DVD Distribution Issue

[bfisher]

Has anybody figured out a good way to distribute DVD signals throughout their house? I have a modulator that works well for all other signals - but not DVD. I assume it has to do with @#$% macrovision...

Anybody using a good modulator that overcomes this issue? or a macrovision remover? or is there something I'm missing??

Thanks!

 

[electron]

Time to build that PC based DVD library, that's how I strip the macrovision protection. Not sure what other options you have here.

 

[AutomatedOutlet]

How many channels are you looking for?

 

[smee]

I run DVD through a modulator with no problems [1]. My setup looks like this:

DVD player -> receiver -> modulator

I'm using $25 Radio Shack mono modulators (composite video and L/R audio inputs).

[1] OK, one small problem, but it's not limited to DVD. The amplification on my modulator is probably a little high and I get some audio interference whenever there is text displayed (credits, etc.). But if there's no text, everything is fine.

 

[bfisher]

Time to build that PC based DVD library

What do you use to manage your DVD library? (ie. I use MusicMatch Jukebox for CDs, is there soemthing similar for DVDs?)

How many channels are you looking for?

My current setup has enough channels (4), but I will be adding some cameras soon so I'm pretty flexible on the number of channels. Anywhere from 1-5... Only need 1 for DVD though...

DVD player -> receiver -> modulator

Had not thought about running through the receiver first... unfortunately, that means my theater TV would have to display the DVD signal too which is not what I want. Could be a short term solution though...

Thanks for the help.

 

[electron]

I use Windows Media Center, but I believe even ZoomPlayer supports doing this.

 

[smee]

DVD player -> receiver -> modulator

Had not thought about running through the receiver first... unfortunately, that means my theater TV would have to display the DVD signal too which is not what I want. Could be a short term solution though...

I doubt the receiver is doing anything to the signal. I've never actually tried it, but I imagine that if I connected my VCR to it again, I'd have trouble recording from a DVD.

Are you splitting the video out from the DVD player or do you run composite to the modulator and svideo/component to the receiver or theater tv?

 

[bfisher]

Are you splitting the video out from the DVD player or do you run composite to the modulator and svideo/component to the receiver or theater tv?

I run composite to the modulator, and component to the Theater receiver.

 

[Micah]

another vote here for the PC based solution. I use Meedio for my front end. It works pretty well for the most part, a little bit of a bear to setup though.

I've got a single htpc hooked up in my living right now with a media server in my office closet.

I plan on eventually having a htpc in the bedroom and one in the kitchen as well. This lets you watch movies anywhere in the house without changing dvds or cds.

It might be worth looking into.

 

[smee]

Are you splitting the video out from the DVD player or do you run composite to the modulator and svideo/component to the receiver or theater tv?

I run composite to the modulator, and component to the Theater receiver.

Does the composite look good on a local tv (i.e., not running through the modulator)?

By the way, I also like a PC-based approach. However, this will take you to either requiring a PC (or other box) at each viewing location or right back to needing to distribute video from a single PC (just like from your DVD player). So, if the problem is only Macrovision, this will solve it. However, I'd be surprised if it is a Macrovision problem.

Maybe it's a signal level problem? The composite signal from the DVD player may be higher or lower than spec. I haven't run into this with normal components, but I have had problems with cameras with composite signals that were too high or low. The cameras worked fine when fed into a TV directly, but would not give me a signal when through a 4x1 video selector. With some cameras, adding a 75 ohm resistor between signal and ground cleared up the problem. (This was a suggestion from Ryan at www.controlanything.com and worked great.)

 

[Stinger]

And yet another vote for a PC based storage system. I have a server that has a 2 TB RAID 5 array and contains full copies (with menus) of my DVDs. I have two HTPCs connected in different areas of the house so we can watch the videos on either big screen. I'm using MCE 2005 as the OS, but what I've just created an easy shortcut to the main DVD file for each movie so my wife just needs to double click on the movie name to start watching it. The mouse is used to navigate the menus. I only use PowerDVD for playback, I prefer it over the MCE interface (personal preference).

DVDdecrypter is my ripper of choice.

I know MCE also has extenders that you can use even on an xbox, but I'm pretty sure MS has restricted the ability to view the DVD remotely on those extenders.

 

[bfisher]

I doubt it's the signal strength of the composite signal (I thought of that too) because I tested it using another DVD player (my PS2) and it looked identical. Also, a couple DVDs work fine, but most don't.

As for using a PC, I have one there... but believe I will run into the same issue - I won't be able to distribute the signal via modulators...

 

[smee]

Try running the DVD through the receiver first, then into the modulator, just to see if that does clear up the problem. I'd also suggest trying a different modulator to try and track down what's causing it. If you can find a Radio Shack 150-1243, they're cheap ($25) but they've been discontinued for a while.

I'm curious to know what's causing the problem. Even if you go a different route, I'd still like to know what's happening since I've never had any problems with any DVDs.

 

[electron]

Stinger (and anyone else using MCE), check out this plugin for MCE:
http://www.binnerup.dk/mce/mymovies.htm

 

[Rauco]

Ok, I guess I have to ask as I've been a bit confused on this issue. Just how many movies, and with what quality, can you fit on a hard drive? It just seems to me building a library this way would be limited.... My guess is I don't know enough, but you never learn unless you ask