What to do with a stack of DVDs I need to view

[tpapictures]

I've got 28 single layer DVD ISOs that all function just fine but I'd rather not burn them all to discs for obvious reasons. My Raspberry Pi 2 running OSMC won't play ISOs at all. I was looking for something more elegant than just ripping each individual video on each ISO into its own mkv or avi, but if I do, is there one program that's really good at looking through the VOBs for each episode, in this case?

I was just hoping for something where I could maybe burn the ISOs to blurays? Maybe play those blurays as data discs on my PS3? I don't know, just desperately loooking for an answer that doesn't involve me burning 28 DVDs. I have that many blank single layers, but still.

Thanks!

[smitbret]

I've got 28 single layer DVD ISOs that all function just fine but I'd rather not burn them all to discs for obvious reasons. My Raspberry Pi 2 running OSMC won't play ISOs at all. I was looking for something more elegant than just ripping each individual video on each ISO into its own mkv or avi, but if I do, is there one program that's really good at looking through the VOBs for each episode, in this case?

I was just hoping for something where I could maybe burn the ISOs to blurays? Maybe play those blurays as data discs on my PS3? I don't know, just desperately loooking for an answer that doesn't involve me burning 28 DVDs. I have that many blank single layers, but still.

Thanks!

WDTV Live (do not get the "Play" version)

http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-WDBYMN0000NBK-Streaming-Refurbished/dp/B00X60CGS...rds=wd+tv+live

It will play back .iso files just like you inserted the DVD. Just stick the .iso's on an external HDD or Flash Drive. Pop into the USB port and enjoy. If I remember correctly, you may even be able to play back the iso's over a network share, too.

[tpapictures]

I'd rather not have to buy a whole other device.

[orsetto]

ISOs are a PITA today: past advice from gurus that DVDs should be ripped for hard drive archiving as ISOs turned out to be not such a great idea. If you don't want to invest the paltry amount required to get a hardware player that can handle ISOs, you're stuck with either burning DVDs (which isn't the huge pain you're making it out to be) or converting them into plain video files usable on normal devices. Other than for temporary storage of disc images one fully intends to burn as backup DVDs in their entirety, ISO is pretty much useless as an archive format: as DVD falls further and further out of favor with consumers, software support for ISO playback has evaporated from Windows, MacOS and many player devices.

[jagabo]

Mount an ISO image as virtual drive on a computer. Share the drive. Access the share via the network.

[tpapictures]

burning DVDs (which isn't the huge pain you're making it out to be)

Oh, I know it's not a pain, I could probably have them all done in half an afternoon, but it's having to store 28 DVDs that won't get played back very often.

support for ISO playback has evaporated from Windows, MacOS and many player devices.

Yeah, I just thought I might be able to use OSMC on my Rpi2 to play them but it doesn't at all. So I was hoping for some other similar Rpi2 OS that could play ISOs. My boxeebox used to be able to but really, it was never very good. Scrubbing was always problematic.

If you don't want to invest the paltry amount required to get a hardware player that can handle ISOs

Yeah, it's not that I don't want to spend money to get any of several players that can handle ISO, it's having yet ANOTHER device for one use. I try to limit owning devices that can only do one thing. My laserdisc player is the only one I keep that fits that description and even in that case, it's an awesome CD player.

[tpapictures]

Mount an ISO image as virtual drive on a computer. Share the drive. Access the share via the network.

Hmm... now THAT is interesting... So I mount it, then look for it as a drive on my SMB share, and then run it as a drive. Will have to see if that works.

I guess one other option would be DVD-RW. I do have a few of those. Alternately what software is going to be best at actually seeing individual episodes in a DVD ISO and ripping them intact with audio and subtitles?

[Kerry56]

Mount an ISO image as virtual drive on a computer. Share the drive. Access the share via the network.

Hmm... now THAT is interesting... So I mount it, then look for it as a drive on my SMB share, and then run it as a drive. Will have to see if that works.

I guess one other option would be DVD-RW. I do have a few of those. Alternately what software is going to be best at actually seeing individual episodes in a DVD ISO and ripping them intact with audio and subtitles?

