HTPC (Home Theater PC's) and movies on hard drives et al

[iam29a]

Ok, this is my first post and maybe my last depending how well I upset some. No, I am not trying to thieve movies. But, my theater (that's my dedicated home theater) is basically setup for a home theater PC.

Thus far my modified Radeon video card is driven with TheaterTek software, but I'm getting tired of handling all those DVD discs (no one makes a relatively inexpensive 300 disc changer that interfaces with an XP HTPC), which are growing every Tuesday (new releases day at Best Buy).

My current HTPC has a Highpoint HTP374 RAID controller with two 160GB drives on it, and a simple 20GB boot drive on the regular IDE channel. I am thinking about migrating some of my more popular movies to the hard drive for quick and easy playback.

This would entale a couple of obstacles, not which alone could be a violation of subject matter on DVDrHelp. I do not mean to be breaking any of the rules, so please feel free to correct me for any infaction I may unintentionally commit.

So, is there a method for taking a standar 480i DVD-based material and storing it on a RAID array? With the recent special on Maxtor 160GB drives I was thinking of buying six (6) more since the after-rebate cost would be $80/each. That's a $500 solution for a 8x160GB storage solution (1.28TB). I figure I could place about 100 of my favorite movies onto the HTPC along with some special intro movies, etc.

[iam29a]

BTW, I posted this in the Feedback forum, because I truly wasn't sure where it was appropriate to place it in the first place. Please do move this to a more appropriate chatroom if one exists.

[coyote]

All I can think of, would be to use dvddecrypter to rip iso's of YOUR dvd's (not from a video store or from a friend). And then mount the iso of your choice before viewing (you have to mount it to give it a drive letter so the player software you use will recognize it as a disc). This is of course if you want all the extra's and everything including the menus.

[iam29a]

BTW, I don't rent DVD's. I buy them and any I don't want I sell cheaply at local home theater meets, which are about once per month. I guess you could consider that a pseudo-rental, but it works well. Besides, I would never support the likes of Block Busters.

BTW, dvddecrypter was mentioned in a FAQ I read before posting. It pointed to another website (for downloading/purchase), but when I got there it wasn't found. Maybe dated s/w?

[Gazorgan]

I run something similiar. Just not tthat much storage :P

You will want DVDDecryptor in the tools section. Rip to ISO mode. You will also want something called Daemon tools (also in tools section) that will mount the ISO as a virtual DVDROM drive.

That's about it. It becomes a matter of 'What you have loaded' into your player. I personally run my HTPC over a LAN. It has a 40 GB drive in it, which is enough for some kids movies(which I do to xCVD since it's only a 27" TV), about 35 hours worth. Most of the other stuff I access off of my other computers over 100 Mbps ethernet. Works pretty good, and speed is never an issue.

I'm in the process of re-doing the kids movies to XviD, the quality far surpasses SVCD, and the size is 1/3 that of a DVD. You aint seen anything until you've made some DivX/XviD with video bitrates over 2000!! Death to all 1 CDR/movie encoders :P :P :P

[Metaluna]

This would entale a couple of obstacles, not which alone could be a violation of subject matter on DVDrHelp. I do not mean to be breaking any of the rules, so please feel free to correct me for any infaction I may unintentionally commit.

So, is there a method for taking a standar 480i DVD-based material and storing it on a RAID array? With the recent special on Maxtor 160GB drives I was thinking of buying six (6) more since the after-rebate cost would be $80/each. That's a $500 solution for a 8x160GB storage solution (1.28TB). I figure I could place about 100 of my favorite movies onto the HTPC along with some special intro movies, etc.

If you own the movies then I think this would qualify as Fair Use as long as you aren't distributing copies.

Anyway, this is easy to do. Use a DVD ripper to copy the DVD to your hard drive as individual files (i.e. .VOBs, .IFOs, etc.) rather than as a single ISO file. Then use a DVD player application that supports playing DVD's from the hard drive, such as Power DVD XP. I use PowerDVD this way all the time to test DVD's I've authored with DVDLab. You just open the VIDEO_TS.IFO file in the VIDEO_TS directory and you get the full DVD with all menus, extras, etc.

The major downside is that it's not as convenient as a real DVD changer since switching to a different DVD requires you to navigate your hard drive directory structure each time, rather than just hitting the "Next Disc" button on your remote. Maybe you could write some custom macros to solve that with a freeware remote-control app ike Girder though. Also, PowerDVD won't remember where you left off if you stop playing one DVD and switch to another, like it would do with physical DVD discs. On the upside, if you pause playback for a while (e.g. bathroom break), and then resume, the playback will be instantaneous from the hard drive, whereas with a disc in a DVD-ROM the video will usually freeze for several seconds while the drive spins back up (which I find annoying).

[iam29a]

Metaluna, the newest version of TheaterTek has a really nice feature in that it can bookmark a set position per DVD. This is great for benig able to load a DVD and skip the Anti-Thief screen-flash. I wonder how this feature could/would work (if at all) using a virtual disk-in-drive setup.

[Metaluna]

Whatever serial numbers or ID's that the player uses to identify the disc and index into the bookmark database apparently get lost when you rip to files as I described. Hopefully this ID would be preserved when you save as an .ISO file and use a DVD-ROM emulator (I'm just speculating...I've never tried it). I couldn't find the software that Gazorgan mentioned in the Tools section but I think Alchohol 120% will do it also.

