Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Anamorphic video & monty python

Muncher

Muncher

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Hey, recently, I've taken up the project of burning my collection of Monty Python's Flying Circus to my mac and then transcoding them using Handbrake for that new ipod touch I'm getting 😛. I have most of the DVDs on my hard drive, and since I'm now about to begin the Handbrake phase, I've got a few questions.

  1. When practicing with Handbrake I've noticed it only takes 30-40% CPU power; can I force it to use more so it will go quicker? EDIT: iStat widget is reporting this wrong; it uses about %170 😛
  2. The Monty Python episodes are at an awkward resolution (416x320) when I transcode them, which gives me an aspect ratio of 1.3:1. I noticed the Anamorphic options and wondered whether I should use them.
  3. If so, which one? There seem to be two, strict and loose.
  4. Last of all, what bit rate should I transcode them at? The Handbrake preset for iPod Touches and iPhones is 960 kbps, but that gives me file sizes that are far too large.
  5. EDIT: Oh, and one more question, about iTunes this time. When I add these episodes to iTunes, they go to the movies section. How can I tell iTunes that they're TV Shows?

Thanks as always,
Muncher
 
Can't help with 1-4, I'm OK with using the presets.

With #5, you have to open Get Info and change the Video from Movie to TV. Doug's Scripts make it a lot easier for me to select multiple files and change.
 
Nice choice!! I just did the exact same thing a few weeks ago - I encoded the Flying Circus with Handbrake and I'm really happy with the results. I used higher settings since this is something I watch over and over and didn't want to be bugged with crappy quality. I left it at around 1600 kbps and chose to keep the aspect ratio rather than use anamorphic. I also checked off Detelecine (makes movements look a little smoother) and set the Deinterlace to slow. Each episode was around 300-400 megabytes. I could have gotten it smaller, I guess - oh well!

One weird and annoying thing, though, was that episodes 2-3 and 7-10 kept crashing Handbrake when I tried encoding them, but I just figured my discs were probably scratched or something. But, since we're on the subject, are you having issues with those ones, too?? 😕
 
boston04and07 said:
Nice choice!! I just did the exact same thing a few weeks ago - I encoded the Flying Circus with Handbrake and I'm really happy with the results. I used higher settings since this is something I watch over and over and didn't want to be bugged with crappy quality. I left it at around 1600 kbps and chose to keep the aspect ratio rather than use anamorphic. I also checked off Detelecine (makes movements look a little smoother) and set the Deinterlace to slow. Each episode was around 300-400 megabytes. I could have gotten it smaller, I guess - oh well!

One weird and annoying thing, though, was that episodes 2-3 and 7-10 kept crashing Handbrake when I tried encoding them, but I just figured my discs were probably scratched or something. But, since we're on the subject, are you having issues with those ones, too?? 😕
Click to expand...

I've left the bit rate for my episodes at about 900 kbps (909 actually), with 128 kbps sound. I'm transcoding the episodes at a low resolution, so I decided I didn't need the extra quality. I took a hard look at the anamorphic compared to the "keep aspect ratio" option and decided that the non anamorphic option looked the least stretched. My episodes are about 220 MB each 😛. I've been using deinterlace as well for most of the episodes, but on fast, since I can't see too much of a difference between that and the other options.

Huh, episodes 2 and 3 worked fine for me, although I ripped the DVDs using MactheRipper, then transcoded them, which may have something to do with it. Actually, when I ripped disc 3 (episodes 7-10), it ripped okay, but when I tried to use handbrake, it would only recognize the stuff before the menu, (about 1 minute long), and none of the episodes.

One odd thing I noticed about the collection was that some of the discs have the episodes, and then one title at the end of the disc with all of them together. Even more odd is that some disc don't have this.
 
