DVD Ripper rip format opinions

[Ken62465]

I've had an ugly road deciding on what format to go with. I was told I should stick with .mp4 but after many trials it's just the least reliable on my setup. Had to install codec package, fought with stereo only output and best I could get with AAC was an ffdshow decoded PCM 5.1 stream that WMC would only output 2ch stereo. I changed the windows speaker configurations to finally get 5.1 PCM but then all my other media generated codec error messages. AAC was a pain in the neck for me. The format was a pure headache so I gave up on it. I've since did some test rips to mkv, wmv, and m2ts. mkv I had to set a few things in the Shark codec package I use but it works very well and got DD 5.1 no problem, I also spotted a few stutters at scenes with mkv that I didn't see as much in the other tested formats. Tried wmv and that worked right off the bat but receiver said "WM9 Pro" but was 5.1 so what do I care. Moved onto m2ts and that also worked without a hitch. So honestly I'm stuck between three formats. File size for the 3 were roughly close at anywhere from 1.6gb to 1.9gb and that's still better than raw .vob 4gb movie folders....especially when you has hundreds of movies.

Any opinions to offer on formats and what your preference is and why?

[Ken62465]

Almost forgot a key factor that people might want to know when answering this question?

"What's he doing with it".

For years I ripped my DVD movies to a movie only folder in original .vob format. It's about 4gb a DVD movie. I have a HTPC I built where they reside and I run Windows 7 x64 Media Center on it. I have a 64gb SSD that house the OS and a few programs, 2TB WD Green HDD holds the media. I'm looking to shrink those 4gb movies to a smaller size and retain as much quality as possible and finding something reliable.

[CBR929]

Hi Ken62465
Give this thread by my friend GregiBoy a read through it may help http://forum.dvdfab.com/showthread.php?t=543.
CBR929

[davecuk]

For pure compatibility, decent down sampling and conversion results, I find Xvid .avi .mp3 (128kb or 256kb) files at around 1000 to 1200 kbs produce decent results and take up less than 1gb per movie.

[GregiBoy]

I personally like MKV coz I can have album art, metadata, chapters, multiple audio & multiple subtitles all held within the MKV container which my media players use & play fine.

I do not use DVDFab for this conversion as it as yet does not have the ability to do all this but use a free program to do it. I have been asking Fab to add these features for at least two years, so don't hold your breath waiting.

Most of your hard work is done already with the rips being done already.

[Ken62465]

Thanks for the input guys. I'm heading off to read that other thread now.

mkv's I felt were out for me as I noticed an occasional stutter. I did some tests on it today because i do like mkv. What I found was in each scene the stutter is in the exact same frame locations. This tells me it's a dropped frame during the encoding process. It's not bad and many might not care but i can see it happen every minute or so with the mkv's.

I'd like .mp4's but my god what a headache trying to get them to play and prob many factors I just do not have a handle on what all this encoding is about. AC3 works best in my setup but is not part of the .mp4 spec so you seldom find software that will do the .mp4 with AC3. I had to use AAC and then all you get from codec output is PCM. While it claimed 5.1 PCM sent my receive was only playing stereo...story gets longer but I gave up on the format.

AVI I've not tried yet but seemed like a good option..will prob look into that. As for right now it seems .m2ts is most reliable for my setup.

[GregiBoy]

Try another encoder instead of Fab.

[Complication]

mkv's I felt were out for me as I noticed an occasional stutter. I did some tests on it today because i do like mkv. What I found was in each scene the stutter is in the exact same frame locations. This tells me it's a dropped frame during the encoding process. It's not bad and many might not care but i can see it happen every minute or so with the mkv's.

MKV vs MP4 should have no difference when it comes to video quality (e.g. stutter). In fact, you can take the H264 stream that plays well in a MP4 and easily remux it into an MKV using free software (videohelp.com). If the remuxed MKV has the same stutter then your playback device/program is the issue. If it doesn't then the program creating the MKV is the issue. I wouldn't write off an entire container (MKV) just because of a single video issue. That's like saying you will never ride a bus again because of one bus driver.

[Ken62465]

>>In fact, you can take the H264 stream that plays well in a MP4 and easily remux it into an MKV using free software (videohelp.com). If the remuxed MKV has the same stutter then your playback device/program is the issue<<

As I already said that the ripped .mp4 I'm getting from Fab is not playing well so I can't do your comparison, occasional stutter. What I can compare is the original source .vob I have which has yet to detect a single stutter so I know it's the encoding done from Fab and not my bran new HTPC. I also just moved one of the m2ts files I did to another pc and compared the stutter...exact frame point on each machine....it's in the created file.

I hear what you're saying about the container issue. Perhaps the frequncy of the stutter is actually the same in the different format/container I tested and I didn't time it's frequency to see that perhaps it was in fact the same. Just seemed more from the .mp4 I guess.

When I first posted I had just completed working out audio issues and which format I didn't like with my setup so I only spotted what stuter I noted early on. Now after doing multiple rips of the formats they all have it. Some seemed more than others but again like you said it's still just a container so perhaps the interval is the same.

>>I wouldn't write off an entire container (MKV) just because of a single video issue. <<
I was just looking for what gets the best results out of Fab and what others are using for a format. If Fab is my problem, which I believe it to be, then I guess I'd have to go hunting for another program to test. Time is sure accumulating on this and my wife's idea is sounding better and better.

Does anything with computers ever just work?

[Complication]

Does anything with computers ever just work?

Do keep in mind that you are trying to do things that the movie studios do not want you to do. it may be a fair use exception to copyright but they are doing everything they can to get you to keep you using the content the way you want to. Small companies like DVDFab in foreign countries like China are your only hope to exercise your rights when dealing with big companies with lots of lawyers.

You might venture around the forums about the stutter issue. Hopefully you have already switched to using the software encoders.