Transferring a DVD onto a video iPod should be a simple task. I figured it would be easy, slap a DVD in a drive, and say copy to iPod? Ummmm no. Not even close. After following about 10 different sites advice on how to do this, and after installing god knows how many programs, I think I've finally found a good way to do it.

It all started off with either getting all audio, or all video. Once I finally got both audio and video onto the iPod, it was way out of sync. It was so frustrating to finally see the movie start, and progressively get out of sync towards the end.

So I spent $45 on a program that seemed to do it well (at least the demo 5 min did it well). It sucks. Don't buy IMToo DVD Ripper Platinum, it sucks. In theory it would be good, pop the DVD in, choose the platform you want to export to, and that's it. But the audio is off majorly. I checked with their tech support, and they gave me several different settings to try, all of which did not work. I'm gonna have to get a refund.

The following details are my best guess at this stuff so far, and a combination of programs that I've found helpful and that work well. The great part is they're all free.

• DVD Decrypter
  Although this program is 'gone' there are still plenty of places you can download it. The software will decrypt the copy protection on your DVD, and allow you to copy it to a .VOB file to your hard drive. To copy just the main movie off the DVD (and not all the menus, etc.) select "Mode" and choose "IFO". In the Input section, open the first tree option and find an item w/ the length of the movie (typically the first item) and select it. Now just click the DVD > Hard Disk button. It takes a little while but it's ripping your DVD content to a .VOB file on your hard disk.
  
  
  
  Pay attention to the following settings below: Make sure that File Splitting is set to "None" so you get your .VOB in ONE file, instead of 1GB chunks.
  
  
  
  
• DVD Shrink
  Very similar to DVD Decrypter, but a better UI.  The same kind of deal here, put your DVD in, if encrypted it will present you for the region of the DVD, choosing the correct region will allow Shrink to remove the copy protection. Open the "Main Movie" folder, and choose the longest title (usually title 1). Then click the backup button and viola! a .VOB file is written to your hard disk.
  
  
  
  Pay attention to these settings: Uncheck Split VOB files, it's easier to work with one file.
  
  
  
• Jodix Free iPod Video Converter
  The UI is not all that clever, but this FREE program converts your .VOB files into .mp4 (iPod video format) and it works really well. Just load your .VOB file into Jodix, and answer a few questions, choose the resolution you want, and this little gem generates a .mp4 file you can add into iTunes and then sync to your iPod.
  
  

I won't go into all of the other programs I tried that did not work. The programs noted aboveseem to do what I want. I've ripped five movies, all with perfect success.

The Setup
I’ve run into an interesting problem using the DataList control. I have a datasource, an XML file, that has a series of ‘choices’ in it. The choices could be anything, products, a free item a person could choose when making a purchase, or even a color for a car. What I’m trying to do is have a datasource, bound to a repeater control that renders a series of elements as a group, while only allowing the user to choose one of them.

My data source calls them choices 1–9. There is some ancillary information that gets carried along with it, a small image, large image, text to descibe the element, and a code to identify it elsewhere. Microsoft is so good at getting us to adopt their controls in .NET, and for the most part, they’re decent.  But when you run into a limitation like I have, it’s frustrating.

The Problem
The data list control contains an item template and inside the item template resides an image, a radio button, and some text. It all renders fine, but the groupname property for the radio button does not work. I’ve even reverted back to an ‘input’ tag using HTML instead of .NET, and .NET is still mucking with the name. The problem becomes instead of being able to select one radio button, the user can select all nine!

Here is the HTML that is generated, you’ll quickly see why the radio buttons are not working:

Here is a screenshot the bad radio buttons! Don't worry about the broken images, they are just there for fluff.

The repeater control is appending it’s container name, and incrementing it each time, so we’re not getting a single name for the radio button. I’ve tried the ASP.NET radio button as well, with the same result.

The Data
Here is all of the pieces, if you want to go away and test this on your own. I’ve tried several things, all of which I’ll explain at the end of the post. I have another way to solve the issue, but it just seems like I shouldn’t have to hassle like I have.

