While all tablets are likely to have most of the mainstream content a reader might want, Amazon and the Kindle Fire seem to offer the best selection in terms of content across books, videos and magazines. The new Nook offers the best display and is the lightest and thinnest of the tablets — though all four are fairly light and offer attractive screens. Nexus 7 has the most robust operating system for those who want to use their tablet for something other than consuming media. All three tablets have email access and allow users to browse the web.

All three tablets also suffer from a lack of 3G or 4G capability and a relatively poor app selection (app store numbers offered by the companies are inflated, as a majority of the apps counted are apps optimized for the smartphone rendered onto a 7-inch tablet). The current offerings are also about to face a new threat with the entrance of an Apple product into the market, as the company’s 7.6-inch iPad Mini is expected to debut this October.

Which 7-inch tablet is right for you likely depends on your specific needs. In very simple terms, I like the Nexus 7 for web browsing and email; the Kindle Fire HD provides the most complete movie-watching and book-reading experience; the Nook HD is a good lightweight travel tablet with a screen built especially well for reading magazines. Again, however, all three can browse the web, are light enough to hold in one hand, have a nice display and are relatively cheap. It’s all a matter of taste, as they say.

Decisions, decisions! It’s a good idea — no, a great idea — to try before you buy, and do some research before you dust off the ol’ credit card. Below, we’ve compared the four tablets in terms of their specs, to give you a general idea of what each mini-slate has to offer. Which one is right for you? Which company do you think is making the best 7-inch tablet? Let me know in the comments.

PS: Amazon’s super-cheap original Kindle Fire still ranks on price. It owns all the features mentioned above and remains a bargain value LCD reader with full Internet capability.

How the best 7-inch tablets compare (Including the original Kindle Fire).

According to reports, the world’s most valuable technology company is looking to release the iPad Mini in a bid to fend off stiff competition from rivals Amazon, who successfully entered the tablet fray last year with the Amazon Kindle Fire.

Apple will hold two events this fall: one for the iPhone 5 in September and then another one for the iPad Mini in October, AllThingsD first reported over the weekend. ABC News’ own sources have corroborated the widely cited report of Apple’s plans to hold two events.

But how much truth is there behind the headlines and what exactly can we expect to see from the compact device when it finally lands? We’ve rummaged through all the rumours and ‘trusted source’ quotes to find out…

iPad Mini: When is it out?

Analyst Brian White from Topeka Capital Markets has added further fuel to the iPad Mini rumour fire with claims that the device could arrive alongside the rumoured iPhone 5 in September.

He said: “Looking forward to an exciting September from Apple. Regarding the widely anticipated iPhone 5, we believe a September launch is more likely than October.”

Other rumours have also confirmed that Apple might release a new slate later this year.

Chinese website NetEase quoted two sources who claim that Cupertino-based Apple plans to release the reported 7.85-inch tablet to compete with a batch of newly-released Windows 8 tablets, believed to be landing around at the same time.

The site, which claims to have inside contacts at several factories that manufacture Apple products, also claimed that Apple will ship 6m units of the iPad Mini in the third quarter – between July and September.

Although many remain unconvinced, another analyst, Shaw Wu from brokerage firm Sterne Agee, believes the release of a mini iPad should be viewed as a “question of when, not if.”

He claims Apple is currently testing several 4-12-inch screen-sporting devices, according to Apple Insider.

However, despite reports that the tablet will be released later this year, Wu believes Apple won’t be announcing the tablet so soon after the launch of the new iPad, saying:

“We do not sense that the release of an iPad mini is imminent and quite frankly, exact timing is difficult to predict.

However, we do believe it makes both fundamental and strategic sense for AAPL to address at some point.”

iPad Mini: How much will it cost?

Chinese sources claim that the miniature iPad will be priced at around $250-$300 (£156-£187 respectively).

Apple devices are notoriously expensive, so the launch of a cheap(er) tablet is a clear indication that the San Francisco firm is pulling out all the stops to ensure Amazon doesn’t steal its tablet crown.

Some analysts also believe the launch of a mid-sized tablet will fend off competition from the likes of Samsung and Microsoft, both of which have been very active in their pursuits to overtake the world’s biggest company.

iPad Mini: What specs will it have?

The controversial motherboard manufacturer Foxconn and the design and electronics manufacturer Pegatron, two of Apple’s most devoted iKit producers, have apparently already been briefed about the iPad Mini.

