DVD to computer?

[r***@optonline.net]

How would I do this?

I'm looking at a Western Digital WDTV unit:

http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=1270

I have a Roku 3 which I guess this WD TV is similar to, but the WD TV allows one
to access files on the computer through the network.

I've read in some reviews of how people are transferring their movies on DVD to
the computer then accessing and watching them using the WD TV. Sounds good to
me. Not so much for movies but for a number of instructional DVD's I own.

So my question is, how do I copy a DVD to my hard drive in such a format as to
allow me to use this WD TV unit to watch the DVD? Anyone have any ideas or
possible software to use to do so?

I appreciate any guidance.

[(PeteCresswell)]

Post by r***@optonline.net
So my question is, how do I copy a DVD to my hard drive in such a format as to
allow me to use this WD TV unit to watch the DVD? Anyone have any ideas or
possible software to use to do so?

"To my hard drive" raises the issue of space. Figure 4 gigs per DVD.
What I think most people do is buy one or more extra drives. A 1-TB
drive can be had for less than $100 and a USB housing to avoid having
to install that drive inside your PC will be less than $50.

Just for recorded television shows, I have 3 2-TB drives installed
inside my 24-7 PC.


Once you have the space....

Understand that you are, AFIK, going to be in technical violation of
copyright law - as per all those stern warnings you have to sit through
when playing most entertainment DVDs.

That being said, there are two general approaches:

- Ripping a DVD to the same native DVD-format files that are on the DVD

- Splitting up the various videos (like the main movie, little
featurettes about how the movie was made, interviews with actors,
director's commentary, and so-forth) into separate .MPG files


I have found that ripping a DVD to .mpg files gives better accessibility
than copying it in DVD format. An Android device can connect to your
shared drive and play the .mpg... but not a native DVD format.

A widely-used freebie utility for decrypting those copy-protected DVDs
is "DvdShrink", version 3.2. It will not create the .mpg files - just
a disk-resident copy of the DVD.

That's probably the starting point for most people.

OTOH, another freebie is called "HandBrake" lets you rip
directly to non-DVD files, but in a different
format called .M4V. HandBrake also offers the ability
to burn in subtitles if desired.

From there you can go on to:

- Converting the native DVD files to .mpg

- Better (paid...) descriptors like DvdAnywhere

- Better (paid) rippers (like CloneDVD2)

- Alternate rippers that can burn in subtitles
if desired. (e.g. HandBrake as above)

[r***@optonline.net]

Post by (PeteCresswell)

Post by r***@optonline.net
So my question is, how do I copy a DVD to my hard drive in such a format as to
allow me to use this WD TV unit to watch the DVD? Anyone have any ideas or
possible software to use to do so?

"To my hard drive" raises the issue of space. Figure 4 gigs per DVD.
What I think most people do is buy one or more extra drives. A 1-TB
drive can be had for less than $100 and a USB housing to avoid having
to install that drive inside your PC will be less than $50.
Just for recorded television shows, I have 3 2-TB drives installed
inside my 24-7 PC.
Once you have the space....
Understand that you are, AFIK, going to be in technical violation of
copyright law - as per all those stern warnings you have to sit through
when playing most entertainment DVDs.
- Ripping a DVD to the same native DVD-format files that are on the DVD
- Splitting up the various videos (like the main movie, little
featurettes about how the movie was made, interviews with actors,
director's commentary, and so-forth) into separate .MPG files
I have found that ripping a DVD to .mpg files gives better accessibility
than copying it in DVD format. An Android device can connect to your
shared drive and play the .mpg... but not a native DVD format.
A widely-used freebie utility for decrypting those copy-protected DVDs
is "DvdShrink", version 3.2. It will not create the .mpg files - just
a disk-resident copy of the DVD.
That's probably the starting point for most people.
OTOH, another freebie is called "HandBrake" lets you rip
directly to non-DVD files, but in a different
format called .M4V. HandBrake also offers the ability
to burn in subtitles if desired.
- Converting the native DVD files to .mpg
- Better (paid...) descriptors like DvdAnywhere
- Better (paid) rippers (like CloneDVD2)
- Alternate rippers that can burn in subtitles
if desired. (e.g. HandBrake as above)

Thanks for the informative reply. First of all, as to legality. Any DVD I copy
is one I own, bought and paid for. So I don't see where that's a violation.
Besides the fact that I am the only one going to watch these DVDs.

I do have Hand Brake. But I haven't used it much. So I can convert a regular DVD
to another format? I would assume then that I could access the file on my drive
(By the way, I do have two large external drives for video files and backup. ),
and play it on the WD TV. Also, I just checked Hand Brake and found that the
output file is mp4, which WD TV handles.

I guess the easiest thing to do is buy the WD TV, convert a couple of my DVD's,
and give it a try. Worst case scenario, I send it back to Amazon for a refund,
since they have a very liberal return policy.

Thanks again. I'll post a followup on whether or not it all worked like I hoped.

[(PeteCresswell)]

Post by r***@optonline.net
I do have Hand Brake. But I haven't used it much. So I can convert a regular DVD
to another format? I would assume then that I could access the file on my drive
(By the way, I do have two large external drives for video files and backup. ),
and play it on the WD TV. Also, I just checked Hand Brake and found that the
output file is mp4, which WD TV handles.

