[off-topic] Thanks for the valuable information. I have accumulated a number of discs and would like to start ripping as well. Without taking one year--looking for a jump start! Do you have some "most useful" links or Web sites for info? I assume you have an external (USB) BD drive, any recommendations?
No problem. I'll try to help.
I have a Mac Pro with an internal LG Blu-Ray Lightscribe drive, but LG makes great external USB Blu-Ray drives. I've used LG for years, highly recommend them.
It's been over a year, but I keep all the links for future reference. I'll list a few that may help on learning about different containers (mkv, m4v, etc.), audio (Dolby, DTS, etc) and Passthru versus encoding (passthru simply passes the original audio and/or video through while encoding modifies the original content to the settings you chose).
Apps
DVD Ripping:
- Fairmount: It was a free DVD ripper application, however it was recently acquired by DVDSuki Software and has been merged into Mac DVDRipper Pro. I still have the app, but I used other apps that I paid for as they did a better job. Unfortunately free ripping app's have been bought out by companies, so most app's require a license.
- "
Mac the Ripper 4": Great app, will rip some discs that may have tough encryption.
- "
RipIt": The app I use the most, rips and can transcode into a myriad of formats as well.
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Mac DVDRipper Pro: Haven't really used this one, I prefer "RipIt", but check it out in case you want to compare.
- Mac Bluray Ripper Pro: I JUST discovered it no longer works! Bummed. This was a great app for ripping my Blu-Ray's. The site is down, the only link I found was
here. I tried launching my copy in 10.8.2, won't even launch.
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Blu-Ray on OSX Lion (10.7) Guide! Lists two apps I use for playing and ripping Blu-Ray's:
1.
MacGo Blu-Ray Player: Great app for watching Blu-Ray's right in OS X. Also plays many other formats.
2.
MakeMKV: Another site/app that just went offline yesterday (and I just now found out). Here's a
link in which MakeMKV is discussed, with some posts linking to available downloads.
MakeMKV is a great app for ripping Blu-Ray's, but requires a license. Here's a description:
From GuinpinSoft:
MakeMKV is your one-click solution to convert video that you own into free and patents-unencumbered format that can be played everywhere. MakeMKV is a format converter, otherwise called "transcoder". It converts the video clips from proprietary (and usually encrypted) disc into a set of MKV files, preserving most information but not changing it in any way. The MKV format can store multiple video/audio tracks with all meta-information and preserve chapters. There are many players that can play MKV files nearly on all platforms, and there are tools to convert MKV files to many formats, including DVD and Blu-ray discs. Additionally MakeMKV can instantly stream decrypted video without intermediate conversion to wide range of players, so you may watch Blu-ray and DVD discs with your favorite player on your favorite OS or on your favorite device.
Links to available versions:
MakeMKV 1.7.7 -
v1.7.7 Beta
MakeMKV Mac OS X version
MakeMKV Windows version
MakeMKV 1.7.4: Some claim this link downloads 1.7.5, and it may or may not work as anything older than 1.7.7 is written to expire (1.7.6 expired at the end of August, and 1.7.7 should expire 10/13/2012).
Another link for
MakeMKV 1.7.7 beta
Transcoding Apps:
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Handbrake: The best app for transcoding rips. It's free, can do about everything you throw at it, and the advanced settings allow for excellent transcoding.
Tutorials/Guides
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Encoders: Handbrake has a guide explaining the various video and audio encoders/containers
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How to Create HD-SD Dual Versions of a Movie for iTunes:
Have you ever noticed that movies you purchase from the iTunes Music Store (ITMS) usually show up in your iTunes Library with a little tag that says HD-SD?
Thats because most movies in the ITMS come to you with both an HD version and a second version thats smaller in file size and better suited for iPods, iPhones, and other portable devices. You can create your own dual versions of your home movie collection and add the HD-SD tag.
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How-To: Automating DVD & Blu-Ray (Backup, Encoding & Tagging) for Mac OS X
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What Handbrake settings should I use for HD files so they can play on AppleTV
- This guide is a bit dated, 2008, however it still is helpful with the basics and references many of the app's I've used (of course the app's have been updated since):
How to backup/copy/rip video DVDs to your HDD and transcode them to another format.
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MKV -> MP4 without conversion?: An old thread from 2007 but leads to discussing how to convert an mkv container/file to mp4 format without converting/transcoding
Have to run, but hope this helps.