I tried plex at one point and found it's transcode quality to be suspect. Does it really require mp4? That's less versatile than google drive. I use oshare as my dlna server. It doesn't transcode anything, but as long as your device can play the file, it works extremely well.

I personally store everything in MKV but it does require a demux before streaming when using plex for example.

I think mkv is a much more forgiving container format. It can accept basically any audio or video format. mp4 is much more restricted, especially for audio. Neither will allow you to retain menus though. Truthfully, the best format will depend on your playback device to a great degree.

I would say mp4 container with x264 and aac-lc for video and audio options. Seems to be the most universally accepted container/codec option for streaming without transcoding.

I have redfox AnyHDDVD

Just on that. With a home server setup, what is the best format to rip discs into and keep everything to be able to be played back on a media server. I like to keep all the menus and commentary etc. but I hate having to go looking for the disc.

@NeonBible you can use DVD43 if you just want to "transparently" remove CSS and copy the files directly, or to use with DVDShrink. I wouldn't really suggest DVDShrink though, just buy a spindle of Verbatim DVD-R DLs. They cost more than twice the price of DVD-Rs but they're still cheap anyway. And as @zoidberg suggests you can backup the disc files using MakeMKV without losing disc structure.

MakeMKV can backup entire discs (including folders etc.). Just select 'backup'

With DVDshrink you'd need something like RedFox AnyDVD to remove it, but it seems alot of people use MakeMKV nowadays.

Thanks @Valeyar @DoomBot I managed to use MakeMKV to backup my DVD. Drops the menus and stuff of course, but thats ok (probably regret that later). DVDShrink couldn't get past copy protection.

Yes ... so say we all!

You're welcome, Doombot

@ Jetrell Fo -- check your PM / email

Yes as long as you cut at an i-frame. You can use ffmpeg to do the cut, use the paramater "-vcodec copy" and it will force a cut on an i-frame.

Is it possible to delete a section of a .264 encode without re-encoding? I accidentally left in a few seconds of black frames in the video before encoding.

@NeonBible- http://www.dvddecrypter.org.uk/ will work but is old and no longer deeloped, http://makemkv.com/ is an updated program that can also rip dvd. With makemkv you get the free license key here- http://www.makemkv.com/forum2/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1053

Thanks for keeping this place running smooth Feallan

@ NeonBible You can use https://www.videohelp.com/software/DVD-Shrink but if it has encryption then you need to remove that first. Oh and just because it says dvd-shink, you don't have to compress it, just turn that part off.

Updated the forum to MyBB 1.8.18

Hey all. Whats the best (and free) way today to rip a DVD to a video_ts? Searching google just brings up a bunch of dodgy looking software. Have a DVD which looks to be rotting so need to backup.

I liked this one: https://youtu.be/05GRm_6Goyo

Cool to see that! There were glimpses of the alternate/cut footage in the documentary that aired on the Disney Channel back then. Pity the only time a 70mm print turned up on ebay the seller wanted like 30K for it.

For all of you MJ fans out there: https://youtu.be/5PDLVik_8g8

I'd love to say yes to that, poita. But, unless I upgrade my CPU, a 1080 would just bottleneck my system.

I'm selling two of my 1080Tis if anyone wants some gfx cards.

@BronzeTitan Hahahahahahahahahaha

(from YT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W5Am-a_xWw comments) "I was at a friend's unboxing an Alexa from Amazon. After setting it up, I asked it to "Open the Pod Bay doors, HAL"; it responded with "I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that." I BUSTED A GUT from laughing hysterically for at least a minute. The saddest part is the other three people in the room DIDN'T GET THE JOKE."

Uh, oh. ... https://c1.iggcdn.com/indiegogo-media-pr...wylv64.jpg ... "Open the USB, please, HAL.... *nothing* ... Hello, HAL, do you read me? What's the problem? HAL? HAL!" ...

I want this so much... https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/hal-9...omputers#/

Does anyone know if users have the ability to "park" their account? Thanks in advance.

"10 Famous Funny Commercials" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE9nLWFZ6ac -- Not only are they weird, funny, and even gross, we can use some as extras in projects (like #4, for example).

Definitely. I recommend his look at D-Theater!

Indeed ... a very cool youtube channel for sure.

Ay some techmoan love!