My instance of HandBrake is 0.9.9.something and I don't see an option
for writing anything except MP4 and Mkv.... and I do not even know what
Mkv is.

Earlier I said "M4V"... but just noticed that HandBrake's "Container"
option only includes MP4 and Mkv...and that HandBrake for some reason
appends the M4V suffix in the Destination box.

Tried changing the suffix on an existing. .M4V file to .MP4 and it
played in VLC Media player no problem... so I guess "MP4" and "M4v" are
the same thing. (??) Maybe somebody who knows can comment.

In the "Title" dropdown, the main movie is almost always the one with
the longest time. For multi-language DVDs, there's the "Audio" tab and
the "Source" dropdown.

Post by r***@optonline.net
I guess the easiest thing to do is buy the WD TV, convert a couple of my DVD's,
and give it a try. Worst case scenario, I send it back to Amazon for a refund,
since they have a very liberal return policy.

That would work for me. I use something called "SageTV" - since
bought out by Google and discontinued... but it has little black boxes
that only take about .5 watts, are totally silent, and feed my TVs with
stuff from my NAS box and/or those drives on my 24-7 PC.

The only thing I can see between you and success with the WD TV is
network file sharing on your PC.... and that's pretty much a slam dunk
even if you are not familiar with it yet.... just Google "Windows File
Sharing" - and maybe add your version of Windows to the search criteria.

[Gene E. Bloch]

Post by (PeteCresswell)

Post by r***@optonline.net
I do have Hand Brake. But I haven't used it much. So I can convert a regular DVD
to another format? I would assume then that I could access the file on my drive
(By the way, I do have two large external drives for video files and backup. ),
and play it on the WD TV. Also, I just checked Hand Brake and found that the
output file is mp4, which WD TV handles.

My instance of HandBrake is 0.9.9.something and I don't see an option
for writing anything except MP4 and Mkv.... and I do not even know what
Mkv is.
Earlier I said "M4V"... but just noticed that HandBrake's "Container"
option only includes MP4 and Mkv...and that HandBrake for some reason
appends the M4V suffix in the Destination box.
Tried changing the suffix on an existing. .M4V file to .MP4 and it
played in VLC Media player no problem... so I guess "MP4" and "M4v" are
the same thing. (??) Maybe somebody who knows can comment.
In the "Title" dropdown, the main movie is almost always the one with
the longest time. For multi-language DVDs, there's the "Audio" tab and
the "Source" dropdown.

Post by r***@optonline.net
I guess the easiest thing to do is buy the WD TV, convert a couple of my DVD's,
and give it a try. Worst case scenario, I send it back to Amazon for a refund,
since they have a very liberal return policy.

That would work for me. I use something called "SageTV" - since
bought out by Google and discontinued... but it has little black boxes
that only take about .5 watts, are totally silent, and feed my TVs with
stuff from my NAS box and/or those drives on my 24-7 PC.
The only thing I can see between you and success with the WD TV is
network file sharing on your PC.... and that's pretty much a slam dunk
even if you are not familiar with it yet.... just Google "Windows File
Sharing" - and maybe add your version of Windows to the search criteria.

I just went to

https://handbrake.fr/

where the current version is 0.10.0

I haven't installed it or tried it yet, so I don't know whether it would
solve the mkv problem for you.

[r***@optonline.net]

Post by Gene E. Bloch

Post by (PeteCresswell)

Post by r***@optonline.net
I do have Hand Brake. But I haven't used it much. So I can convert a regular DVD
to another format? I would assume then that I could access the file on my drive
(By the way, I do have two large external drives for video files and backup. ),
and play it on the WD TV. Also, I just checked Hand Brake and found that the
output file is mp4, which WD TV handles.

My instance of HandBrake is 0.9.9.something and I don't see an option
for writing anything except MP4 and Mkv.... and I do not even know what
Mkv is.
Earlier I said "M4V"... but just noticed that HandBrake's "Container"
option only includes MP4 and Mkv...and that HandBrake for some reason
appends the M4V suffix in the Destination box.
Tried changing the suffix on an existing. .M4V file to .MP4 and it
played in VLC Media player no problem... so I guess "MP4" and "M4v" are
the same thing. (??) Maybe somebody who knows can comment.
In the "Title" dropdown, the main movie is almost always the one with
the longest time. For multi-language DVDs, there's the "Audio" tab and
the "Source" dropdown.

Post by r***@optonline.net
I guess the easiest thing to do is buy the WD TV, convert a couple of my DVD's,
and give it a try. Worst case scenario, I send it back to Amazon for a refund,
since they have a very liberal return policy.

That would work for me. I use something called "SageTV" - since
bought out by Google and discontinued... but it has little black boxes
that only take about .5 watts, are totally silent, and feed my TVs with
stuff from my NAS box and/or those drives on my 24-7 PC.
The only thing I can see between you and success with the WD TV is
network file sharing on your PC.... and that's pretty much a slam dunk
even if you are not familiar with it yet.... just Google "Windows File
Sharing" - and maybe add your version of Windows to the search criteria.

I just went to
https://handbrake.fr/
where the current version is 0.10.0
I haven't installed it or tried it yet, so I don't know whether it would
solve the mkv problem for you.

Yes, when I went to Hand Brake earlier to check the output files, it asked me if
I wanted to upgrade, so I said yes and my version is now 0.10, 64 bit.