DVD Distribution Issue

[Stinger]

Electron- Great link, I'll possibly need to give the MCE interface another chance over PowerDVD.

Rauco- An average movie will take about 7-8GB for the full DVD (Menus, previews, directors cuts, extra soundtracks, etc). If space is a premium the ripper software will give you a choice to only copy the movie and those will run 4-5GB, but you lose out on the extras.

You'll need a fileshare with a decent amount of storage on your network, or if you just have one HTPC you can load it up with storage. Two 300GB drives would be perfect. I opted with a centralized storage server that has all of my media on it (MP3's, Movies and Pictures).

Take the DVD (that you own) and place it into your computer. Load DVDdecryter and select File mode (to copy entire DVD with menus) or IFO mode (to copy just movie files). For File mode, you'll want to name the directory you create as: movie\VIDEO_TS (ie. Matrix\VIDEO_TS). Click on the copy button and 15 mins or so later you'll have your copy on the Hard drive or file share. Don't attempt to copy over wireless, it's horribly slow, even with G.

To playback the DVD, use your favorite software player and point to the directory. If you don't use MCE, you'll want to download powerDVD, it's a great player.

 

[electron]

They just released another version of "My Movies" today, which supports an external DVD player now such as the TheaterTek player. I love this plugin, as does my wife, really worth it, and you can't beat the price!

 

[JohnBullard]

Great link, e !

Thanks, just downloaded it.

 

[Mike]

One thing I started, that depending on your setup and your initiative you might want to try is running component video through the house and using distribution amplifiers.

Here is what I did (steps 2 and three are possibly not as appropriate but enclosed for reference):

Step 1:
I ran all wiring to the basement (video, network, and telephone), to deal with better video quality I ran 5 runs of RG-6 from the living room to the wiring closet in the basement, used F-compression connectors (PPC EX6 connectors and the sargent compression tool works real well for me, I used another and was not as happy with it).

I terminate to a leviton rack lenght (19") quickport enclosure (have to find links) it is black metal, fits in standard rack mounts (I used a 4U small enclosure that is mounted to the wall) and then populate the holes with standard quickport F connectors. Then take a male f-connector to female rca adapter and connect it to the port. Now you can plug in component video cables and left right audio (or digital audio on one if you like). Concept is patch things as needed (and I had space in the basement so the extra size for this was fine for my needs).

That is the wiring between the central location and each of the viewing areas (assuming there is more than one)...

Step 2:

Get a component video distribution amplifier (lossless distribution amp as they put it) which you can usually buy on ebay for $20 (retail for $300). They are chainable and take an input and replicate it out 4 ways with an option to chain to another one.

Put your equipment in the basement, and for each piece of equipment, feed it into one of these and then patch it out into the wiring to each room.

but wait, you have more than one room? see step 3

Step 3:

Get a component video switcher (there are matrix switchers with remote capability for $150 or so if I remember, AV Tools made the ones I was favoring at the time, but I have not picked these up yet). Then you can rely on (hopefully) and existing ir distribution network (I am using 4-zone xantech atm) and link that to the video switchers so you can use the one run for multiple hi def sources).

I was planning on using this for:
1. DVD Jukebox
2. Tivo with component outputs
3. Hi Def reciever
4. TBD (convert PC output to component?)

I did step 1 and it worked like a charm. I have the distribution amplifiers and am in the process of running cables up to another room (slow going as that TV is an older one so I have been lazy since it won't take component and I haven't gotten a new one yet).

I like the PC based approaches listed earlier as it's great to just store them on a large hard drive.

From a component perspective: I have 2 tivos, a standard one, and a dvd-recorder that has component output. The component output blows away the standard one (which is modulated over coax). If you have the ability to run the wiring, I was very happy with the results.

Oh on the DVD modulation, I was using a DVD player over the modulator briefly and had no issue. Component quality is much better though so I stopped using the modulator. I encountered no macrovision issues.

 

[electron]

Hey Mike,

Welcome to CocoonTech!

Do you have any pictures of your setup?

 

[Mike]

Thanks for the welcome.

I should have some at home that are recent. If not I'll take new ones, let me find them and I will post them. I'd be curious as to the feedback on it from this crowd (I don't know too many people who are familiar with this stuff in general).

I expect that this and the related projects will continue to be an ongoing project for quite some time...

 

[electron]

You might want to consider making a post in the Showcase forum, especially if you have pictures, since this type of information is something many people look for.

 

[Mike]

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

New link for this one (in case the forwarding dies):

http://www.mymovies.name/

This looks great, Im trying to set it up as I type...

 

[hintontowers]

I use my movies and is awsone, there is a version were are beta testing now that will rip all dvd's even if they are copy protected and it is soley writtin in .net


Thom

 

[electron]

I use it on a daily basis here as well, and the last 2 weeks it has been working over time since I had a 2year old guest over at my house, who likes to watch elmo, garfield and other dvd's. I can not imagine getting up every 2 hours to switch the actual disc, since that's how much she watches this stuff lol.

Being able to rip a disc using the remote would be awesome. Will it save the disc as an ISO?

 

[Mike]

I recently installed my movies and it has been great, the one thing I did not like, was it doesn't seem to (I havent been able to find it, and I tried to fake it) have a folder type construct.

If you have a tv show and there are multiple disks, it seems you need to have to put each disk in separately.

What I noticed however, was I added the same folders to the My Videos section and it breaks it up nicely (Show, Show\Disk 1, Show\Disk 2).

Of course you lose the album art and details on the shows, but it seems to organize better. Anyone seen a better way to handle this?

 

[electron]

I just read the announcement, and it says it doesn't copy protected discs, unless you buy AnyDVD. This makes the ripping feature useless for me, since most DVD's are protected, and I can't play them without ripping them, since I run HDTV resolutions. Still great software tho!