Posts Tagged: media

Using Replay Capture Suite Software to Streamline Your Business

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Eighteen years ago, when we started building software to keep the media we watch and listen to online, it was the classic case of developing a solution for a problem we experienced first-hand.

A lot has changed on the web since then – the rise of Flash, HTML, and powerful server technologies, has given us more media, more accessibly than ever. The need for tools to save and access this content on our own terms has grown steadily ever since.

We have a lot of fun with the Replay Capture Suite and other Applian products. As we have grown as a business, though, we’ve found that our need to store platform-specific content has grown as well. The solutions for keeping and organizing that content was found right under our noses, within the very products we’d been developing.

Here are some of the best tips we’ve learned for streamlining your business with the amazing software included in the Replay Capture Suite:

Indexing Meetings
With the rise of telecommuting at companies large and small, the need to document the productivity and remote meetings has, too.

Agendas, meeting minutes, and action items are old tricks – a newer technique is using Replay Video Capture to record the audio and/or video from Skype, or any other VoIP platform your company relies on. Knowing what you’ve done and how you’ve spent your time as a company is critical to making better decisions down the line.

Streamlining Training
Whether you’re a global company or a startup, training is draining on time and other resources. Face-to-face training will always be a requisite for many tasks and positions, but being smart about what you can record and reuse can lighten the load substantially.

Do you have an employee with solid presentation skills, or who is particularly strong at communicating company values? Use Replay Video Capture to record their entire spiel and send it over to new hires to study up on, along with other on-boarding materials to make the transition run smoothly.

Staying Sharp
No matter your industry, there’s a slew of online educators, thought leaders and visionaries building their own personal brands around industry-specific content; some of these figures are for real, others are pretenders.

Luckily, Replay Media Catcher’s embedded media guides make finding the best industry and educational content specifically for your business easier than ever, and our recording scheduler helps make sure you don’t miss any of the good stuff once you find it. Sharing is caring. Knowledge is power.

Building Company Culture
Cultures are made when people’s interests intersect, and there’s a large body of evidence to suggest that companies need culture as much as individuals and societies do. But, the divergence of interest topics in the web-connected world can make it tricky to find those water cooler chat items.

Using Replay Media Catcher to record enjoyment media (as opposed to professional), and using shared company storage to disseminate that content, is a great way to start non-work related dialogue.

Are you already using Replay Capture Suite software to improve your business? Tell us how on Facebook!

Dr. Wilson’s Possibly humorous Distraction – Vol 14

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As you know if you’ve popped in to Dr. Wilson’s Possibly humorous Distractions before, Dr Jeff Wilson, PhD, was our in-house UX ninja who went through thousands of monthly videos and other web content to bring you some of the best (or at least, some of the most distracting).

But sometimes the best of the best isn’t best enough. Put another way, sometimes the best of the best need a best themselves. Dang, I’m confused. Maybe we’ll just get on with showing you this clip Dr. Wilson selected with all the elements of a perfect distraction: (kids + kittens + pranks = #winning web content)

Want more distractions? See more from Dr. Wilson here.

Dr. Wilson’s Possibly humorous Distraction – Vol 13

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It’s been a trying year so far for our favorite in-house doctor – Dr. Jeff Wilson, PhD, of course. Besides his UX work for the team here at Applian, and the thousands upon thousands of videos and web clips he’s been through, Dr. Jeff has also been spending more time at home with his parents. Not really, but here, in preparation for some 4th of July family time, are a few things he’s learned about surviving a move back in with the parental units. Have some more salad.


Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime: What’s coming and going

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A new Summer-approved batch of movies and TV shows are already streaming on your favorite online video sites this June, while a handful of great stuff is about to leave Netflix (maybe forever). Luckily, Replay Video Capture is built for capturing the Netflix content you want to keep… before it’s too late!

So, check out all of the cool shows below. Replay Video Capture will record them all – allowing you to watch your favorite shows anytime, anywhere, on any device.

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June Netflix Departures:


Taxi Driver

Donnie Brasco

Rain Man

Amadeus

Silence of the lambs

Syriana

 

June Netflix Arrivals:


Sense8 – Season 1

Orange is the new Black – Season 3

Nightcrawler

Rosewater

 

June Hulu Arrivals:


Seinfeld – Complete Series
(That’s right: Every! Episode! From every! Season!)

June Amazon Streaming Arrivals:


The Shining

Lucky Number Slevin

Apocalypse Now (+ Redux!)

The Island of Dr. Moreau
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Reasons to Love Replay Media Catcher 6

In case you missed it, we released Replay Media Catcher 6 last month. We’ve gotten back awesome reviews, and wanted to share some of the favorite features of the new update.

