a wonderful surprise, my sister who live in Florida just called to wish me a Happy Birthday!  She had lots of good news about her family and sounded great after having experimental treatments for Alzheimer's as well as glaucoma surgery.

JS Sunset Walk and Nia Global Unity

This morning I did Jessica Smith's Sunset Barefoot Walk to which I had added MUsic:

I did the first 10 minutes on the bungee then the next 10 sitting on a stability ball and then the rest on the floor with Fitstix. Felt like good crosstraining.
Then I finally started revisiting Nia's Global Unity after trading for the dvd and found the dvd nicely chaptered!  It had been such a long time inbetween visits that it feels completely new to me.  Only thing a bit familiar is its music.

As mentioned yesterday, the new Nia Awareness of the Shoulder Girdle is now available online
Check yesterday's post for the link .

Jessica, German Hip Hop and Sarina

This morning I started with 10 minutes on the bungee then switched to the floor with Fitstix for the next 10 minutes because feeling too light-headed for the bungee.  I moved with Jessica's Indoor Jogging to which I had added MUsic.

Next I did the first part of a Hip Hop routine that was in German on youtube to which I had added MUsic.  This is the original routine:

I really like the pace and variety of the moves in this routine!!

Finished with the rest of the second chapter of The Barefoot Dancer Mother #8 then did the warmup from Mother #9
Had a great workout on a great day ....
Our baby's 28th birthday :)

ETA:
New Nia online class is now available:
Nia Class Video - Awareness of Shoulder Girdle | Nia | A sensory-based movement practice that leads to health, wellness and fitness

Jessica and Sarina

First I finally revisited some of Jessica's Stride and Strength which is a wonderful AWT with a band routine.
Did first 10 minutes on the bungee then the rest of the first 30 minutes on the floor.
Then I finally started revisiting The Barefoot Dancer.
I chose to start The Barefoot Dancer revisit with a *Mother* theme since our youngest son turns 28 tomorrow and our older son is starting his trip back to the states today (I think?).

Larger Jumpsport Model

This video has a glimpse of the larger Jumpsport Fitness Trampoline model:




Wish they showed more of it instead of mostly the smaller tilted models but the glimpse I got of it really caught my interest!

BL, Nia, Jessica, CS

This morning I started with the second mile of the Biggest Loser Power Walk to which I had added Broadway MUsic and really enjoyed it with both Fitstix and on the bungee.   Then I did the second section of Nia's Awarness of the Head which had great music.  Next I did Jessica's Cardio Core Flow to which I had added MUsic and finished with some CS930.
Whole routine available at Nia Class Video - Awareness of the Head | Nia | A sensory-based movement practice that leads to health, wellness and fitness

Really enjoyed all of the above and had a wonderful workout.

Jessica Chair Mostly

This morning I warmed up doing Jessica's Chair Cardio then did the Strength segment while sitting on a Stability ball.  Then I did some of The Ultimate Workout Cardio with Michelle Dozois to which I had added MUsic on the bungee then returned to Jessica for her Chair Stretch which I did on a chair.



Note to my friends on FaceBook:
Please *like* my post about Freemake on FaceBook so I can possibly win a free key to their Gold features.  Thanks!!

Happy Birthday Jessica!

In honor of Jessica's Birthday, I only played with Jessica this morning which was a nice gift to myself.  First I did most of her Indoor Jogging workout on the bungee in spite of having some twinging in my inner right ankle from a bad step on the stairs.   I love the moves, her personality and even the music!  I had added my own MUsic which I will try another day.
Then I did about 10 minutes of her Chair routine but sat on a stability ball instead which I believe made the routine even better!  I was able to push more into the abs and lower body as well as bounce when I felt like it.  Absolutely Wonderful!  I felt my abs as intensely as any other workout style.  May do more of it later as a spark.  I had added MUsic to this routine as well but enjoyed Jessica's.

This embedded youtube video should play what I did:

Ripping with Freemake Screen Shots and Handbrake Walkthru

Insert DVD to be ripped

Open Freemake Video Converter

Click on +DVD on the top of the screen

Highlight the Video TS folder on the dvd then click ok

Wait till Freemake opens the Title list

Then Check the Title(s) you want to Rip

then click ok and wait while Freemake loads the selected title

You can play the title to confirm it is the Title you wanted to rip
You can edit the Title's name which is in red
You can trim the Title video if you do not want the whole file
(see Trimming Tips link at bottom of this post)
However, the more you mess with the clip, the greater the risk Freemake may get confused and quit on you LOL
Better to edit the ripped file after completing the rip.