They will, according to reports, be actively involved in the production of the device.

Whether the iPad Mini will function as a mobile phone remains to be seen, however, it will reportedly sport a 7-inch screen – it was originally believed to be a 5-inch screen – supposedly with the same pin-sharp resolution as the new iPad.

We don’t have any further details on the iPad Mini’s specs yet but will keep you updated as and when we do.

How has Apple reacted to Microsoft Surface?

Although we all expected to see a batch of Windows 8 tablets arrive this year, none of us expected a Microsoft-branded slate.

The software giant unveiled the Microsoft Surface tablet earlier this month, although a release date and price point is yet to be allocated.

The Windows 8-toting device measures in at 10-6 inches and sports a rugged Gorilla Glass 2 display. Also in the mix is a stunning 1920x1080p Full HD ClearType screen and a USB 3.0 connector. It will be available in two storage models: 64GB and 128GB.

What will the surprise release of the Surface mean for Apple? We’re yet to hear how the bods over at Cupertino have reacted to the news but we’ll update this post the minute we hear more.

Update: Based on the figures above, analysts claim Apple stands to gain about $100 in profit for each tablet sold. That figure is based on a calculation of its potential innards, with the screen costing the most at $49.54.

Article Reference: http://www.t3.com/news/apple-ipad-mini-rumours

To achieve your goal smoothly, below is a great tutorial about how to rip Blu-ray to Nexus 7 highly compatible video formats so that you can play Blu-ray movies on the Google Nexus 7 Tablet easily and fast.

Requirements

Before anything else, you have to download an app that you are going to use later. You are required to download and install:

Pavtube Blu-ray Ripper (Currently on sale during its 2012 Summer Holiday Promotion).

Instructions

The program easy to use for editing and conversion and makes great quality copies of my Blu-ray and DVDs. The audio/video synchronization is very good, the size of the subtitles too. The encoding speed is very fast and The time it takes to convert in this software is almost half that in other. Moreover, it provides best output format to export Blu-ray videos for use on the Google Nexus 7. Just free download it and follow the steps below to transfer Blu-ray movies to Google Nexus 7 for playing back in a few clicks.

Converting Blu-ray movies to playback with Google Nexus 7

1. Once run the top Blu-ray Converter for Nexus 7, insert the Blu-ray disc to your BD drive, and then load your Blu-ray movies to the software. You can also add Blu-ray ISO and DVD disc/ISO/IFO files.

2. Choose output profile. You can get optimized videos for Google Nexus 7 under Android -> Google Nexus 7 H.264 Video (*.mp4) (to get this profile you should download and install a patch).

You can also click “Setting” to change the video encoder, frame rate, resolution, etc. For watching videos on the new-brand Google Nexus 7 Tablet, the quality of the result 720p videos with 1200~2000kbps is quite good. Remember the file size is based more on bitrate than resolution which means bitrate higher results in big file size, and lower visible quality loss.

3. After all the above settings, simply click “Convert” button to start encoding Blu-ray files to Nexus 7 video. Just wait for the converting process to be done. After that, you can transfer the result videos to your Tablet. In this way, you can play Blu-ray movies on Google Nexus 7 and enjoy them on the go.

After some new Windows 8 Tablets from Acer(the Iconia W700 and Iconia W510), ASUS(Tablet 600 and the Tablet 810) and Samsung(Series 5 Hybrid PC), Lenovo has pulled the curtains back on a new Windows 8 ThinkPad tablet.

The Lenovo company demoes its upcoming but as yet unnamed Windows 8 tablet at the Computex computer show in Taiwan. Demoed at Computex today for Engadget, the new ThinkPad tablet sports a 10.1-inch screen with a resolution of 1366×768 pixels. Two Webcams are on board: an 8-megapixel version on the back and a 2-megapixel version on the front. A micro-HDMI port, SD card slot, and docking connector are part of the package as well.

So when the company trots out one running Win8, it doesn’t just feel like a mandatory upgrade from one OS to another; it feels like Lenovo entering a new category. Obviously, the Windows 8 tablet won’t go on sale until Windows 8 itself launches, which is expected to occur around October.

