[WHS] Home Media Server Part 1: Ripping and Converting your DVDs

[Drumm]

Several steps go into ripping and converting DVDs into a usable format. I will highlight the free (as in beer) methods. I am a strong fan of DVD Decrypter, but as you may or may not know development of it has stopped as the developer got a cease and desist letter and stopped making them. Which means DVD Decrypter is not updated to decrypt DVDs with the latest protections. Which is where DVDFab HD Decrypter steps in, it is updated often to beat the new protections. You can get both here:
DVDFab HD
DVD Decrypter

Using DVD Decrypter:

There's the sexy image of DVDDecrypter, the software you have chosen to decrypt your DVDs. It is incredibly simple, I love using it. I'd recommend having a folder setup just for the rips as you don't want your system drive to get filled. Also make sure when you set up the folder, in this case it would be "Fantastic.Mr.Fox"->"VIDEO_TS" So that handbrake, our conversion tool can pick it right up. It's incredibly simple just hit the folder button, send it there, then click the "DVD > HD" button.

Ripping with DVDFab8
When you first open DVDFab, if you have your DVD ready inserted, it will show a screen like the one below. Usually you can trust it to guess the right region, but check it, just in case.

The thing to note when it starts scanning your DVD is that it will take quite a while. As before, choose your own defined folder, If your server is local, stick it on there incase you need to have another machine convert it. Something I found with this program was it tends to fail if you untick and tick "Copy DVD-Video Folder" I set the DVD to DVD9, Somebody more knowledgeable on this would probably say I am wrong. You don't get as much of a detailed log with DVDFab while it converts, but it is great at beating new protections.

Converting with Handbrake

This guy right here is our next tool, this guy has the ability to rip the raw DVD files and convert them into a nicer format, such as MP4 or AVI. This will sit much nicer with our media server and our media clients. It's sad we can't convert straight from handbrake. The reason for this is they don't want to receive a cease and desist letter like DVD Decrypter have. So in a way I can understand this. But this doesn't get rid of the support for converting decrypted DVDs. So click source and click "DVD/Video_TS" like in the image below.

Simply point it to the folder above VIDEO_TS, So I would click Fantastic.Mr.Fox instead of the VIDEO_TS folder within.
When you pick the Folder for a DVD ripped with DVDFab it structures its folders a little differently, go into the folder, then through another one to find folder above it. It's usually the DVD Label. It's really simple, once you've done this you can just hit start. You can also fire up your DVD ripper. Put in a new DVD and start ripping that, and once it rips (it's usually ripped before a movie can be converted) You can queue the next DVD, So you get some pretty awesome unattended work.


Part 2: Organizing your movie's for Windows clients.

[Mark]

Very nice and informative part one. Easy to follow. Good job. :happy

[Drumm]

Part 2 Includes organizing them. Dunno if you can tap into my drafts, but it's already in the works ;D