  1. Expanded Media Guides: Now you can access pretty much any content that’s on the Web. From television to videos to full-length movies, Replay Media Catcher will seamlessly record the media so you can watch on your computer or even transfer to another device for playback anytime, anywhere.
  2. Drag & Drop Downloading: We’ve made it easier than ever to “catch” the media you like with the movement of your computer mouse. One simple gesture and ta-da, you’re on your way to downloading.
  3. Convert All Kinds of Formats: Download from web sites with specific media protocols and convert to over 130 device and file formats.
  4. Powerful Audio Recorder.  Replay Media Catcher can record and convert audio from ANY web site or source, at high quality. AND, for music lovers, songs are split into separate tracks and tagged to include song title info.
  5. Faster, Stronger, Better: Overall, we’ve improved the performance of Replay Media Catcher for the best update yet.

We would love to hear your thoughts on the brand new Replay Media Catcher 6, so we’ve assembled a short customer survey. Please go ahead and fill it out — tell us what you think!

Don’t have Replay Media Catcher yet?

Get It Here!

If you have additional questions or need a tutorial, please watch our video below on how to accomplish all of your downloading needs with the all new Replay Media Catcher!

Know Your Recording Rights (and Your Super Bowl Commercials)

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Whew. What a game last Sunday! We could barely pull ourselves from our screen — especially in those last ten minutes. As we marveled in the replays and even went back to replay the streaming feed on NBC, thanks to our Replay Video Capture software, we realized that some customers and those non-Applian laymen might think that our insistence of recording this NFL game might be (*gasp) illegal. Well, ladies and gentlemen, it’s not. But the NFL does a fantastic job at making you think so. An intelligent Ars Technica article that came out last week does a great job explaining why it’s not. Here’s a sample:

The NFL is also drastically overstating its case when it comes to actual copies of the game or pictures coming from it. You can record the Super Bowl. It’s been undeniably, unquestionably legal since 1984 that you can record the broadcast to watch later (and skip commercials, if you’re so inclined). And the fair use doctrine that allows you to do this also lets you use those recordings for other purposes, too. If you want to use clips for commentary or criticism or news reporting of some aspect of the game or the broadcast, that’s perfectly legal, too.

So don’t fear, Applian friends. Go ahead and get your Super Bowl re-watch on. Oh, and if you missed all of the advertising action because of the NBC stream, we highly recommend that you check out this full recap of the multi-million-dollar spots.

Our personal favorite, and slightly underrated, was the pitch-perfect Sarah Silverman and Chelsea Handler commercial from T-Mobile. We hope it’s an ongoing theme, because we love seeing comedians do what they do best — make fun of themselves and each other:

Best Media Sites: LOL Edition

So you know about YouTube and Netflix. But what about those undiscovered gems around the Internet just ripe for the downloading? Check out these Replay Media Catcher compatible sites. Note that not all sites are viewable in all countries.

This month, we wanted to feature the sites that tickle our funny bone, make us spit take, and get us smiling from ear to ear. Here are five fantastic sites that you are definitely going to want to download video from, and keep forever… because laughter is contagious and continual.

FUNNY OR DIE:

The celebrity-endorsed platform for hilarious series and one-offs, where you can catch the very watch worthy “Drunk History” and “Between Two Ferns With Zack Galifinakis” along with a ton of other giggle-making sketches.

CRACKED:

More centered on Internet memes and pop culture, Cracked offers some humorous takes on everything from Doctor Who to Kanye West. Also, check out the “Artist In Residency Program” where they feature a filmmaker hand-picked for your viewing pleasure.

CHEEZBURGER:

The OG funny video site still has quite a bit of life – and not as many cat memes. With a new Video section in Beta, they are experimenting with a whole channel devoted to Cheez-approved YouTube content. Don’t worry; there are still cat videos.

THE CHIVE:

This site is full of hilarious distractions. Everything from GIFs, to listicles, to random factoids, you can loose yourself for hours on The Chive. If you’re looking to capture some funny, watch and record their trending videos for a clue as to what will be popping up in your Facebook feed next.

COLLEGE HUMOR: 

Another classic funny video site, College Humor has been serving up the chuckles for 15 years, and boasts an impressive collection of original series and sketches. Our personal favorite is “Phantom of the Office” – we’d hire him just to keep us laughing.

As always, be sure to use only the best to download your favorite videos and media using Replay Media Catcher. If you’ve got a favorite video outlet on the web, be sure to give us the low-down in the comments or on our Facebook Page.

Best Media Sites: Nerd Herd Edition

Best Media Sites: Nerd Herd Edition

So you know about YouTube and Netflix. But what about those undiscovered gems around the Internet just ripe for the downloading and recording? Check out these Applian-compatible sites to use on your Suite of products. Note that not all sites are compatible in all countries.

This month, we wanted to feature the sites that tickle our brain, make us think, and get us inspired in the most instructional ways. Here are six fantastic sites that you are definitely going to want to record, download, and keep forever… because learning is contagious and continual.

Archaeology Channel:

Archeology ChannelThis has to be Indiana Jones’ most-visited webpage – well, maybe next to Google Maps. Here, you can explore human culture from Ancient Greek myths to isolated tribes in Southeast Asia.

