.iso or .avi?

[zythyl]

I've recently decided to digitalise / imortalise my DVD collection so I've started ripping them to my HDD. However I am stumped: should I straight-clone my DVDs' .iso file onto my HDD (space is irrelevant), or would it be more effective / effecient / future-proof to just rip the main-movie file to a h.264 codec and source-audio? From this I lose the DVD menu /features (doesnt bother me) and about 3gigs off the final file.

What would you suggest I do?

simply put:
.iso or .avi (h.264) for future-proofing DVD collection?

 

[H4x3r]

If space/time isn't an issue, i would go with the 1:1 copy, just for the added quality, and if you ever lose a dvd or whatnot you can just re-burn it for use on the TV

 

[snowsurfer]

If space/time isn't an issue, i would go with the 1:1 copy, just for the added quality, and if you ever lose a dvd or whatnot you can just re-burn it for use on the TV

I agree with this. There are also media servers out there that will stream the ISO files from your PC to your PS3 if you have one or plan to purchase one. I have around 400 of my 2000+ DVD collection ripped 1:1 on my HDs, and I will eventually get all of it. Working on my huge CD collection now, wanna get then on FLAC with all the art scanned etc., but that is going to take ages.

 

[EricB]

I rip mine to a 700mb divx files using autogk or dvdcopy 6. it has great quality with a small footprint. if I want to see the best quality, then I just go get the dvd

 

[zythyl]

.iso it is. Thanks for the input, everyone.

- zythyl

 

[Oreo]

I rip mine to a 700mb divx files using autogk or dvdcopy 6. it has great quality with a small footprint. if I want to see the best quality, then I just go get the dvd

I don't know how you manage this.

All the 700mb DVDRips i have seen and done are clearly rips, there is significant compression on flat textures throughout the film. They look OK, watchable. But i wouldn't say "great".
I find if i rip dvd's to about 1.5GB, then they are much better quality.

I know people that buy blu ray films and then go and rip them to there PC at 1/4the file size, i have to ask myself why the heck you spent an extra $15 on the HD format and then go and compress it.

But then people have differing opinions i guess, i just don't find movies enjoyable if i can see the slightest bit of compression, some people, even Audio/Visual enthusiasts can put up with it, i just cant - no idea why.

 

[EricB]

I make better use on my hdd space considering that each movie will be 5-10 gigs long. If i need the highest quality and all of my movies at the same time then I will buy a 300 disc dvd player and link it to my computer and run it with linux Mce which index movies. I now use my hdd space for movies that I don't have in dvd format

I use to rip all of my whole movie to my hard drive and store them, that I then realize that i was wasting hdd space and stopped the stupid practice. mind you I have over 6 tyrabytes of hdd space in my home

also you probably never use hardware to compress your movie. hardware kill software for compression especially if you are using a hardware encoder card which are super expensive. you will be hard pressed to tell differences with hardware compression

 

[Fat.Clown]

I rip mine to a 700mb divx files using autogk or dvdcopy 6. it has great quality with a small footprint. if I want to see the best quality, then I just go get the dvd

is your alias axxo?

 

[zythyl]

aXXo as an individual is dead. Everyone who thinks themselves a big-shot wanna-be e-celeb goes by the alias 'aXXo'.

To be frank only video and audiophiles can really distinguish between aXXo's and non-aXXo's files... the footprints he leaves are so distinct it's almost like a calling card he leaves behind.

It's sad really... too many teenagers watching The Matrix too many times... 'I wanna be something I'm not; I wanna be aXXo - famous, respected, etc etc'

The real aXXo can be contacted and found on demonoid.com

Do not expect an answer, however.

 

[snowsurfer]

I make better use on my hdd space considering that each movie will be 5-10 gigs long. If i need the highest quality and all of my movies at the same time then I will buy a 300 disc dvd player and link it to my computer and run it with linux Mce which index movies. I now use my hdd space for movies that I don't have in dvd format

I use to rip all of my whole movie to my hard drive and store them, that I then realize that i was wasting hdd space and stopped the stupid practice. mind you I have over 6 tyrabytes of hdd space in my home

also you probably never use hardware to compress your movie. hardware kill software for compression especially if you are using a hardware encoder card which are super expensive. you will be hard pressed to tell differences with hardware compression

Whatever hardware you may use, the differences, even on a mediocre home-cinema setup, are absolutely huge. If you are watching on a computer monitor still visible. And that's about the end of the story, however you may want to put it. Just as the differences between MP3 and audio CD are very noticeable even on a humble 500 bucks separates hi-fi system. DivX and MP3 are not called "lossy" compression without a reason, and both are very lossy formats indeed. Personally, the only time that I would use either is for filling my laptop with stuff when I take long working trips abroad. At least for me I haven't spent this much money on my setup to "lose" anything out of my media just because I save on storage that is as low as 10 cents per Gb, and the convenience of having it stored in perfect quality on a media server is part of the whole point.