• ASPX Page
  

  <asp:DataList RepeatDirection="Horizontal" RepeatColumns="3" 
  id="dtlListChoiceSelection" runat="server">
      <ItemTemplate>
          <asp:Image id="imgSmallChoice" runat="server" 
  AlternateText='<%# DataBinder.Eval(Container.DataItem, "ChoiceName")%>' 
  ImageURL='<%# DataBinder.Eval(Container.DataItem, "SmallImage")%>' /><br/>
          <input type="radio" runat="server" name="CardChoice" 
  value='<%# DataBinder.Eval(Container.DataItem, "ChoiceCode")%>' 
  id="CardChoice"><%# DataBinder.Eval(Container.DataItem, "ChoiceName")%>
      </ItemTemplate>
  </asp:DataList>
  

  
  
• ASPX CodeBehind
  

  public class testHarness : System.Web.UI.Page
  {
      protected System.Web.UI.WebControls.DataList dtlListChoiceSelection;
      private void Page_Load(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
      {
          BindChoiceSelectionList();
       }

• XML Data File
  
  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
  <ChoiceDefiniton>
    <Choice>
      <SmallImage>choice1Small.jpg</SmallImage>
      <LargeImage>choice1Large.jpg</LargeImage>
      <ChoiceName>Choice 1</ChoiceName>
      <ChoiceCode>CHOICE1</ChoiceCode>
    </Choice>
  <Choice>
      <SmallImage>choice2Small.jpg</SmallImage>
      <LargeImage>choice2Large.jpg</LargeImage>
      <ChoiceName>Choice 2</ChoiceName>
      <ChoiceCode>CHOICE2</ChoiceCode>
    </Choice>
    <Choice>
      <SmallImage>choice3Small.jpg</SmallImage>
      <LargeImage>choice3Large.jpg</LargeImage>
      <ChoiceName>Choice 3</ChoiceName>
      <ChoiceCode>CHOICE3</ChoiceCode>
    </Choice>
    <Choice>
      <SmallImage>choice4Small.jpg</SmallImage>
      <LargeImage>choice4Large.jpg</LargeImage>
      <ChoiceName>Choice 4</ChoiceName>
      <ChoiceCode>CHOICE4</ChoiceCode>
    </Choice>
    <Choice>
      <SmallImage>choice5Small.jpg</SmallImage>
      <LargeImage>choice5Large.jpg</LargeImage>
      <ChoiceName>Choice 5</ChoiceName>
      <ChoiceCode>CHOICE5</ChoiceCode>
    </Choice>
    <Choice>
      <SmallImage>choice6Small.jpg</SmallImage>
      <LargeImage>choice6Large.jpg</LargeImage>
      <ChoiceName>Choice 6</ChoiceName>
      <ChoiceCode>CHOICE6</ChoiceCode>
    </Choice>
    <Choice>
      <SmallImage>choice7Small.jpg</SmallImage>
      <LargeImage>choice7Large.jpg</LargeImage>
      <ChoiceName>Choice 7</ChoiceName>
      <ChoiceCode>CHOICE7</ChoiceCode>
    </Choice>
    <Choice>
      <SmallImage>choice8Small.jpg</SmallImage>
      <LargeImage>choice8Large.jpg</LargeImage>
      <ChoiceName>Choice 8</ChoiceName>
      <ChoiceCode>CHOICE8</ChoiceCode>
    </Choice>
    <Choice>
      <SmallImage>choice9Small.jpg</SmallImage>
      <LargeImage>choice9Large.jpg</LargeImage>
      <ChoiceName>Choice 9</ChoiceName>
      <ChoiceCode>CHOICE9</ChoiceCode>
    </Choice>
  
  
  What I’ve Tried
  I’ve tried using the asp:radio button inside my template, I’ve tried the HTML input type radio. I’ve tried to find the controls inside the page at PreRender, and rename them, that does not work either. I’ve tried finding the controls at PreRender, REMOVING them, and adding a STRING that is written inside a placeholder, and I get the same behaviour.
  
  Microsoft admits this to be a ‘known’ issue here. As I understand it, this is still a bug in .NET 2.0.
  
  There is a 3rd party control by MetaBuilders, but it’s not really an option for me, I can’t use an outside vendor’s controls for the work I’m doing. I’ve googled it, and searched all over and this seems to be the only solution.
  
  In Part II of this post, I’ll post how I solve this issue. So far, I’m not really satisfied with what I’ve come up with.
  