Below are some reviews about Lenovo’s Windows 8 ThnikPad Tablet:

Pretty excited! Love my ThinkPad laptop and can’t wait for a tablet! – Says crbjhn.

okay, its windows time now, where’s apple? where’s android? -Says Ralph Villaver Cuevo

I really don’t think that’s a 1366×768 screen. Every other 1366×768 Windows 8 tablet has only 3 rows of tiles on the start screen. This has to be using a higher resolution. – Says chefgon

They should do something like Asus transformer, but in thinkpad quality, 10 inch screen, good keyboard with trackpoint. – Says Michal Maly

Please, Lenovo, don’t forget a usable pressure sensitive stylus.

I will jump off the Android bandwagon to this platform if you include a decent pressure sensitive stylus for sketching and note-taking. -Says Uberhund

Then what’s your idea? Just join the conversion and add your comment below.

Externally, the Apple TV 3 (1080p 3rd-Gen Apple TV) is virtually indistinguishable from the Apple TV 2nd generation. The real change again is that the Apple TV 3 now supports 1080p50 and 1080p60 over HDMI, where the previous Apple TV 2 only supported 720p50 and 720p60 at maximum over HDMI. The new Apple TV gives you access to HD movies and TV shows from iTunes and the entire Netflix streaming catalog. You can even play content from your iOS devices like iPad 3, iPhone 4S or iPod Touch on your TV using AirPlay.

The 1080p video playback really attracts most folks. But here’s your concern: will Apple TV 3 be able to support playing back 1080p H.264 MP4 movies with the AC3 5.1 (Dolby Digital) audio?

Most of you may have many Full HD 1080P MP4 movies ripped/converted from your Blu-ray discs with a Blu-ray Ripper for Apple TV 3 just for personal entertainment only. You may usually watch the movies on a 60″ HD TV through NAS streaming but not sure if Apple TV 3 will be able to play back the movies with AC3 5.1 if home sharing. From the specifications of the new Apple TV it just says “H.264 video up to 1080p, 30 frames per second, High or Main Profile level 4.0 or lower, Baseline profile level 3.0 or lower with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats”. So can the Apple TV 3 support AC3 5.1 audio?

The answer is Possible. According to my experience, the 2012 new Apple TV is not able to decode 5.1 surround sound to stereo by itself, if you want to play AC3 5.1 (Dolby Digital surround) audio you will need an AV receiver. Applet TV (including 2nd-gen and 3nd-gen) does not decode the surround audio itself, it will pass through the audio to AV receiver for decoding. If you do not have the AV receiver and connect Apple TV directly to your HD TV with HDMI, then there will be only video without sound while playing surround sound movie. But Apple TV itself just works ok with movie of stereo sound.

If you are looking for an app which makes it easy to either just watch or to convert Blu-ray movies to Apple TV 3 format at the original 1920×1080 resolution in an almost Apple-like way, and don’t mind spending $40 (they currently have a sale), I’ve had success using Pavtube’s Blu-ray to Apple TV Ripper for Mac to convert Blu-Ray discs to a format playable by Apple TV 3 and iTunes. I’ve found the quality to be excellent, and see no difference when compared to playing the discs themselves.

The steps: Ripping Blu-ray to Apple TV 3 videos with Dolby Digital 5.1 and 1080p HD quality

Step 1. Convert Blu-Ray using Pavtube Blu-ray Ripper to convert to 1080p H.264 *.mp4 (it has a preset “Apple TV” option to choose a format specific “Apple TV H.264 1920×1080(*.mp4)” to the new Apple TV).

PS: Here the profile doesn’t supply AC3 5.1 output, after several several conversions and tests I worked out the settings for converting Blu-ray to Apple TV 3 with Dolby Digital 5.1 (Select “H.264 HD Video(*.mov)” from “HD Video” category):

Video
Codec- H.264
Resolution- 1920×1080 (Full-HD)
Bitrate- 8000kbps
Framerate- 24fps

Audio
Codec- ac3
Sampling rate- 48khz
Bitrate- 128kbps
Channel- 5.1 Channels

Step 2. Import new .mp4 file into iTunes (drag .mp4 file to the iTunes icon on the dock)

On Apple TV, I browse the iTunes library for the movie and it plays the Blu-ray Rips 1080p movies smoothly and at full quality. I don’t think it could get much simpler unless of course, Apple provides native support for Blu-Ray which doesn’t seem likely.

