Blu-Ray backup & encoding

[GeeForce11]

I'm a newbie, and I'm looking for the simplest and easiest solution (if there's any) to backup my blu-ray discs on my PC in a compressed format (Xvid for example) for storage. Is there a program that does everything in one step ripping & encoding the movie (BD->avi), for comparison like Magic DVD Ripper I use for regular DVDs?

I did some research around and read complicated steps (for me at least) using different programs like: https://forum.videohelp.com/topic333634.html but all this is like in chinese for me.

So far I got to the point of ripping a blu-ray disc with AnyDVD HD/BD to my HDD and open the m2ts files with Media Coder (only program I found so far that opened the m2ts) and encoding it with XviD to avi file. This seems like an easy 2 step procedure, but I have some problems selecting the audio tracks and make it work properly. Are there any other simple programs that I could accomplish this with?

[jman98]

There are NO easy BluRay backup/encoding programs of any kind. At this point in time I believe every BluRay title can be ripped, but some of the newer ones cannot currently be encoded to any other format. BluRay encoding sometimes fails. http://www.doom9.net has a forum on BluRay that might be of interest to you, but the last time I looked people there were still having problems with some BluRay encodes.

BluRay audio can be problematic because the high def audio formats are a pain to deal with. People usually extract AC3 or DTS cores from the high def audio and use those instead.

[GeeForce11]

TX for the tip. I'll do some research over there too.

The Media Coder I tried encodes the m2ts movie and AC3 audio tracks to XviD/MP3 avi, but get no sound if I try to encode the DTS audio track. Maybe the Media Coder cannot deal with DTS , but any other programs?

[GeeForce11]

I imported the ripped m2ts file to VirtualDubMod, I can encode it with XviD, but doesn't encode the audio just straight copy, don't even see the audio menu to adjust the settings.

I converted the m2ts to ts with TsRemux, and even though I selected the AVC Video Stream #17 and DTS-HD Master Audio Stream #0, when I want to covert the ts to avi with AutoGK it gives me an error that No Video Sequence Header found and No data, check you PIDS, and the TS file is not playable with VLC.

Any tips and suggestions?

[Midzuki]

[GeeForce11]

It looks that the Media Coder is a dead end street, VirtualDubMod doesn't work properly, TsRemux / AutoGK doesn't want to work.

Who successfully encoded blu-ray to avi, what programs did you use?

TX for the help.

[GeeForce11]

So far this blu-ray encoding to avi seems to give the best results:

In case of a DTS track of the ripped m2ts: After ripping the blu-ray with AnyDVD HD/BD, I encoded the m2ts file with VirtualDubMod to avi with Xvid-24bit-5Mb/s compression (other XviD encoders encode to 12bit and there's a big difference btwn 12bit and 24bit XviD compression) and audio couldn't be encoded, automatic direct stream copy of the master track (DTS). This XviD/DTS avi file could be stored already and plays with any multimedia player, but it was still too large to my liking (3GB audio stream+3.5GB Video Stream) and I'm further compressing it. I didn't find a program yet that encodes the XviD/DTS avi file to XviD/AC3 avi encoding only the audio stream and leaving the video stream alone, because some programs i found start to encode the video also, they convert the XviD from 24bit to 12bit, what I don't want. I encoded only the DTS stream of the avi file with MediaCoder to AC3 compression, creating an .ac3 audio file. I'm demuxing the large avi file to remove the video stream and mux it with the created ac3 audio file. I'm trying out different programs right now to see which one gives the best results, but the end result will be an XviD/AC3 avi file around 4GB for 90min movie.

In case of an AC3 track of the ripped m2ts: I encoded it in one click with MediaCoder to XviD/AC3 or MP3 avi file. The only downside is that the XviD compression is 12bit. If I'd want the 24bit encoding of XviD, I'd had to do the first (above) steps. It could be also encoded to H264-MP4 like this in one click.

This thread looks like a monologue I'm just sharing my experience and looking for solutions, but not many join/comment/suggest things.

[Midzuki]

GeeForce wrote:

This thread looks like a monologue I'm just sharing my experience and looking for solutions, but not many join/comment/suggest things.

Short answer: apologies =^.^=
Long answer: later

Anyway... So to speak, I have just started to deal with HD video,
and still am very far from working on Blu-Ray~related stuff... Still, the methods
you have been describing do sound "too convoluted" for my tastes ( keep in mind that
I'm just a stupid wannabe nerd ). IIWY, I'd use some Avisynth to resize the video
to Standard Definition (max=640x480 NTSC or 704x528 PAL), first of all, because
in this way 90 min of video with really-good quality would not occupy more than 1.5 GB
{remember that it's you who thinks 3.5GB is "too much space" for a 90-minute HD XviD};
besides, I would apply NicAudio.dll onto the standalone DTS stream, then use VDub to get
a 5.1 .WAV file, and finally convert this latter to .AC3 with Aften. At last, I'd mux
the XviD video and the AC3 stream. HTH. And please read freebird's .sig
twelve times a day at least.