Muncher said:
I've left the bit rate for my episodes at about 900 kbps (909 actually), with 128 kbps sound. I'm transcoding the episodes at a low resolution, so I decided I didn't need the extra quality. I took a hard look at the anamorphic compared to the "keep aspect ratio" option and decided that the non anamorphic option looked the least stretched. My episodes are about 220 MB each 😛. I've been using deinterlace as well for most of the episodes, but on fast, since I can't see too much of a difference between that and the other options.

Huh, episodes 2 and 3 worked fine for me, although I ripped the DVDs using MactheRipper, then transcoded them, which may have something to do with it. Actually, when I ripped disc 3 (episodes 7-10), it ripped okay, but when I tried to use handbrake, it would only recognize the stuff before the menu, (about 1 minute long), and none of the episodes.

One odd thing I noticed about the collection was that some of the discs have the episodes, and then one title at the end of the disc with all of them together. Even more odd is that some disc don't have this.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'll be watching mine on my TV via my Macbook which is why I went for the higher quality, but if you're just watching them on your iPod then you should be fine!! I agree that the anamorphic setting makes everything appear kind of weird an elongated, plus it made the black bars on either side much wider in full screen view. I also tried ripping the problem episodes with Mactheripper but it still didn't work, so I guess I just have abused the dvd's too much. And yeah I did notice that weirdness with the extra long file at the end of the list, but I guess that's from the "watch all episodes" option... although I guess I just figured that, if you selected that option in the DVD menu, the DVD would just play all the tracks in order, instead of carrying an entire extra copy of each! Hmm. Anyways, enjoy it, I know I will! 😀
 
boston04and07 said:
Anyways, enjoy it, I know I will! 😀
Click to expand...

Oh, I will! I have plenty of Python-fan friend to share it with too!

"What's on the telly?"
"Looks like a penguin."

Ahahahaha! 😛🙄😀😎

EDIT: I seem to have found a section at the end of a disc which is about an hour long; it can't be all three episodes, or a fourth. What is it?
 
Muncher said:
Oh, I will! I have plenty of Python-fan friend to share it with too!

"What's on the telly?"
"Looks like a penguin."

Ahahahaha! 😛🙄😀😎

EDIT: I seem to have found a section at the end of a disc which is about an hour long; it can't be all three episodes, or a fourth. What is it?
Click to expand...

Hmm, which disc is it?? Could it be, like, some sort of special feature or something? I never noticed anything like that on the dvd's, or while I was encoding. Then again, mine are getting old (I'm pretty sure they were the original edition released), so it also could be that we have two different editions and yours has something different like that... interesting!

"Funny that penguin being there, innit? What's it doing there?"
"Standing."
"I can see that!"

Classic!! Oh and you're lucky that you have friends who appreciate it, none of mine actually *get* Python and I've gotten a lot of blank stares when I try to show it to them! 😱
 
boston04and07 said:
Hmm, which disc is it?? Could it be, like, some sort of special feature or something? I never noticed anything like that on the dvd's, or while I was encoding. Then again, mine are getting old (I'm pretty sure they were the original edition released), so it also could be that we have two different editions and yours has something different like that... interesting!

"Funny that penguin being there, innit? What's it doing there?"
"Standing."
"I can see that!"

Classic!! Oh and you're lucky that you have friends who appreciate it, none of mine actually *get* Python and I've gotten a lot of blank stares when I try to show it to them! 😱
Click to expand...

Actually, I think it's just two of the episodes put together, but I'm not sure. I'll come back to it once I'm done (on disc 12!)

"If it lays an egg, it'll fall down the back of the television set."
"We'll have to watch that."
"Unless it's a male."
"Oh, I never thought of that!"
"Looks rather butch."

I guess they just can't appreciate dry british humor. 🙁 You just can't help but feel bad for them.
 
I know this is an old thread, but I'm trying to rip my Monty Python's Flying Circus DVD set and am running into an odd problem. When I play disc 3 in DVD Player, I see that each episode on the disc has a separate title (3, 4 and 5). However, when I try to run Handbrake, it only sees one title (title 1) for the disc and i can't get it to rip titles 3-5.

Anyone run into this?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back