Updated the forum to MyBB 1.8.17

^ MUSE players are disappearing fast. No more spare parts!

and part2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUQvnxxTuM4&t=886s

Techmoan did a pretty good look at the MUSE LDs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkQEobE2RUk&t=900s

This is a great video. And yeah, it shows much of the problems with the social media... well.. better the problems with persons using them... but... you should have put a trigger warning..

So true. *nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more*

It was just a video I found that reminded me of why boundaries can be so important.

^ So much truth in The Dave Cullen Show's 9 minutes of commentary: "Alright, alright. Just, just calm down, okay?" "Now you're tone-policing us!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plRQPAwxP2w .... saw this and knew exactly why I don't miss some things.

So ... Ocean's 2018, then?

And you can upgrade it to a XENA for $29.5K. I know you know that but just in case others are interested- http://digitalcinemasystems.net/?page_id=356

I remember when these cost over a million dollars. Now yours for $2500 https://www.kitmondo.com/rank-cintel-mk3.../ref148654

Too bad our community (and the community at OT) isn't big enough to crowd fund one of those

Poita that is one of the best mastering monitors currently available not made by Dolby. There are a couple options at half the price but none reach 3k nits.

It's not the real deal it's the workprint remastered with some edits from other sources found online

I found an even better vesion of T23D: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfvD6UlKSWw This really is the only decent sequal after T2!!

Lol that's a sweet ride

When i win the lotto (that i never play) i'll buy us both one, and maybe one other person here, you know who you are.

https://www.shopfsi.com/XM310K-p/xm310k.htm who wants to buy me one of these monitors?

Like the Gladiator remix, they were probably done in house by the french DTS team at whatever facilities that was authoring those early DVDs.

Here's another I noticed, Taxi 2 (french film) the Blu-ray have a DTS-HD MA track, but it's different from the DTS early DVD edition, that one is much more agressive. I think it might be the same for Taxi 1 as it had an early DTS release. I think most of these might be french films like Crimson River and probably La Haine.

Gladiator's mix was made by Mia Casa specifically for the DTS-ES discrete 6.1 format

The idea I believe was to convert people into buying DTS friendly players and amps.

So the "agressive mix" remains only on DVD. Example: Gladiator.

Just discovered it seems some early DVD releases with DTS soundtracks were doctored so that DTS sound way more agressive. When BR comes along, they revert to just encoding the soundtrack in DTS-HD.

"If you were hoping to see all of your favourite Marvel characters under one roof, we have some bad news. If you didn't like the idea of Disney owning the whole Marvel universe, well, it can always get worse. Comcast is backing a dump truck of cash up to 21st Century Fox's doorstep, besting Disney's previous offer to buy the company. And the merger floodgates are officially open."

^No but it looks like they're having some sort of 2-for-1 sale ATM

Anyone have access to DVD fab they would like to share?

Caps SDR conversions are broken, they used to be the best and they have issues with the conversions.

LOTR EE has a bunch of visible, badly tracked power windows. Very rough regrade for the bluray.

I've just discovered the Netflix "Test Patterns" channel, it is really great. 4 seasons of useful test patterns.

WOW! What a great "behind the scenes" so-to-speak: https://youtu.be/YEGhKwpEKEw

Whoa! What is that?! "HDR -> SDR" ... one small step forward for technology, one giant leap backward for the consumer?

Such a great HDR conversion... http://www.caps-a-holic.com/c.php?a=3&x=...0&i=0&go=1

I think I've found another true believer! Can we sign up Tom Cruise? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDyeJwSTA3s

@ Chewtobacca (VLC 3.0.3) -- After endlessly searching it's webpages, like a vast desert with no road-signs, I finally tripped over a "changelog" (for this version!) and it's all fixes (that's a good thing!) but no mention of user-friendly interface updating (that's a bad thing!).

@ Chewtobacca -- "HELP: How is the Kaleidescape Movie Store different from a streaming service? >> Movies and TV shows purchased from the Kaleidescape Movie Store are collection-grade. 4K HDR and 4K Ultra HD titles are delivered with audio and video quality that is far better than conventional streaming options. Blu-ray quality and DVD quality downloads are delivered with audio and video quality that matches that of a Blu-ray Disc or DVD. Many movie store titles also feature bonus material, such as deleted scenes, documentaries, production featurettes, and directors’ commentary. Downloads integrate with your catalogued or imported disc library, supporting favorite moments (thanks to Kaleidescape Scenes and song bookmarks in concerts and musicals). Perhaps most importantly, your purchases remain playable, even when you aren't connected to the Internet."

