Dvd Ripping Software

[endure]

I'm in the process of setting up a home server one of whose uses will be to store all of the DVDs I've bought for easy access through a media player. Two questions:

1. Is it better to store them as VOBs or as an ISO image. The media player will handle either.

2. What DVD ripping software would you recommend to do this? I've tried the freebie version of DVDFab but it always seems to rip audio at quite a low level so I have to jack the sound up on my TV to be able to hear the soundtrack.

TIA for any answers.

[justsumhelp]

Depends on what kind of quality is required for the playback, the size of the storage space, and the media player. I watch 700mb avi's all the time on a 42" tv through a playstation and the quality is just fine. What operating system are you using to rip the dvd's, do you need subtitles hardcoded? more details, the better the answer you will get.

[endure]

There'll be 4TB of storage available. I do have lots of 700Mb avi files as well but I'd like to keep the original quality of the DVDs. I'm quite happy just to rip the main movie rather than all the other bits and bobs. I'll be ripping from a Windows 7 machine direct to the server which is running Windows Home Server 2011. The only time I'll need subs is on non-English DVDs. I have a fair number of these.

[justsumhelp]

http://www.imgburn.com/

There'll be 4TB of storage available. I do have lots of 700Mb avi files as well but I'd like to keep the original quality of the DVDs. I'm quite happy just to rip the main movie rather than all the other bits and bobs. I'll be ripping from a Windows 7 machine direct to the server which is running Windows Home Server 2011. The only time I'll need subs is on non-English DVDs. I have a fair number of these.

[Darrel]

" I've tried the freebie version of DVDFab but it always seems to rip audio at quite a low level so I have to jack the sound up on my TV to be able to hear the soundtrack."

Something wrong there. A proper rip will keep the original AC3 sound with no modification to the level at all (and no video compression either), and DVDFab will do that job fine. Check your settings.

Or it may be the settings on your playback device.

I would always rip to vob/ifo files. There is no advantage in ripping to iso, especially if you want to remove the extras and menus etc.

[Sam Drucker]

I would always rip to vob/ifo files. There is no advantage in ripping to iso, especially if you want to remove the extras and menus etc.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't ripping to .iso preserve the structure and full functionality of the original DVD, with features such as menus, chapter selection, bonus material, subtitles, and additional audio languages? I understand that the OP stated he didn't need the "extras", but these features would be lost by going to .vob files, right? Or is there another alternative to ripping a DVD that preserves these DVD features?

I currently have numerous DVDs stored as .iso files. Ultimately, I'd like to put them all on a streaming playback system such as the Western Digital WD TV Live. That would give nice playback without cranking up a full computer, similar to using a DVR. I know that WD system could not handle (at least originally) the .iso files. Anybody have any ideas retaining DVD functionality, yet getting a file-type that could be played back on the WD TV Live (or some similar product?)

[Sateev]

I would always rip to vob/ifo files. There is no advantage in ripping to iso, especially if you want to remove the extras and menus etc.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't ripping to .iso preserve the structure and full functionality of the original DVD, with features such as menus, chapter selection, bonus material, subtitles, and additional audio languages? I understand that the OP stated he didn't need the "extras", but these features would be lost by going to .vob files, right? Or is there another alternative to ripping a DVD that preserves these DVD features?

I currently have numerous DVDs stored as .iso files. Ultimately, I'd like to put them all on a streaming playback system such as the Western Digital WD TV Live. That would give nice playback without cranking up a full computer, similar to using a DVR. I know that WD system could not handle (at least originally) the .iso files. Anybody have any ideas retaining DVD functionality, yet getting a file-type that could be played back on the WD TV Live (or some similar product?)

I have exactly the setup you describe, and WDTV Live CAN play .iso files, although you might have to access them through the file system, rather than the media server function. Just a slightly different path through the menu. And for the reasons you describe, I ALWAYS rip to .iso, which I can load with DVD CloneDrive, and process into a different format, if desired. I use AnyDVD to rip them.

The only problem with .iso files is that they are HUGE: many movies are over 5GB. By using Handbrake to process them down to .mp4, they end up well under 1GB, and are still quite good quality-wise. I keep the .iso files on a separate drive, and the .mp4 files on my server, which can stream them.

[Darrel]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't ripping to .iso preserve the structure and full functionality of the original DVD, with features such as menus, chapter selection, bonus material, subtitles, and additional audio languages?

All that is preserved within the VIDEO_TS folder containing the IFOs and VOBs. You will lose nothing and all media players I know of can read the IFO/VOBs directly from the VIDEO_TS folder.

ISO is merely a sort of wrapper for these folders and files. But it is a wrapper than some (many?) media players cant play until it is mounted.

Ripping to IFO/VOB avoids the need to mount the disk before playing.