[jagabo]

I imported the ripped m2ts file to VirtualDubMod, I can encode it with XviD, but doesn't encode the audio just straight copy, don't even see the audio menu to adjust the settings.

Streams -> Stream List -> right click on audio stream and select what you want.

[GeeForce11]

resize the video
to Standard Definition (max=640x480 NTSC or 704x528 PAL), first of all, because
in this way 90 min of video with really-good quality would not occupy more than 1.5 GB
{remember that it's you who thinks 3.5GB is "too much space" for a 90-minute HD XviD};

I don't want to resize the video, I want to keep it at max resolution and not to lose quality on playback, just compressed as much as possible for storage. I have no problem with 3.5GB Video, but didn't like the 3GB Audio.

besides, I would apply NicAudio.dll onto the standalone DTS stream, then use VDub to get
a 5.1 .WAV file, and finally convert this latter to .AC3 with Aften. At last, I'd mux
the XviD video and the AC3 stream.

Seems like lots of steps. I did manage to encode the DTS to AC3 with MediaCoder, and now I can mux the AC3 file with XviD Now instead of 3GB Audio I have 300MB and the avi file goes down from 6.5GB to 4GB.

[GeeForce11]

Streams -> Stream List -> right click on audio stream and select what you want.

I realized that there's VirtualDubMod and VirtualDub , 2 different programs and was looking for the menus from one program in the other's

I originally started to work with m2ts from my Sony Camcorders based on this article:
http://www.jakeludington.com/camcorder/20070118_how_to_edit_avchd_m2ts_files_from_sony...amcorders.html

Now with the blu-ray started from the same place, using the specified Jake Ludington mod of VirtualDubMod, Jake's distribution includes AVISynth templates and 3rd party filters useful for video editing, and I just imported the m2ts files and it's working like a charm, just not familiar enough (yet) with the program and still learning to find out different tricks and settings.

[Midzuki]

GeeForce wrote:

Now instead of 3GB Audio I have 300MB and the avi file goes down from 6.5GB to 4GB.

Which happily fits on a SL DVD 8)

Surely my method may look "too nerdish" , but yours was not a
one-step wonder either. Anyway, at least I do like to know what the
hell I'm doing or what the devil is happening And yes, it's good to be
always prepared for the not-so-uncommon situations when you really
need to know how to use as many tools as necessary.

[GeeForce11]

Maybe I could of avoided this second audio encoding/demuxing/muxing process, if I would of found the audio setting tools in VirtualDubMod when created the original avi, and instead of direct stream copy of the audio track it could of encoded straight to AC3 what I wanted, but I'm too lazy now to go back and re-convert the m2ts (8+hrs), hope the next one will work.

[jagabo]

By the way, the "original" VirtualDub now supports source plugins so you may be able to open your TS files directly with it. Here's a post with links to VirtualDub source plugins:

https://forum.videohelp.com/topic346590.html#1816874

Note that VirtualDubMod isn't really maintained anymore. It's an old version of the open source VirtualDub with additions. Since it handles multiple audio (and other) streams the Audio menu from VirtualDub was attached to the individual streams in the Stream menu.

You also might want to look at AviDemux -- which does a lot more than the title implies. It's similar to VirtualDub but also handles a lot of other containers for input and output.

[SCDVD]

I am hopeful that the HD backup tools and knowledge base will grow now that there is one HD standard emerging. Right now, it's a little like listening to Dumb and Dumber in these HD backup discussions. I don't mean that in a critical way; it's just that the early pioneers in HD backup are just starting to look at solutions. I applaud their efforts. I'm sure that the tools and know-how will improve a great deal over the next year or so.

[GeeForce11]

It looks that the blu-ray encoding is possible in one click operation to encode the m2ts to XviD/AC3 avi for example with the VirtualDubMod version I used.

I'll have to see if I can transfer to VirtualDub the templates and filters from the Jake Ludington edition of VirtualDubMod I've been using to get the latest support and updated software.

[GeeForce11]

I couldn't make VirtualDub to open the blu-ray ripped m2ts file, and couldn't convert any audio with VirtualDubMod, even though I selected the options, at the end it didn't encode it, just did a direct stream copy.

I encoded the m2ts to:

- Xvid24bit/DTS(Master Track) avi one click encoding with Jake Ludington mod of VirtualDubMod, but only the Master DTS track is available.

