Good Bye DVDs, Hello Streaming Video

[c_hernandez32]

I wanted to start a future project: rip DVDs including DD/dts audio, subtitles, and of course high quality video. Forget DVDs and use my HTPC as a video player.

Could you achieve this with Divx, Xvid, WMA, etc? Could any one recommend a video format to do this? Also possibly to keep DVDs under 1 GB but at DVD resolution so they play just like DVDs when I connect my HTPC to a HDTV.

[Suntan]

No, you can't do that. 2 Gig yes, but not 1 gig with multiple audio streams.

For stuff you would need check out:
DVDecrypter
DVD2AVI
Vdubmod
Xvid
ffDshow
AC3filter
MyHTPC
Zoomplayer
Girder

That should get you started.

-Suntan

[hothandiman]

I too am embarking on making my computer a media server/HTPC. How long would all that conversion time take? Just buy (if you can afford) external HHD's and do no conversions. Of course, only about 50 movie-only titles on a 250 gig HDD. Is there a quick semi-automated why to do this, keep DTS/AC3, keep excellent picture quality and save file space? Dicking around with 3-4 progs and spending 1/2 day doing one conversion is a total waste of time.

[CaseyComb]

Has anyone taken a look at this new thread?

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=222228

[hothandiman]

I have researched a number of networked DVD players on line. I understand that Wi Fi options do not have adequate bandwidth for HD applications, nor do the devices have the capacity to pass through true HDTV signals even if wired. Now, if you only want to watch DVD quality, that is fine. A good solution for those who want to use the player as a "client" for a DVD server. If you have HD video, you need to find another solution. I am interested in trying windows media player HD videos. I understand that there is a T-3 "extreme" edition that has windows HD media player version on it. I wonder if this is "true" HD, and if this will ever catch on. Can it be true HD if it fits on a portion of a dual layer DVD??

[lrpebler]

I'm also working on this.

I don't want to recompress anything though--just rip DVD movies to mpg files at full quality with ac3 audio.

So I'm wondering what I can use to mux all the 1gig m2v files DVD Decrypter spits out, along with the ac3 sndtrk, into one giant .mpg file (easy to pull up on myHTPC or its ilk).

I tried using the mpeg tools included wityh tmpgenc, but have had no success yet. Is there a tool that will do this easily?

|__video_pt1__|__video_pt2__|...|__video_ptX__|
|________________ac3 audio________________| = my_movie.mpg

--LRP

[videocheez]

try avi2mpeg2

[adam]

lrpebler can you not just open the vobs directly? You can set any ripper to rip to one large vob file. Mpg by itself does not make a good container for multiple audio tracks. Lots of software won't be able to play them all.

Better yet, just rip to an iso image and mount it. It will play just like the original DVD.

[lrpebler]

@adam

I considered this, but I'm concerned about being able to play mounted images or vobs in PVR software like SageTV.

I'm not concerned about multiple audio tracks. In an effort to save a bit of space, I'm willing to go strictly movie-only + 1 ac3 stream. I figured an mpeg program stream would be the most flexible in terms of where I could play it.

Am I wrong in any of these assumptions?

[Suntan]

I agree with adam, if you just want to copy the DVD to HD and play from there, DVDecrypter (as well as the others) can be set up to give you an iso which you can "mount." Here is one of many guides available that explains how.

-Suntan

[Suntan]

If you just want the look and feel of a front end like SageTV you can do that for free with myHTPC. Or MythTV if you want to run Linux.

If you want flexible playback options you could look at transcoding into the Matroska container. I believe it will take mpeg2 and then you could play it with any DShow player. Assuming you have an Mpeg2 codec.

-Suntan

[lrpebler]

I actually figured out how to do what I was trying on my own.

DVD Decrypter to demux audio/video streams (must enter IFO options an d enable unlimited file size) gives me one big .m2v video file and 1 big .ac3 audio file.

Then remux into a program stream using TMPGENC MPEGtools.

Voilá! A .mpg of Being John Malkovich with Dolby Digital audio.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[lchiu7]

I actually figured out how to do what I was trying on my own.

DVD Decrypter to demux audio/video streams (must enter IFO options an d enable unlimited file size) gives me one big .m2v video file and 1 big .ac3 audio file.

Then remux into a program stream using TMPGENC MPEGtools.

Voilá! A .mpg of Being John Malkovich with Dolby Digital audio.

Thanks for the suggestions.

What about copy the DVD to your HD with DVDDecryptor and and re-author and transcode with DVDShink which will leave a folder on your HD that represents the original DVD shrunk and with extras removed. Then just play with a software DVD Player like PowerDVD

With the right sound card you should be able to get the DD signal out to your HT

Larry

[SaSi]

What about a jukebox DVD player ? I've seen a Kenwood model that can hold 200 disks.

In terms of storing video (any format) on a PC and streaming it, my understanding is that you can stream it over a network (wired or wireless, doesn't matter - forget the bandwidth issues for now).

That means that the only candidate clients are PCs or PC lookalikes (handhelds at most).

Not a conventional TV or projector.

Such a system should have a PC close to the screen/TV/projector, networked with the "media server" and a user interface for you to select what you want to view. Touble is, PCs are not yet simple enough to setup and operate for such a solution, even with Windows XP media center edition.

[hothandiman]

Touble is, PCs are not yet simple enough to setup and operate for such a solution, even with Windows XP media center edition.

I do not think this is true for all. There My HTPC software. girder, power strip, firefly, etc. Not exactly effortless, but the PC can be an EXCELLENT solution. Especially if you want to stream HDTV.

[TerryG]

Here is the deal for streaming HD to TV over wire or wireless.

http://www.rokulabs.com/products/hd1000/index.php

http://rokuforums.myfreebb.com/

[Tom Roper]

Maybe I'm missing something, but the software DVD player that came with my PC, InterVideo WinDVD 4 will play DVDs from a folder, not just from the DVD disk. Rip to hard drive with DVD Shrink, then just point to the VIDEO_TS folder. No re-encoding necessary.

[lchiu7]

Maybe I'm missing something, but the software DVD player that came with my PC, InterVideo WinDVD 4 will play DVDs from a folder, not just from the DVD disk. Rip to hard drive with DVD Shrink, then just point to the VIDEO_TS folder. No re-encoding necessary.

Which is exactly the point I made in an earlier posting. Another (albeit really expensive option) isn the Kaleidoscope Movie Server

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/article.asp?section_id=7&article_id=569

If you have enough money and enough DVD's this might be the way to go

[c_hernandez32]

I think that lchiu7 has a good idea: remove extras and leave the DVD folders on a PC. Though I figure that about 40-50 DVDs fit on a 250GB HD.

I guess Divx and its variants aren't good codecs, especially to hold high quality video.

If I can't get 100+ DVDs on a 250GB HD I think that a DVD jukebox will be the most cost efficient option.

[hothandiman]

Figure an external 250 gig drive will cost about $250. Store about 50 movie-only DVD's and it works out to about $5 per unit of storage. I have about a 300 movie DVD collection. That could get expensive! But I really like the idea of HDD servers. Combined with the right hardware and software, you have the ulimate in convience. No more drugging to the DVD collection and actually picking out a disk! Just use your remote and call in movie off your computers hard drive. Grab a beer, someone warm, it don't get much better than that!