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  1. I know this question has probably been asked before, in fact I know it has, I searched for it However because the tech world moves so fast from month to month I want to hit the ground running. Previously I've done a little bit of everything when it comes to video, ripping, burning, converting, used freeware and some nice paid stuff so I'm familiar with the concepts and what's involved.

    My goal is to back up all my DVD's, that I really enjoy, to a digital format so I can toss them on my network and forever and ever watch them when I please. Obviously no medium is future proof, and no one can predict what's coming. At the same time I'd just like to get some opinions on what format to back up to, and if there's a industry/genre standard software that most people are using to get the best results. Price not being a major issue as long as were not talking thousands, I just want good quality first, and if it's user friendly that helps too and I don't mind paying for it. Thoughts?

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  2. Member olyteddy's Avatar
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    I store my DVDs as ISO files, Movie Only. I haven't bought many recently so most of the ones I have don't take anything more than DVD Shrink to rip.
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  3. Member edDV's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by SetoTitan View Post

    My goal is to back up all my DVD's, that I really enjoy, to a digital format so I can toss them on my network and forever and ever watch them when I please.

    I can't hear you, speak louder

    So what is wrong with your network? You can rip them to a network drive as is, or as an iso, or re-compressed if the network is too slow.
    Last edited by edDV; 16th Mar 2012 at 04:37.
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  4. Hard drives are cheap these days and DVDs are relatively small. No need to recompress them (and you'll regret it later if you don't keep the discs), just back them up as ISOs using the usual suspects or keep them as DVD-Video or whatever your player will play.

    All those compromises I made in the 80s/90s with VCRs, like "EP is good enough for this" or "LP is a good compromise", I regret.
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    Industry standards? Digital video? Even defacto? I wish. I'd be a lot more of a video geek if there were decent standards.

    There is simply no chance you can rely on being able to back up your stuff to some format that will never be superseded. All I can suggest for the long term is to back them all up to a decent quality drive and then make a redundant copy of that.

    And eventually it'll all have to be converted to something else.
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  6. Member edDV's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by epsilonalpha View Post
    x264
    x264 is a codec. h.264 in Blu-Ray format is likely to have longer term support than other variations.

    Don't rely on Apple to maintain long term support.
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  7. Member Cornucopia's Avatar
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    Unlike what hoserrob told you, there ARE digital video standards. It's just that there are many of them, all geared towards different objectives and markets.

    Years ago there was just one or 2 standards (analog then) , but that's because there was just one medium - broadcast. Now you've got prerecorded sales/rentals, broadcast/sat/cable, and internet. Then there is TVs, monitors, laptops/netbooks, ipads/tablets, and cell phone. There's bound to have been a growth in the number of standards to accommodate them all. No way could there have been a One-size-fits-all single standard.

    So to get back to the original question, which standard is best for your needs?
    Believe it or not, dvd is digital (your post seemed to avoid that), so why not take advantage of it. The international prerecorded standards of CD/DVD/BD will likely have the best longevity, so keeping files in compliance with them are a good bet for continued support.

    If ISOs aren't accepted by your system, rip them to their container streams (Mpeg2 PS for dvd and TS for bd). Also, tried and true common opensource alternatives to those formats are also a safe bet.

    Scott
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