best dvd ripping software for copy protection

DVD playback will never be limited in DVD Drive and professional DVD Player. There are many people watching their DVD movies on TV, PC, Tablet, iPad in Home Theater via NAS, Personal Cloud Storage,Chromecast. Rich media playback solutions riches the media life. However, only if you want to separate your DVD playback from DVD drive/player, you need to rip DVD to digital video format. And the work is based onDVD Ripper 

 

However, there are plenty of great utilities designed to rip DVD discs and and give you popular video that are playable on any device you choose, whenever you choose to watch them. Too many choices makes no choice. Many people just get a headache when they need to select only one in hundreds. Here are three of the best 2016, based on thousands consumers’ nominations. 

2016 Best DVD ripper #1: Handbrake 

OS Platform: Windows & Mac & Linux 

 

Key features: Handbrake is our favorite video encoder for a reason: it’s simple, easy to use, easy to install, and offers a wealth of tweaking options to get the best possible file as a result. If you’re daunted by them, you don’t even have to use them—the app will compensate for you and pick some settings it thinks you’ll like based on your destination device. So many of you like Handbrake that many of you use it in conjunction with another app (like VLC, which makes ripping easy)—you’ll let another app do the rip and crack the DRM on your discs, and then process the file through Handbrake for encoding. 

Pros: The app is fast, can make the most of multi-core processors to speed up the process, and is completely open source. Best of all, it’s completely free. 

Cons: Only outputs MP4, MKV formats. Only can rip unencrypted DVD. Handbrake isn't updated often. Its presets are often out of date. 

Editor’s note: Since it is free, I think I will choose it first if I need a DVD Ripper. After all, MP4 is enough for nearly all devices and media players. 

2016 Best DVD ripper #2: Pavtube ByteCopy 

OS Platform: Windows & Mac 

 

Key features: Pavtube ByteCopy is your best DVD copying and backing up tool which can rip and backup DVD in any copy protection like Sony, Disney and region codes. It can convert DVD to any other formats like H.265, M3U8, MP4, MOV , M4V, AVI, WMV, MPG, MKV, etc or MP4/MOV with multi-track audios for playback on iOS/Android/Windows Tablets/Phones, HD Media Players (WDTV), editing software (Avid Media Composer, Adobe Premiere, etc.), and more. 

And other than that, Pavtube ByteCopy is also able to encode DVDs to MKV container format with preserving chapter markers, multiple audio tracks and subtitles and make it possible for you to easily select your needed tracks, subtitles when watching DVD movies with your media players. creating 3D video is supported by ByteCopy. What’s more, it also can rip and copy Blu-ray. 

Pros: A top Multi-track Blu-ray/DVD Converter to all of you with excellent ability to pick up multi-track for playing BD/DVD movies on Media Players and portable device. It also can extract subtitle/audio from Blu-ray/DVD. 

Cons: It is a paid one. If you want to use its free trial version, you have to bear the watermark in the middle of the video. 

Editor’s note: If I need a more powerful DVD Ripper, Pavtube ByteCopy is no doubt the best choice. But if I only need to rip DVD to MP4 and my DVD has no encryption, I will definitely select Handbrake. 

2016 Best DVD ripper #3: MakeMKV 

OS Platform: Windows & Mac & Linux 

 

Key features: We’ve praised MakeMKV before for its ability to quickly and easily rip DVDs to high quality MKV files with a single click. The app has been in beta for a long time (years, in fact), which is just as well, since the developers promise to start charging for Blu-ray ripping once the app leaves beta. The app’s strong suits are that it’s fast, super easy, and cross-platform. 

Pros: The app preserves all of the source disc’s information, including tracks, chapters, HD audio, menus, and so on. The app is completely free. 

Cons: Only MKV output. 

Editor’s note: I found little software will keep multiple audio and subtitle tracks when ripping BD/DVD discs. But MakeMKV and Pavtube ByteCopy must be in the list. 

At the end of the day, DVD rippers are applications that set your movies from discs and allow you to have digital copies of the content that you’ve paid for. And please keep in mind, only personal usage of the DVD rips is legal. 



