Ripping/Compressing DVDs for iTunes/Apple TV

[baldrick]

Ok I'm sure these questions have been asked before, but hopefully this thread might become a 'bible' for all those people interested in 'onlining' their DVD collections.

My ultimate goal is to be able to put a DVD into my iMac and within a few steps strip away the menus/extras and create an iTunes/Apple TV compatible copy of the film that retains the AC3/DTS soundtrack for decoding by my AV Receiver.

At the moment I use DVD Decrypter and DVD Shrink in VMware Fusion to rip and 'strip'. This leaves me with a VIDEO_TS file that I can then drop into the 'My Movie' folder on my Mac mini HTPC that FrontRow can play and pass the mutli-channel sound to my receiver.

I already have RipIt, MacTheRipper, Handbrake, Roxio Popcorn 3 and Elgato's Turbo.264 with which to make this possible in native OS X so who wants to go first?

[fyonn]

afaik, it should be a simple matter of using mactheripper to rip the DVD to a VIDEO_TS folder on your hard-drive somewhere, and then run that folder through the latest version of handbrake (0.9.3 as released yesterday).

The latest version has a pre-set called "universal" which is supposed to cater for all apple devices and maintain passthru surround sound-tracks.

have a look at it and see what you think?

MactheRipper will allow you to strip off all the junk, but I usually just do a full rip, and then let handbrake make the decisions. but YMMV.

dave

[ascender]

That's the process I use. Mac The Ripper for the whole disc and then Handbrake the resulting VIDEO_TS directory.

Recently with problematic discs, I'll use DVD Shrink under Windows and then copy the VIDEO_TS directory over to be converted with Handbrake.

A one-step, quick & reliable process would be ideal, but I just can't see it happening thanks to concerns over piracy. Which is a bit of a pain when you own the title in the first place.

[fyonn]

well, the older versions of handbrake would read a DVD directly if you wanted it to, though it was not as good with problem discs as other rippers.

the new version has removed the facility to decrypt dvd's, but supposedly, if you have VLC in your applications directory, it will automatically, and transparently use VLC's dvd decrypting code and do it all in one step.

for me, I know that the transcoding step takes far longer so I prefer to rip ocne, and then set the transcode step to run overnight.

dave

[ascender]

Time is the main reason I use the two-step process now. I'll rip a load of them with MTR during the day and Q them up overnight to be converted with Handbrake.

[Box of Tricks]

As per last post

rip 1st = 3-4 DVD's per hour with MTR (use external DVD drive, way fast)
Encode overnight with HB (appleTV setting)

D

[baldrick]

Thanks everyone, but it seems like Handbrake is getting a lot of mentions, is this because it's free, or because it's the best?

As mentioned I've got Roxio Popcorn 3 with Turbo.264 support but am I going to get more success from Handbrake?

Does anyone have a 'dummies guide' to handbrake that details which settings etc... are best for creating an iTunes friendly file with SS pass through?

Out of interest, everyone mentioning MTR, have you tried RipIt? I never found MTR to be that intuitive, but RipIt is a piece of ****!

[Steve Bate]

There's an ATV setting in Handbrake that most seem to go with, have a read through the ATV thread, there's a wealth of info in there.

Steve

[baldrick]

Originally Posted by Steve Bate

There's an ATV setting in Handbrake that most seem to go with, have a read through the ATV thread, there's a wealth of info in there.

Steve

Are ATV and iTunes/mini HTPC interchangable? ie. If I create a file that will playback on ATV with SS pass through, will the same file play via iTunes/FrontRow on my mini HTPC with pass through?

[Steve Bate]

From memory I think so, I ripped about 60 DVD's with DVD Shrink and then used Handbrake with ATV settings and I'm sure I watched a few from within Front Row on my MAcbook,

Not sure about the passthrough tho'

Steve

[rafe17]

Check this thread out for dejongj's optimal settings for Handbrake:

DVD's to iTunes "The Easy Way"

It's post number 8 and works perfectly for me every time. Excellent results!

HTH

[fyonn]

Originally Posted by baldrick

Thanks everyone, but it seems like Handbrake is getting a lot of mentions, is this because it's free, or because it's the best?

well, it is free, I don't know if it's the best, but it is very good. that said, be careful in the forums. they're pretty prickly to newcomers who don't read the rules

Originally Posted by baldrick

Does anyone have a 'dummies guide' to handbrake that details which settings etc... are best for creating an iTunes friendly file with SS pass through?

afaik, just use the apple/universal preset that is designed for all apple devices, including itunes, frontrow, atv and even iphones...

Originally Posted by baldrick

Out of interest, everyone mentioning MTR, have you tried RipIt? I never found MTR to be that intuitive, but RipIt is a piece of ****!

never used it, never even heard of it I must admit but then I've never had to look for something else.

dave

[baldrick]

Well I tried both Handbrake and the software packaged with my Turbo.264 and the results are:

Picture quality is superb on both
Handbrake file has no sound at all (I selected AC3 pass-through in the options)
Turbo.264 file has Dolby Pro-Logic sound but the audio and video are out of sync....

I guess the next one to try is Roxio Popcorn?

From what I've read in the Handbrake user guide the AC3 will only work with an Apple TV and not from iTunes/QuickTime/FrontRow which is a shame because DVDPlayer managers to pass the SS feed to my mini's optical out from both discs and VIDEO_TS files....

[fyonn]

Originally Posted by baldrick

Handbrake file has no sound at all (I selected AC3 pass-through in the options)

...

From what I've read in the Handbrake user guide the AC3 will only work with an Apple TV and not from iTunes/QuickTime/FrontRow which is a shame because DVDPlayer managers to pass the SS feed to my mini's optical out from both discs and VIDEO_TS files....

the latest version of handbrake (0.9.3) has a preset called apple/universal which encodes both a stereo track and a passthrough AC3, so you can chose between them.

dave

[baldrick]

Originally Posted by fyonn

the latest version of handbrake (0.9.3) has a preset called apple/universal which encodes both a stereo track and a passthrough AC3, so you can chose between them.

dave

I'm using the latest version but I forced the audio to pass-through as that's what I want. It'll be interesting to load the same file onto my parent's ATV and see if I suddenly get spangly Dolby Digital.....

For the sake of science I will run another Handbrake conversion using 'Apple Universal' and see what I get.