I realized that one of the reasons I don’t post a lot, is I get irritated with Das Blog’s posting pages. So I decided to venture into 2003, (ha ha) and give Blog Jet a try!

 

I have a bunch of posts I’ll be making over the next few days, dealing with current baby stuff, a really irritating .NET bug (Microsoft calls it a ‘known issue’), and the trials (mainly) and tribulations (few) of squishing DVDs onto a video iPod 5.5g. (What a fricking pain in the …. you know.)

If anyone has some good tutorials on how to get a DVD onto a video iPod, please point them to me, as I’ve just found that it’s a major pain so far. There seems to be a lot of information on the web, but a lot of it seems to be inaccurate, or even more trouble than it’s worth.

Let’s get one thing clear, I’m not shelling out $9.99 – $12.99 to iTunes, that’s for sure.

Update: I'm dumping BlogJet for Windows Live Writer. WLW is free, and I like it better than BlogJet.

Man.... here I am whining about bad beats again. Oh well. In the spirit of Even when you do everything right, it can still not work out, this post will tell the little tale of a poker newbie.

She sat down at the table complaining about how she had lost the last tournament.... blah blah blah..... So after about 10 hands or so, it was clear, she really was a noob, didn't really understand the finer aspects of play. (I'm not a pro... but.... I'm trying to improve my game.)

Anyways, under the gun (first player after the big blind) she limped in for the big blind. Everyone folded to me on the button. I had , so I raised the pot to 3x the big blind. Everyone folded but her. She called. I was trying to get a feeling of what she would have to call. I decided "Ace-something".

The flop came down  Top pair for me with the queen kicker, I didn't even really watch the flop, I was concentrating on her. She checked the bet to me, I knew she didn't have a jack. I knew she had completely missed even. So now I bet out again 4x the big blind. Half of my chips are now in this pot. She mulled it over for a bit, and then reluctantly called, know I knew it. Ace King, that what's she had. Why do newbies think that this hand can't be folded?

Well of course, the turn produced the  Again, I was watching her, and she instatntly looked down at her chips and pushed all in.  I folded. I did flip up my hand and made a snide comment about her calling 4x the big blind with nothing, and I said, your Ace King beats me! After I flipped my cards up, she apparently felt obligated to as well, and in fact had Ace King.

She looked scared and said, "How do you know what I have?". I just laughed and kept the irration of playing someone new to myself. The good thing was she went out a few hands later, and me a while after her.  I did not make it to the points either......

Newbies. Grrrr.

Jake slept 7.5 hours last night. While it's for sure a good thing, my internal clock is tuned to that 5 - 6 hour stretch of sleep. I was awake from 4 - 5:30 AM. Ugh. I'm just so used to having to get up @ 4 - 4:30 AM, that my body is just expecting it.

So I laid there, waiting... waiting for that "whaaaaaaaaaa". It never really came. So I drifted in and out during that hour and a half. At 5:30 AM, I finally heard that hungry cry. I got up and fed him. When I was done, I put him back to bed, and I went back to bed, but could not sleep. So I just got up.

I'm gonna be tired today.

Wish me luck, and keep an eye on www.johnbatdorf.net/camerablog.aspx, that's where I'll be posting pictures in real time of our adventure. Jeff & Brent from Seattle, as well as my good friend Eric will be tearing it up in the casinos and bars! It should be a good trip, we take of Tuesday AM, and come home Thursday @ 11:00 PM.

We're staying at the newly rennovated Treasure Island. We're planning to play a bunch of poker, maybe some Blackjack too. We'll see.

When a business touts a benefit, like having free wifi when you get your oil changed, it makes me happy. I can sit and geek on the net, check email, etc, do something productiive when I'd normally just have to sit. This was a big thing the dealership we purchased our car from kept telling us.

When they offered me oil changes for the car for life, for $299, I did the math, and thought, heck... why not? So the first time I came to get the oil changed on the car, I was happy to connect to their network and have something to do while I waited.

But it did not work. I could get an IP address, but could do nothing more. I unplugged their router, rebooted thier cable modem... to no avail. I complained to the service department, and they said they'd get it corrected.

Today, our second oil change same issue. In fact, another user was griping about the same thing. So I finally got frustrated and determined with the level of technical abilities here, that their access point was probably wide open.