Here is a list of top 3 DVD rippers:

Magic DVD Ripper

WinX DVD Ripper

Pavtube DVD Ripper

I’ll evaluate the 3 DVD rippers and compare them in aspect of interface design, input format, DVD structure support, Android format support, ripping speed, and video effect to decide which would be the best DVD ripper for Android tablet users. The guide concerns on DVD to Android conversion so DVD backup and other irrelevant features will not be discussed.

Test Environments:

Pentium(R) Dual-Core CPU

E5300 @2.6GHz

2.59GHz, 1.96GB of RAM

Windows XP Professional

In order to make sure the DVD rippers keep up with latest encryption method, the tests are done with a most recent DVD Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (2011), which is released on March 27, 2012.

1. Interface Design (10 points)

Magic DVD Ripper: Magic’s interface is simple and easy to understand, but I find that movies are getting squashed when preview effect. One point in Magic favor is that it automatically reads the currently inserted DVD.

WinX DVD Ripper: WinX comes up with a gray interface with all the advanced settings at bottom, making the software looks busy and complicated for beginners.

Pavtube DVD Ripper: Despite of the annoying red and black color, Pavtube has an intuitive interface that is easier to start with. The preview window is a high point.

2. Input Format (10 points)

Magic DVD Ripper detects and imports DVD from optical drive automatically. If you have a DVD backup on hard drive, you can select and load the VIDEO_TS folder instead.

WinX DVD Ripper seems smarter; you can whether load a DVD or a VIDEO_TS folder at the very start. However, the software failed to find the correct main movie when I did test with Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (2011) DVD, all it finds are extra movie trailers (e.g. Ice Age 4 as it shows in below sceenshot). Anyway, you should not expect much to a free tool.

Comparing with Magic and WinX, Pavtube DVD Ripper supports more file types: DVD, VIDEO_TS structure, DVD ISO and IFO.

3. DVD Structure Support (10 points)

A good DVD Ripper lets you decide which titles/chapters to keep in which language you like. Compare in the following chart how the top 3 DVD rippers support DVD structure:

4. Output Format (20 points)

Magic DVD Ripper- Magic features adequate common video formats (MP4, AVI, WMV) for average users, but 32 formats are not enough for Android fans. As Galaxy Tab owner I would like to put DVD movies onto the 10.1’ tablet and I need a costumed format to ensure smooth playback on my device. Magic support 1 Android tablet only- the Kindle Fire. Hope the old Archos format work for new Archos tabs.

WinX DVD Ripper- seems that WinX support quite a lot of formats(MP4, MPG, WMV, FLV, MOV), and luckily I managed to find Samsung Galaxy Tab format which works for my device. Are there any other formats for more Android tablets? Well, unfortunately NO.

Pavtube DVD Ripper- I was really impressed with the profile list of Pavtube. Here you find almost all the Android tablets on market, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Acer Iconia tabs, Amazon Kindle Fire, Xoom, Toshiba Thrive, etc. And you can also find optimized format for iPad, BlackBerry PlayBook, etc. Apparently Pavtube software wins hands down on export format.

Compare and check for a best Android formatted DVD Ripper:

5. Conversion Speed(10 points)

To keep tests fair, I use the same title (Title 28 of Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked) for ripping, and custom the output format to apply the same setting.

The source: Title 28 of Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, movie trailer of We Bought a Zoo, 2 mins and 23 secs in length.

The conversion settings:

Video- H.264, 640×360, 1500kbps, 30fps

Audio- AAC stereo, 44.1khz128kbps

Andre here’s my test result:

Magic DVD Ripper takes 3 mins and 41 secs to complete conversion and results in a file of 27.2M.

WinX DVD Ripper performs faster than Magic. It costs 3 mins and 2secs to generate a MP4 file of 27.7M in size.

Pavtube DVD Ripper converts DVD fastest. The same conversion takes 2 mins and 50 secs without GPU acceleration. And output file size is 29.8M.

6. Video Effect (20 points)

Finally we come to the most important part we set out to test: how does Magic compare with WinX and Pavtube on aspect of video quality? The following screenshots are the same scene taken from the three output videos.

