transfer dvds to hard drive

[thesniper]

Hello all.
Was wondering if anyone can give me some advice on how i can transfer my dvds (some original and some are on dvdr which have been recorded from tv) onto an external hard drive, so i can watch them on a tv and a pc.
Ideally i would like to keep all my dvds on a hard instead of having dvds everywhere.
I also want to keep the quality the same as the dvd.
So please if this is possible to do, can someone give me a step by step guide.
Many thanks in advance

[Hoser Rob]

There are tons of guides here. Look in the menu to the left .

The simplest way, which is also the only way to lose no quality, is to simply use something like dvdfab hd decrypter (the free parrt of dvdfab) or makemkv (not free) to just copy the files with no reencoding. I just generally copy the main feature, and maybe the extras separately. Software players don't deal as well with dvd menus generally.

Dvdfab hd decrypter, or other similar ones, take out the copy protection and and keep the file structure in a video_ts folder on your hd. The computer does not care at all whether those dvd files are actually on a dvd or not.

Makemkv will not reencode the video either but it'll repackage it into an mkv container with any subs etc. It's an elegant solution IMO but again, it ain't free, and you may also need dvdfab to decrypt the disc first.

The only downside is you'll need a bunch of HD space. DVD9s hold over 8Gb. But compared to the difficulty of doing a good job reencoding/compressing them ... the settings are complex and there's no one size fits all great setting either ... buying more disc space is not a bad idea.

[DB83]

And the simplest way to keep the same quality is to use vob2mpg.

But I will echo what is siad above. You really must read first since all is already covered both in guides and forum topics. Else we just repeat ourselves ad-nauseum.

[Kerry56]

Makemkv is free for dvd decryption and making mkv files from them. From the MakeMKV home page:

• Functionality to open DVD discs is free and will always stay free.
• All features (including Blu-ray decryption and processing) are free during BETA.

The program has been in beta status for years now. You just need to download new beta keys each month or so. The new keys can be found in this thread: http://www.makemkv.com/forum2/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1053


This is a good solution if your equipment can play mkv files.

[hech54]

Umm....do you guys REALLY think this person knows what an MKV file is?
Seriously.

[manono]

Drag-And-Drop (assuming 'original' means created by him and they're not retail and encrypted).

[hello_hello]

MakeMKV is probably the way I'd do it for zero quality loss, as it gives you the DVD movie/episodes in a single MKV file without re-encoding anything. A PC will play them fine. Using a standalone player it'll depend on the file types it supports and the type of video it supports. For example the DVD contains mpeg2 video inside vob files, MakeMKV takes the same video and stores it in an MKV file but just because a player plays one okay doesn't mean it'll play the other. Of course if you're using a PC connected to your TV it'll play just about anything.
If you want to go that way just download MakeMKV, use it to open a DVD and post back if there's something you need help with.

Alternatively you can re-encode the DVDs using the x264 encoder and done correctly the quality loss is negligible while the resulting file sizes will be reduced considerably. I always re-encode, but it takes more time and once again it depends on the type of video your standalone player supports. Despite what's previously said I don't think there's a high degree of difficulty when it comes to re-encoding. Picking an encoder GUI and learning to use it to set up encoding jobs is probably the harder part. Most people use the x264 encoder for the actual encoding regardless of which encoding program they use, and at a high enough quality setting the x264 encoder's default settings are fine. There's no need to mess with them.

If you want to re-encode, you can use the MKVs which MakeMKV created from the original DVD as the source and pretty much any decent encoder GUI will be able to re-encode them for you. Maybe start with getting the video/audio off the disc with MakeMKV and if you decide you want to re-encode them to reduce the file size, post back for suggestion on programs to use and how to do it etc.

[misermidas]

With the software that were mentioned before, you will get .ISO files or AUDIO_TS VIDEO_TS folders that you will be able to play on your computer with VLC just the same way as a plastic and aluminium DVD.
Few or no stand alone media players will be able to play them this way.
Some media players can play movie .VOB files that are in the VIDEO_TS folders well.
If your hardware are recent, you can use a HDMI link between your PC and your TV to watch your PC files on Your TV.
You can also burn back you files to DVD with ImgBurn when you want to watch them with a DVD player.
All of this is lossless.

