ISO support?

[agogley 0]

I'm currently running a media server using some old WD MyBookLives and streaming to a Dune Smart player. I'm upgrading my server to either Synology DS918+ or ASUSTOR. I originally ripped all the media I purchased via ClownBD and made them into ISOs. I'd prefer to keep the ISOs and avoid the conversion time to MKV. So I'm looking for a platform.

 

Emby was suggested to me. I will have a new 2019 LG TV and a 2011 Samsung Smart TV. Also willing to buy whatever streaming device is necessary to properly play my collection. I'm willing to pay for Emby Premiere. 

 

What are your suggestions for a setup that would allow streaming of the ISOs?

 

Thanks for any recommendations.

[Gilgamesh_48 943]

I'm currently running a media server using some old WD MyBookLives and streaming to a Dune Smart player. I'm upgrading my server to either Synology DS918+ or ASUSTOR. I originally ripped all the media I purchased via ClownBD and made them into ISOs. I'd prefer to keep the ISOs and avoid the conversion time to MKV. So I'm looking for a platform.

 

Emby was suggested to me. I will have a new 2019 LG TV and a 2011 Samsung Smart TV. Also willing to buy whatever streaming device is necessary to properly play my collection. I'm willing to pay for Emby Premiere. 

 

What are your suggestions for a setup that would allow streaming of the ISOs?

 

Thanks for any recommendations.

 

Some one from Emby will have to say for sure but I believe that Emby cannot stream ISOs. If I remember correctly I think they have said that they have no plans to support ISOs at all and that it is not even on their radar as a possibility.

[Deathsquirrel 741]

ISO support is very limited and dropping.  You're going to have a LOT more options if you convert to MKV.  You don't give up any quality in a simple MKV conversion.

[Luke 37096]

Emby can import ISO's, but your only real option to play them nowadays would be from an htpc app such as Emby Theater or Emby for Kodi. And even then it would require an external player. So it's doable, but not as seamless as plain video files.

[gungatim 8]

before I switched to Emby, I was using Kodi (Openelec) on a raspberry pi. it recognizes and plays iso's just fine. I have since learned it is much more efficient to convert to mp4 and save disk space but I still have about 1tb of ISO's on a drive that are in an emby library. EMby does recognize them (for the mot part, since many have goofy DVD names), but I have not tried to play them through any of the Emby ap's as they are just there as backups until I burn them to DVD.  they do play fine on the computer however, through VLC media player.

[Deathsquirrel 741]

before I switched to Emby, I was using Kodi (Openelec) on a raspberry pi. it recognizes and plays iso's just fine. I have since learned it is much more efficient to convert to mp4 and save disk space but I still have about 1tb of ISO's on a drive that are in an emby library. EMby does recognize them (for the mot part, since many have goofy DVD names), but I have not tried to play them through any of the Emby ap's as they are just there as backups until I burn them to DVD.  they do play fine on the computer however, through VLC media player.

 

While you CAN convert them to MP4 and further compress them, that isn't needed.  You can just run them through MakeMKV to create a rip that's an exact copy in an MKV container.  That eliminates 99% of the compatibility issues that limit you now.

[gungatim 8]

While you CAN convert them to MP4 and further compress them, that isn't needed.  You can just run them through MakeMKV to create a rip that's an exact copy in an MKV container.  That eliminates 99% of the compatibility issues that limit you now.

true, but they still end up being close to 5gig apiece. for DVD's I prefer mp4. no noticeable difference when I play them in the theatre room on the big screen. for some larger movies and Blu-ray I just leave them uncompressed, but most of what I have on DVD is older and only in SD anyway. all the HD and 4k stuff I have stays in the original format...

 

I did test some iso's yesterday, I get a message saying it is experimental and not all iso's are supported. a few played, many just play the menu only or don't play at all in Emby.

 

I use Wonderfox to convert my DVD's, it has multiple options for dozens of formats, different or no compression, etc. Handbrake does a nice job as well and has similar settings but won't eliminate copy protection on everything (and it's a little slower but at least it is free...)

[Deathsquirrel 741]

true, but they still end up being close to 5gig apiece. for DVD's I prefer mp4. no noticeable difference when I play them in the theatre room on the big screen. for some larger movies and Blu-ray I just leave them uncompressed, but most of what I have on DVD is older and only in SD anyway. all the HD and 4k stuff I have stays in the original format...

 

I did test some iso's yesterday, I get a message saying it is experimental and not all iso's are supported. a few played, many just play the menu only or don't play at all in Emby.

 

I use Wonderfox to convert my DVD's, it has multiple options for dozens of formats, different or no compression, etc. Handbrake does a nice job as well and has similar settings but won't eliminate copy protection on everything (and it's a little slower but at least it is free...)

 

They're already that size, OP is storing ISOs.  I used to compress and it's noticeable.  It's always noticeable.  It may be no big deal, but it's noticeable.