Magic DVD Ripper (somehow the picture gets stretched)

WinX DVD Ripper

Pavtube DVD Ripper (a logo is set to put on the screen with trial version)

Partial enlarged view and compare: Magic vs. WinX vs. Pavtube

As far as I can see, Magic DVD Ripper failed to keep the original aspect ratio, and gave softer image. The other two presents sharper image with more details, but I noticed that WinX becomes grainy when dealing with bright spots and dark gradients.

Magic DVD Ripper vs. WinX DVD Ripper vs. Pavtube DVD Ripper in total:

Conclusion:

Pavtube DVD Ripper is proved to be the best DVD ripper for Android tablets. It beats Magic DVD Ripper and WinX DVD Ripper for almost every aspect except for interface design. Its developer Pavtube also released an advanced version- Blu-ray Ripper($49), which deals with both DVD and Blu-ray Disc.

WinX DVD Ripper failed to recognize the main movie during above test, but it’s still a good choice for those who hang on to freeware. Magic DVD Ripper has an important feature that I did not mentioned of, and that’s DVD backup. And this is a nice tool for copying and burning DVDs.

Plenty of developers and media companies have figured this out, so there has been a steady stream of new ways to watch TV shows and movies on your new iPad that don’t involve iTunes. Some, like Netflix and Hulu, are apps that you download, while others are iPad-optimized sites that help you find and watch the best TV and movies the Web has to offer. If you want to watch TV and movies from your own collection, there are apps for that, and there are even products that let you watch live TV shows on your tablet.

I’ve tried many of these solutions, and below you’ll find the top several ways to bring TV and movies to your iPad.

1. Load Videos from iTunes
This is the way Apple would prefer you do things, as it would presumably involve you paying them for the videos you’re watching. It’s probably the most idiot-proof way of watching TV shows and movies (provided they’re in the iTunes Store), but it’s also going to fill up your iPad’s hard drive really quickly. Now you can enjoy 1080p HD movies and TV shows on the new iPad 3 from iTunes.

2. Air Video
Price: $2.99 in the App Store
Air Video takes the video on your computer, and streams it to your iPad. It converts unsupported files on the fly, and plays almost any file type you throw at it. You set up an Air Video server on your computer (it’s easier than you think), and then connect it to Air Video. Getting Air Video to stream when you’re not on the same wireless network, which you can do from anywhere over Wi-Fi or 3G, isn’t as simple, but it is doable.

3. Hulu Plus
Price: $9.99 per month
Hulu Plus subscribers get access to back catalogs of TV shows, and access to free apps for the iPhone and iPad 3. Hulu has a huge collection of shows from a variety of networks, streams in 720p HD, and will even sync your spot in the show with the Hulu Web site so you can pick up right where you left off when you’re back at your computer.

4. Netflix
Price: Free for DVD-plan subscribers subscribers ($7.99 per month for streaming-only plan)
The grand poobah of streaming movies, Netflix is also one of the best and most complete iPad video applications. The constantly growing library has full seasons of TV shows like Friday Night Lights and Mythbusters, and a huge collection of movies ranging from mob dramas like The Godfather to light-hearted animated films like Up. The app also lets you manage your DVD and Watch Instantly queue, and syncs your progress to the Web so you can pick up on a bigger screen when you get home.

5. Clicker
Price: Free
Some of the best video on the Web doesn’t come from television networks. It comes from YouTube, Vimeo, and companies like Revision3, and blip.tv. Clicker is a Web site that acts as a TV Guide for all the Web’s video (including the network stuff), and if you visit it from the iPad, you’ll get all iPad-compatible video. Whether you’re looking for shows like The Guild or the latest from ESPN, it’s all on Clicker.

6. Network TV Sites
Price: Free
Many network shows can be viewed with the Hulu Plus app, but many of the networks have more complete solutions, with lots of extra material and information. ABC has a free app with plenty of recent episodes of its shows, as well as the ABC TV schedule and information about its lineup. The CBS site is iPad-optimized, so you can watch episodes, clips and more right from Mobile Safari. Bravo has an iPad app for streaming full episodes, and TBS has one with more limited functionality. Other networks are beginning to support the iPad, too, either through dedicated apps or with sites that don’t use Flash for video (since the iPad doesn’t currently support it).