Click on the format on the bottom you want for the conversion
(I usually choose WMV or MP4 to play on Windows software)

you can choose your preset
(I usually choose TV or Mobile Quality)

you can choose where to save the file

Last Step:  Click Convert
Done


Download Freemake Video Converter from
www.freemake.com
but carefully to avoid unwanted other free software.
Freemake products only work on Windows Operating systems.
Always choose custom option and uncheck all unwanted extras but keep the desktop icon if you like

ETA:
For another way to rip a dvd movie
http://neverendingplateau.blogspot.com/2015/01/ripping-vts-files.html

For Trimming tips
http://neverendingplateau.blogspot.com/2013/03/how-to-rip-and-trim-files-with-freemake.html


Quick Walkthru for ripping with Handbrake:
put in dvd
open Handbrake
click on *Source*s

choose dvd

wait while Handbrake scans the titles

choose a title # to rip

choose a destination file (Browse to choose the ripped title file location)

select MP4 under Output Settings

also edit the destination file format extension to (dot).mp4 if it reads (dot).m4v, especially if you want sites like Wellvideo to identify the video file as MP4

click the Green Start button

when done it will say *Queue Finished* on bottom of screen and Start button will be Green again
you can then select another title and so on

Download Handbrake directly from
http://handbrake.fr/downloads.php
for whatever operating system you are using

If you get a distorted video when trying to open it with Windows Media Player, it may be mkv format instead of MP4.  Try playing it on the VLC media player instead.
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/


If Handbrake will not open the title you want, try using opening the File (VTS) instead of the DVD as your source. If still stubborn, use Shrink to produce the VTS files then use Handbrake on those VTS files.  For more info: http://neverendingplateau.blogspot.com/2015/01/ripping-vts-files.html

Note: WellVideo sometimes does not accept MP4 files produced by Handbrake.  Be sure you change the name of the file extension to (dot).mp4 if it reads (dot).m4v

OMG

I do not know what took me so long to get around to trying some great stuff this morning.  First I did the third Mile from Biggest Loser Power Walk to which I had added MUsic which were cardio intervals I did on the bungee.  Next I did another Doonya song which was alot of fun but felt the intensity of what I had done this morning already taking its toll.
Last I attempted Jessica's Stand Abs II (or lose your love handles).  I say *attempted* because I only did 1/3 of the reps, feeling them immediately in my mid and upper back and afraid of pulling something in my back.  I Love and Hate this routine!  Hate that it is so challenging. Love that it is brilliant.  The Standing planks worked my core in ways that my elbows just will not allow on the floor.  Lots of feel good moves too which my hips and lower back enjoyed.  I must revisit this one more often than I usually revisit routines.  Jessica Smith is clearly the most innovative trainer out there and combined with her generosity to share her talent makes all other routines by other trainers pale by comparison..  She seems as obsessed to share her gifts as her fans are to enjoy them.
Thanks to youtube's copyright restrictions, I doubt I will be uploading much anymore so may actually start purging my collection.   I plan to put a bunch of vhs out in our driveway for parents to take when escorting their kids to the nearby school.

Jessica's original:

No Shame on Jessica!

The other day I mentioned that my blood pressure was no longer pre-hypertensive thanks to Jessica.  Well I have to add that my Total Cholesterol and LDL are down while my HDL is up thanks again to Jessica!

Shame on Me

After doing Jessica Smith's Ballet Body Sculpt to which I had added African drums, I finally revisited Anna Benson's FitPrime Just Right Cardio, mostly on the bungee.  I did enjoy Jessica but am ashamed to admit that it took me so long to revisit Anna.  It was recently announced that GForce 3 and 4 which were live classes will be released on dvd soon so I decided it was time to revisit Anna's Just Right dvds which are great on the bungee and have beautiful soundtracks.  If you do not have a bungee, they can be considered walking cardio.

Just Right Cardio


GForce 3



GForce 4

The Ultimate Workout

This morning I did most of upright segments of The Ultimate Workout with Michelle Dozois.
I really would have liked this dvd even more if the cardio had good music so ......
I decided to add MUsic to the Cardio LOL

The resistance started with pseudo kettlebell which worked well with my heavy Zumba stick and also liked the upright gliding routines.  The upright portion of the stretch stretch was short and sweet.  This was the first workout without any Jessica in a very long time :(

Youtube Tips from Freemake and Shockwave Flash Crashes

Wanted to share this article by Freemake which has tips on how to improve the playing of youtube videoes:
YouTube Doesn't Work! What to Do?
Downloaded files definitely play better than the streamed videos, especially if FIOS or youtube is having a bad day.  I usually download a youtube video immediately with Freemake video Converter and am glad I do because for some reason the current Jessica Smith Ballet Body Sculpt is missing more of its top than it was immediately after being uploaded by Jessica.  So I have the original download to work with rather than the one missing much of Jessica's head and even face.

Contrary to the article for myself, I found shockwave flash kept crashing on Chrome when enabling Chrome's Shockwave plug-in so disabled it and just enable the Windows Shockwave plug-in.  Also found it best not to enable the Realplayer extensions or plug-ins to avoid Shockwave crashes on Chrome.  For the Nia online class site, Freemake Video Downloader has been working just as well as Realplayer downloader used to work.  It's alittle tricker because you have to play the video after pasting the url.

Even though the Freemake Video Converter installation now involves more accompanying advertising software, I still think it is the best program out there for any Windows operating system.  If you love online or dvd videos and have a Windows operating system, it is definitely worth the fuss of uninstalling the unwanted advertising programs after their installation.  There is no reason not to download and install Freemake Video Converter and every reason why to do so if you want to burn dvdrs.   Its uses are endless.  I am still finding new ways to use it. It burns dvdrs with hours and hours of footage.  Up to 6 hours have been good quality and almost 11 hours at standard quality.
Though I add music mostly song by song with Windows Live Movie Maker,  Freemake Video Converter can also replace soundtracks.  If you like any of my soundtracks on my youtube videos, you can use Freemake video converter to just download the soundtrack by converting the video to a MP3 file.  You can then replace the soundtrack of any video stored on your pc with this soundtrack as a single song using Freemake Video converter.


Note to my friends on FaceBook:
Please *like* my post about Freemake on FaceBook so I can possibly win a free key to their Gold features.  Thanks!!

Jessica, Richard, Michelle

Slept much better last night pressing play on a cd boom box near my bed whenever I woke up and heard the humming.  Since neither my husband or son are bothered by this humming, I will ignore it best I can and drown it out playing cds.  I believe I am in the 2 to 10% of the world population who is supersensitive to radio waves in the air.  Cannot hear the speech on the tv no matter how loud it is being played but hear these annoying mechanical sounds like crazy.  Do not understand why so many tv shows play loud music that drown out the speech.  Guess that is what closed captions are for.  Also do not like loud music at weddings, etc.
I really tried to do something other than the Jessica routines to which I had added MUsic but even my basement sound system prefers them!  I started with some tunes from Richard Simmons Boogie Off the Pounds but kept fussing with the speakers which I stupidly messed up yesterday trying to see if the cheap surround sound system was the source of the nocturnal humming.   The speaker wires are very finicky and have to be jiggled into just the right sweet spot..  Was having no luck finding that sweet spot with Richard so switched to Jessica and found the sweet spot immediately!  Then switched out to Michelle Dozois Ultimate workout and again the speakers refused to cooperate so switched back to Jessica and was immediately rewarded so stuck with Jessica for the rest of my workout session doing 3 Mat Fusion routines

ETA: I was very pleased that my blood pressure is down more into the normal range than prehypertension range like it had been.  About the only major difference in my lifestyle which could have attributed to this change is Jessica with MUsic added :)  I have been working longer and sweating more than ever the past couple of months thanks to Jessica.

Humming

I hear a weird mechanical kind of humming noise off and on all day and night but last night, it really got to me so I had to take a night time Tylenol to sleep, even though I had a quarterly doctor's appointment today for a fasting blood cholesterol panel. In spite of being really stressed out about this noise and sleep deprived because of it, my blood pressure was lower than it has been which was a nice surprise. Thank you Jessica!!
Tonight I plan to have a cd playing all night to drown it out.  I am suspecting I may be supersensitive to the FIOS router's wireless signal. Tomorrow morning when nobody is online, I'll unplug it and see.

Anywho before the appointment, I did 3 Jessica Smith Living Room routines to which I had added MUsic

Decisions, Decision, Decisions

Freemake has found a way to force advertising (if not donations) to keep its Video Converter free.
Now when you try to install its newest version 4.0, you have to accept a search engine toolbar and making the engine's homepage your default home page.  You can remove these new defaults from your browser(s) but only after installing them.  The Converter will not install if you do not accept them.  You can refuse the other offer given later in the process but have to accept the search engine.
Their Video Converter, itself, is still the same as the previous version but includes the Gold Pack features which previously were to be downloaded and installed separately in exchange for a donation or accepting advertising options.  I am keeping my previous version until they sweeten the pot with a new feature I really want.  Also this newer version is supposed to improve the function of temp folders with  less crashes but I rarely have had it crash.
Now that I am no longer sharing files as much on filemail or youtube, I really do not need the more advanced version.  I can even upgrade my FIOS speed to be three times faster for $5 a month but see no point because of less sharing demands.  I am still adding music to workouts and share privately on Dropbox but Dropbox is very limited in how much sharing can be done for free so only share with a handful of friends who have helped me to have more capacity on dropbox..  When my youtube copyright strikes have passed in a few months, I will upload some videos privately for my own use on my HDTV with Internet Apps.

My left leg is much improved this morning so think the problem  was just a weird DOMS the way it suddenly appeared.  Not sure exactly what I will do this morning but it will most likely include Jessica.  Strangely, her newest video Ballet body Sculpt seemed to be more cutoff at the top yesterday on youtube so I am glad my download was done before whatever caused the more recent cutoff occurred.  Where is an *eek* emoticon when I need one?

ETA:
This morning I bounced with Jessica's Sunset Walk to which I had added African drums then did some Doonya songs from the Cardio dvd which were lots of fun.  Next I did the 4th Biggest Loser Power Walk using a heavier Zumba stick instead of a medball.  I had added some fun music to this one and really enjoyed it.

Jessica and BeMoved®

Last evening something funky started happening to my left leg like a nerve was being compressed.  It is still happening this morning but at least it didn't hurt when I was working out if I avoided wide plies.  As a result, I decided not to do anything with plies which meant not trying Jessica's newest video.

This morning I did her Stride and Strength routine to which I added Irish MUsic

Then after I saw that ballet and plies were not going to work for my leg this morning, I revisited some of the dance routine in BeMoved® and really enjoyed this simple walk and dance fusion to Bollywood music.

Jessica is trying hard to please everyone with changes to her future audio but since it is pretty obvious most others prefer cuing and voice to music that I may be continuing to add my own MUsic to her new stuff.  Just as well because I do like doing some of her stuff in my basement on the bungee which means I will be still be burning dvdrs of her routines and while I have the downloaded file, may as well add MUsic for variety.   The same exact visual routine takes on a whole new life when the soundtrack is changed.

Here's just the beginning and end of Jessica's Ballet Body Sculpt with MUsic added and without the sculpting segment which I will be using as a spark on my laptop.

So I saw when editing the music with Windows Live Movie Maker that the video cut off more of the top than the original download and saw that Jessica's Ballet Body Sculpt on her channel jessicasmithtv now had even more of the top missing than it originally did when I had first downloaded it.  Windows Live Movie Maker adds a title on the top which blocks even more of the top of the video.  So I ripped the soundtrack and added it to the original download I had using Freemake Video Converter.

New Jessica!!!

Jessica just uploaded a new workout:

Ballet Body Sculpt



ETA:
I am pinching myself to see if I am awake or dreaming after doing half of the above in my den as a spark.  The audio and visual quality of this youtube video on my Vizio HDTV with Internet Apps was beyond amazing.  No more adding MUsic to the newer Jessica Smiths!  Heck I will be doing most of them in the den right from youtube without a burned dvdr.  Much better quality than a dvd and old tv.
Workout Heaven.
Looks like the rest of my workout collection will be growing dustbunny communities indefinitely as they have been the past few months.  No point in blogging my daily workouts anymore because I will not be downloading and storing video files like I have been. Nothing more to upload to youtube either when uploading is enabled again.

Jessica and Doonya

This morning I started with both versions of Jessica's Interval Walk to which I had added MUsic.  The first one with Bollywood MUsic I mostly did on the bungee.  The Second one with new music which hopefully wasn't blocked in Germany was done with mostly Fitstix, on and off the bungee.

Then I did some of the other Doonya DVD (Abs, Glutes & Cardio) which didn't quite click for me like the Cardio Dance did yesterday.  Most of the Cardio moves were rushed lower body moves with alot of balancing.  Felt alittle like BBL (Brazilian Butt Lift) but not as much fun. The Abs included planks and mat work which I totally skipped.  Still have the lower body chapter to try but am expecting not to like it LOL
Finished with some Classical Stretch.

ETA:
Here is Jessica's original video

Jessica and Doonya

I'm very excited because Jessica Smith just uploaded a Welcome Message for her jessicasmithtv channel on youtube and the music came out from both of my speakers!!!!  I possibly will enjoy her music much more now.

This morning I started with Her HIITS video to which I had added MUsic:
original

Then I had the pleasure of finally trying a pressed dvd that I could enjoy without adding my own MUsic which was the Doonya Cardio Dance and Conditioning DVD.  The moves were wonderful and bungee friendly.  The MUsic was wonderful and even had a MUsic Only option for the 11 Songs and Dance Routines.  Finally, these gals (Priya and Kajal ) succeeded in using Indian Dance much like Kukuwa has used African Dance and Beto Latin.  Kudos to them!