 

Documentary Storm:

Documentary StormGet some of the freshest and compelling documentaries here. For those with an elevated taste in cinema, these informative pieces run the gamut and beat out anything you might find on Netflix Streaming.

 

Documentary Net:

Documentary.netSimilarly enlightening, this network of docs does a great job of sorting by length, geographical location, and rating. Use your recording software to keep your own archive of priceless nonfictional cinema.

 

John Locker:

John LockerProviding a bit more obscure documentaries and educational pieces, this site has a huge variety of professionally produced and independent shorts (and films) that you can dig deep into.

 

TED Talks:

Ted TalksThe online source for the global lecture series, the site has all of the talks in-full in all of their motivational glory. Certainly living up to its motto: ideas worth spreading.

 

PBS:

PBSThe granddaddy of televised education; Public Broadcasting Service has provided generations of media content. From your first Sesame Street song to the compelling Antiques Roadshow, PBS still has awesome editorial features and political commentary.

 

As always, be sure to use only the best to capture your favorite videos and media using Replay Capture Suite. If you’ve got a favorite video outlet on the web, be sure to give us the low-down in the comments or on our Facebook Page.

Red, White & Blue: Here’s a Discount For You!

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We absolutely love the 4th of July! Nothing says “freedom” and “proud to be an American” quite like community parades, family BBQs, and  beautifully loud fireworks – and capturing any video and audio your heart desires, of course! As we celebrate Independence Day this weekend, all of us here at Applian would like to enjoy the holiday by giving you a special discount on our full offering of products in the Replay Capture Suite!

Starting Thursday, July 3rd until Friday, July 11th, you can get $17.76 OFF the Replay Capture Suite – just click below and enjoy your newfound recording liberty!

 

GET THE DISCOUNT TODAY

 

 

Let’s Talk About Replay Media Catcher and HTTPS

Replay Media Catcher HTTPS/SSL Scanning

Keeping up with the constant changes in streaming protocols is just the job for Replay Media Catcher‘s Engineers. They like a challenge and frequently whip up very smart solutions to very tough problems. If you’ve installed the most recent version of Replay Media Catcher, you’ll see that we’ve made some great improvements. And if you like to download streams from YouTube, then you’ve likely seen the new prompt to install a CA certificate. So what’s that all about? Have no fear! We’re here to break it down for you. Let’s get nerdy, shall we?

YouTube and some other sites now stream their media over an HTTPS connection by default. So what is HTTPS? Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure is the secure version of http. Typically used when a secure connection is necessary. Like for ecommerce transactions and such. When you connect to a website that is using HTTPS, the session is encrypted with a Digital Certificate.

Let’s first look at how Replay Media Catcher downloads, then we’ll explain how installing the CA Certificate helps it to do it’s job better.  When you switch on Replay Media Catcher, it starts sniffing the network traffic. Looking for media to download. As you come across streaming video or music, Replay Media Catcher decodes that network traffic and if it understands what it is seeing on the network, it tries to detect and download the media based on intelligence we’ve written for that protocol. Pretty slick, right? That’s how Replay Media Catcher can download so much more without browser plugins. It simply does not need them. It only listens to the network.

Let’s say you’ve switched on Replay Media Catcher’s monitoring and you’re happily browsing along and decide to download the latest viral video on YouTube. Remember we said that YouTube is now streaming their media over an HTTPS connection.. SSL is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. When you see HTTPS in the URL, you are using the SSL/TLS protocol to speak to that website. Replay Media Catcher will then not understand that traffic and disregard it.  That sounds like bad news, right? Nope! Read on…

If you’re running Replay Media Catcher version 5.0.1.46 or later, you’ll notice a new prompt when it first sees media from a site that is streaming over HTTPS. This prompt explains that in order for Replay Media Catcher to scan for media that is streamed over HTTPS, a CA certificate is required to be created. A CA (Certificate Authority) is an authority in a network that issues and manages security credentials.

You can choose to allow HTTPS scanning or not. If you choose no, Replay Media Catcher will ignore any HTTPS streaming and you’ll be sad. That breaks my heart. Say YES!

Replay Media Catcher HTTPS

If you choose YES, (and we recommend you do) then Windows will prompt you to install the CA certificate.  Windows presents you with this:

Windows Security Warning

The title of the window says “Security Warning”. Yeah, well…it’s not a problem. Windows is just letting you know that a certificate is about to be installed. Windows says that it cannot validate the certificate as actually being from Replay Media Catcher, but have no fear. We have created a certificate called Replay Media Catcher 5 SSL Scanner Root. Essentially, it allows Replay Media Catcher to scan HTTPS traffic like that being served by YouTube for downloadable media. It is absolutely safe. And you are not putting yourself or your computer in any danger by installing it.

Don’t miss out on all the great streaming goodness that Replay Media Catcher can download. It’s waaay smarter than any other streaming media downloader. Guaranteed!

Don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions!