(cross-post from Reddit)
Over the weekend I've been tinkering with Plex, a media server/streaming service. I've used it before, but always stopped using it after being annoyed with one thing or the other. This time, however, it seems that these have been fixed.
Plex is based on the idea that a computer or server hosts your "dumb" video files, which are then scanned, sorted, and presented in a metadata-rich library that supports a lot of nice features. You can play back your files on pretty much any device, including iOS devices. The server can transcode to formats that fit your device/bandwidth/etc, sync these files so they're stored locally, let one device be the remote for another, etc.
The biggest revelation for me was when a friend and master Plex user showed me how to get Blu-Rays into the thing, and subsequently onto an iPad. I've always avoided Blu-Rays in favor of iTunes movies due to the fact physical discs seem so pointless to me. I have all of Star Trek TNG Remastered on Blu-Ray, however, along with ST: First Contact and a USB Blu-Ray drive I bought just for that - so I had some discs to play around with.
Basically it works like this: Using makemkv, the contents of the Blu-Ray are moved into separate .MKV files for each "title" on the disc, and saved on my hard drive. This is purely a file copy and repacking operation, so it doesn't take up many resources on your computer, only disc drive and disk. This outputs a .mkv file for each separate video on the disc, which can be TV episodes, movie, extras, etc. The original format is kept, so the files are large(!). Star Trek First Contact resulted in one main file, the movie, and 24 other video files - extras and featurettes. Total size: 36GB. If you cut out audio tracks and subtitles from languages you don't need, that will help reduce the size. Note that it won't take up that much space on your iPad, as even if you save a local copy, you can have that transcoded into something more sane.
Then the process of checking each file and renaming it appropriately begins. The main movie is named with title + year, and extras are named whatever as long as you tag the extra type - by adding e.g. -interview, -featurette, or -behindthescenes. Basically, I just go through all the files, match them with a list of extras, and rename them as such.
Once all this is done, I update Plex, and it scans it into the library. Extras show up as extras, subtitles and audio tracks work, etc. On the iPad, I can then play back directly, including choosing what bitrate and resolution I want if I want the server to transcode it. I can also "sync" the file, i.e. store it locally on the iPad - in any res/bitrate format I want.
For me, this is a gamechanger. If you own a legal copy of a disc, you are legally allowed to make digital copies of it in my country, so this gives me a way to buy otherwise useless Blu-Rays and have legal digital copies on the devices I actually use. The size of the files does mean some storage upgrades are in order, but that's fine.
I've been checking iTunes way too often to see if there are sales on movies, and often find they cost a lot more digitally than on Blu-Ray or DVD. This completely eliminates the need to do that, as I can buy the disc, make a digital copy, and then have access to it on any device.
The original Blu-Ray
After makemkv has done its job, and I've renamed the results
After plex has scanned it into library. View on iPad Pro 12.9.
Subtitles and audio tracks you choose to keep are available as choices
Extras show up if tagged correctly
OMG it's the Enterprise!
Remote control of iPad Pro playback from iPhone
Over the weekend I've been tinkering with Plex, a media server/streaming service. I've used it before, but always stopped using it after being annoyed with one thing or the other. This time, however, it seems that these have been fixed.
Plex is based on the idea that a computer or server hosts your "dumb" video files, which are then scanned, sorted, and presented in a metadata-rich library that supports a lot of nice features. You can play back your files on pretty much any device, including iOS devices. The server can transcode to formats that fit your device/bandwidth/etc, sync these files so they're stored locally, let one device be the remote for another, etc.
The biggest revelation for me was when a friend and master Plex user showed me how to get Blu-Rays into the thing, and subsequently onto an iPad. I've always avoided Blu-Rays in favor of iTunes movies due to the fact physical discs seem so pointless to me. I have all of Star Trek TNG Remastered on Blu-Ray, however, along with ST: First Contact and a USB Blu-Ray drive I bought just for that - so I had some discs to play around with.
Basically it works like this: Using makemkv, the contents of the Blu-Ray are moved into separate .MKV files for each "title" on the disc, and saved on my hard drive. This is purely a file copy and repacking operation, so it doesn't take up many resources on your computer, only disc drive and disk. This outputs a .mkv file for each separate video on the disc, which can be TV episodes, movie, extras, etc. The original format is kept, so the files are large(!). Star Trek First Contact resulted in one main file, the movie, and 24 other video files - extras and featurettes. Total size: 36GB. If you cut out audio tracks and subtitles from languages you don't need, that will help reduce the size. Note that it won't take up that much space on your iPad, as even if you save a local copy, you can have that transcoded into something more sane.
Then the process of checking each file and renaming it appropriately begins. The main movie is named with title + year, and extras are named whatever as long as you tag the extra type - by adding e.g. -interview, -featurette, or -behindthescenes. Basically, I just go through all the files, match them with a list of extras, and rename them as such.
Once all this is done, I update Plex, and it scans it into the library. Extras show up as extras, subtitles and audio tracks work, etc. On the iPad, I can then play back directly, including choosing what bitrate and resolution I want if I want the server to transcode it. I can also "sync" the file, i.e. store it locally on the iPad - in any res/bitrate format I want.
For me, this is a gamechanger. If you own a legal copy of a disc, you are legally allowed to make digital copies of it in my country, so this gives me a way to buy otherwise useless Blu-Rays and have legal digital copies on the devices I actually use. The size of the files does mean some storage upgrades are in order, but that's fine.
I've been checking iTunes way too often to see if there are sales on movies, and often find they cost a lot more digitally than on Blu-Ray or DVD. This completely eliminates the need to do that, as I can buy the disc, make a digital copy, and then have access to it on any device.
The original Blu-Ray
After makemkv has done its job, and I've renamed the results
After plex has scanned it into library. View on iPad Pro 12.9.
Subtitles and audio tracks you choose to keep are available as choices
Extras show up if tagged correctly
OMG it's the Enterprise!
Remote control of iPad Pro playback from iPhone
