want to rip all my dvd's to watch on AT4

[mic j]

So if I use plex i don't need the handbrake step? i just leave them as mkv files?

Correct. Both Plex and and Infuse will play MKV's (dvd or BR) stored on a network drive using aTV4. I prefer Infuse because it has performed even better than Plex and does not require a media server to be running on my MBP. I have used both but settled on Infuse.

At this point, the reason to use HB is to reduce file size. The earlier aTV versions (which did not have the ability to add apps that would play MKV files) would only play mp4 files. So back then there was also a file compatibility issue that HB solved.

I should also probably point out that using the mp4 format allows you to imbed metadata in the file. While using MKV format does not (at least not easily as far as I know). So if you want to do your own artwork, film info etc, mp4 file format might be of interest to you. Both Plex and Infuse obtain metadata from outside sources, such as IMDB and store that in their file system but not actually in the file itself.

 

[Scarpad]

Plus depends on what you are streaming it to, but MKV's will always have to transcode if you make the files ATV compatible it will directplay to most devices

 

[mic j]

Plus depends on what you are streaming it to, but MKV's will always have to transcode if you make the files ATV compatible it will directplay to most devices

You make a valid point. The aTV cannot play MKV's natively and will be transcoded either manually (by the media owner) or by whichever app is used (Plex, Infuse, VLC, etc). Just depends on what is being used and personal needs as to whether it is worth taking the time to rip and transcode (which can be a slow process for BR's) or just rip (which is pretty quick).

 

[priitv8]

Plus depends on what you are streaming it to, but MKV's will always have to transcode if you make the files ATV compatible it will directplay to most devices

Fortunately, very many MKV-s still contain AVC video stream, so no need to transcode that. Transcoding audio from DTS to AC3 on the fly presents no problems to modern CPU-s. Beamer, for example, does just that.
If all streams in MKV are aTV/MP4 compatible, no transcoding is needed at all.

 

[cynics]

I generally use Handbrake, seems to work the best for me however I haven't tried every program available.

I prefer the control set so I can get the highest quality and most complex encode my devices can handle. At the settings I use its a time consuming process.

However it should be kept in mind that encode time is purely hardware bound, a higher quality output file (be it filesize and/or visual quality) just takes longer because there is more work involved. Whether you can see the difference is a totally different matter.

 

[archer75]

Strange - I've ripped over 300 Blurays with Leawo...
Its a single rip and encoding tool.

I was looking at their website and they make no mention of bluray ripping. Just dvd ripping and a bluray player so I was going off of that.

 

[Peepo]

You make a valid point. The aTV cannot play MKV's natively and will be transcoded either manually (by the media owner) or by whichever app is used (Plex, Infuse, VLC, etc). Just depends on what is being used and personal needs as to whether it is worth taking the time to rip and transcode (which can be a slow process for BR's) or just rip (which is pretty quick).

Only Plex will transcode at all. You are incorrect in saying the other players like Infuse and VLC transcode - they do not and play back the file natively. Plex also can play back natively and only transcodes if necessary (eg. If the client cannot play natively). Are you meaning that the bitrate from a bluray is too high (eg a mkv from make mkv) and has to be transcoded down to a smaller mkv? If so then could just use handbrake on them.

 

[andrewstirling]

I thought infuse transcoded on the Apple TV whereas plex transcodes on the server device?

 

[caligurl]

Sooooooo I've been a movie ripping fiend! I got all our Marvel movies ripped using the MakeMKV and Handbrake method. Works great to watch importing them into iTunes and then using the computer app on ATV cuz Plex confused me (and I'm not even blonde!) with all its talk about NAS and stuff. So anyways, I decided to look into adding Meta Data and pretty pictures for each movie. I go all confused again!

That led me back to Plex! So last night, for the heck of it I opened up Plex and pointed it at my MKV files on my external hard drive. IT WORKED! I got pretty pictures and info and stuff! AND THEY AREN'T EVEN NAMED CORRECTLY right now (I'll go back and redo the files already on the hard drive and do it as I rip each movie in the future! I've been doing double work by using 2 programs (ya.... I know! I know! you all told me that several comments upthread!)