New Freemake Video Converter 4.0

There is a new version 4.0 of Freemake Video Converter that I will be downloading and trying soon from www.freemake.com

Hopefully, they have worked out some of the previous bugs.

Supposedly, the newer features are already in this version like the newer menu options.

After reading this, I have mixed feelings about the new version:
Freemake Video Converter 4.0 adds free, ad-supported Gold Pack

Maybe I'll get it for the temp files fix then remove the other stuff like this article suggests.

ETA:
Well I downloaded it but cannot install it because I refuse to accept the search engine and defaults so will wait till my older version fails me.

Note to my friends on FaceBook:

Please *like* my post about Freemake on FaceBook so I can possibly win a free key to their Gold features.  Thanks!!

Wedding and the Agony of Pantyhose

This past weekend we had an out of state wedding so stayed overnight.  Ironically, the area was just 45 minutes away!!  Glad we stayed overnight anyways because driving home would have stopped my DH from enjoying a few drinks and night-time driving is getting harder and harder with age and vision impairment.  We drove right past the racino in Yonkers with no desire to stop because the Borgata offers all of the slot action I need.

Weddings are difficult for me for personal reasons, mostly because chances are neither of our sons will ever have one.  The ceremony was beautiful and the reception as well in a mansion which belonged to Marc Twain.  Also had a nice brunch before leaving on Sunday.  We didn't know many people at the wedding but the world is smaller than we can realize because a couple at our table knew my cousin whom I grew up with very well.   At the ceremony the gal who sat behind us and knew my DH, mentioned right off the bat about her pantyhose dilemma which was hysterical because the worse part of the experience for me was trying to put on the damn pantyhose!  Our friend (mother of the groom) mentioned the same experience.  Both of the other women gave up and went stockingless as I should have because my pantyhose was constantly slipping down all night making me have several trips to the Ladies room to correct.  Let's face it, if the waistline is large enough to get over the hips, it is not going to be small enough to stay on the waist. Why does dressing up have to be so darn uncomfortable for both men and woman????

Yesterday afternoon after returning home, I did a spark with Jessica and really enjoyed it.
Original Dance Walk:



This morning I decided to put myself right into the mood to move so did her Barefoot Fusion Walk first on the bungee then with Fitstix.
original:



Then revisited all of the warmups from BeMoved® Bollywood which I really enjoyed!
Just want to mention, if you find youtube not playing well, try clearing the cache on your browser and even your browsing history.

Bob, Angie, Jessica

I wanted to try to revisit a real dvd this morning so tried the interval walk led by Bob Harper on the Biggest Loser Power Walk on the bungee.  Started out ok with the MUsic louder but then the music got so darn repetitive that I lost interest.  So next I did some of the Angie Miller walk from her Absolute Beginners dvd to which I had added music but had made the mistake of leaving her nonstop chatter so lost interest in that. Just couldn't get into the music with the background chatter.  Gave each of the above about 7 minutes before ejecting.  Then I did the second walk on Jessica Smith's dvd to which I had added African MUsic and it got my motor running. Finished with Jessica's Flow-Yo Living Room workout to which I had added Irish MUsic and that was the true star of this morning's cast.  I also edited out the planks in the latter. Really love the moves in Flow-Yo in spite of not being a yoga fan at all.

Here's Jessica's:

Manuel, Jessica, Debbie

This morning I warmed up on the bungee with Manuel then did a Jessica Smith Living Room routine with Fitstix and a heavier Zumba stick and finished with alittle of Nia's Awareness of the Head.  I had added MUsic to both Manuel's and Jessica's routines.  May post more information about them later and possibly a clip or two or three :)

Right now am on the wrong pc to try and sweating like crazy.
I love freestyling to Manuel as a warmup, doing a bit of what he is doing then doing what I feel like doing with his style.  This morning's routine definitely worked my lower body differently.  Same with Jessica except I follow her more just changing the speed to enjoy the MUsic.  Her routine really worked the core.  Nia's Awareness of the Head has great new music and nice routines.  I am going to try to get permission from Nia to upload their routines to youtube.  They allow embedding and sharing on FaceBook from their online video site.
I have a link for their free online classes to the right -------------->

There's an overlap in the music because I added music to Jessica and Manuel around the same time when I had some new tunes to try.

whole routine at Nia Class Video - Awareness of the Head | Nia | A sensory-based movement practice that leads to health, wellness and fitness

I am copying and pasting what I posted on VF this morning:
The key to making it *Fun* for me has been the music.
Once you find your own key and unlock that door, it will never shut on you again and workingout will be the highlight of your day.

