Which Transcoding Tools Produce The Best Picture Quality.

I want to make sure I understand correctly...you spend the day ripping several DVD's w/ Decrypter and then set up DVD-RB to batch process all of them while you sleep? If I've understood correctly, how do you set up this batch process?

 

A couple of other questions:

1. What is the difference between DTS and ACS w/ regard to audio files?

2. In terms of quality, if I am watching a DVD on a high end home theater system, big plasma screen...the works, will I be able to see the difference between the original and a backup using the DVD-RB/CCE method?

 

I see...

What is the story regarding "batch processing"? I assume it's in your advanced guide...which I haven't made it thru yet (unable to load all the software; it appears Doom9's forum is down)

Also, is it advisable to decrypt one disc while rebuilding another?

 

[bold]is it advisable to decrypt one disc while rebuilding another?[/bold]

The CPU runs at a constant 100% during encode, so overall system perfomance will drop, and you might even get a freeze. The safe advice while doing any encodoing or burning with any program is to leave the computer alone. This is what makes batch processing such a nice feature, because you can schedule it to run while you sleep, go to work, etc.

Batch processing is an option/feature on RB's File pull-down menu. You can load a sequence of jobs to encode. There are some instructions on this thread: http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/6/97052#524935

 

Doc,

I went thru the thread and was unable to figure it out...when clicking "add" in the Batch Process section it wants you to identify a .rbd file...I couldn't locate one

???

 

so I need to open up rebuilder, select an individual source and desination folder for a particular project and then save the project? And then once I've saved all the projects I intend to do, I then add them to the batch?

 

Dr_John

When you save you'll give each project a name, I just name then project1, project2 and so on. When your done go click batch and it will open a window to your right, then click add and look for your saved projects (project1 and 2) once thats done just click process and go to bed.
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Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." Sherlock Holmes (by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1859-1930)[/small]

 

Sounds good...I'll give it a shot when I get home.

Soph, from reading some of your previous posts, it sounds like your methodoloy is to do the encoding in the evening, save all of the projects, batch'em and let them process w/ rebuilder overnight, then burn them the next day...does that sound about right?

A couple of follow ups:
-Are the terms "encode/decypher/rip" synonomous terms?

-Does Decrypter do anything special that Shrink does not do? I seems to me the ideal method would be to use shrink w/ no compression if you're doing a movie only backup. Is there a better/faster program that does the same job while allowing you to pick and choose what to back up?

-Just to confirm my understanding, the encoding/decyphering/ripping process has nothing to do w/ quality so long as it's not compressed...correct? Same w/ burning? Quality is dependent on the rebuilding process only?

 

Well...I believe I see why my second attempt didn't work either. I started out in Batch mode, entered my source and working path files, and then was prompted for a Directory destination/folder and a .rbd file name...which I entered. This doesn't work!!! In my second attempt I did the same, but gave each .rbd file a different directory folder, and this didn't work.

It didn't occur to me to actually "Save" (Ref: the File pull-down) each source and working file combo as a project, in which DVD-RB actually gives the PROJECT.RBD choice. Then all one has to do is add a number to it. After this part, going into Batch mode and adding the PROJECT1.RBD, etc., makes sense.

jdobbs quote:
[bold]]Before saving the project files, make sure the output directory is unique for each project. Before DVD-RB processes a unit, it clears the specified output directory.[/bold]

QUESTION:
If I understand this correctly, I should also give each saved PROJECT#.RBD a unique directory folder, such as C:\Batch1, C:\Batch2, C:\Batch3, etc? It sounds like if PROJECT1.RBD, etc. all end up in the C:\Batch1 at the start, only the last file will remain?

This is definitely going into the FAQ's.

 

DOH!
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Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." Sherlock Holmes (by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1859-1930)[/small]

 

Dr_John

Be sure that each saved file is also given a destination folder.

My method:
1. open source file
2. choose destination (working path)
3. save project
4. do the same for each project and name them 1,2,3 and so on. (you will note that the files will look like this project1.drb)

5. Go to file select batch and the window to the right will open, click add, and add your projects then click process and go to bed.

long encodes are annoying when you have to do them while you would also like to use your PC, but I can start encoding at 11 and 5 to 6 AM two movies are done. In a way this is more convenient than the faster 1 click transcoders because you have to be there to change each transcode.

Give it a practice run, you can cancel at any point but if you follow these directions and it begins to encode then you've got it.

_

 

Sounds good...thank you, sir...

BTW, anybody know what's going on w/ Doom9's forum? or better yet, where else I can get the software referanced in Vurbal's advanced DVD-RB/CCE guide?

 

Let me know how it works. I've never used CCE SP so I have no clue as to where you can download those file other than doom9.org.

Doc yes more or less.

My destination and source folders are in my C:\ drive root directory but DVD-RB defaults the .drb files to "MY DOCUMENTS Folder on your desktop," and I see no reason to change that since that is what will open first when I try to access them

 

Here's how I do it:

1. I have a special hard drive for video (D. I've created a directory called d:\iso and another called d:\dvds. Under that directory I have several called d:\dvds\keep1, d:\dvds\keep2, etc.

2. I've loaded Daemon Tools (free for personal use) on my video processing computer so I can mount ISO images. So when I use DVD Decrypter, I load it onto my hard as an ISO image and put it in the d:\iso directory.

3. I mount the images of the DVDs I intend to back up. They might be drives E:, F:, and G: for instance.

4. I setup DVD-RB the way I want it (passes, CCE, AVS, etc.) and load the VIDEO_TS of each DVD, point the output to one of d:\dvds\keep1 - keepx. Then save the project in d:\dvds with a name that represents the title (Like "d:\dvds\matrix.rdb").

5. Before hitting the sack, or before going out, I run DVD-RB in batch mode, load all the .RDB files - push "Process" and walk away.

6. When it's done I use burning software (B's Recorder Gold, only because it came with my burner) to create the backup.


Added: If it turns out to be a DVD-5 anyway, I can skip steps 3-6 and just burn the ISO directly with DVD Decrypter.

 

jdobbs

Just when you think you've got it worked out along comes someone with another way of doing it. Vurbal's got me thinking RB-farm, and I thought to get around that with a Dual Pentium server system.

Is there a chance of failure the way I'm doing it? If so I'd like to know before I find out the hard way.

Your method is interesting, I'll give that a shot when my new PC is ready. My sons PC needed a new hard disk so I gave him one of mine, largely because I'm building a new system around October. I'm waiting for the new Hitachil 300 gig 10,000 rpm to come out.

Curious, why ISO files? Is there a benefit or more a preference?

 

Your way should work fine. I was just throwing out my own way of organizing. I like ISO files for no reason other than is saves me confusion if I have a lot of DVDs on my drive at one time. Since I do a lot of testing, I keep several on the drive all the time that I know are challenging in different ways (BOV, many VTSs, or unreferenced video, etc.). When they all have similar structure and all you can see are VTSs -- you end up playing VTS_01_0.VOB all the time to see what movie it is...

 

jdobbs

Thanks for your reply and I can see how a single ISO file would be easier to keep track of on crowded hard disk. I also wanted to know just in case my information was flawed so that I don't mess someone up unintentionally.