Wow, this looks way better than those "new paradigm" daleks. I really love his design! https://www.mudgeeguardian.com.au/story/...om-dr-who/

Piano ... THAT'S IT!! Why haven't I seen this all along? GL really is a genius!

@BT Maybe no one shot at the beginning.. or the end.. or in the middle.. Greedo just got hit by a dropping piano...

@ MrBrown -- Blast GL and his revisionism! He's got me remembering Greedo shooting, too! Now, wait. That means Greedo shot first and then Han shot. But, wait. Then they both shot at the same time. That means they both shot first. Or does that mean neither shot first. ... SOMEBODY HELP THE TITAN!

Are there any good 21:9-enchanced Unaltered Star Wars editions?

Use a VPN then.

The Kaleidescape Store is unavailable in your territory.

Can anyone verify that there's genuine HDR content available?

Star Trek on Kaleidescape:

@BT... Well actually it is not quite correct... Shooting first could imply that there ever was any second... But in the end, only Han Solo shot...

^ ^ [spoiler alert] . . . Han Solo shoots first. . . . (I KNEW it!)

I wish someone would rip whole Bond collection in 4K from that iTunes thingie

The entire trilogy remastered: https://youtu.be/TE8TQ1fYawk

If it's better designed than their website (just where is their wegpage hawking all the new and reworked features anyway?) and the micro-settings lists in their previous players (I hate spending 5 minutes NOT finding what should be a simple setting -- I end up SEARCHING the Internet for someone else who knows and spreads the word), then that would be a positive step up. BTW, I'm using 3.0.2 and loving-hating it.

The new version (3.0.3) of VLC sounds promising.

That was Goldblum-tastic

I love when Jeff Goldblum goes full Jeff Goldblum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K9g18kEx-0

BTW, part of the early copyright law required a deposit of a copy of the author's work at the copyright office. Guess who had THAT written out of the "regulations"? ... (tick, tick, tick, bing!) .... Time's up! It was ... (wait for it) ... Hollywood (just follow the money)!

"What this means—contrary to many people's understandings of what copyrights are for—is that copyrights and patents don't simply exist to enrich their authors and inventors; rather, the idea is to allow these people to have "exclusive right" to created works "for limited times" only insofar as this is necessary "to promote the progress of science and useful arts." Copyright, in other words, is a means to an end, not an end in itself." -- THE FOUNDING FATHERS HAD COPYRIGHT RrIGHT ( https://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/the-fo...id=1215805 )

So WW, who is doing all this "stealing" you talk about? I would suggest it is ... you.

And now ... the U.S. Constitution (Article I): "to promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries."

Ah that's better. Okay, where was I? Oh, yes ... WW wrote: "My take on the antiquated Public Domain statute is not the same as many others who freely squeeze every dime out of Public Domain films. ... Just because a film has fallen into the Public Domain does not mean someone does not own it. ... PUBLIC DOMAIN is a license to steal other peoples work without paying them royalties. This includes music and books along with audio visual subjects. ... In plain english, the US government under the Public Domain statutes steals your property- movies-books-songs and gives them away freely to every country in the world for FREE. ... The PUBLIC DOMAIN statute must be abolished and the owners of music, films and other intellectual property works must be allowed to keep their creations and leave them to their children."

Page 1 and I thought WW sounded like another HERO! Page 4 and that shock EXPLODED my big bronze head off my shoulders!! Forgive my pause while my bigger bronze body goes on all fours across an island of Crete searching for the rest of me ...

n.b. don't confuse that guy with the actor of the same name.

You want to see something to make your heads spin, start here and work your way through the thread: https://www.hometheaterforum.com/communi...st-4403901

He basically got prosecuted for what all those ebayers selling copies of despecialized are doing.

"All these exchanges, whenever they did a major junk, I got to go in and cherry-pick everything. I might take 20 or 30 prints, and pay them 15 or 20 bucks for each. And then I'd sell them for 75 [each]." But Wise was getting more than $US75 ($100). Records obtained by Gizmodo show that he was making as much as $US575 ($763) per copy back in 1966.

I agree BronzeTitan. Copyright law as well as trademark law is ridiculous the way we have it.