On each item you can manage the CPU affinity manually through task manager, but when you have 10-20 conversions queued up you have to constantly manage each new instance of the HandbrakeCLI as it works through the queue.

The solution is to select your preferred preset, in my case “Apple Tv 2″   and in the open field on the advanced tab, add the following text

:threads=1

You could also use :threads=2 or more, but on my core I7-860, I found that 1 thread uses about 25% of my CPU power, which works well when I am doing other work (or gaming) on my PC while converting my DVDs to x264 in the background.

Then  just save the modified profile as “Apple TV 2 – Low CPU” and set it as the default.

Problem solved.

A default install and configuration of the Apple software on your PC will allow your Macbook air to see the drive, but not access any of the content. An error appears saying “the original item cannot be found”.

I spent an hour trying to figure it out, and it turns out that  the Windows 7 Firewall is blocking your MacBook air from accessing the software on your PC.

As a result, I have documented below the detailed process for sharing your Windows 7 DVD drive with your MacBook air.

1 – On your Windows 7 PC download and install CD and DVD Sharing from Apple:

2 – Enable CD and DVD Sharing.

Start by going to Control Panel and Clicking on Hardware and Sound

Then click on “DVD or CD Sharing Options”

When the dialogue appears you can select the top box (and if you want security prompts you can select the second box)

3 – Now you need to allow the Remote Disk software through your firewall

Start by  going back to the control panel and clicking on system security

Then choose “Allow a program through the Windows Firewall”

Select “Change Settings”, and then “Allow another Program”

Select Browse

Browse to C:\Program Files (X86)\DVD or CD Sharing
select OSDAgent.exe and click Open

Then click on Add at the next screen

Review the settings (Home/Work) should suffice and click ok

Now if you go to your MacBook air, you should be able to access the remote disc correctly through Finder.

I could easily have got a quieter PSU, and a heavier case to block more noise, but my objective is for this to be light in a rack, and last the distance.

Gallery after the break.

The components:

Lian Li PC-C32B
Gigabyte H67A-UD3H-B3
Noctua NH-U9B
Seasonic X560w
2 x Seagate 2Tb HDDs
2 x Kingston 4GB memory
Pioneer DVR218L
Windows 7 Professional 64Bit

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Under full prime 95 for 30 minutes the temperature maxed out at 46c in 24 ambient.

My motherboard is an ASUS P7P55D PRO, and the CPU a Core I7-860

Idle temps down from 45c to 30c, and full load down from 100c (throttled) to 55c.

For those who are interested, there is a gallery of pics …

Read this article if you want more perspective.

I can understand the motivations behind such a proposal, but the end result is that the most serious offendors will remain undetected, as they will already be hiding their activities. Those on the margins, who currently get caught, will be driven into the same behaviour as the serious offendors, and their activities will also become obfuscated.

So my view is that this type of legislation will back fire, and end up reducing the ability of law enforcement to catch offendors.

The Australian government is talking about introducing an Emission Trading Scheme (ETS), in essence to try and incentivise companies to go green.  Taxes, and then handouts will in theory minimise the family impact of the ETS.

What I don’t get is why people don’t bite off a much simpler solution, and directly tackle the carbon emissions. Raise revenue from all Carbon production, and then to reduce the corporate impact, invest the proceeds from the tax in identifying the biggest CO2 emitters, and then fixing them.

So let’s look back at our Yallourn example from earlier. The owners of the Yallourn Power Plant are saying they can convert the Brown Coal power plant to Natural Gas, for a total cost of $2.5 Billion, and result in a 75% reduction in emissions. Let’s for the sake of simplicity assume Hazlewood is the same. For $5Billion dollars we can eliminate 4.5% of Australia’s CO2 emissions.

Why wouldn’t the goverment just subsidies that conversion, and bring it forward? Or why not just pay for it outright? Sure the price of electricity is going to rise, and probably by 20%. It will probably do the same under an ETS also, but with this solution we would actually make a big dent in the problem.

It seems to me that all the politicians are looking for elegant solutions, when it may well just be easier to throw money at fixing the biggest emitters.

• Movie Theatre – new release film $12
• QuickFlix or Bigpond – 2 DVD’s per month for $10
• Itunes – Buy $25, Rent $6
• Local Video Store – Rent $7-$9

I would contend that people are downloading movies illeglaly because the legitimate pricing is unacceptable.  What I don’t get is why $12 at the cinema is not the baseline? Sure you can watch it multiple times, and share it with your mates, but is it really worth $30? I wonder what  would happen to piracy rates if you could buy digital content to keep (without DRM) for $10 and rent them for $3 (with DRM obviously)?

Would people be more comfortable renting something for $3, and getting fast, safe, and legal access to a movie? Or what about an “all you can eat” plan? $50 a year for as many rentals as you want, and $200 a year for download to own? In Australia people will be limited by their download caps anyway. Maybe the movie companies could host their films, and earn payment from the internet companies for content serving? 

The Movie industry is now where the music industry was 10 years ago. They need to get the digital model right now, one that is consumer friendly, and profitable. If they don’t, they only stand to lose, as rampant piracy becomes endemic.

I am not sure why Sony didn’t make it a pre-requisite to attempt playing the minis, but there you go. A confusing error solved.