More of a poll - Has anyone converted their entire video library to m4v/mp4?

[superkershaw]

Hi,
I'm sure many people, like me, have much of their video library and collection in various formats other than m4v/mp4. I was wondering if anyone has made the effort to actually convert their entire library of videos into m4v format so that it's all apple hardware compatible or if you have duplicates of everything to preserve high quality 'originals' and lower quality iphone/ipod conversions etc.

Just a simple question of how you manage your video library I suppose. I also wonder if anyone even uses iTunes to manage their videos? It seems with the increasing number of apple devices pilfering our lives (or those of us that choose to let them pilfer our lives at least) could probably do with some simplification of formats.

(i tried looking for a discussion about this but i couldn't find one, so if it's a duplicate, maybe send me there!)

 

[Zortrium]

I'm in the midst of ripping my entire DVD collection to m4v using Handbrake 0.9.4. I'm finding that you can get excellent quality for only 1-1.5 GB per movie. I keep all my media on a Linux server on my network which serves it up in the standard iTunes sharing protocol so that I can browse my library through iTunes. This lets me keep a single library for my whole apartment that both myself and my girlfriend can browse from our own computers. Works pretty well, though it's a little slow over wireless since I don't have a wireless N access point.

 

[Cave Man]

No and it won't happen. You can't put DTS audio into an m4v or mp4 container.

 

[Stuart in Oz]

I have, into mv4, using Handbrake for my personal collection of stuff I recorded using EyeTV.

It's a great container and I use h.264 to get good quality for about the same file sizes mentioned above.

Still, my 2TB of external drives are almost filled. Sadly a NAS is next.

 

[tonyburkhart]

I have 2TB RAID 3/4 full of ONLY .m4v that I am almost done converting my entire library to.

I also have all the other files backed up via 2 1TB iOmega HDD and on Carbonite.

AND

I don't play any movies through iTunes. The only time I drag a movie into iTunes, is to sync with my iPod Touch (iPad soon )

I use QTX for all my movie playback on my mini and Macbook.

@Stuart in Oz - hahaha, I'm laughing here! I am moving to ny NAS too!

I am thinking 4TB RAID Buffalo... but haven't decided for sure yet!

 

[CylonGlitch]

I am thinking 4TB RAID Buffalo... but haven't decided for sure yet!

There are better options then the Buffalo, check out the Mac Peripherals forum, there is some good information there.