MakeMKV > Handbreak > Mkvmerge = result; Is there a better way?

[jmallory]

I've started ripping my dvd collection so I don't have to fumble with anymore disks, also my infant son keeps knocking down and destroying the dvds. After doing my homework, I've decided that Matroska (MKV) is the container format I want to use. I wanted to preserve as much of the original dvd as I can, so I started ripping them with MakeMKV; I love this program.

My only problem is that since MakeMKV doesn't alter the disk files (Which is what I wanted), I've started running out of hard drive space. Right now I can't afford to shell out the money for another hard drive, so I'm going to have to encode the files. I first tried using handbreak, but it didn't preserve all the audio tracks, namely the 6 channel ones.

Next I started using Mkvmerge, I took my original rip using MakeMKV with all the subtitles and audio tracks. After unchecking the video from the file, I appended the Handbreak-encoded (h.264) file and unchecked everything but the video and started muxing.

Everything works just fine and I have the results I was looking for, but I wonder if there is a more streamed line approach to this?

Any advice from you more experienced user would be helpful. Thanks!

[ricardouk]

1- rip the main movie from dvd using dvdfab
2- use vidcoder to convert it to mkv (batch)

[jmallory]

1- rip the main movie from dvd using dvdfab
2- use vidcoder to convert it to mkv (batch)

Actually I've tried that comb, in fact it was one of the first tutorials I read (just replace VidCoder with Handbreak). It generates the same results as I stated in my original post.

Thanks for trying though...