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2016 Best 3 DVD Ripping Software-2D 3D Movie Tips 

Convert DVD to MPEG 2 for NAS

If your home network lacks a NAS box, you’re missing out on one count: network-attached storage (NAS) is the easiest way to store your media libraries and stream files to any PC or networked audio device in your house. You can also stream your favorite movies to your smart TV. In front of these benefits, many DVD owners are willing to rip their DVD collection to MPEG 2 for storing on NAS with integrated DLNA server so that they can stream DVD videos on TV via NAS with integrated DLNA server. 

As we know, MPEG2 is a standard for lossy compression of video and audio, widely used for Video CDs, but now it accepted by lots of media players, such as Windows Media Player and etc. DVD to MPEG2 for NAS is the best choice for you if you want to enjoy a whole DVD movie or just a few segments of your DVD movie via NAS on computer and other portable device that support MPEG2. 

You can use Pavtube DVDAid to help you extract MPEG-2 files from DVDs for Mac. It does decrypt the copy protectionon the disc and then simply repackages the movies into a stand-alone MPG file. The utility provides options for trimming the movie into parts and remove the black bars on the side of the movie to displays the full images on the screen. In addition to converting from DVD to MPEG 2 format for NAS, the software also has lots of preset for your DLNA-enabled devices, like TV, iPhone, iPad, PS4, etc. 

Free download and install: 
  

Other Download: 
- Pavtube old official address: http://www.pavtube.cn/dvd_ripper/ 
- Cnet Download: http://download.cnet.com/Pavtube-DVDAid/3000-7970_4-76158510.html 

How to Convert DVD to MPEG 2 for NAS? 

Step 1. Load DVD movies 

Insert your DVD disc into a DVD drive, run the program on your computer, on the main interface click "File" > "Load from disc" to import the DVD disc to the program. 

 

Step 2: Define output file format. 


Click "Format" bar, from its drop-down option list, you can select "MPEG-2 Video(*.mpeg)" as the output file format. 

 

Editor notes: 

1. Click “Settings” on the interface and you can adjust the parameters including size, bitrate, frame rate, etc. to get a high quality of output files or a smaller files size. You can preview the size at the below chart. 

Keep in mind the file size and video quality is based more on bitrate than resolution which means bitrate higher results in big file size, and lower visible quality loss, and vice versa. 

2. Open "Video Editor" window and switch to the "Trim" tab, you can drag the slider bars to include the segment you want to remain, click the left square bracket to set start point, and click the right square bracket to set end point when previewing the video or directly input specific values to "Start" and "End" box. 

 

3. Open "Video Editor" window, switch to and click "Crop" tab, click the  icon on the right-bottom to swtich to the advanced mode, then you can choose the output aspect ratio such as 16:10, 16:9, 5:4, 4:3 and 2:1 from the drop-down list of "Display Aspect Ration". 

 

4. Click the "Subtitle" tab in "Video Editor" window, check "Enable", then you will be able to add external SRT/ASS/SSA subtitle files to the video as hard subtitles.(Difference between soft subtitles and hard subtitles) 

 

Step 3: Start to convert DVD to MPEG 2 for NAS 

After all the settings is done, hit right-bottom "Convert" button to start DVD to MPEG 2 for NAS conversion process.. 

knowledge Supplementary: the use of MPEG 2 

1. Edited in video editors, like Premiere Pro CC, iMovie, etc. 
2. Used with media center for family use: in combination with media center which can be considered as a media library, or more accurately, an audio-visual software application, MPEG2 file is usable mainly for family theater and home cinema. 
3. Backed up to USB flash drive for carrying conveniently. Usually, a whole DVD is copied into a 3-5GB MPEG2 file, which can be backed up to a USB in case that the original DVD has the possibility to lose. 
4. Played by PS3/PS4 and TV after being led in the same: MPEG2 format is supported by PS3 and TV, therefore, you can back up DVD to MPEG2 file and play it on PS3 and TV. 
5. Burned to DVD disc: MPEG2 file can be burned directly into DVD for backup to avoid the original video from loss and prevent original DVD from damage, or sharing with family or friends. 

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Convert DVD to MPEG 2 for NAS 

Best Solutions for Mobile Devices

Here I share the Google Nexus 7 Video Playback tips, Tech Specs with all the Nexus 7 users for playing 1080p HD videos and movies on Nexus 7, watching DVD, 1080p Blu-ray, ISO, IFO movies on Nexus 7 in HD, Sync DRM-protected movies (from iTunes or Amazon, Blu-ray/DVD Digital Copy ) to Nexus 7 for playback, etc. 