- Xvid24bit/AC3(Master Track) avi the above followed by encoding(demuxing) the audio track and muxing it to the demuxed video. These steps take a few minutes.

- Xvid12bit/AC3(Any Track direct stream copy) avi one click encoding with MediaCoder.

[SCDVD]

I mentioned earlier in this thread that the tools that are needed to create BlueRay discs are still very limited. I didn't realize just how limited they were until I looked at Sony's web site. I'm considering buying Vegas 8 with the accompanying authoring program DVD Architect Pro. But not even Sony's product can output anything other than a simple video without a menu! The following is a quote from Sony's product page on their web site.

With Vegas Pro 8 software you can burn a Blu-ray Disc directly from the timeline. Blu-ray Disc burning allows you to create a disc similar to a "single movie" DVD—the movie has no titles, menus, or buttons. Blu-ray Disc burning in Vegas Pro 8 software provides an alternate distribution option for high-definition content, rather than traditional file-based hard disk or streaming media formats. You can also use the Blu-ray Disc burning feature to create high-definition discs that can playback on a set-top Blu-ray Disc player or on a Sony PS3 gaming system.

It sure will be nice when things are a little further along with HD disc creation!

[GeeForce11]

I used Pinnacle Studio Plus 11 before to edit and create movies from the HD Camcorder's recorded material (m2ts) and it has the option of creating blu-ray discs, but since I have no blu-ray burner the program doesn't want to start the project. Supposably it only works if you have a Blu-Ray burner. I did create HD-DVD format DVD9 Disc in one of the projects next to the other regular DVD projects.

[graysky]

I'd be interested in try this but I don't have a blu-ray drive on my machine. Anyone know where I can get my hands on the ripped audio/video stream (m2t file I'm assuming) to play with?

[GeeForce11]

These files are huge. Even a 2min clip is 500+MB. If you have an ftp or server somewhere, I can upload you a clip.

[Lovepeaceguru]

GeeForce, I love your enthusiasm/determination/frustration. I've been there myself. At present I rip with AnyDVD and convert to ts with TSremux. I was pretty much resigned to living with my 15 - 35 GB ts files but I agree with you, we should be able to find a solution to get them down to say 10 GB with little apparent loss of quality. MeGUI is my present focus but it is oh, so slooooow. The most difficult thing is the inconsistency in the ts files such that even though I always use the same process, I have to be "flexible" about which media player I use. PowerDVD Ultra (fully updated) usually plays the video but often loses the audio, I skip between PowerDVD, WMP, VLC and Crystal (which I like a lot). It really seems completely random which one will work best. I too would like to get to avi in the end. I see no benefit in mkv and don't understand why so many HD torrents are offered in this difficult format. Like you I have sweated many, many hours over this. Let's stay in touch and crack this problem!!

[GeeForce11]

TX for your support. I did get to end of it as i mentioned it above and this thread:
https://forum.videohelp.com/topic346837.html
I have Blu-Ray rips encoded to 1920x1080 XviD24b5Mbps/AC3_5.1_448Kbps, 90min 3.6GB, 120min 4.8GB

[nick101181]

Is it possible to take a retail blu-ray and burn a backup on a blank blu-ray without re-encoding? What steps are necessary? I have a ps3 but I gotta keep fiddling around to get the ps3sak program to work so I can backup the files first.

[GeeForce11]

It should be possible to create an image of the original disc and then burn the image on a new empty disc. I haven't done it, since a blank DL media cost almost as much as a retail blu-ray, plus the burners are way too expensive for my pocket right now.

[[_chef_]]

Is it possible to take a retail blu-ray and burn a backup on a blank blu-ray without re-encoding? What steps are necessary? I have a ps3 but I gotta keep fiddling around to get the ps3sak program to work so I can backup the files first.

ONLY if its not BD+, you can defeat copy protections and you can fit the target on another BLANK.

[Flay]

New AnyDVD(HD) Take the BD+ !!!

[jman98]

New AnyDVD(HD) Take the BD+ !!!

Maybe. I'm going to need to see trustworthy reports of successful re-encodings on BD+ material before I call BD+ defeated. Slysoft previously claimed to have defeated it and they did allow ripping, I will give them that, but you couldn't do anything with the ripped video except play it with one specific release of PowerDVD. Until BD+ discs can be ripped AND converted, BD+ is not defeated.

[GeeForce11]

From what I read AnyDVD HD 6.4 successfully removes DB+

[toasteruk]

Hi, does anyone know where I can get jake ludingtons virtualdubmod?
Seems it has been taken off the usual download site