Edited December 19, 2011 by Darrel

[manarak]

What was written about ISO vs VOB is true. I'd go with VOB - that is, if I wanted to keep the menus and the bloat.

But I don't bother with the menus and "extras" on most DVDs. I rip to H264 format and the quality is fine while reducing a 90 minute movie to approx 700 to 900 MB.

Saves a lot of space.

[Lannig]

I know that's really old stuff, but DVD Decrypter + Auto Gordian Knot usually do a good job for me.

DVD Decrypter will let you select what parts from the DVD and what languages you want to keep, and store them as VOBs in a way that some DVD players can play them directly. My old WinDVD 5 can provided I save them to a folder called VIDEO_TS, although my equally old PowerDVD 6 can't.

Auto Gordian Knot will do the AVI rip from DVD Decrypter's output (it cannot rip directly from DVD).

Both are freeware.

Note: I know DVD Decrypter can't handle many recent copy-protected DVDs. I've mostly used DVD-D+AGK to rip DVDs bought on the street, given that those are so well manufactured that they often become unreadable after a few months.

[endure]

What was written about ISO vs VOB is true. I'd go with VOB - that is, if I wanted to keep the menus and the bloat.

But I don't bother with the menus and "extras" on most DVDs. I rip to H264 format and the quality is fine while reducing a 90 minute movie to approx 700 to 900 MB.

Saves a lot of space.

What do you use to rip them with please?

[manarak]

What was written about ISO vs VOB is true. I'd go with VOB - that is, if I wanted to keep the menus and the bloat.

But I don't bother with the menus and "extras" on most DVDs. I rip to H264 format and the quality is fine while reducing a 90 minute movie to approx 700 to 900 MB.

Saves a lot of space.

What do you use to rip them with please?

I use any DVD converter pro

http://www.any-video-converter.com/support/faqs/dvd_faqs.php

[endure]

Cheers.

[nikster]

What was written about ISO vs VOB is true. I'd go with VOB - that is, if I wanted to keep the menus and the bloat.

But I don't bother with the menus and "extras" on most DVDs. I rip to H264 format and the quality is fine while reducing a 90 minute movie to approx 700 to 900 MB.

Saves a lot of space.

I generally find the 1.5GB size H264 to be of good quality. 700MB still has a lot of artifacting - e.g. the darks will be heavily pixelated and so on. Some people never notice - good for them.

Totally agree with the bloat though - most of the "extras" on the DVDs are stuff that I don't want, most recently on a DVD bought by my wife:

- Watch the movie studio logo appear (FFWD is locked)

- Watch the FBI warning (FFWD is locked, have to see that important message in its entirety).

- Watch some ads for other movies - thankfully FFWD works

- Finally.... wait, that's not the movie, that's the DVD "menu", which also has a little movie before it even appears.

- Look at the colorful bits and pieces on screen, find and press the play button.

Compare with any AVI/mp4: Press play. Movie starts.

The DVD experience is much worse than a plan movie file.

[MJo]

For those who are interested. AC Ryan Playon HD2 supports and plays ISO files just like any other formats.

[lomatopo]

When you play .iso files through a media player can you access the DVD menu, say to select sub-titles?

I can play .iso files on a PC platform, using VLC or WMP, but cannot access the "audio" sub-menu. If I (re-)burn the .iso (PowerISO) and play that DVD then the full menu structure is present as in the original.

[manarak]

What was written about ISO vs VOB is true. I'd go with VOB - that is, if I wanted to keep the menus and the bloat.

But I don't bother with the menus and "extras" on most DVDs. I rip to H264 format and the quality is fine while reducing a 90 minute movie to approx 700 to 900 MB.

Saves a lot of space.

I generally find the 1.5GB size H264 to be of good quality. 700MB still has a lot of artifacting - e.g. the darks will be heavily pixelated and so on. Some people never notice - good for them.

Yes, it can depend.

The less detail the original movie contains and the less fast movements, the smaller the re-encoded file will be.

I agree that movies like transformers are rather in the 1.2 to 1.3 GB range.

[Shurup]

Using DVD Shrink if I want VOB files. It can rip the DVD in original quality or shrink it to a smaller size. It removes all the prohibited user operations (like that FBI warning and such), you can choose which languages, subtitels and audio streems to keep. Removes the DVD zone as well. Very snappy and easy to use. My fav and I tried a lot of different software.

Using Handbrake if I need mp4 file. I don't try to squeeze a 2 hr movie into a 700 mb file, it's not gonna look good no mater what software you use. I normally set 1 Gb per hr and it makes awesonme quality rips.

Tried many others but stopped on these 2. Honestly, not using VOB files as often anymore, so much easier to use mp4 files and you can save the subtitles and multiple audio streems in there.

Tried AG Knot (Auto Gordon Knot) mentioned above, good soft but it can't rip copyprotected DVDs so not good for me.