[iam29a]

You will want DVDDecryptor in the tools section. Rip to ISO mode. You will also want something called Daemon tools (also in tools section) that will mount the ISO as a virtual DVDROM drive.

I could not find Daemon Tools in the tools section of this website. Is it no longer available (obsolete), been replaced with an evolved product, or just moved to some other website?

[VidGuy]

It's at www.daemon-tools.com - although the site appears to be down at the moment (hopefully a temporary condition).

[iam29a]

VidGuy, thanks. I got it, downloaded it, installed it, and now its complainnig about it not being able to find a loaded Virtual SCSI device' or some such thingy. (not at home at the moment)

On the positive side, I was able to use DVDDecryptor on a DVD title (FE SB). It was a healthy 7.8GB.

[Don2050]

iam29a,

If you want to skip the copyright stuff at the beginining of DVD's you can use IFOEdit to make a simple correction in the VIDEO_TS.IFO ... you wont actually erase anything ...just tell it to jump to the main movie instead of the opening stuff.... after you rip the dvd to your hard drive either in file mode with the vob's,ifo's, bup's... or loaded in daemon tools as an iso...open IFOEdit and load the VIDEO_TS.IFO

OK... VIDEO_TS.IFO>VMGM_MAT(double click VMGM_MAT)>FIRST PLAY PGC. In the first play PGC scroll down till you get to the PGC COMMAND TABLE. Then right click the 1. Pre command (edit) Set the jump too Title or PGC etc... of the main movie, then Get VTS sectors.

This will let you still keep the copyright material et al.. but will skip past it automatically when you insert the disc...

[iam29a]

Virtual SCSI driver not detected is the message I am still getting from Daemon Tools. Since Daemon Tools must be loading at boot, its reporting this message whenever I boot/reboot, too. Anyone have any idea on this limiting factor?

Also, I thought I made an ISO of a DVD yesterday (Superbit Edition of Fifth Element), and there is a DVD_VIDEO.ISO file, but there is also a very small second file DVD_VIDEO.MDS. What is this file?

BTW, I'm doing this experimentation on an older computer that I use for experimenting with. I could load a dedicated drive onto a much faster computer with newer technology if needed. The DVD-ROM drive in that older computer is a Sony drive, and there is no CD-ROM (or CD-RW) drive in it. Could this be why I am getting the Daemon Tools error I mentioned above?

[mkelley]

Hmmm, a little O.T., but where are you finding the Maxtor 160gb drive for so cheap? The cheapest I can find (using Pricewatch) is still hovering around $130 (BTW, if anyone is thinking about these drives for video capture, forget about it -- they only spin at 5400. Cheapest 7200 Maxtor 160 I can find is around $180).

[iam29a]

Staples stores has been pricing them for $180. There is a printable in-store instant coupon for $30 Off a purchase of $150 or more (used this twice). That brings the drives down to $158 (includes tax). Then, Staples has a mail-in rebate for $80, which now brings the cost down to $78. Here is the printable coupon:

http://prefctr.ddc.dartmail.net/Staples/default.asp?a=376%CA&e=28556%2F34%5B&g=upuqp%F...07840246542481

The rebate will be printed out on the register. You get your normal receipt, a rebate receipt, and the rebate to fill out. Only catch is multiple addresses, but that is what friends are for.

BTW, I have only had good luck with Staples rebates in the past, and hopefully (knock on wood) the trend continues.

[mkelley]

Thanks (and thanks for the private EM as well). Staples also has this drive on their web site (with the $80 rebate mentioned) as well, for those of you who don't live near one (we actually have a Staples in our little neck of the woods).

This IS the 7200 drive, so I think you just talked me into spending $80 (well, $160 and then I wait in the mail for the rebate :>). I've been wanting to upgrade my primary 80gb video capture drive for a long time with one of these puppies.

Thanks again for the heads up...

[iam29a]

Well, after some unsuccess with Daemon Tools on my experiment-on-this computer I tried on my primary computer to a successful conclusion. Yippie! I got Daemon Tools 3.33 to mount a test-title and then got PowerDVD to play it just fine. My only concern is the amount of time it will take to catalog a movie--this will have to be a passive activity.

[Jeff Muller]

Staples site is out of stock.

[mkelley]

Yes, they are no longer available online but if you go to your local Staples store they will be able to call around to the various stores and locate one for you.

I went into my local store and they had to call another state but found a store with 14 of them (Sacramento). They ordered 1 for me and three more for them (so if you live in Northern Nevada, Staples will have three of them).

Note the offer ends tomorrow, so don't dawdle.

[Jeff Muller]

Well, I picked up one of these bad boys today. As if it weren't a great enough deal, they come with an ultra/133 IDE card!

The drive is formatting "as we speak". Should take a while

[mkelley]

Yea, mine arrived yesterday and took about 30 minutes to format (or so -- I kept checking back until it was done).

Pretty weird to see nearly 160gb of storage (mine formatted out to around 154 or so). Captured with it all day long today and I still have over 80gb left (!). I intend to capture about 145gb or so to test it out (and, of course, all withone 1 dropped frame -- so far so good).