Google Nexus 7 Tablet, the first ever tablet to bear the Google Nexus name, is finally available in stores. The new 7″ tablet from Google comes with lots of stunning features powered by Android 4.1, Jelly Bean, the latest version of the world’s most popular mobile platform is even beyond our expectation. 

 

Google Nexus 7 Tech Specs: 

OS: Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) 

SCREEN: 

- 7″ 1280×800 HD display (216 ppi) 
- Back-lit IPS display 
- Scratch-resistant Corning glass 
- 1.2MP front-facing camera 

BATTERY: 4325 mAh: 

- 9 hours of HD video playback 
- 10 hours of web browsing 
- 10 hours of e-reading 
- 300 hours of standby 

WIRELESS: 

- WiFi 802.11 b/g/n 
- Bluetooth 

MEMORY: 

- 8 or 16 GB internal storage 
- 1 GB RAM 

USB: Micro USB 

CPU: Quad-core Tegra 3 processor 

Nexus7 Videos Playback Tips: 

Nexus 7 file format: 

 

From the above table, we find that the Google Nexus 7 video format is limited. When you wanna play other video files like AVI, WMV, MKV, FLV, TiVo, VOB, AVCHD(*.mts, *.m2ts), XviD, MOD and watch HD movies on Nexus 7, you have to change the video format first with easy-to-use 3rd party software. 

1. If you wanna play 1080p HD videos on Nexus 7 with flawless playback, you can get the professional Pavtube Nexus 7 Video Converter to help you do the batch conversion. 

2. If you plan to watch 1080p Blu-ray movies on Nexus 7, you should get the powerful Blu-ray to Nexus 7 Converter to help you rip and convert Blu-ray (Blu-ray ISO) movies to Nexus 7 compatible MP4 format. 

3. If you have the intention to copy DVD movies to Nexus 7, this professional DVD to Nexus 7 Converter can help you convert DVDs, DVD ISO, DVD IFO to Nexus 7 MP4 format. 

4. If you want to transfer or sync DRM-protected movies to Nexus 7 (from iTunes, Amazon, Digital Copy) for playing on Windows or Mac. This professional DRM video converter is able to remove DRM protection from Digital Copy & iTunes and other DRM-protected contents, convert them to anyother video formats for you to watch DRMed movies on your Nexus 7. 

Money-saving Trip: 

Video Converter Ultimate($65) + Vidpie($29) = Only $74.9, Save $19.1 
BDMagic($49) + Vidpie($29) = Only $49.9, Save $28.1 
DVDAid($35) + Vidpie($29) = Only $49.9, Save $14.1 

5. If you wanna get a powerful all-in-one tool to convert videos, Blu-ray, DVD to Google Nexus 7 simultaneously, you can this integrated Video Converter Ultimate or iMedia Converter for Mac. 

a. Pavtube Video Converter Ultimate integrates a best bluray ripper, a DVD ripper,and a video converter together for you to rip Blu-ray discs, standard DVDs and convert almost all kinds of videos to universal video and audio file types with super fast conversion speed and excellent image and sound quality. The Blu-Ray Video Converter Ultimate provides numerous optimized formats for a wide range of devices and programs: 

- An all-in-one solution to fast rip Blu-ray/DVD, convert video to MKV/AVI/H.264… 

- Convert/rip/shrink/copy the latest releases of Blu-ray movies. 

- Rip Blu-ray 3D discs to 3D/2D video files like MP4, AVI, MKV, MOV, WMV, etc. 

- Convert/copy Video/DVD/Blu-ray to the new iPad 3, Apple TV 3, Xoom. Galaxy Tab, HTC One X, Asus Transformer Pad TF300, Galaxy Note 10.1… with pleasant quality. 

- Support NVIDIA CUDA and ATI Stream (AMD APP) acceleration technologies. 

- Rip blu-ray and DVD with your specified audio/subs tracks. 