By intact do you mean not converted or compressed? If so, MakeMKV can open ISO files directly and let you select individual titles in a Blu-ray or DVD. Output from a DVD would be the same video and audio codecs, unchanged, placed in an MKV file. MakeMKV allows you to select specific audio and subtitle streams to keep or discard.

[videobruger]

Or perhaps MakeMKV Batch Converter

[tpapictures]

By intact do you mean not converted or compressed?

I just mean that I want to rip the individual episodes from the ISO without compression, in the same resolution but in an individual file with any appropriate audio and subtitles attached.

[jagabo]

Again, use WinCdEmu (free, open source) to mount the ISO images as virtual drives. You can then use any conversion software that works with DVDs.

[tpapictures]

Mount an ISO image as virtual drive on a computer. Share the drive. Access the share via the network.

Ok, sadly that didn't work in OSMC but it was a great idea to keep in mind.

[tpapictures]

MakeMKV can open ISO files directly and let you select individual titles in a Blu-ray or DVD...

This absolutely looks like the best option. Thanks!

[tpapictures]

Or perhaps MakeMKV Batch Converter

How is this one different from MakeMKV? Are they essentially the same?

[videobruger]

MakeMKV Batch Converter just uses MakeMKV so they are the "same".

[cornemuse]

Install 'virtual clone drive' (free) from Slysoft, mount iso, connect computer to tv, (What, you dont have hdmi out on your computer??!!) I like & use WinDVD to watch movies, (there are a few diff viewers out there) on the comp. I have a 'Dune' <-ok, a WDTV <- not as ok, an Argosy <- very ok, not available anymore. Burn movie only to RW disk (1/2's to two disks if necessary).

-c-

[usually_quiet]

Install 'virtual clone drive' (free) from Slysoft, mount iso, connect computer to tv, (What, you dont have hdmi out on your computer??!!) I like & use WinDVD to watch movies, (there are a few diff viewers out there) on the comp. I have a 'Dune' <-ok, a WDTV <- not as ok, an Argosy <- very ok, not available anymore. Burn movie only to RW disk (1/2's to two disks if necessary).

-c-

tpapictures is running OSMC (a Linux OS/Media Center) on a Raspberry Pi. Virtual CloneDrive and WinDVD are not going to do him any good. ...and he does not want to buy additional hardware.

[zing269]

Did you try just mounting the ISO? Saw this in on the ubuntu wiki:

sudo mount -o loop -t udf path/to/bluray.iso /media/cdrom

There's also the CDemu project: http://cdemu.sourceforge.net/

[lordsmurf]

ISOs are a PITA today: past advice from gurus that DVDs should be ripped for hard drive archiving as ISOs turned out to be not such a great idea.

No.

It was a great idea. The only other option was to BOTH deinterlace and re-encoding to a streaming container. The ISO is easier to organize, retain the original quality, and can easily be stored on tiny drives connected to a WDTV or watched in VLC.

The Raspberry is probably just the wrong tool for this task.

[tpapictures]

Did you try just mounting the ISO? Saw this in on the ubuntu wiki:

sudo mount -o loop -t udf path/to/bluray.iso /media/cdrom

There's also the CDemu project: http://cdemu.sourceforge.net/

Yes, after being extremely sluggish to start, it essentially plays every VOB one after the other if you press play. And rewind or forward freezes then crashes playback.

[tpapictures]

ISOs are a PITA today: past advice from gurus that DVDs should be ripped for hard drive archiving as ISOs turned out to be not such a great idea.

No.It was a great idea. The only other option was to BOTH deinterlace and re-encoding to a streaming container. The ISO is easier to organize, retain the original quality, and can easily be stored on tiny drives connected to a WDTV or watched in VLC.The Raspberry is probably just the wrong tool for this task.

Have to say I totally agree. I don't mind ripping individual MKVs if I have to. Now, what if I wanted to do a little lossless video compression? Is there such a thing with video and do any of the aforementioned mkv making tools do that?