[dystopia]

[UPDATE] I have now finalised a solution. Using DVD decrypter, and DDMF rip to automate the extracting of chapters into episode folders, media companion for the downloading of nfo files, and the crucial part was to make sure i access the shows through the tv show menu item in Aeon stark. Before i was using the videos tab ( i had turned off tv shows) and it was wasnt picking things up. Now? its perfect.

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Hi all.

Problem faced: How i should back up my TV DVD sets.


Obligatory disclaimer: I have read the forums over and over for how-to's on certain aspects of what I am about to ask. I am after your opinions more than tech advice, although based on your opinions - it might be needed! I am new to XBMC windows, but I am handy with a computer and i can kludge together skin alts with photoshop and xml. I have a hard time on some of the "best practice" aspects.

Techy stuff
XBMC Build:Rev19052.exe
Platform: Windows XP
Skin: aeon Stark 0.9
DVD ripper: DVD Decrypter 3.5.4.0
Media companion (for nfo files and so on)

Right - I am moving overseas, and have made the jump to backup my entire CD/DVD collection to digital in order to save room packing. Music files - no problem. 1500 odd discs ripped to FLAC with fan art, artist and folder art. It's all working a dream, and relatively straight forward. After a little tinkering, Movies are the same.

I am coming unstuck when it comes to my TV DVD sets.

Ultimately, i could just burn these as VIDEO_ts folders and be done with it. Navigate to menus straight from the disc. But selecting an episode this way, is klunky at best.
My end goal is to have each Season of a show ripped to episode files. However, i can notice a few shortcomings to certain methods, and in the long term i want the ultimate flexibility and lossless format (much in the way i can go back to cd quality with my FLAC music files)

Here is what i have tried:
1 - Rip the entire dvd to a folder
Pros: Easy to rip, easy to burn back to physical media
Cons: Stuck with menus for episode selection, no episode data in info view
Verdict: Not for me

2 - Rip the chapters to folders
Pros: Info on each episode, easy episode selection, DOES pick up the cast and crew credits correctly
Cons: I couldnt get the folder to play when i hit enter (much like the movies library works)
Verdict: Not for me

3 - Convert the chapter folders to .iso/.mkv files
Pros: Tidy, easy to maintain
Cons: An extra step in the process, massive loss of audio/video synch on remuxing, iso wouldnt even play(probably my fault)
Verdict: If i could get the iso playing, it could be a winner

4 - Convert episodes to one .vob file
Pros: Easy to maintain, single rip process
Cons: Nothing i can see (assuming that you can split the vob into smaller files when transferring to pysical media?), Might not work for DVDs that have 2 episodes in one vob? Info doesnt pick up cast and directors
Verdict: The best i have tried

Ultimately, i am just after some reassurance/redirection before i start backing up my entire library. I have the file naming sorted, eg:

Green Wing
|-Season 01
|--Green Wing.s01e01.VOB
|--Green Wing.s01e01.tbn
|--Green Wing.s01e01.nfo
...
|--Green Wing.s01e06.VOB
|--Green Wing.s01e06.tbn
|--Green Wing.s01e06.nfo

Any comments, tips or recommendations welcome.
Now, if only when i hit 'i' the tv shows would keep their episode name in showcase view in Aeon Stark much like the movies do with the title....

[frank]

Use DVD shrink to rip each episode ie Green wing.s01e06.ISO Make a folder Green wing then a folder for the season set content to TVDB works fine. .ISO play perfect with xbmc.

[Hitcher]

Here's a guide I've used for many years to rip TV shows from DVDs.

http://download.videohelp.com/cheekie_mo...mfrip.html

It also explains how to convert the VOBs to AVI if you want but I don't bother.

[frank]

Here's a guide I've used for many years to rip TV shows from DVDs.

http://download.videohelp.com/cheekie_mo...mfrip.html

It also explains how to convert the VOBs to AVI if you want but I don't bother.

