So, fire up your external drive, load your MPEG-2 files, and start pressing those menus. Physical media isn't dead. It's just waiting for you to author it properly.

Enter —specifically, the elusive Portable version.

For the uninitiated, TMPGEnc (which stands for Tsunami MPEG Encoder ) has been the gold standard for video purists since the late 90s. While the company has released newer versions (v5, v6, and v7), version 4.0.9.37 holds a special place in the hearts of power users. Why? Stability, speed, and the "portable" factor.

But if you need a that fits on a 256MB flash drive, Portable TMPGEnc Authoring Works 4.0.9.37 is unmatched.