Ripping Issues

[ChainsawAsh]

I've been trying to rip several movies and TV shows to my hard drive to back up. This used to work fine, but a few months ago it stopped working so well. Now, every time I do, after ~52 minutes the video and audio lock up, so I just get a still frame with no sound for about a half hour, where the video picks up again from that point, missing a whole 30 or so minutes of the movie.

I recently bought an external optical drive to test if that was the problem, but the external drive does the same thing, which makes me think it's either a hardware problem outside of the disc drive, or a software problem.

A quick note - PLAYING any DVDs works perfectly fine, with none of these issues. I've tried ripping with several programs, such as MacTheRipper, Handbrake, Instant Handbrake, OSEx, and MPEG Streamclip for non-CSS discs, and all turn up the exact same result.

Any help with this?

[redwudz]

Since you are using a Mac OS, you would likely get more answers in our Mac Forum. Moving you.

Normally, ripping is the process of decrypting a commercial DVD to your computer hard drive. If they are not DVD format, that's just transferring or capturing. Important difference. Decrypting takes special programs, where transfer is just that, a copy. Capturing usually involve a capture card and a option of different capture formats. You might want to tell us exactly what format, program or process you are using.

And welcome to our forums.

[ChainsawAsh]

a) I'm using MacTheRipper to rip the DVD video to my hard drive so that I may make a backup duplicate disc, burned with Toast Titanium. This does not work - after the first 52 minutes or so the video locks up and audio stops completely for about a half an hour, then fixes itself, so I miss a half hour of the movie.

b) I also want to use Handbrake to rip/convert my DVDs to mp4 files playable on my iPod and in iTunes. This produces the exact same result with the video.

c) I have also tried OSEx, Instant Handbrake, and several other programs for the same thing with the same results.

d) I have tried using an external hard drive as well, thinking that this might be caused by an issue with the internal drive. It did the exact same thing, which makes me think it's a software issue.

e) Playing these same DVDs is not an issue - I can watch these movies using Mac's DVD Player without interruption just fine.

f) In case it helps - I'm using a MacBook Pro laptop.

Does this clarify some of the issues for you? I'm not new to ripping/converting/capturing (I'm a film editing student at Colubmia College Chicago), but I'm relatively new to Mac, and this has me perplexed.

[redwudz]

Thanks for the info. Our Mac members should be able to give you some good information. Some newer DVDs are difficult to rip properly for backup purposes. But stand by, you should get some qualified assistance.

[tomlee59]

As redwudz mentioned, some DVDs use encryption methods that older versions of MTR can't handle. That might be your problem, although generally speaking, MTR will flag such discs as having bad blocks or some such thing. If you received no error messages at all, then there might be something else going on. In any case, you can go to ripdifferent.com to get access to the latest version of MTR (for a small donation).

You say that the burned copy has this problem; does the ripped version on your hard drive also have this problem?

Also, are you burning dual-layer discs?

[ChainsawAsh]

Okay, I'm obviously not being clear enough.

The ripped version on my hard drive DOES have this problem, and NOT just with MTR, with ANY ripping program I use. The one disc I have burned as a test also did have this problem on standalone players.

It does this with every DVD that's longer than 50 minutes, even ones I know MTR was able to handle before this started happening. It doesn't have anything to do with copy protection or encryption, because even movies I myself did for high school that are feature-length have this same problem.

Burned dual-layer, burned single-layer, and copy-protected factory discs ALL have this problem.

And this problem also presents itself when I use HandBrake to rip the movie to .mp4, or MPEG Streamclip for the same thing.

[terryj]

Ok a few questions Chainsaw:
1. What movie are you currently testing with?
2. The Problem is obviously related in the Rip,
as it is placed on the Harddrive, as the files written
there are what's corrupt ( the starting point).
So, How full is your HD?
When is the last time you ran Disc Utility to verify SMART status
and repair permissions?
3. Do you have another Computer you can rip the DVD on?

I'm leaning to either heavy fragmentation on your drive
(according to your listed specs a Fujitsu 250GB), a drive
that is too full and needs to be cleaned, or
a Corrupt OS ( which can be fixed by an archive and install).

IF you had only used MTR, I would say MTR is the culprit.
But the gamut of programs you have tried to through
at this rip tellls me (a) either the rip itself is bad, which
could point to HD corruption, or (b) the OS installation is
hosed, and you need to either repair permissions and verify
SMART status, or perform an Archive and Install to clean it up.

I keep two drives in my Mac, one that is the boot and one that is the
backup. When the main boot is acting squirrelly, I re-boot into the
backup and try things from there. If the backup works, then
I know the OS on the main boot is corrupt, and ususally running
DIsc Utility will correct things. At worst, I perform an Archive and Install.

[ChainsawAsh]

1. Several - I've tried with Star Wars, Kingdom of Heaven, the Battlestar Galactica miniseries, and others

2. I have 150 GB free, the computer's 4 months old and I haven't run Disc Utility at all

3. Yes, and all of them have worked on other computers.

If an HD reformat and OS reinstall will fix it, I'll just wait until Leopard comes out this month. I'll try out Disc Utility in the meantime.

And thanks very much, your post is the most helpful by far to this point on all the forums I've tried this on (not ripping on anyone else that's made suggestions at all).


---edit----

Okay, I ran disk utility and verified/repaired permissions, which didn't fix anything. But when I clicked "Verify Disk," I got all this:

Verifying volume “Macintosh HD”
Checking HFS Plus volume.
Checking Extents Overflow file.
Checking Catalog file.
Checking multi-linked files.
Checking Catalog hierarchy.
%)
Invalid directory item count
(It should be 446 instead of 646)
Checking Extended Attributes file.
Checking volume bitmap.
Volume Bit Map needs minor repair
Checking volume information.
Invalid volume free block count
(It should be 35764979 instead of 35686724)
The volume Macintosh HD needs to be repaired.

Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit


1 HFS volume checked
Volume needs repair



It stops there, saying "First Aid failed: Disk Utility stopped verifying "Macintosh HD" because the following error was encountered: The underlying task reported failure on exit." It won't let me click "Repair Disk." Any thoughts?

[Case]

That looks pretty serious. As always, back up important files first.

Try booting from your Install DVD, not to install anything, but to use the Disk Utility on that DVD to repair the disk while it is not in use. Often it can repair more/better that way.
Failing that, try Disk Warrior if you can. It has repaired some disks for me that other utilities failed on.
Last resort is a complete disk reformat.

[Ai Haibara]

Yeah, for Disk Utility to be able to (attempt to) repair the startup drive, you have to boot from the install discs and run Disk Utility from there.

[tomlee59]

I second Case's suggestion of Disk Warrior. Disk Utility is able to fix some relatively simple things, but Warrior is able to do much more. If Disk Utility doesn't solve your problem, then you have some alternatives.

Good luck!

[terryj]

or you can simply boot in safe mode
(reboot, hold down cmd-S after the chime)
and once you are in a black screen
with
rapidly writing text,
at the prompt type the following as is:

fsck -y -f
( yes, include spaces)
then hit enter.

FileSystemChecK will attempt basically the same thing
as Disc Utility on an OS disc would do, and unmount the HD
first before running the repair.

If it cannot repair ( it will give you the same message
as you've seen, he underlying task reported failure on exit)
then yes, go run, not walk to your nearest Apple Store
and get a copy of DiscWarrior.

if you do get that far, and have to get a copy of Disc Warrior,
it will take a while through step 5 to step 9,
as it has to scour the disc platter to recreate
your Catalog Hierarchy, and optomized Volume Bitmap.
Most newbies get discouraged when it takes a bit,
BUT LET IT RUN UNTIL IT COMPLETES.
Once it is done, I strongly suggest backing up your system,
and just get in the habit of running DU at least once a month.

let us know your results!

[ChainsawAsh]

Since I plan on getting Leopard in a few weeks anyway, should I just wait for that, backup everything, and reformat my hard drive and install Leopard from scratch, or is that a bad idea?

[tomlee59]

Waiting is risky if you're still using the computer. The error you're getting basically says that the directories are pretty hosed. Every write operation is now risky, because you may end up overwriting important files (this may have happened already).

Let it sit unpowered until you figure out what you want to do. Personally, I'm always paranoid about data loss, so I would begin repair/backup operations right away. But that's just me.

[ChainsawAsh]

Oh, I'll back everything up in the morning as soon as I get a chance, but I think I'll wait a few weeks and do all this when I get Leopard.

Again, thanks very much for all your help, it's all been extremely appreciated. This site alone has been more helpful than any other I went to in the past month - I'm shocked I haven't been here earlier, to be honest; I should have known better.

[albloom]

What version of MTR are you using?

If 2.6.6, you don't have the horespower to rip the newer DVDs.

[ChainsawAsh]

2.6.6 was the newest version I could find without having to pay.

[terryj]

unfortunately, not upgrading, you get what you pay for.....


Buy Leopard, buy MTR 3.014f.
a rchive and install, and your done.

[ChainsawAsh]

A friend of mine has 3.014d - would you recommend that, or is there that much of a difference between that and 3.014f?

And yeah, I will be paying for Leopard when it's released (though with my student discount).

[albloom]

Chainsaw, I don't recommend that you get 14d from your friend.
You would just be joining him or her in theft.

[terryj]

buy .14f--it's $15 freakin' dollars....one night of no pizza and soda.
one night you don't go rent movies at blockbuster to
"backup".

It's people who don't pay for software that cause the devlopement of
software to die. How would you like it if GezzerButts said tomorrow,
no more MTR, without a dial home code? or that he decides to hold
the next release for "ransom" while he waits for everyone to PREPAY?

DON'T BE A THIEF!
geez, if this continues, I suggest we start locking topics
after the first or second post and not help theives.......

AND FOR THE RECORD,
yes, there is a significant difference between 14d and 14f...
it handles anything made by Sony, Lionsgate, Disney, and Dreamworks.
which is 80% of what you'll try and "backup".

[ChainsawAsh]

Alright, I didn't mean to start a big fight here, I'm a college student and money's scarce (I have less than $100 in checking, which is all I can access from here). As soon as I can, I will donate and pay for it.

And for the record, I don't "go rent movies at blockbuster to 'backup'" - I purchase all my movies legally, and when I do backup full discs it's so I can leave a copy at home and take the duplicate back with me to my dorm. Otherwise, I rip it to my hard drive to view it on my iPod or just my computer in general, or use the files to do a fan edit with the copy of Final Cut Studio that I *paid* for. So don't go judging me and calling me a thief because I don't have the money right now and am looking for a temporary solution until I *can* pay.

Again, thanks for everyone's help, you've all been very kind and everyone's suggestions are appreciated. I'll let you know after I try the fix if it worked or not.

----edit-----

Alright, I did the "cmd-S" startup, typed in "fsck -y -f" when I was supposed to, and now Disk Utility says my disk drive has passed verification, nothing wrong with it, and I ran it on permissions and repaired those again.

I still have the same problem.

---EDIT AGAIN--

I jumped the gun - it all works again now! The problem originated with a problematic disc. Thanks very much for everyone's suggestions!