7. Apps for getting more HD contents onto new iPad 3 (Blu-ray, DVD)

Of course, most of us are not about to pay iTunes’ ridiculous prices to watch movies and TV shows they already own on Blu-ray and DVD. Instead, they’ll just rip those discs to an iPad-friendly format. There are many programs out there that allow you to make copies of your DVDs and let you watch them the way you want to view them. If you’re interested in doing likewise, check out Pavtube’s Blu-ray to iPad Ripper for Mac or Windows Version ( Refer to Mac new iPad Blu-ray Ripper Review ). The application aims to help iPad users to rip BD/DVD to iPad/iPad 2/the new iPad playable files with perfect quality. It also offers format presets for Apple TV 3, iPhone, and iPod as well. In a word, the application is easy for conversion and editing yet makes great quality copies of Blu-rays and DVDs. You can refer to a guide here – Watch Blu-ray movies on new iPad 3 with Full-HD 1080p quality.

8. YouTube App
The new iPad’s built-in YouTube App clearly will let you watch YouTube videos on your tablet. Of course, full TV shows and movies aren’t really what YouTube is all about, but for music videos and other standard YouTube fare this is clearly where you’ll head.

9. ABC App
ABC’s iPad app will let you stream any of their shows, but unfortunately it’s the only network offering iPad streaming up. CBS’s TV.com iPhone app will work if you’re really desperate for CSI, but it’ll be ugly as sin. Hopefully they’ll update it for the iPad soon.

However, the same as other tablets, the new iPad doesn’t have a drive for Blu-ray playback. Depite lack of offical support, we can put Blu-ray movies onto new iPad for enjoying with ease. Here I will introduce you a top Blu-ray to new iPad Converter for Mac entitled Pavtube Blu-ray Ripper which can easily rip and shrink Blu-ray movies to the new iPad. If you’re interested in doing likewise, check out the software.

Specially designed for Blu-ray video zealots who use Mac OS especially iPad owners, the new iPad Blu-ray Ripper is the Blu-ray Ripper that can achieve all kinds of Blu-ray ripping tasks. It aims to help Mac users rip BD/DVD to iPad/iPad 2/the new iPad playable files with perfect quality(Transfer Blu-ray to the new iPad via Mac OS X). Besides, the program can help you rip Blu-ray discs to any popular video formats such as MP4, AVI, FLV, WMV, 3GP as well as any popular audio formats such as AAC, AC3, MP3, OGG and WAV. Designed for fast speed and negligible video quality loss, this amazing software is your best choice for Blu-ray ripping. It also enables you to copy Blu-ray disc contents (to the new iPad) without any quality loss by removing Blu-ray copy protections, such as the newest MKB V30.

The software works like most other Blu-ray rippers I’ve used. Pop in your disc, choose an iPad output profile (H.264, MP4, or HD MP4), and click Start. Then go get a cup of coffee (conversion takes some time).

As the ideal Mac Blu-ray to new iPad Ripper, it customizes the best video format for new iPad to help iPad users watching Blu-ray movies on new iPad in full screen with high quality. Also you can use it to edit the movie, such as cropping, trimming, adding watermarks/effects, replacing audio file, and so on. Or, you can rip your Blu-ray or DVD movies to Adobe Premiere, Sony Vegas and other editing software compatible formats for further editing.

Not an iPad user? Converter also supports “common” video formats like MOV, M4V, and MP4, so you should be able to create files from Blu-ray compatible with your PS Vita, Xbox 360, Galaxy Tab 10.1, Toshiba Thrive, Nook Tablet, Amazon Kindle Fire, Sony Tablet S, ASUS Transformer Prime, Galaxy Note, BlackBerry PlayBook and other Devices. What’s more, based on its advanced video and audio sync technology, the output video file will never meet any audio out of video issues.

Actually watching Blu-ray movies is my last priority when using the format on the new iPad. But I’m not about to pay iTunes’ ridiculous prices to watch movies and TV shows I already own on Blu-ray and DVD. Instead, I’ll just rip those discs to an iPad-friendly format along with the help from the Blu-ray to new iPad Converter.

By the way, Pavtube Blu-ray Ripper for Mac is on sale at the company’s site through Mar. 9, 2012 to April. 9, 2012 if you choose this option. So why not grab the opportunity?

Overall, the PlayStation Vita is not only the most advanced portable gaming system ever made, but also a great media player. Its  dazzling 5-inch (960×544-pixel) OLED touch screen delivers stunning image quality. You can display lists of music, image, and video files stored on your computer and transfer the files to your PS Vita system. You can also c . Follow the guide below to copy music and movies to PlayStation Vita and fro.