other keys:
Give yourself permission to have Fun and make it your #1 goal
Do what YOU want to do.
Just keep moving in ways that feel good to YOU.
You do not have to follow an instructor 100% (or even 50%)
Focusing on yourself in a mirror may enable doing your own thing more
Do not do something that *works* for somebody else unless you enjoy it
Avoid anything that creates Dread
Aim for feeling energized, not drained
keep Arnica gel handy for any twinges
Keep a list of moves to avoid which trigger twinges
do not worry about intensity
trust your own mind and body
(and the list goes on and on)

Most importantly if you didn't get enough sleep be kind to your body
Tomorrow is another day

How to Rip and Trim Files with Freemake

I have answered some questions on VF and in private messages of how to use Freemake Video Converter for ripping videos from a dvd and for trimming these videos so am going to try to put together all of the tips here.

One other thing to remember about Freemake Video converter,
sometimes you have to try more than once to open the dvd's titles, even on dvdrs burned by Freemake!
(good thing I'm stubborn and kept trying LOL)

See using Handbrake as another option for ripping at the bottom of this page.

There are two ways you can try to get just a selected chapter/title ripped from a dvd, depending on how your actual dvd will have the titles listed by Freemake.

First Way to rip a chapter/title:

Open Freemake Video Converter.

Put in dvd.

Click on *DVD* then the highlighted VideoTS which should appear.

If it doesn't, try to find the Video TS folder on the DVD.

(If it doesn't appear then you will have to do it the second way.)

click ok

Depending on your dvd's chaptering, Freemake will then open the dvd and list numbered individual titles and their duration.  Freemake will have checked off for you what it determines to be the titles you may want, usually including the longest one for the whole movie and leave others you may actually want unchecked. Check the box in front of the ones you suspect may be the titles you want. Uncheck those you do not want.

If I am not sure which title I want, I list all of the ones I suspect may be the ones I want then just remove the extra titles I didn't want.

click ok

Now for each title, click play (green square around triangle) to play it to confirm it is the video(s) you want to rip. Keep the titles you want and edit each title's name. Remove from the list the other video titles you do not want to rip.  You can also trim  each title if you want to remove any parts  before choosing to convert or burn.  Trimming instructions are in red below.  Remember if you do trim, to click OK in the lower right corner of the editing screen to save your edited version!

Second Way to rip a chapter/title:
If Freemake doesn't identify the chapters on the dvd as separate titles:
you can trim the movie down to the footage you want either from selecting just the long title or clicking on *Video* instead of *Dvd* and selecting the large vts/vob files directly from the dvd which you can trim while the video is on the play screen.

Trim off the beginning you do not want by inserting the end bracket ] where you want to cut then click the scissors icon to cut the selection. Cut off the end you do not want by inserting the beginning bracket [ at the start of the part you want removed and move the slider to the end of the video to insert the end bracket ] and click the scissors icon to cut the selection.  To remove a center clip, put the beginning bracket [ at the beginning of the selection to be cut and the end bracket ] at the end of the selection then click on the scissors icon to cut the selection.

Sometimes the chapter you want is at the end of one VTS file and continues at the beginning of another. You then have to select and trim each file then choose to fuse the files before converting/burning.

Here's alittle video by Freemake to demonstrate cutting
http://www.freemake.com/how_to/how_to_cut_video_quickly

It isn't necessary to insert the [ at the beginning as they show just the ] where you want to start your video. Their technique is more for how to cut out a center part of the video.

Also they do not show how to trim off the end so just follow what I typed above LOL
Once you get the hang of it, it becomes really simple.

Remember you can convert, edit, and store the video files on your pc,  waiting to burn several hours of them onto a single dvdr at another time.

I usually store in MP4 or WMV formats with TV or Mobile Quality and have burned 6 to 10 hours of footage into a single chaptered dvdr with standard quality.  Also I suggest creating folders where you can easily find them for storing your downloads.  You may want to remember to delete the downloads and stored files you no longer need while others you may want to keep to play on your pc.

Here's a link explaining how to rip with Freemake and Handbrake:

How to Rip DVD Easily: Everything You Need to Know

This article has a huge error.  When ripping with Freemake choose *+DVD* not the *+Video*!
Then highlight your DVD's Video TS folder

If you do not want to download the newest Freemake Video Converter version because you do not want to risk getting any other freeware offers, try Handbrake for ripping dvds.

You can still burn a dvd using MP4 files produced by Handbrake by opening the MP4 files with Windows Movie Maker then saving the movie to burn on dvd.  Just takes much longer than Freemake to burn.

