Hello all. Thanks to the advice on this forum, I am now loving my Serviio based DLNA setup at home. We are definitely going discless. Now I want to try and do the same with Blu-ray. I own several hundred DVDs. Here is what I do with DVDs. -Using AnyDVD and CloneDVD, I create a perfect quality disc copy minus menus, previews, extras, etc. I then combine all the VOB files from the new disc into a single VOB using VOBMerge. The single VOB file is stored on my Serviio based media server, and the disc copy is used for travel, kids handheld players, etc. Space is not an issue. This is working perfectly. The playback device/DLNA client on each of my TVs is a samsung bd-c or d 6500 Blu-ray player. -I want to do basically the same thing with Blu-ray discs. I'll probably make the copied disc in this case a dual layer DVD to make it more portable using BD Rebuilder. Where I'm struggling, is how to make the lossless copy to my media server for home playback. I've read bits and pieces on this subject, but I cannot find anything that seems to be exactly what I am looking for. I would want to strip out the junk (similar to what I do above with DVDs), but I want the copy on my PC to be perfect quality. I would prefer not to re-encode if possible. I'm really hoping there is a process out there similar to what I'm doing with DVDs. I'll have to buy a little bit of hardware (Blu-ray player for my PC at least), so I want to make sure I have a chance at doing what I am trying to do. Thanks for the help! -Matthew
Issue solved. I bit the bullet and went ahead and bought the PC blu ray drive to try it out. It was very easy. There is a single m2ts file that is the entire movie beginning to end with no extra fluff. Very cool.
How or what are you using to get the movies from your Hard Disk Drive to your TV? I am looking to do this too, with no loss of quality on audio or video.
I'm wanting to do the same thing. I want to stream to my PS3 as I'm doing with my DVD's now, just as you explained. I am using PS3 Media Server (PMS) to stream video content from my XP PC through my PS3 to my 1080P TV. Is Serviio better than PMS? What BluRay drive did you purchase? Internal or External? What program do you use to backup the Blu Ray vids and is this program how you get to a single m2ts? I'm sorry for hijacking this thread but I'm wanting to do exactly what you're doing. I have 2 large 1080P flat screen that I rarely use to view 1080P content and I want to change that. Any help would be greatly appreciated
I can't comment on PMS. Serviio is great, but it is the only one I have worked extensively with. Any Blu Ray drive should be fine. I have 1 external and 1 internal (both LG) and they work great. Assuming you own the DVD, you then use AnyDVD HD to rip the blue ray. Some discs will have 1 large m2ts file that is obviously the movie file. Others you will have to 'find' the right files. I use BDInfo to find the right playlist and then us TSMuxer. I point it at the playlist I want.
I can tell you both an easier option to get a 1:1 backup of just the feature film, use MakeMKV for those that want to use it just for DVD's it is free. To use the Blu-ray backup function you will have to pay to keep using it but they give you a very generous trial to try it out. This program will take a DVD and with one click will put out just the main movie in an MKV, it will do the same with Blu-rays. This will save you time backing the DVD up then joining the vobs, the MKV container also uses a little less space then M2TS and VOB container.
Yes, nothing is converted. In fact if you click on the highlighted MakeMKV and scroll down it says "Preserves all video and audio tracks, including HD audio" among other things. The only thing this program does is take the audio and video tracks and put it into a MKV container.
I thought I posted this last night, but I don't see it. I guess there is always a trade off. With the MKV, I can't fast forward or rewind with my Samsung BD-C6500. I can with a VOB file. Of course, my newer BD-D6500 can't even fast forward or rewind a VOB file! I'm thinking it may be time to ditch these. I'm looking for a affordable Blu-ray player that can properly play (ff, rew, etc) MKV files. I need it to be compatible with Serviio, and have a full Netflix (not instant only) interface. At first search, it looks like the OPPO BDP-93 may be my best bet. Any thoughts?
I think instead of upgrading the Blu-ray player get yourself a media player like a Boxee Box from Dlink they are a lot cheaper and you get the full Netflix interface. I personally use both XBMC and Boxee software. The cool thing as well with Boxee is if you do a network share with the folders your media is in and tell Boxee where to look, it will scan your TV shows and movies in and load the box art and plot information. I would give that a look over, you can even try the software on your PC just search for Boxee.
Seems like other have problems playing MKVs on the Boxee too: http://forums.boxee.tv/showthread.php?t=12432
So far Boxee has been playing my MakeMKV files fine after I have paused or skipped forward or backwards. Like I said download the Boxee software and try it with the MakwMKV files to see if they play right. Also Boxee supports the Boxee Box more then the free software for the PC side. So far I tried Lost, King of the Hill, and Home Improvement rips from MakeMKV skipping in about 4 minutes then pausing and hitting play again all working no audio sync issues.
Thanks. I will play with it on a PC. The form factor of the cube is a little odd... It wouldn't fit at all for me, but I could try and get creative if I had to. Thanks for the info.
Sorry, last reply today The Oppo player "does not support Dolby Digital TrueHD or DTS-HD Master in a MKV container" Can you tell me if the Boxee does? I've read a lot more about it, and it does appear that it is an awesome device for streaming video. Some of the negative reviews I was reading appear to be from an older firmware. Thanks again for all the info!!!
Yes it appears to do so, in the settings for audio you have to select Dolby TrueHD and or DTS-HD capable receiver.
My test with a PC last night was awesome. It was night and day compared toa a DLNA setup. Boxee could play everything. When I tried over a wireless instead of wired connection, it buffered when needed instead of just totally puking. I will order a Boxee box. I hate the form factor, but if you say they support the Boxee Box better than the free stuff, that is what I will get.