A quick trip to http://192.168.0.1/ gave me a username/password dialogue, no password. Man I gotta love that.

I was in. A SHITTY Dlink router. After about 3 minutes I found the problem. They were essentially blocking all of the common ports. The genius that set it up was probably trying to allow it. I removed all the filters, rebooted, reconnected and viola! I'm posting this message.

I told the dealership that I'd send them a bill. I was slightly kidding, but at least I know I can connect to their access point any time now, and solve things myslef. I'm happy again now.

Something that constantly aggravates me is a person that bets of a HUGE percentage of their chips into a pot, while leaving 15% or less of their chips behind. If you're going to put that much of your chips into the pot, even if your bluffing, it's just best to move them all in.

Chances are, if you're making this kind of move, you're the short stack. Holding on to an extra 300 in chips when you've bet 2000 or more is pointless. Nobody is going to fold when you move in for your last 300, so why not get all your chips into the pot, preflop?

Even if you can somehow fold your hand if someone puts you all in for your remaining 300 (this would be a really stupid move, you've committed yourself to play the hand by moving that much of your stack into the pot) folding would be the wrong option.

So I guess I jinxed myself. Talking about how good my poker run was going has produced a series of really bad performances. I'm still in the top 100, but if I don't get a few more big finishes, this session could end badly.

Poker players always want to get their chips into the pot with the best hand. It's all a statistics and numbers game really. The higher the percentage, the better chance that you'll come out on top. It's really a series of decisions to make, if you make too many bad decisions, you're done. If you make ALL the right decisions, you usually win.

But there is a factor of 'luck' or the best hand losing. I'm not whining here, I'm merely commenting about how a very strong hand can lose at almost any time. I hate sitting around and listening to people's bad beat stories, in fact, I'll often berate people and tell them to go to therapy. There's one guy in the league that EVERY week I put my ipod on and turn up the music just to avoid his bad beat stories.

Last night, I had some decent hands, but it seemed like I just kept running into a better one. I made some incredible lay downs, because I knew I was beat. Two out of three of these laydowns, the players showed me their down cards, and I did in fact make the correct decision. (I love it when people have to show off their hands, it totally validates my play, and it also gives me valuable information. I can learn how they act, what they do, how they throw their chips into the pot when they have a very strong hand.)

I was down to about 1500 in chips, after starting w/ 3500. The blinds were 200/400, so I was really short stacked. I looked down to find , so no doubt about it, all my chips were going into the pot. This is the best starting hand you can get. So I kind of 'reluctantly' put my chips into the pot, hoping a few others would come along for the ride. Nobody else, but the chip leader did. So he called me and proudly flipped over  I smiled and turned up my aces.

At this point I was an 80% favorite.

The flop was brutal.

In this case any 7 or any 6 makes my opponent's straight. So learning what we did from the last post that is 6 outs. 6 x 4 = 24% roughly, we see that CardPlayer magazine says 23%, but our calculation is pretty close. The turn came a J, so now their percentage is cut in 1/2. But of course the six came on the river. Even when you're a 3:1 favorite, you can (and sometimes will) lose.

I didn't get mad, or feel bad, you shrug your shoulders and say, "That's poker." I was happy to get my money in pre-flop w/ the best hand. My opponent sucked out on me.

Jake is officially 8 weeks old. I don't really know why we have to talk in weeks when it's a baby, but people do. They don't say 2 months, it's 8 weeks, or 16 weeks, it's really kind of silly. Anyways, the big news is that last night, he went to bed @ 10:00 PM and did not wake until 5:15 AM! It was awesome.

To those of you that read without kids, you laugh and probably say, "Whoa.... 5:15 that sucks!" But let me tell you, it's way better than 1:00 AM, and then again at 3:00 AM. 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep is about as good as we can ask for at this point.

We attribute it all to routine. We're essentially training this kid how to behave, based on the methods we employ to create a 'schedule' for him. Around 8:00 PM, we start winding down, we do a quick bottle feed, and then just kind of 'chill' till 10:00. At 10:00 PM we put on some lullaby music, sit in the rocker, do the last feeding, swaddle him up TIGHT, and rock till he's sleeping.

He's then laid down to sleep in his crib, and, if we're lucky, we get seven hours of sleep.

I'll post some more pictures soon.