Download Handbrake directly from their official site

http://handbrake.fr/downloads.php

For a Screen Shot Walkthru on how to rip a dvd Title/Chapter

http://neverendingplateau.blogspot.com/2013/03/ripping-with-freemake-screen-shots.html

*ETA: I recently downloaded Freemake Video Converter version 4.0.1.0 which was released 4/25, refusing all other offers and it works like a charm.  You can easily remove any unnecessary extra freeware with malwarebytes downloaded for free from
http://www.malwarebytes.org/
Freemake still works great even after removing objects found and removed by malwarebytes

MUsic!!!

Since our last trip to AC, I am still losing weight and tried on a dress I bought 14 years ago after losing weight and it not only fit but it is loose!  I believe it was tighter when I last wore it 3 to 4 years ago.  Since I am eating pretty much the same, it has to be my movement stimulating my metabolism.  I am moving more and more intensely since choosing more and more routines with MUsic that makes me want to muve and keep muving.   It is not the moves in the routine that affect intensity as much as how each individual chooses to move.  My intensity is definitely from within and getting into the moves.   I usually tweak a move to fit the music and for variety rather than follow an instructor blindly.  What I like about adding MUsic to Jessica and Manuel most is that each repeats a move enough to give me time for tweaking LOL
Both routines I did this morning had Broadway music from Bombay Dreams.
Also alittle Secret Garden.
I warmed up this morning to Manuel #40 on the bungee with Fitstix. Then I did the Cardio Dance Sculpt from Jessica's Total Balance dvd.

When adding MUsic, I usually remove parts of a routine I know I will skip like abs on the floor.  I had kept Jessica's triceps and abs on the chair when adding MUsic and did the triceps and abs on the bungee mat.  Anywho, I sweated for a good 45 minutes then finished with CS928.

I may upload to the blog a couple of sample clips later today of the routines demonstrating the MUsic I used today.
Also I am going to reorder the Jessica Smith Playlists so it reflects the routines I have already revisited.  It will wind up being in the same order as on the dvdr I store them on.  Just a way to be more organized now that youtube is more of a personal venture again.
Eventually, I may replace the music on the JS videos which are blocked in Germany as well so they will play on my HDTV with a youtube app.

One day, I may even try using my webcam to capture some of my *Tweaking*

Youtube Update

Since I just received my second copyright strike even though I was being very careful, I have deleted all of the videos for which I did not receive direct consent from its creators.  A third strike would have deleted my whole account!
From now on, I am sticking to video uploads granted direct permission by its creators.
What started out as fun for me to be able to do some of my videos on my HDTV with a youtube app became more and more stressful as people kept asking for more and more uploads.  I even stopped using my HDTV for youtube because there was just too many videos and playlists. I am almost relieved that I have received the two youtube strikes so I do not have to spend most of my free time sharing videos which do not interest me anymore.

ETA:
After spending most of the day yesterday deleting video uploads on youtube and adjusting Playlists, I expected to be stressed and depressed.   I couldn't believe how much less stressed I felt than I have been and how well I slept!  The demands from total strangers to upload more of the same content after all of the content I spent months uploading was just ridiculous.  People would ask me to send them burned dvdrs too.
Chances are I could have probably left 80% of it up with no threat of the third and final copyright strike but those daily requests for more and more uploading would never have stopped.  Ironically, the videos I most wanted to do and share received the least viewing LOL
Hindsight being 20/20, I know now I should have kept my youtube uploads private and for my own pleasure and use.  Sharing the uploads was shooting myself in the foot.  Hard to bounce on one foot.
After my copyright strikes pass, I may upload some of my favorite OOP privately.

Manuel and JS

This morning I warmed up to almost 30 minutes of the German workout #12 with Manuel on the bungee to which I had added MUsic.  This is the workout on youtube without music added.

Then I did the second and third parts of Jessica Smith's Flat Abs to which I had added music and finished with a CS from Season 9

All JS with MUsic

I spoiled myself alittle and pretty much started with a couple of the Jessica Smith routines to which I had added MUsic.  These have become my favorite workouts after working out regularly for almost 14 years.  Nothing gets me moving quite like they do.
Jessica repeats each move enough to get it without verbal cuing.  You can then tweak the move to make it your own letting the MUsic guide you.  Even though each move is repeated a bit, there's still more variety in the moves than most other routines.

I warmed up on the bungee to JS Cardio Blast Redone with music playable in Germany
Then I did the first of three segments of JS Flat Abs:
Finished with the standing portion of CS925

I have been getting alot of requests for more youtube uploads but am hesitant to fulfill them. First of all, I am not entirely sure if some may become a copyright infringement down the road if their owner suddenly decides to put any onto new dvd releases.  If I become doubtful about a video, I have deleted it.  You can thank the Zumba Fitness people for making me camera shy, giving me a youtube copyright strike which limits my uploads to under 15 minutes.  Otherwise, youtube has been very generous with their space.