Procedures for PS Vita file transfer:

1.On the computer, check that Content Manager Assistant is installed and started.

Windows®:
Look for the Content Manager Assistant icon in the notification area of the taskbar:

Mac:
Look for the Content Manager Assistant icon in the menu bar:

2.Connect your PS Vita system to the computer using a USB cable.

3.On your PS Vita system, tap (Content Manager) > [Start].

4. Tap either [ PC → PS Vita System] or [ PS Vita System → PC].

5.Tap [Videos], [Music] or [Photos] to select the kind of content to copy.

6.Select the checkboxes of the content you want to copy, and then tap [Copy].

This is an example for Music:

Overall, the Sony PlayStation Vita is the most advanced portable gaming system ever made. With console-level gaming in a handheld device, PS Vita delivers amazing visuals on its 5-inch OLED touch screen that look almost as good as PS3 graphics. Besides starting the fun right away with with playing games, the PS Vita also possesses huge multimedia potential. You can transfer over music or videos, stream things through Netflix or a media center PC, or get content off of the PSN (Playstation Network). Combined with the gorgeous screen, multimedia on the go will be awesome. In order to enrich the movie entertainment on PS Vita, here it mainly shows some useful tips for you to easily download movies included with Blu-ray, DVD, iTunes, Digital Copy, and 1080p/720 HD videos to PS Vita.

Somthing you gotta known about PS Vita Video Format

What music and video file types/codecs are compatible with the PS Vita? At this time, the following formats are supported on the PS Vita system:

Music
MP3 MPEG-1/2 Audio Layer 3, MP4 (MPEG-4 AAC), and WAVE (Linear PCM)

Videos
MPEG-4 Simple Profile Level 3, Maximum 320×240 pixels, AAC

H.264/MPEG-4 AVC Baseline/Main/High Profile Level 3.1, Maximum 720p, AAC

NOTE: You may not be able to play some content depending on the type of data, file size, or copyright protection(e.g. DRM-restricted movies). Some content distributed over the Internet and by other means may also have playback restrictions-so called DRM restriction.

PlayStation Vita does not play the following video and audio contents:

* Movies, TV shows and music purchased from iTunes Store and the Digital Copies from Blu-ray or DVD Discs– you can use ChewTune, a top DRM removal software to get iTunes/Digital Copy DRM into PS Vita supported .mp4.

Guide – Convert iTunes movies to PS Vita
Guide – Transfer Digital Copy movies to PS Vita

* HD video files from the PlayStation Store- currently not supported, but could get update later.

* Video and audio in unsupported formats (MKV, AVI, MOV, M2TS, VOB,etc) – you can use the Video Converter for PS Vita to transcode them into PS Vita friendly H.264 .mp4 video and .mp3 audio

* HD 1080p or 720p MP4 file of very big file size or very high bitrate – use the same Video Converter to shrink the movie into PS Vita optimized video. Refer to best video format for PS Vita.

* Protected DVD and Blu-ray movies – use the Blu-ray/DVD Ripper for PS Vita to rip and convert Blu-ray/DVD movies to PS Vita for smoothly playing.

Details – Rip DVDs for PlayStation Vita
Details – Sync/Transfer Movies to PS Vita(DVD, Blu-ray, Video)

The best video format for PS Vita:

I used to rip Blu-ray and DVD movies to PC and WD TV Live players and learned video codecs and settings well. After several conversions and tests I worked out the best settings for converting videos/movies to PS Vita, you can take it as reference:

Video
Codec- H.264
Resolution- 960×544
Bitrate- 1000kbps
Framerate- 24fps

Audio
Codec- AAC
Sampling rate- 44.1khz
Bitrate- 128kbps
Channel- stereo

I choose H.264 .mp4 as the best format for PS Vita conversion because it is the recommended video format for local playback on PS Vita by Sony official site. Although PS Vita supports video playback up to 720p, I choose 960*544 for converting movies to PS Vita – the Vita screen resolution is 960*544 which can easily get full screen playback. For watching videos on PS Vita, 1000kbps is just all right. I find that bitrate higher results in big file size, and lower visible quality loss.

The PS Vita does more than just play games, have you ever thought of turing the PS Vita to a portable media player for watching your favorite movies anytime anywhere especially during your trip?