[thesniper]

thanks for all the replies. I have downloaded a movie to a memory stick, and then get 2 folders, 1 is audio_ts and the other is video_ts.
But then i cant play them back, I have divx on pc and can also play divx through my dvd player but how do i get the fill to divx?
or am i just doing something wrong? i tried this by using dvdfab9.
Many thanks again

[steptoe]

If you intend to simply backup the entire DVD for storage, then use IMGBurn to create an 'image' of the full DVD. Most decent software players will see the image as a DVD and play it as normal. Also there are a few media players that will treat the image as a disc, we have a 3 year old PlayOn Media Player that does exactly that

If you want to keep the DVDs, but don't want the hassle of playing them all the time, then you can use MakeMKV to 'rip' the film/episode onto your computer. BUT for episode DVDs each episode is a totally separate file

If you want to reduce the space they take, then use something like VidCoder which is pretty simple to use and will do what you want without you having to know how or why it does it, just that it does

For commercial DVDs you will also need something that can remove the disc copy protections, its legal as you own the originals

Have a look at these, everything listed here is 100% FREE and works for FREE, for extra functionality then you have to pay. But only for the DVD protection copiers


http://www.dvdfab.com/passkey-lite.htm
http://www.slysoft.com/en/anydvdhd.html

http://www.imgburn.com/
http://vidcoder.codeplex.com/

[thesniper]

Have tried MakeMKV, transfered movie to flash stick but when tried to play on pc said file unrecognised. What am i doing wrong?
Have tried imgburn got error message: sorry,using read mode to create an image file from a multi-track dvd-r disc is not supported. Instead use build mode to create a new clean image based on the contents of disc. What does this mean?
Also it wont copy an orginal says copyright protected, whats the best program for this. Sorry to be a pain... Just need help!!!!

[Hoser Rob]

You didn't specify what you're plugging the flash drive into. If it's your tv not, not all files would be compatible.

I recommended dvdfab hd decrypter. At great length.

You apparently can't be bothered to actually read what people took the time to write. Let alone any of the recommended guides.

Good luck. Bye.

[hello_hello]

It sounds like using Windows Media Player might what you're doing wrong, but which version of Windows and which player are you using?

MPC-HC should play MKVs right out of the box. If MakeMKV has created an MKV from a DVD then the MKVs should be playable using many different players, but if MPC-HC won't play them I'd be astounded.

I think you've received so many different replies it's confusing you. Whether or not I'm about to confuse you more, I don't know.....

There's probably other options for ripping (ripping only, not converting) copy protected discs besides these ones, but these are the most common choices:

-MakeMKV for free ripping of DVDs to MKV files.
-DVDFab HD Decryptor is the free part of DVDFab. I find it a bloated mess so I don't use it but I think it's free DVD ripper is actually under it's "DVD Copy" menu and not the "DVD Ripping" menu. Sigh.... However it should rip the whole disc or let you select just the movie.
-DVDFab Passkey. Not free. It sits in the background decrypting, allowing you to open an encrypted disc using almost any software. I don't know if it also rips.
-AnyDVD. Not free. It sits in the background decrypting as DVDFab Passkey does. It'll rip a whole disc to your hard drive.

Popular software which is no longer updated and therefore won't handle some of the newer DVD Copy protections (they still work fine with many discs, especially older ones, and of course unprotected discs), but they will generally work fine with AnyDVD (or DVDFab passkey, I assume) running in the backgound.
-RipIt4Me.
-DVD Decrypter
-DVDShrink

Most people probably rip the DVD files to their hard drive in the original format but it's also possible to rip them to a single ISO file with some software. You can think of an ISO file as being similar to a big zip file, only for disc images. I don't use ImgBurn but I suspect that's what it was trying to do, however I don't know the difference between it's "read" and " build" modes.
Some media players/encoders will open and play/encode ISO files just like the original disc.

If you rip the DVDs to a folder full of files on your hard drive (lots of vts and vob files etc) as long as the DVD is ripped correctly any decent media player should be able to play them. In the case of MPC-HC you'd use the "File/Open DVD" menu and MPC-HC will open the folder and play it as though it's a DVD. If you ripped the entire disc (not just the movie) it should display all the original DVD menus as if it's playing the original disc.

