What format for DVD rips?
So as part of my on-going attempts to plan a digitised home AV system, I've got to admit I'm now struggling a bit with the whole DVD ripping stuff. I've always assumed that the best approach would be to rip the DVDs to ISO format and then you could just select them and load them a bit like an online collection of DVDs.
But, no AV streamer really supports this. Yes, I know that with a WD TV Live (for example) if you put myfilm.iso and myfilm.jpg in the same folder, that you get to see cover artwork, but it all involves a rather clunky manual scroll through directories.
What I'm after is the MyMovies / MediaCenter type approach where the DVD artwork is presented, and you can then click on it to get details of the movie - with options to sort / select by genre, actor, etc. But if I do this, what format and will I lose quality or menu options from the movie? Does the latter matter?
I want to preserve quality and contents but make moves easy to find - what approach should I consider?
Good question nads.
I suppose I was thinking of a media player or media PC (htpc) - this is a little up for grabs...
I just rip my dvds like they come on the disc: video_ts and audio_ts folders, and I put those folders in a *title of the movie* folder and just put it on my Mede8er 500X2. And I add jamj tags too.
My Blu-rays, I first rip to my harddisc and then transcode into one single .m2ts file, put it in a *title of the movie* folder and again add tags.
And all that sorting/info/... is available on the mede8er.
Do you have to do that all manually - or is it automated?
dvdfabdecrypter for ripping my blu-rays and dvds, then tsmuxer to make my blu-rays one file and then mede8er's jamj version to get the wallpaper and info of the movies. So no, not exactly automated.
But the result is great though.
dvdfabdecrypter for ripping my blu-rays and dvds, then tsmuxer to make my blu-rays one file and then mede8er's jamj version to get the wallpaper and info of the movies. So no, not exactly automated.
But the result is great though.
Personally and this for me is the best and what most enthusiasts use to catalogue and organise thier content.
Download XBMC
Download DVD Shrink or DVD Decryptor for full size rips.
Then you can load all your dvd's and even have the cover art plus full information, I stongly suggest you look at XBMC and what it offers.
All the above are free downloads 
Thanks duaplex. I've looked at xbmc before and I will have another shufty...
As for the ripping, do DVD Shrink / DVD Decryptor automatically convert a DVD once placed in the drive?
Do these generate metadata tags automatically, and retriece cover art, or would I have to do that separately?
Would I have movies + artwork + metadata only, or full DVD (+menus, etc) + artwork and metadata?
Sorry to ask so many questions, just trying to get my head round things 
Download DVD Shrink or DVD Decryptor for full size rips.
Download DVD Shrink or DVD Decryptor for full size rips.
I saw that. I've got anyDvdHD - will that work with DVD Shrink?
DVD Decryptor is a simple program to use, this is why i suggested it. I use both at home, but more DVDShrink.
To answer the question, yes DVDShrink will rip DVD's in the drive, it will also read ISO files and Video TS folders.
No need to worry about Metatag data as XBMC will handle the downloading of the cover art and film/TV Show info for you. Provided you have named your files correctly i.e Dexter - Season 1 - Dexter S01E01 etc or for TV shows and for films name the folder correctly that the film is in i.e. Predator (1987) The year is optional, but essential if its a remake.
XBMC will then scrape websites you choose i.e IMDB, TVdb etc and download the content for you.
Check out youtube for XMBC and the best part is that the new build will support DTS MA and True HD pass through to your AV 
Thanks for clarifying that duaplex. (What happened to the thumbs up emoticon?)
One last thing (trying desparately not to sound like Columbo): So when DVD shrink rips a disc, is that all automatic - i.e. insert DVD, ripping proceeds and copy placed in appropriately named folder, or is manual intervention required?
Its automatic as in it creates the folders you need like the Video TS folder and Audio TS Folder. All you do is either insert disc and click back up (you can set compression settings, or have no compression) Or you go to file and open an ISO or folder. Just remember its default setting is to compress a disc, not a basd thing if you are low on drive space.
After this just put the files in a correctly names folder and let XBMC handle the rest.
Thanks again duaplex!
I suppose, ideally I'd like the ripping to create it in a correctly named folder automatically, as this would avoid any typo issues and I'd like a process that was as intervention-free as possible - so if you have to override the default compression option each time, this could be a pain.
xbmc - definitely going to have another look.
Hi,
It's worth giving MakeMKV a go. It will rip a DVD into one .mkv file which most modern media players will happily read. It will include menus etc as if you've loaded the DVD. It will also rip the latest stuff and is free whilst you keep updating it.
As others have said, .ISO files can't be read by many media players though XBMC is the obvious exception and is an excellent piece of software.
Good luck.
Cheers, Mark
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what will be playing the movies?
media PC?
Xbox
PS3
media player
or?
Not a HiFi Nut. Just has a pile of Nads.