My new question is: Do you all use the free version of Plex? Or do you pay the monthly (or lifetime) fee? It seemed to work just fine using the free apple tv app (however the iphone app said it would only let me watch for one minute... uhm.... who watches full length feature films on their iphones anyways? isn't that what the huge tv in my living room is for?????? I digress!)

I don't foresee a need to have access to my movies when away from the house. At least not right now. Since it's working off my external hard drive (NOT a NAS) am I going to come up with any issues?

 

[Peepo]

I thought infuse transcoded on the Apple TV whereas plex transcodes on the server device?

Transcoding is when it converts one format to another for playback on an unsupported device (Plex does this in real-time). Infuse does not transcode and plays back the file directly on the AppleTV. If you have a file that you want to play back in Infuse which it cannot play very well (eg. an x265 file) or at all, then you could transcode it beforehand to a different format (eg. x264) using a Mac or PC with software such as HandBrake.
[doublepost=1462994317][/doublepost]

Sooooooo I've been a movie ripping fiend! I got all our Marvel movies ripped using the MakeMKV and Handbrake method. Works great to watch importing them into iTunes and then using the computer app on ATV cuz Plex confused me (and I'm not even blonde!) with all its talk about NAS and stuff. So anyways, I decided to look into adding Meta Data and pretty pictures for each movie. I go all confused again!

That led me back to Plex! So last night, for the heck of it I opened up Plex and pointed it at my MKV files on my external hard drive. IT WORKED! I got pretty pictures and info and stuff! AND THEY AREN'T EVEN NAMED CORRECTLY right now (I'll go back and redo the files already on the hard drive and do it as I rip each movie in the future! I've been doing double work by using 2 programs (ya.... I know! I know! you all told me that several comments upthread!)

My new question is: Do you all use the free version of Plex? Or do you pay the monthly (or lifetime) fee? It seemed to work just fine using the free apple tv app (however the iphone app said it would only let me watch for one minute... uhm.... who watches full length feature films on their iphones anyways? isn't that what the huge tv in my living room is for?????? I digress!)

I don't foresee a need to have access to my movies when away from the house. At least not right now. Since it's working off my external hard drive (NOT a NAS) am I going to come up with any issues?

I have a sub to Plex and I think it allows you to do things like Share your Library and download to devices like iPad/iPhone for offline playback.

When I first got Plex I thought it was great that it scraped all the metadata and organized everything all nice but then I got sloppy/lazy with my files and after a while my OCD kicked in and I went back to naming them properly - I make them compatible with Kodi. I use both MrMC and Plex (I prefer MrMC on ATV and Plex on iPhone, iPad or remote viewing somewhere else like via web).

 

[caligurl]

I have a sub to Plex and I think it allows you to do things like Share your Library and download to devices like iPad/iPhone for offline playback.

When I first got Plex I thought it was great that it scraped all the metadata and organized everything all nice but then I got sloppy/lazy with my files and after a while my OCD kicked in and I went back to naming them properly - I make them compatible with Kodi. I use both MrMC and Plex (I prefer MrMC on ATV and Plex on iPhone, iPad or remote viewing somewhere else like via web).

Hmmmmmm so if I don't need to share my library and I don't need to download movies to my iphone or ipad, the free version will do everything I need?

I want to go back to the files I've already ripped and rename them before it gets out of hand! While it's nice that I got the pretty pics and info with the crap labeling (I just put the MKV files over onto the hard drive the way the program named them, which is a folder with the movie name and then title???.mkv cuz I was changing the file name when I did the Handbrake portion.) I was really impressed that Plex got all the pics and info out of that mess when I was playing around with it last night!!

 

[AFEPPL]

Why not just put them into iTunes as MP4s and remove the need all together for Plex, its simply another level of software you don't actually need.

 

[caligurl]

Why not just put them into iTunes as MP4s and remove the need all together for Plex, its simply another level of software you don't actually need.

That is what I was doing.... but it's double the work to get the files. THEN I need to figure out how to get the meta data so that I don't just have a rectangle with a title and length.

I couldn't figure that out last night so I decided to point Plex to the MKV file on my external hard drive last night and it got the info and I only have 1 step (the MakeMKV step). So I'm thinking, at this point, that it's easier/less time consuming to get all our old DVDs onto the new hard drive.