Tip: To get best video format for the latest tablet PCs, SmartPhones, and other portable devices, please click Pavtube Profile Patches (Only Windows) with best video format for popular devices. click the follow picture: 

b. Pavtube iMedia Converter for Mac is an all-in-one bluray ripper for Mac, Mac DVD Ripper, and Video Converter for Mac. It helps you convert 1080p videos, rip Blu-ray/DVD movies to iPad/iPad 2/iPad 3, iPhone 5/iPhone 4S/iPhone 4/iPhone, Apple TV/Apple TV 2/Apple TV 3, Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy Note 10.1, Galaxy Note 2, Kindle Fire/Kindle Fire HD/Kindle Fire 8.9, Google Nexus 7, ASUS Transformer Prime, Transformer Pad Infinity, GPS3, Xbox 360, etc. for well playback. 

- Convert/rip/shrink/copy/backup the latest releases of Blu-ray movies. 

- Convert Blu-ray 3D discs to 3D/2D video files like M4V, MP4, AVI, MKV, MOV, etc. 

- Create video files compatible with the new iPad 3, iPhone 5, ATV 3rd Gen, Kindle Fire HD, Galaxy Note II, PS Vita, Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700, HTC One X, Galaxy Note 10.1, etc. 

- Support Apple ProRes/DVCPRO/HDV/Avid DNxHD/Apple InterMediate codec encoding. 

- Rip Blu-ray with your desired audio track and subtitles stream. 

Tip: For Mac users, please click “Learn to customize a suitable profile for your portable devices?” or click Profile production video tutorial on Youtube: http://youtu.be/pG59b7Dv-lc 

Hope the article can help you to enjoy all videos and movies on your tablet ot other devices. 

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Google Nexus 7 Column - Best Solutions for Mobile Devices

‘Avatar 2’ Delayed, Will Not Arrive in Christmas 2017

For anyone who was excited to see James Cameron‘s long-gestating Avatar 2 take on Star Wars: Episode VIII for a Christmas box office battle royale, we have some bad news. Avatar 2 will not be ready to meet the Christmas 2017 release that was staked out for the sequel. Though the release date was never officially claimed by 20th Century Fox, Cameron himself said they were targeting the holiday release window just last month. But now we have no idea when the sequel might hit the big screen.

The Wrap has the news of Avatar 2 delayed, though at this point we’re not surprised. For the past few years Avatar 2 has been rumored for 2014, 2015, 2016 and most recently 2017. But when Cameron did mention the previous Christmas 2017 target, he added that meeting that date wasn’t as important as “the fact that when we get all three films done, we drop them a year apart.”

There was already speculation that Avatar 2 wasn’t going to meet the estimated release when Star Wars: Episode VIII moved to December 15th, 2017, a full seven months after the previously planned May 2017 release date. Disney clearly knew they weren’t going to have any major competition at the box office and also wanted that Christmas money for their merchandise release. Plus, there’s no way Disney would willingly take on Avatar 2 with the chance of having a smaller IMAX screen count, especially when there’s an Avatar installment planned for their theme parks.

So perhaps now that Star Wars: Episode VIII has laid claim to December for at least the next couple years, 20th Century Fox will take Avatar 2 to the summer of 2018 with the third and fourth movies following in 2019 and 2020. As of now Fox isn’t making any new date estimates, and it’s probably best to just let Cameron make the movies and then figure out when to release them when they’re done.

As of now, all we know about Avatar 2 is that Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana are reprising their lead roles, underwater performance capture technology will be used, and there’s a chance that Sigourney Weaver might be back in some capacity. Otherwise, any story details are being kept under tight wraps.

In the end, the fact that it’s taking this long for Avatar 2 to come to fruition isn’t all that surprising. James Cameron first announced Avatar as a future project of his in 1996, and audiences didn’t get to see it until 2009. Hopefully fans won’t have to wait 13 years for Avatar 2, though at this point they’ve already waited a little over six, so what’s another seven years?

Stream Play (Blu-ray or DVD) ISO Format Files from NAS or USB

Q: "Can Samsung TV read ISO files from USB or NAS? I have all my Blu-rays and DVDs on USB drive stored as ISO files. I can watch them on my PC, but currently I want to watch these ISO videos on my new Samsung TV. Is there any solution to stream the ISO contents on my HDTV via USB without having to burn copies first?" 

