Handbrake, my favorite media converter, has just been updated. Version 0.9.3 includes some significant improvements and features that make this a must-download, free application – for Windows, OS X, and Linux.

Handbrake 0.9.3 changes include:

• Convert from all video types (not just DVDs)
• Improved video quality – uses latest H.264 encoding library improvements.  Significant picture quality improvements and speed optimizations
• More Control over multiple audio tracks
• Better organized presets (you’ll just have to try this, but it looks much easier and nicer then past versions)
• Audio/video synchronization improved (fewer lip-sync issues)
• Linux graphical user interface
• Multi-threaded deinterlacing (use those extra cores for those of you with dual-core or quad-core processors)
• Linux graphical user interface
• Many other improvements to all interfaces

The one negative is they’ve removed integrated DVD decryption as part of the update. This was obviously done to keep them out of trouble with the anti-decryption police. If you use Mac, just install VLC 0.9 and you won’t notice the difference. If you’re on Linux you can just install a library – read more at the Handbrake forum. And if you’re on Windows… I don’t actually see a fix for Windows, so I’m wondering if I’d have to decrypt before using this tool – which would make me very sad. (via Macworld)

Check out more of Brent’s reflections on tech, gadgets, software and media at Geek Tonic.

While Slacker and Pandora are breaking out of the computer, FlyCast is expanding beyond mobile handsets and has just introduced desktop software. The Adobe Air application is both Mac and PC compatible and joins their initial iPhone and Blackberry clients. FlyCast streams a variety of free music and news programming, including many regional radio station simulcasts. As you can see above, the OS X implementation looks a lot like the iPhone interface… and I’m not quite sure how Apple will feel about that. Alhough I appreciate that FlyCast’s app is much more compact than Pandora’s Adobe Air experiment beta, the XM Vista freeware gadget still offers the slickest desktop music integration. Too bad I’m no longer a subscriber.

Announced about a year ago, the Nero+TiVo collaboration has finally borne fruit. Here in North America. Interesting, as this was originally positioned as a means of international TiVo expansion. (Europe may be on tap for 2009.) And now that Nero’s Liquid TV | TiVo PC DVR solution recently started shipping, I’ve been asked to give it a second look after my initial lukewarm response to an early software download. I’m quite impressed with the comprehensive Liquid TV bundle (MSRP $200, $180 @ Amazon). In addition to the software, package contents consist of an IR dongle, both for controlling a set-top box and for receiving signals from the TiVo remote, and the Hauppauge 950Q USB tuner with accessories – good for ATSC, clear QAM, or NTSC programming. The Liquid TV software is also available independently for $100. Both purchase options include one year of TiVo service. Although charging $99/yr thereafter may not go over so well – especially compared to the free guide services provided to Windows Media Center, BeyondTV, and SageTV. Stay tuned for more coverage in a week or so, after I’ve had more time living with this solution.

The Microsoft Professional Developer Conference has been covering new features planned for Windows 7 and attendees have received an early version of the software for testing and feedback – so news and tidbits are leaking out onto the web. Last week many screen-shots were available to look at, but there wasn’t much in the way of real news for Windows 7 Media Center functionality. Now we’ve learned native H.264 support will be included on all Windows 7 Media Center products – PCs, extenders, and the Xbox 360. Beyond that, there are plenty of tweaks and UI enhancements plus the integration of TV Pack features into the retail software. My first impression is that additional QAM support (already in TV Pack) and H.264 support are the only non-visual updates to Media Center. Yes, the user interface is being improved further, but the deep-down below the surface workings don’t appear to be changing much from what you experience now.

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Not to sound like a broken record, but Cooliris just keeps getting cooler every day. I fired up the plug-in to show my parents over the weekend, and noticed that the app now has an option for TV episodes. (I’m pretty sure it wasn’t there before, or at least it wasn’t separated out from some more general video category.) I clicked on the link and immediately got a wall of videos showing recent popular TV episodes. As natural as anything, I selected the latest SNL episode with Tina Fey from Hulu, and my mom and I watched it right there at the kitchen table.

If you haven’t yet tried Cooliris, go download it now. (Works with Mac, Windows, Firefox and IE) The interface is so smooth, and the company keeps adding new features. An iPhone app came out earlier this month, and I’m still discovering early features I didn’t know existed (like a PowerPoint plug-in). A lot of people still haven’t heard of Cooliris yet, but at the rate it’s developing and adding content partners, that’s going to change very soon.

There’s a new music store in town named Lala.com. TechCrunch and many others are calling it a possible game changer or revolution in music sharing/buying. I was pretty skeptical of the concept at first, but after trying it out I’m pretty impressed. It has potential to be a very nice service as a HTPC plugin, too.

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS:

• You sign up and get 50 free songs for streaming
• There are “streaming songs” that you can listen to (most in their entirety) once before buying. You can then pay 10 cents to purchase (or as they say ‘keep’) the right to stream any of these songs for as long as they exist and you maintain your account with them.
• You can purchase for download any of the songs for an additional 79 cents ($0.89 total) – these are DRM-free, MP3s compatible with all MP3 music players. The vast majority of the MP3 files are encoded using variable bit rates (VBR), aiming at an average of 256kbp
• You can also “match the songs” on your computer (all songs regardless of where you got them) to their catalog and always have free access to those songs via streaming. 

The streaming and “syncing” feature sounds very familiar to me. You know why? Because it is almost exactly the type of “music locker” service we once knew as MyMp3.com (don’t go there, it’s an adult site now) and mp3tunes.com which still exists but is being sued by the the record labels. So here I guess the labels think it’s okay because they’ve put their restrictions on the streaming rules and they are getting paid royalties. The business model is similar to Rhapsody except it’s pay per tune, instead of pay per month, for music streaming. It’ll appeal to people if they understand it: No subscription fees, only pay for the songs you want to stream. Plus take it with you for 89 cents total. A closer competitor in concept might be GrooveShark - another service I really like.

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A periodic roundup of relevant news… from our other blogs:

• Transform Your AppleTV with Boxee: Brent Evans Geek Tonic
• Motorola STB Transfers Content to Cell Phones: Connected Home 2 Go
• WiMAX Interoperability: Connected Home 2 Go
• Video Trends in 2009: Connected Home 2 Go