I looked at infuse too.... but I couldn't get it to see my MKV folder so I gave up.

I really don't want to pay plex 4.99 a month (or 39.99 a year or 149 lifetime) cuz we aren't really huge movie watchers.... we'll go weeks without watching a DVD... but then we'll binge watch like we are now with all the Marvel movies before going to see Captain America this weekend.

If I don't have to pay for Plex, then it's just the app on AppleTV (free). And one less step in making them digital. I think that's good? But I'm also new at this and open to suggestions and recommendations!
[doublepost=1462997350][/doublepost]Here's my thoughts:

Plex:

(1) rip movie with MakeMKV
(2) rename title file with movie name and year
(3) add to folder
Done!

iTunes:
(1) rip movie with MakeMKV
(2) convert using Handbrake
(3) Add META data (with some program that I haven't found yet)
(4) add to folder
(5) add to ITunes (using the add file in iTunes) (Although I guess there are some META programs that do this for you).
Done! but takes at least twice as long for each DVD.

 

[BeefCake 15]

Other people already ripped the same DVD collection most likely, why reinvent the wheel...

 

[caligurl]

Other people already ripped the same DVD collection most likely, why reinvent the wheel...

I'm confused? How does that help me? (serious question)

 

[archer75]

No, you don't need a plex sub. And you can share your library without one. And I use plex on multiple devices daily without a sub.

I keep each movie in its own folder named for the movie and the year it came out.

 

[AFEPPL]

That is what I was doing.... but it's double the work to get the files. THEN I need to figure out how to get the meta data so that I don't just have a rectangle with a title and length.

I couldn't figure that out last night so I decided to point Plex to the MKV file on my external hard drive last night and it got the info and I only have 1 step (the MakeMKV step). So I'm thinking, at this point, that it's easier/less time consuming to get all our old DVDs onto the new hard drive.

I looked at infuse too.... but I couldn't get it to see my MKV folder so I gave up.

I really don't want to pay plex 4.99 a month (or 39.99 a year or 149 lifetime) cuz we aren't really huge movie watchers.... we'll go weeks without watching a DVD... but then we'll binge watch like we are now with all the Marvel movies before going to see Captain America this weekend.

If I don't have to pay for Plex, then it's just the app on AppleTV (free). And one less step in making them digital. I think that's good? But I'm also new at this and open to suggestions and recommendations!
[doublepost=1462997350][/doublepost]Here's my thoughts:

Plex:

(1) rip movie with MakeMKV
(2) rename title file with movie name and year
(3) add to folder
Done!

iTunes:
(1) rip movie with MakeMKV
(2) convert using Handbrake
(3) Add META data (with some program that I haven't found yet)
(4) add to folder
(5) add to ITunes (using the add file in iTunes) (Although I guess there are some META programs that do this for you).
Done! but takes at least twice as long for each DVD.

Well you have two options - dont rip to MKV, i use Leawoo and put it to MP4 and then i don't have to convert anything with handbrake. I then use identify to get the tags. if it doesnt auto detect based on the name i simply imdb the film by name and get the tt number from the browser, and your done. You can get identify from app store.

Option 2 as above and use identify again on the converted rip - But in this process its the recoding that will take all the time. So i'd rather spend a small amount on Leawoo and save 3hours per film from my life..!

 

[caligurl]

Well you have two options - dont rip to MKV, i use Leawoo and put it to MP4 and then i don't have to convert anything with handbrake. I then use identify to get the tags. if it doesnt auto detect based on the name i simply imdb the film by name and get the tt number from the browser, and your done. You can get identify from app store.

Option 2 as above and use identify again on the converted rip - But in this process its the recoding that will take all the time. So i'd rather spend a small amount on Leawoo and save 3hours per film from my life..!

I only have DVDs so mine take maybe 30 minutes each... not 3 hours. I really should graduate to Blurays, though! haha!

 

[JBaby]

Well you have two options - dont rip to MKV, i use Leawoo and put it to MP4 and then i don't have to convert anything with handbrake. I then use identify to get the tags. if it doesnt auto detect based on the name i simply imdb the film by name and get the tt number from the browser, and your done. You can get identify from app store.