If you have lots of (Blu-ray or DVD) ISO files and a Samsung LED/LCD/3D Smart TV, you may have the same questions. Many Samsung TV users choose to play movies on TV via USB, they may copy movies to USB flash for smart TV, or connect NAS to smart TV and play on TV. But for ISO image files, it’s not so easy, because most LED/LCD/3D Smart TV can’t read ISO files from USB or NAS, the ISO format is not supported. What’s the best way to play ISO movies on Samsung TV through USB? 


To play ISO files on Samsung LED/LCD/3D/4K TV via USB, you will need an ISO movie converter to convert DVD/Blu-ray ISO files to Samsung TV supported format, like MP4, and then you can copy converted videos to USB or NAS for playback. Here, Pavtube Video Converter Ultimate is highly recommended for Samsung TV users. Applying the top-rated video convert program, you can convert all ISO files, 1080p/720p videos, including AVI, MOV, FLV, MP4, MKV, VOB, 3GP, M2TS, etc. to Samsung TV compatible formats. 

Plus, this video converter also can convert Blu-ray and DVDs to Samsung LED/LCD/3D/4K TV with comfortable formats and you can even edit movies to meet your personal needs. If you're using a Mac, simply turn to iMedia Converter for Mac (El Capitan compatible), which has the same function as the Windows version. 

Free Download Top Samsung TV converter: 

  

Other Download: 

- Pavtube old official address: http://www.pavtube.cn/blu-ray-video-converter-ultimate/ 
- Cnet Download: http://download.cnet.com/Pavtube-Video-Converter-Ultimate/3000-2194_4-75938564.html 

Easy Steps to Convert ISO files to USB/NAS for Samsung TV playback 

Step 1. Run this program and click the Add Files button to load your ISO files. The upload movies will show up as thumbnails, stacked up on each another in an organized manner. You can also rearrange the order, add plug-in subtitles or merge all the files into one, if necessary. 

 

Step 2. Select Format > TVs > Samsung TV, select Samsung TV as the output format, this critical step is so simple without any thinking. 

 

Tip: Before start the ISO conversion for Samsung TV, you can click the Settings icon and adjust the video bitrate, codec, frame rate, audio sample rate, etc parameters. 

Step 3. Hit the big green arrow convert button; this video converter will start to convert ISO to MP4 for playback on Samsung TV. 

After the conversion is over, connect the USB drive or NAS with computer and head to the destination folder where the converted files are stored, transfer the files or NAS to the USB drive then plug the drive in the Samsung TV. Enjoy your favorite ISO movies on Samsung TV with your family and friends. 

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Enable Samsung TV to Stream Play ISO Files from USB 

Problem with Amazon Fire TV - Plex on Amazon Fire TV doesn't play MKV

Question: ”Dear Plex-community, I installed the Plex-Server on my Sinology DS212j-NAS and a amazon Fire TV in order to watch my media on TV. Thing is, it will *only* play .mp4-files. When trying to play another format (i.e. .mkv) I get the following error-message: "It is not possible to play this video as no connection to the required Server could be found. I am far from being an IT-expert, but to me this error-message doesn't make sense as the connection to the server is definetly established. So I guess there is another problem with respect to the file-format... You may be my last resort of help! I hope that this pretty basic information is sufficient. Thanks in advance! ”- from forums.plex.tv 

Answers: 

Solution 1: Changing the following settings on the Amazon Fire TV Plex App maybe allow you to play mkv files. 

Plex > Options > Settings > Device media profile > Media profile > Select "Force Direct Play". 

Then uncheck all the "Device supports *" options. 

However, the feedback unveils that this method get MKV files to play on Fire TV via Plex but no sound....(amazon fire stick). Because if you force it to Direct Play, and it is an MKV with AC3 audio, you won't get sound. You can direct play MKV's with AAC audio though. Honestly your best bet if you can't transcode, is to use an External player with the app, or as was previously suggested re-encode all your content to MP4 with AAC audio. 

Solution 2: That error message could definitely be improved, but your NAS cannot transcode which it would need to do to play the formats/codecs the fire TV does not support natively via HLS streaming. Here is more info on NAS and which has a compatibility list of NASs that plex can be installed which includes details on which can transcode or not: 

https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/sections/200286217-NAS-Devices 

Solution 3: Simply convert your MKV files to mp4 with h264 video and AAC audio with a video converter so that you can play with Plex on Amazon Fire TV. 

