Best way to transfer a DVD collection to a Synology NAS to play via Plex

[dzachau]

What is the best method to use to transfer my DVD collection to view via Plex and store on my Synology NAS? By best I mean the method that will give me the highest quality playback via Plex.

Thanks!

[johnmeyer]

You might get more useful and more informed replies on the Plex forum:

forums.plex.tv

The highest quality would be to simply rip the DVD and play those files because there would be zero re-encoding. Any encoding you do to MP4 or some other format will degrade the quality. It looks like the older versions of Plex didn't directly support DVD files, although that is so outrageous and stupid that I have to believe that I'm reading the specs incorrectly.

So, rip & play is what you want to do if quality is important.

[netmask56]

MakeMKV - doesn't re-encode. quality in = quality out.

[lingyi]

+1 to using MakeMKV

The only real issue with MakeMKV, which may or not be an issue to you, is that each video on your discs will be a separate file. That is, the main movie and any extras will be separate. Same with episodic discs, each episode will either be separate or if they're combined on the disc will show up that way (i.e. episode 1 and 2 in the same file).

If you want menus, the only way to retain or use them (AFAIK, no modern container, .mkv., .mp, .avi allows menus) is to rip (an exact bit for bit copy of your discs, less copy protection) to .iso (an image on your hard drive(s)) or files in folders which mimic the structure on the disc. The catch is that Plex and most other streaming software (Mezzmo did support DVD .iso when I tried it years ago) doesn't support .iso or any type of "disc image"

"Converting ISO, Video_TS, and Other Disk Image Formats

Plex does not support the use of ISO, IMG, Video_TS, BDMV, or other “disk image” formats. If you wish to use those with Plex, you should convert them to a compatible format."

Source: https://support.plex.tv/articles/201358273-converting-iso-video-ts-and-other-disk-image-formats/

If subtitles, especially formats that allow precise positioning, are important to you, Plex and AFAIK, any other streaming software may not fully support them. This is the #1 reason I don't use any type of streaming software. Precise retention of subtitle font, style and positioning is extremely important to me.

[johnmeyer]

I have not used MakeMKV, so I can't comment on that, but if you are going to rip the DVD and then feed the result to a utility that losslessly puts that into another container, then make sure you tell your ripping program to put rip each DVD title into a single VOB. If instead you end up with multiple VOBs, it can be very difficult to join those together without getting a glitch at the point where they join. The ripping program does that joining for you, and avoids that problem.

[babygdav]

It looks like the older versions of Plex didn't directly support DVD files, although that is so outrageous and stupid that I have to believe that I'm reading the specs incorrectly.

Yep, you're reading it correctly, and make that "ALL versions of Plex" can't.
Even Paid Plex can't support any direct disc rip - no ISO, VOB, etc.

One reason people jump to 100% free Kodi or MythTV - both play ALL formats including disc rips to ISO/VOB/etc, maintaining the full original disc menus and navigation to boot.

[lingyi]

I have not used MakeMKV, so I can't comment on that, but if you are going to rip the DVD and then feed the result to a utility that losslessly puts that into another container, then make sure you tell your ripping program to put rip each DVD title into a single VOB. If instead you end up with multiple VOBs, it can be very difficult to join those together without getting a glitch at the point where they join. The ripping program does that joining for you, and avoids that problem.

Iʻm guessing this in reply to my post about MakeMKV and episodic discs. My apologies for any confusion.

MakeMKV remuxes videos according to the Titlesets on DVDs and Streams on Blu-Rays. If the the video in the Titleset contains only one episode, it will be remuzed as one episode. However, if the Titleset contains two or more episodes, theyʻll be remuxed exactly as they are, two or more episodes in a single .mkv.

I brought this up as a point because there have been numerous post, some recently in threads youʻve participated in, where the poster is asking if they can rip/remux and episodic disc with MakeMKV and have the individual episodes automatically named. I answered maybe if each of the episodes is separate, unlikely if itʻs two or more episodes in a single .mkv (as it was on the original disc).

Interestingly I just found an issue with MakeMKV that is very unlikely to affect most people, but Iʻve seen it a few other times.. I just did a test on an episodic disc of shorts and DVDShrink (itʻs an .iso on my hard drive) shows 11 Titlesets. But because MakeMKV ignores any video under 120 seconds, (donʻt think thereʻs any way to change this), only four of the Titlesets are shown. This generally isnʻt a problem since most videos under 120 seconds is likely a trailer or an ad. However, in my case, the under 120 second videos are the end credits for each sort. Never been an issue since Iʻve always played the .iso and play the videos through the menu.

[netmask56]

I use MakeMKV almost exclusively and have transferred over a 1000 movies from my DVD and Blu ray collection without any problems . As I worked in the film industry on location and in a dubbing suite I've always taken an interest to see credits, old mates and sometimes myself never lost one. Generally not interested in "extra's" but if there is one of interest MakeMKV always creates a separate file that I rename to what I want. Everything is transferred onto my QNAP NAS which is available throughout the house. My playback media player is a Popcorn A-500 with NMJ jukebox software that picks up the art work and subtitles if needed. So I can either do a Movie or TV search or by genre etc etc. The A-500 plays most file formats including H265 and menu's for ISO images of discs. It has a fairly good legal representation of Blu ray menu's as well. Subtitles are handled well.

[Auditore123]

What is the best method to use to transfer my DVD collection to view via Plex and store on my Synology NAS? By best I mean the method that will give me the highest quality playback via Plex.

Thanks!

omg