Most free conversion programs won't work with copy protected discs. You need to "rip" the DVD files to your hard drive as described above first. Unlike all the free conversion programs, the conversion programs you pay for will often open copy protected discs (no need to rip them first) but ironically most of the popular free conversion programs will do a better job at converting, which is why most people here rip with one program and convert with another. Conversion (re-encoding) is probably a seperate topic. First you need to worry about getting the fils off the DVDs and onto your hard drive. Hopefully the above will help unconfuse you a little.

[hello_hello]

You apparently can't be bothered to actually read what people took the time to write. Let alone any of the recommended guides.

The whole subject can be quite daunting at first, and it's easy to miss things or not understand things when there's different advice being offered by different posters and you're a novice. Let me provide you with an example....

Have tried MakeMKV, transfered movie to flash stick but when tried to play on pc said file unrecognised.

You didn't specify what you're plugging the flash drive into.

And it's easy for even regular posters to make mistakes. How does a novice decide whether the information others took the time to write is correct?

The simplest way, which is also the only way to lose no quality, is to simply use something like dvdfab hd decrypter (the free parrt of dvdfab) or makemkv (not free)

[petesimon]

wow! read the DVD Backup articles > newbie tips
https://www.videohelp.com/dvdbackup#6;42

and read some of these DVD backup guides

Install MPC-HC player software https://www.videohelp.com/download/mplayerc_homecinema.1.6.5.6366.x86.exe
*or*
SMplayer software https://www.videohelp.com/download/smplayer-0.8.3-win32.exe
but recommend to not install both

[hello_hello]

Install MPC-HC player software https://www.videohelp.com/download/mplayerc_homecinema.1.6.5.6366.x86.exe
*or*
SMplayer software https://www.videohelp.com/download/smplayer-0.8.3-win32.exe
but recommend to not install both

I've got to ask..... why not?

[hech54]

Again....yet another thread where too many geniuses bombarded the newbie with WAY too much information, and all without the newbie saying specifically what he intends to play this stuff on.

[thesniper]

hi
have read your comments and those of others, but i have said what i intend to do.
My aim is to transfer all my dvds some are orginals and some are dvd-r recorded from sky onto a external hard drive or memory sticks so as i can watch these films on either a pc or through my dvd player which is linked to my tv. My dvd player has a usb input socket.
By transfering my dvds to a hard drive i could then get rid of my dvds.
I have checked through this site looking for guides but cant find what im looking for.
Just need someone to put me on the right track and maybe give me a step by step guide.
Can you help?
Cheers

[petesimon]

Again....yet another thread where too many geniuses bombarded the newbie with WAY too much information, and all without the newbie saying specifically what he intends to play this stuff on.

i want to click the "Like" button. I think an extension or feature could be enabled in vBulletin for this. haha

[hello_hello]

hi
have read your comments and those of others, but i have said what i intend to do.
My aim is to transfer all my dvds some are orginals and some are dvd-r recorded from sky onto a external hard drive or memory sticks so as i can watch these films on either a pc or through my dvd player which is linked to my tv. My dvd player has a usb input socket.

Well actually this is the first time you mentioned the ability to watch the ripped DVDs via a USB input on your DVD player as being a prerequisite. No mention of it in your original post. You made a vague reference in a later post to divx on your PC and DVD player which didn't quite make sense until now but nothing else regarding a DVD player which I recall. You mentioned wanting to watch the ripped files on your TV but these days that in no way implies using a DVD player.

Trying to rip your DVDs to a hard drive while keeping the original quality and still being able to use your DVD player's USB input to play them might actually be impossible. Can you at least drag out the DVD player's manual to see if it tells you what type of video it supports via it's USB input?
Personally before I attempted any of this I'd be dumping the DVD player and buying a standalone/multimedia player which is a little less of a relic from the dark ages. Even a USB capable Bluray player would be a better option but there's plenty of reasonably priced multimedia players which will play all the common formats and video types via USB. You'd just hook one up to your TV and connect your hard drive.