How to Convert MKV to H.264 MP4 with AAC Audio for Fire TV and Plex? 

Pavtube Video Converter Ultimate is the utility for you. With it, you can fast convert MKV to H.264 MP4 that can be easily played with Plex in Amazon Fire TV. Besides convert MKV to Amaon Fire TV, it also helps to convert AVI, MOV, WMV, RMVB, MTS, MXF, FLV, VOB, SWF etc to Amazon Fire TV supported video format. Moreover, no loss of quality will occur after the conversion. Some helpful edition functions are also available including trim and crop, merge and split, add special effects, subtitle edition, etc. 

Free download and install 

  

Other Download: 

- Pavtube old official address: http://www.pavtube.cn/blu-ray-video-converter-ultimate/ 

- Cnet Download: http://download.cnet.com/Pavtube-Video-Converter-Ultimate/3000-2194_4-75938564.html 

Step 1: Add MKV Files 

Launch the MKV to Amazon Fire TV Converter. Click the "Files" or "Add Video/Audio" button to load MKV videos for converting. 

 

Step 2: Choose output format 

Click Format bar and choose MP4 from HD Video, which can be recognized by Amazon Fire TV perfectly. 

 

Tip: Simply click Settings bar and you can tweak the settings to your satisfaction and even save it as preset. You can reset the output video and make sure the output audio codec to AAC. 

 

Step 3: Start to convert MKV to Amazon Fire TV for Plex 

Click the “Convert” button to start video conversion. After the conversion, you can get the converted videos by clicking the Open button. 

Afterwards, you can stream and play MKV videos on Amazon Fire TV via Plex easily with HD quality. 

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Plex on Amazon Fire TV doesn't play MKV

10 Other Fascinating Uses for Virtual-Reality Tech

Gamers and gadget hounds can now get their hands on the hotly anticipated Oculus Rift virtual-reality headset: The Facebook-owned company announced the commercial release of its virtual-reality device last week at CES in Las Vegas.

At a whopping $600, the Oculus Rift may seem expensive for a gaming device, but the technology has come a long way since the company first launched its Kickstarter campaign in 2012. Virtual-reality (VR) headsets are now being used in many industries as a way of training people or providing a new way to experience things.

Here are 10 ways virtual-reality technology is being used beyond gaming. 

Entertainment

If gaming weren’t already one of the primary uses for virtual-reality technology, then other forms of entertainment certainly would be. Theater audiences can already enjoy 3D movies, but with apps like Oculus Cinema, users can be even more deeply immersed in their movie experiences. They can watch movies on a huge virtual screen, something like their own personal theater, or even watch as if they were inside the movie itself, surrounded by the imagery and sound effects. And if you are a sports fan, the virtual-reality platform company LiveLike VR has built a virtual stadium so you can have the thrill of game day experiences with your friends, right from the comfort of your couch. Similarly, virtual reality can also transport users to a Cirque du Soleil performance, or a Coldplay concert as shot by the virtual reality filming company Next VR,minus all the rowdy fans.

Even the tourism industry has jumped onboard, with Marriott's Travel Brilliantly collaboration with Oculus promising to satisfy people's wanderlust. Using the app, you can be transported virtually to Hawaii in just 90 seconds, according to its website. Say goodbye to those winter blues!

Health care

The health care industry has been a big adopter of virtual-reality tech, with some institutions using the computer-generated images for diagnosis and treatment. Virtual-reality simulations, such as those created by software companies Surgical Theaterand Conquer Mobile, use actual diagnostic images from CAT scans or ultrasounds to construct 3D models of a patient’s anatomy. The virtual models help both new and experienced surgeons determine the safest and most efficient way to locate tumors, place surgical incisions or practice difficult procedures ahead of time.

Beyond surgery, virtual reality could also serve as a cost-effective and engaging tool for rehabilitation. Stroke and brain injury victims across Europe can now use an immersive virtual-reality therapy created by MindMazeto regain motor and cognitive function faster than with traditional physical therapy, according to the company. The virtual exercises and real-time feedback in MindMaze are made to feel like games, helping to motivate patients to practice everyday activities.

