DVD films to hard drive?

[RockCassette]

Hello,
what is the best solution to save DVD films on an hard drive?
I would like to store some DVDs to my NAS so I can watch them on device without a dvd reader.
For long lasting (and technology changing), is better to save as iso or ifo or what else?

My idea is to use the old fashioned DVD decrypter.

Regards,
R.

[lingyi]

Rip to .ISO (.ifo is part of the DVD file structure and not a container) with DVDFab if you want to retain the menus and disc structure. This will give you an exact bit for bit copy of the DVD with no quality loss. DVDFab has a 30 day trial, after which the Blu-Ray ripping portion goes away, but the DVD ripping portion remains free. Don't use DVDDecrypter unless your DVDs are pre-2005 (the last release data for DVDDecrypter) as it won't work on most copy protection schemes post 2005. DVDFab is continually updated to defeat the constantly updated copy protection schemes (though most DVD protection schemes aren't updated anymore).

An .ISO, being a container is universally able to be read my any PC or Mac, however some devices, such as some Android software and streaming software like Plex aren't able to properly play/stream an .ISO.

Since you're planning on using a NAS, you're probably better off using MakeMKV and converting your discs to .MKV (also a container). MakeMKV will RIP and REMUX (place your videos into the MKV container) without any quality loss. The downside to .MKV or any current video container is it doesn't support menus and each video (main movie, trailers, extras) will be a separate file.

The upside is that MakeMKV is free and constantly updated to defeat the latest copy protection schemes. Though it may take months for the latest discs.

A note about RIP. Despite common usage such as "I'm going to rip my disc to a 1GB MP4!", the original and to me the ONLY definition of a RIP is an exact bit for bit copy of the original video/audio from the disc. When the contents of the disc are compressed to a smaller size, it's encoding/reencoding in addition to a RIP, so a two part process, RIP and encode, losing quality in the process.

[RockCassette]

Fortunatelly I discover that these DVDs are not protected. Probably they decide that such protections cost money and people are able to rip them anyway.
I did .iso and file mode with DVD Decrypter as I have a spare old hard drive, which can contains both versions.

[lordsmurf]

DVD Decryper still works for most DVDs, and I also use ISO mode to extract a perfect copy. All of my DVDs are currently on five 5tb Seagate portable drives. So my entire DVD collection is now smaller than a single DVD box set. All of the DVDs are in file/banker boxes in a closet.

My WDTVs all read the ISOs, and I plug the drive into the player in the room where I want to watch the show.

[lingyi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RockCassette

Fortunatelly I discover that these DVDs are not protected. Probably they decide that such protections cost money and people are able to rip them anyway.
I did .iso and file mode with DVD Decrypter as I have a spare old hard drive, which can contains both versions.

Yes, most non U.S. and U.K. DVDs don't have protection because the licensing costs money.

Since they're not protected, you might try using DVDShrink. I haven't used DVDDecrypter in years, so don't remember how/if you can select what you want to RIP, but with DVDShrink it's easy to exclude anything you don't want, additional audio tracks, subtitles, trailers, extras, even menus* if you want. What it doesn't do, or at least not easy to do, is remove the warnings preceding the start of the movie. As I recall, it's easy to do with DVDDecrypter.

*I don't like menus and only keep it if the DVD is episodic like a series or collection. Trailers and extras can still be accessed, though not directly without the menu. Just skip to the next video when viewing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordsmurf

All of the DVDs are in file/banker boxes in a closet.

In a plastic bag, with silica, inside another plastic bag, inside another black box, in a room with a dehumidifier?

Sorry, somewhat inside joke that I couldn't pass up!

[Formica]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lingyi

In a plastic bag, with silica, inside another plastic bag, inside another black box, in a room with a dehumidifier?

Sorry, somewhat inside joke that I couldn't pass up!

But some of the actors in these movies on the DVD will die after the DVDs are burned? True or false?

[lingyi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Formica

But some of the actors in these movies on the DVD will die after the DVDs are burned? True or false?

True. No. False. No. Mmmm...maybe?

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Formica

will die

I'm not fond of morbid jokes. Death isn't funny.

A funnier joke would be to ask if burning these DVDs steals the souls of the actors.

[Formica]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordsmurf

I'm not fond of morbid jokes. Death isn't funny.

A funnier joke would be to ask if burning these DVDs steals the souls of the actors.

I meant die eventually. Not as a result of burning the DVD.

Actors have no souls — they can't be stolen.