Ripping DVDs

[Ninko 63]

Hi,

I'm looking to ripping my DVDs using Handbrake so I can stream them using Emby.

I find all the settings go right over my head so I'm tending to stick with the presets.

I know I need to go with a 576p preset as I'm in a PAL area but I just can't decide witch of the 4 levels to go with,

Super HQ

HQ

Fast

Very Fast

Any thoughts are very welcome!

 

Thanks

[RobWayBro 27]

My understanding is Super HQ will take the most time to transcode (encode?) and have the largest file size, but will have the highest quality and progressively lower time/quality/file size as you go down the scale.  I could be mistaken though.

 

For the most part, I just stay with Fast and have not had an issue.

Edited February 9, 2019 by RobWayBro

[Oracle 74]

Use MakeMKV and then convert it with Handbrake. Just my personal reccomendation.

 

Much, much quicker.

[RobWayBro 27]

Use MakeMKV and then convert it with Handbrake. Just my personal reccomendation.

 

Much, much quicker.

Humm, will have to explore...  thanks

[One2Go 98]

Why would you want to encode the DVDs? Do you have a client that does not play back MPEG2?

 

All I do is open up mkvMerge and then open up the first VOB file and then use append for all the other VOB files. This way you get all the audio and video parts from the DVD in to a MKV container and you don't re-encode an already not so good video quality. However your playback device has to be able to play back MPEG2 video formats and AC3 audio formats. If you are in the Apple eco system you may up the creek with no paddle.

Edited February 9, 2019 by One2Go

[WilhelmStroker 96]

Why would you want to encode the DVDs? Do you have a client that does not play back MPEG2?

 

All I do is open up mkvMerge and then open up the first VOB file and then use append for all the other VOB files. This way you get all the audio and video parts from the DVD in to a MKV container and you don't re-encode an already not so good video quality. However your playback device has to be able to play back MPEG2 video formats and AC3 audio formats. If you are in the Apple eco system you may up the creek with no paddle.

 

I prefer MP4 mainly because it plays on all my devices and on the devices of the people I share with, so I use the same MakeMKV -> Handbrake trick as mentioned earlier in the thread. 

[Ninko 63]

@@Arly (Sprinkles), Why would using MakeMKV followed by Handbrake be much faster then just using Handbrake?

[RobWayBro 27]

I just tried this combo and it is tremendously faster.  MakeMKV just does a good, quick rip from the DVD and Handbrake can then process the mkv file on the harddrive at over 450 frames per second, for me, using IntelQSV.  When using handbrake to rip from DVD, I am lucky if I get 80FPS.  Subtitle scan from DVD would take upwards of 30 minutes, now the subtitle scan is done in seconds.

[Oracle 74]

I just tried this combo and it is tremendously faster.  MakeMKV just does a good, quick rip from the DVD and Handbrake can then process the mkv file on the harddrive at over 450 frames per second, for me, using IntelQSV.  When using handbrake to rip from DVD, I am lucky if I get 80FPS.  Subtitle scan from DVD would take upwards of 30 minutes, now the subtitle scan is done in seconds.

 

 

@@Arly (Sprinkles), Why would using MakeMKV followed by Handbrake be much faster then just using Handbrake?

Read above quoted comment.

[Ninko 63]

Oh right ok, I'll have to give that a try!

In the mean time, any other thoughts on which preset to use in Handbrake?

I want to keep the quality of the DVD but I'm not sure what's basically overkill.

Thanks

[jasonmcroy 315]

Personally I wouldn't run it through Handbrake at all. Using Makemkv gives you a 1:1 rip with no alterations. I would only use HB if you're trying to make the file size smaller. If I am not mistaken DVD's size isn't that big anyway. 

 

I do this way with my Blu ray and keep the quality at it's best.

[One2Go 98]

Personally I wouldn't run it through Handbrake at all. Using Makemkv gives you a 1:1 rip with no alterations. I would only use HB if you're trying to make the file size smaller. If I am not mistaken DVD's size isn't that big anyway. 

 

I do this way with my Blu ray and keep the quality at it's best.

The problem he has is the different people he shares with have all kinds of different clients and to be compatible with them he wants to use the most common format, MP4 container, Video x,264 and audio most likely AAC. For quality reasons I would also use a different approach which I have done, got players on my devices that can do MPEG2 and AC3. But that would require tech support which he may not be willing to provide.

Edited February 10, 2019 by One2Go

[jasonmcroy 315]

The problem he has is the different people he shares with have all kinds of different clients and to be compatible with them he wants to use the most common format, MP4 container, Video x,264 and audio most likely AAC. For quality reasons I would also use a different approach which I have done, got players on my devices that can do MPEG2 and AC3. But that would require tech support which he may not be willing to provide.

 

My comment was sort of in general and to the OP - he didn't state anywhere that I can see needing to stream to others with different devices, just wanting to stream. I do see someone else who is not the OP is streaming to different people with different clients. My comment was just put there in case OP just thinks he needs to go through HB when perhaps it isn't necessary in his use case, whatever that may be. However, maybe he does need to do this for that reason but it wasn't clear to me. 

[One2Go 98]

Sorry you are correct someone else made that point, then all the more so not to reencode the DVDs.

[Ninko 63]

The reason I wish to encode them to MP4 is because it's the most playable standard on most devices, plus I have alot of DVDs and don't have the space to store them at their original file sizes, hence why I'm trying to keep as much quality as possible while trying to reduce the file size in MP4 format.

[legallink 187]

The reason I wish to encode them to MP4 is because it's the most playable standard on most devices, plus I have alot of DVDs and don't have the space to store them at their original file sizes, hence why I'm trying to keep as much quality as possible while trying to reduce the file size in MP4 format.

I do something similar. I rip with MakeMKV to keep the full orignial file/quaility, I do an mp4 conversion so that more restrictive devices (read Apple devices) can direct play, and then I do a compressed version for downloading/offline use when my family travels.  In the end we then have a format for every version.  I don't care about lower quality when I"m travelling.

[Spaceboy 2491]

I do something similar. I rip with MakeMKV to keep the full orignial file/quaility, I do an mp4 conversion so that more restrictive devices (read Apple devices) can direct play, and then I do a compressed version for downloading/offline use when my family travels. In the end we then have a format for every version. I don't care about lower quality when I"m travelling.

but with iOS now using mpv as the player that isn’t relevant any more is it? At least mkv’s appear to play direct for me on my iPhone

[Tremas 103]

For producing files in Handbrake that work in just about every device, I follow the guidelines posted here: http://www.rokoding.com. Your mileage may vary if you don't use Roku devices (I do), but for me they seems to work across most platforms.

[legallink 187]

but with iOS now using mpv as the player that isn’t relevant any more is it? At least mkv’s appear to play direct for me on my iPhone

For me it is file dependent and not universal.  For instance, the raw mkv from avatar always transcodes.  Other mkv's direct play/stream depending on the audio file.

[Spaceboy 2491]

For me it is file dependent and not universal. For instance, the raw mkv from avatar always transcodes. Other mkv's direct play/stream depending on the audio file.

fair enough, I can’t easily locate any that transcode in my library which is 90%+ mkv

[legallink 187]

fair enough, I can’t easily locate any that transcode in my library which is 90%+ mkv

@@Spaceboy, if you have a blu ray rip from Avatar (arguably one of the more demanding movies to playback), would love to see if it direct plays for you.