Space

Scientists at NASA have a tough mission: to search for life on other planets. That’s why they look to cutting-edge virtual-reality technology to control robots on Mars and to provide astronauts with a way to de-stress. At NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, researchers connected the Oculus Rift with motion-sensing equipment from the Kinect 2 sensor and Xbox One game console to control a robotic arm with the operator’s gestures. The setup could one day be used to control rovers or other instruments millions of miles away, according to NASA. By adding a Virtuix Omni treadmill to the setup, researchers were also able to simulate a walk on Mars to prepare astronauts for a potential human landing.

At CES this year, NASA used this technology with the public to share the experienceof what it’s likeonboard various spacecraft. People got a chance to see through virtual reality what astronauts would view when climbing into the Orion capsule at the top of the agency's Space Launch System, which is slated for completion in 2018.

Museums

Virtual reality could add a lot of culture to our lives. The technology could instantly transport users to the Louvre in Paris, the Acropolis in Athens and the Guggenheim in New York City, all in one day. In fact, a number of museums have already collaborated with developers to create virtual spaces where people can experience the museums' physical collections. Last year, the British Museum in London launched its firstvirtual-reality weekend and the American Museum of Natural History in New York City made some of its collections virtuallyaccessible through Google Cardboard. Anyone with a smartphone and a Cardboard VR headset can now take a tour of the museum. 

Automotive manufacturing

From the design process to virtual prototypes, car manufacturers have been using high-tech simulations for decades. With the Oculus Rift, Ford Motor Company has made virtual reality central to its automotive development. In its Immersion Lab in Dearborn, Michigan, employees can don a virtual-reality headset and inspect the interior and exterior of a car, as well as have a seat inside an automobile before it is manufactured. The virtual prototype allows designers and engineers from various departments to closely inspect different elements, such as the engine or upholstery, and spot potential problems before they arise.

Education

The automotive industry isn't just using virtual reality for design purposes; Toyota is also usingOculus headsets as part of itsTeenDrive365 campaign, to educate teenagers and parents about distracted driving. The immersive experiences provided by virtual-reality headsets can revolutionize education in all fields, the company said. By making field trips and simulations of complicated concepts accessible to people of all ages, virtual reality can make cognitive learning faster, more effective and efficient, Toyota officials said. Unimersiv and Cerevrum are examples of two such apps that offer an immense resource of educational VR content online.

Courtrooms

Jury members may no longer have to evaluate crime scenes by looking at dull, two-dimensional photographs. Seeing a crime scene in 3D could help jurors visualize how people and objects, such as bullets, move through space. Researchers at the University of Zurich published a paper in the journal Forensic Science, Medicine, and Pathology in 2014 examining the potential use of the Oculus Rift to reconstruct events and crime scenes discussed at trials. They found that the use of interactive technology made it easier for people to visualize and understand the details of a case and make a decision regarding whether a suspect was guilty or not.

Meditation & Mental Health

Withthe Guided Meditation VR program, users can find their happy place by putting on their Oculus headset and becoming immersed in one of four relaxing environments. The meditation experience can reduce stress and anxiety from daily life, according to research published in the American Journal of Psychiatry. 

Virtual reality can also act as a therapeutic tool for those who experience more debilitating stress, including PTSD, and panic disorders or phobias, researchers say. Virtual-reality tech could provide a safe environment for patients to come in contact with the things they fear, while remaining in a safe, controlled environment. A study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry in 2014 found that this type of VR exposure therapy alone was as good as a combination of drug and VR therapy for war veterans suffering from PTSD.

Shopping

Many people are already familiar with online shopping websites, but virtual-reality apps like Trilleniumcould be the next step in how consumers purchase products on the Web. These apps can provide a virtual tour of an entire store, improving on the traditional online shopping experience. Instead of looking through catalogs on a website, shoppers can get a real-time shopping experience and even shop with their friends. The app has already attracted the attention of one of Europe’s biggest online retailers, ASOS. Through the partnership with Trillenium, shoppers will soon be able to purchase items from ASOS through the use of their headset as easily as buying something on Amazon.

Military

The U.S. military often uses virtual-reality simulators to train soldiers before they are deployed. Noncommercial versions of games like Virtual Battlespace 2 and Unity 3D are used to prepare troops for combat. The gamelike simulations allow teams to practice working together in realistically replicated environments before they have to use real-world tactical equipment. And this immersive environment is extremely important, because training that captures the attention of the learner is often retained longer and is better understood.