Other Beginner Blu-ray Question

[rpschultz9]

This is a REAL general/beginner question: It appears if one has a Blu-ray movie you can copy it to a regular DVD –R disk, but I assume you lose quality, BUT if you want a copy of a Blu-ray disk you have to have a blank Blu-ray disk, correct?

[8855A]

Yes!

[Jeffie]

I've backed up many of my Blu-ray movies to USB flash drives after re-encoding them. File size is dramatically reduced and picture/audio quality is excellent. We can't tell the difference between original and backup (YMMV).

[rpschultz9]

again, forgive my ignorance but how do you play them after putting them on a flash drive? And, if I were to find blank Blue-ray disks are the expensive and can you copy the Blue-ray movies to the blank disks using a regular Windows PC and this dvdfab program?

[90312]

There are two different ways to put a BR disc on a DVD-9 or DVD-5 depending on how you intend to play it back. One way requires a Blu Ray set top player and the other will play in a regular DVD player.

How do you intend to play them back?

[GregiBoy]

You can use a software media player such as Fab Media Player or you can connect a Media Player to your TV such as the Fab Set Top Box.

again, forgive my ignorance but how do you play them after putting them on a flash drive? And, if I were to find blank Blue-ray disks are the expensive and can you copy the Blue-ray movies to the blank disks using a regular Windows PC and this dvdfab program?

[Jeffie]

Many televisions, Blu-ray players and media players have a USB input.

The 25gb discs seem to average about $1.25 per disc. Using this size disc may involve compression that may or may not be noticeable or objectionable. If you purchase the 50gb discs (more expensive), there is no compression. DVDFab will meet your needs.



As I said earlier, when I use a flash drive, I re-encode the movies using MKV format. The file size is redeuced from approximately 25gb to 5gb and we don't see a difference in quality.

[CBR929]

again, forgive my ignorance but how do you play them after putting them on a flash drive? And, if I were to find blank Blue-ray disks are the expensive and can you copy the Blue-ray movies to the blank disks using a regular Windows PC and this dvdfab program?

Hi rpschultz9
Playing them on a flash drive will have some draw backs.

My Blu-Ray player will only play DivX format and the flash drive has to be formatted as Fat32, which has a 4Gig file size limit, so anything over 4 Gig is not an option for me.

My TV will play most formats with no file size limits off a flash drive.

Yes, you can put these on a Blu-Ray disc or a DVD- or DVD+ disc, but as my friend 90312 said it depends on your play back device as to what option you will choose.
You will also need to have a Blu-Ray writer and not a Blu-Ray Rom to burn these to a BD-R disc or to a BD9, BD5 disc.

Yes, you can do this on a Windows PC, but the compression times will vary depending on your computer specs

CBR929

[GregiBoy]

Here is a good thread to read about Media Players!! And you store the media on a hard disk, not a USB stick which makes your total library available to you at the press of a button.

[90312]

I know darn well you used to be able to make a DVD-9 with Blu Ray structure but I can't find that option now. I guess when they nailed Blu Ray to DVD-5/9 it went away.

[rpschultz9]

Wow, Lots of great responses, just what I was looking for. Thanks for all the great information and links for my education.

[90312]

Just to see I just put The Hobbit Blu Ray disc on a 4.7GB DVD-5 mostly to see what it looked like. To my eye better than the SD disc compressed to fit a single layer DVD-5. Superb quality, I've purchased my last SD DVD!

[GregiBoy]

I don't buy anything anymore!!

[90312]

I was talking about studio release movie discs mate, I don't buy blanks anymore. Well very few.

[GregiBoy]

Nah mate, I meant EVERYTHING!!!