DVD shrinks is 4 clicks and your done for each ep and it only takes about a minute to rip each ep. Open disc, Re authoriste, Drag over the ep you want to rip to the left window hit back up and select output to iso and your done i use it for all dvd rips and xbmc plays them fine

[dystopia]

Here's a guide I've used for many years to rip TV shows from DVDs.

http://download.videohelp.com/cheekie_mo...mfrip.html

It also explains how to convert the VOBs to AVI if you want but I don't bother.

Hitcher, you are a winner!
DDMFrip was just the ticket i was looking for to help automate my process. The tutorial was also superb.

As an aside - in aeon, do you find that you can play the video from the episode folder, without having to dig into that folder and play the .vob file? Ideally i would love it to work like the Movies library (I will of course test this, i am just away from my main computer right now where all of my media and xbmc set up resides)
Again, thank you!

Frank, appreciate the reply, but Hitchers solution (while taking marginally longer in the set up) is able to rip through a DVD and spit the files out exactly as i want them - and in the end saves time over ripping each episode individually. Cheers!

[Hitcher]

As an aside - in aeon, do you find that you can play the video from the episode folder, without having to dig into that folder and play the .vob file? Ideally i would love it to work like the Movies library (I will of course test this, i am just away from my main computer right now where all of my media and xbmc set up resides)
Again, thank you!

I have mine named like your example and they play fine.

[RockDawg]

DDMFRip seems pretty neat. I didn't know there was such a thing. I've been blindly using DVDShrink for so long, I never looked to see if there was anything more automated for TV shows.

One thing though... if you like your episodes ordered by air date, this could cause problems as some series use a different order on the DVD and DVDMFRip can't know that so it will number them based on that and the usual air date ordering will be wrong. I can't remember which series it was, but I've even seen one where the DVD structure didn't match either air date or DVD order. Just something to keep in mind if you're anal about getting the order right.

[mason]

xvid is a little 1999

check out

Handbrake http://handbrake.fr/ (automated ripping)
MakeMKV http://www.makemkv.com/ (for just transcoding to .mkv)
Automkv : http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=140178 (automated ripping)

imho x264 in combination with matroska is a little more state-of-the-art

[natethomas]

I agree on the handbrake suggestion, but for automatic ripping and renaming, Hitcher's solution is a good one. Though I'd probably replace the autogk section of the guide with handbrake.

[xanadu1979]

+1 for HandBrake.

[dystopia]

xvid is a little 1999

check out

Handbrake http://handbrake.fr/ (automated ripping)
MakeMKV http://www.makemkv.com/ (for just transcoding to .mkv)
Automkv : http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=140178 (automated ripping)

imho x264 in combination with matroska is a little more state-of-the-art

Agreed on that one mason!
However, i have no need/desire to compress anything once it is ripped. Storage space isnt hugely expensive these days, and i like the ability go to back to physical media at full quality.

In saying that, the mkv format is something i would be keen to tinker around with, and knowledge is power - so i will have a play around with those solutions once i have my files fully backed up.

[KidKiwi]

Multiple sessions of DVDshrink using Multishrink as the actuator is also easy and fast - directly to ISO.

[dystopia]

I have mine named like your example and they play fine.

I had a lengthy question about this lined up, but I also had a couple of other bugs and quirks going on so i opted for a clean install of both Aeon, and xbmc to ensure the latest builds.

Sure enough, the problem i was having was related to going into the video tab instead of the tv shows menu item ( i had this turned off in the customisation of aeon) and now it works a treat.

I repeat this for any other noobs - Make sure you use the tv shows tab to access tv shows, the movies tab for movies.
And make sure the source folders for each have the "set content" correct.

Cheers

[Hitcher]

If you're in File mode though pressing 'P' will play the file contained inside a folder.

[ethan_9219]

With handbrake, what codec/settings does everyone choose for encoding their movies/tv shows?

How do they look on an HDTV?

Thanks.