Option 2 as above and use identify again on the converted rip - But in this process its the recoding that will take all the time. So i'd rather spend a small amount on Leawoo and save 3hours per film from my life..!

I love iDentify 2, but I can no longer recommend it because it's no longer supported and it's being removed from the Mac App Store soon.

 

[afd]

iTunes:
(1) rip movie with MakeMKV
(2) convert using Handbrake
(3) Add META data (with some program that I haven't found yet)
(4) add to folder
(5) add to ITunes (using the add file in iTunes) (Although I guess there are some META programs that do this for you).
Done! but takes at least twice as long for each DVD.

i use iFlicks for getting the metadata onto DVD rips, it would also save the files in a particular place and add to iTunes if you wanted it to.

 

[mic j]

From the information you provided my recommendation is to just use iTunes to view your movies. Free Plex and Infuse are not needed unless you want to not transcode using HB and view the mkv's directly. Paid Plex is not needed unless you want to view library remotely. You're doing exactly what I did for a few years. Rip to MKV>transcode to mp4 with HB>watch using Computers app on aTV. Works fine.

The only thing you are lacking is metadata. I always used Subler for this. Once you figure out your first, it will all make sense. Open your mp4 (File>Open). Search for metadata (Import>Search metadata online). In window that opens make sure the movie name is accurate the click on "Search". If there is any metadata in the list you don't want, delete it (I usually just keep it all). Click>Add. At this point your movie artwork window will appear with a default selected but you can select different one. Click "Set as artwork" Save the file (File>Save). It will rewrite the file adding all the metadata to the mp4. Also notice the app lets you do lots of other things, like: add/remove tracks, add subtitle tracks, cue up a bunch of files to process and more. It's free and a neat little tool for the video toolbox.

 

[archer75]

From the information you provided my recommendation is to just use iTunes to view your movies. Free Plex and Infuse are not needed unless you want to not transcode using HB and view the mkv's directly. Paid Plex is not needed unless you want to view library remotely. You're doing exactly what I did for a few years. Rip to MKV>transcode to mp4 with HB>watch using Computers app on aTV. Works fine.

The beauty of plex is you don't need handbrake to encode. No matter what your files are they will play on any device which is very nice.
And you don't need a plex sub to view your library remotely.

It's dead simple to use, handles your meta data for you and makes your collection available everywhere. Honestly, I can't see any good reason to go through the hassle of using itunes and locking yourself into a single device when plex is easier, free and gives you way more options. You can use it on any phone, any tablet, most smart tv's, roku's, chromecasts, xboxes, playstations, android tv's, fire tv's, the list goes on and on.
There are also programs that can be setup to automatically download movies and tv shows and other than the initial setup you don't have to do anything. And they will automatically show up in plex.

 

[Scarpad]

Can someone give me the "idiot's guide" to ripping my dvd's so that I can stream them all from my computer/external harddrive and watch them on AT4 rather than having to dig out the disc and play it.

I've tried handbrake a few time in the past, but it's never worked for me. I don't know what I'm doing wrong that I can't get it to work.

Another Option MakeMKV to rip the disk, Iflicks 2, a pretty decent encoder and Metadata updater, for the Mac, Pick a encoding option and go
[doublepost=1463058621][/doublepost]

I love iDentify 2, but I can no longer recommend it because it's no longer supported and it's being removed from the Mac App Store soon.

Yeah it was the app to use but it no longer works for Movies and corrupts the files too.

 

[cduff]

I agree with mic j - use Subler for the metadata. It even has an option to select the metadata from the iTunes store, so you can make your library like it was meant to be And, it will also convert your MKV to M4V for iTunes import.

 

[caligurl]

Now that I've pretty much figured out Plex, I'm really liking the idea of one program, rename the file, move it to the external and I'm done!

However, I'm going to take a look at Subler and see what it's all about! That way I can have options available should Plex stop working or they start charging or something!

One issue I was having last night with Plex: I renames ALL the files that were on my external hard drive but for some reason some of the movies were still showing the old name "title00" or something like that???? I refreshed, but couldn't get them to change? I may try moving them and moving them back to see if that works?

We watched Age of Ultron via Plex and had no issues. Nothing different than watching via the computer app. So that's good!