Just for an example, why should I spend months uploading all of the TaeBo TV episodes and Live series not yet uploaded when I rarely do TaeBo anymore?  Anyday the copyrights for these may get legally determined and their legal owner wanting to release them on dvd.  Same for Caribbean workouts, Exercise TV, Fit TV, etc.

For each genre, I focused on routines I would want to revisit and really do not want to spend hours capturing and uploading routines which do not interest me personally.  My real focus is adding MUsic to routines.  That being said, I am sorry to disappoint but have to keep myself on my own course, spending my time in pursuits which interest me.  I do not earn any money from these youtube uploads or previous filesmails but am happy to share that which interests me.  I also do not want to spend hours burning dvdrs for other people.  Massive filemails are no longer an option with my upgrade expired and Dropbox offers minimal traffic with their free accounts so there will be no more sharing of video files except privately with friends.

If you want something on vhs, just buy the vhs cheaply through Amazon and pick up a cheap vcr at a thrift store or invest in a dvd recorder/vcr unit.  I cannot spend the rest of my days capturing and uploading content just because somebody I do not even know wants it for free.

ETA:
Just did a JS spark from her newer content
Even though I loved her Cardio Core Flow, I still added new music :)

Video Uploads to Youtube

I noticed when I offered a higher quality upload to youtube in addition to a lower one, the lower quality videos seem to get more views. Maybe it is because they play more smoothly on slower internet providers?
Anywho, I will be using lesser quality formatted video files when capturing so the files will be much smaller and quicker to play.
Audio will be fine but the visual will not be as sharp.

Buyer's Remorse

This morning I warmed up on the bungee to Jessica's Cardio Flow from her Total Body Balance dvd to which I had added Reggae.  These moves were easy to tweak on the bungee with the Reggae beat.  No Buyer's Remorse with Jessica even though she has dozens of free workouts on jessicasmithtv on youtube.  The original audio is far superior on the dvds as well as the scenery so even if I do add my own music, I enjoy the superior video quality.

Then I tried the second half of Ellen's Super Fast Body Blast which turned into a huge disappointment.  The second half was just the moves from the first half done over and over again but to less motivating music.  So basically, it is a 15 minute dvd for me and I am already burnt out on the moves!  Also Ellen's *Whooing* was getting to me.  I could add my own audio to the second half but the moves aren't special enough for me to bother.

I pray Jessica never developes this *Whooing* habit!
Then again I add music to most of her stuff anyways LOL
Never tire of her moves which are constantly being uniquely tweaked by her.

Change a Good Thing!

So we finally kept an AC reservation the past couple of days after staying away a whole month.  I ate 2 buffets a day and walked only 5,000 paces a day.  Expected to return home with a weight gain but surprisingly lost 2 pounds!  LOL
I guess my metabolism got a jolt with different eating and movement.  Another nice change was my joints seem less finicky so I will go to AC at least every other week.  May as well take advantage of the Gold Nugget's generous buffet offers.  We had their Friday Seafood buffet which is served all day for free (March offer of free buffet for two) and it was quite good.  Thursday we had their lunch buffet for $5 each (50 and over every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday). It is much more relaxing than the hectic Borgata Buffet and some of the food was actually better prepared even though not presented as well.  Literally, everything I had there tasted better than it looked!

This morning I warmed up on the bungee with some of Susan Chung's Rapid Fire 3.  I like the music but think most of her combos have too many kicks so I would do a few minutes of each chapter then skip to the next when the kicks started.
Then I did the first half of Ellen Barrett's SuperFast BodyBlast which had incredible music.  The moves didn't have as much variety as Jessica's but the music was well worth the purchase.
Finished with Jessica's Cardio Barefoot Flow II with my own music added a second time. I had added new music to this one so the video would play in Germany unlike my first attempt:

While the cat was away, the mice did play and Miranda seems to be repeating Season 7.
Jessica Smith is doing a weekly schedule on her youtube channel jessicasmithtv.  This month is repeating already uploaded workouts to get organized into this weekly schedule but new content is planned, starting next month.

I am taking a vacation from uploading vhs to youtube till I am sure there is no new Classical Stretch being broadcasted because I use the same vcr and capture device setup for both.
There will be no more massive filemails since my upgrade has expired.  I will occasionally offer a filemail for 10 downloads over 3 days if requested, mostly privately unless there are extra downloads available the last day.  Dropbox will be done just privately because my free account is limited in how much traffic it can allow. The people who helped to expand my space will be sent shared links to new content.  Not planning to even expand anymore because of traffic limitations.