Video Asylum

HTPC Software

98.204.110.199

homebrewsupply@comcast.net

Hi, all --

I'm trying to configure a Windows XP system to play DVDs with 2 channel sound. I'd love to find software for recording DVDs to hard drive for playback, but will settle for playing them in a drive.

Any suggestions for both recording (ripping) and playback?

Many thanks....
Thomas O Hiltabidle, Jr.

Follow Ups:

DVDFab - bassbinotoko 00:03:18 07/01/09 (0)
For ripping, DVDFab is my choice, because it is currently free for basic ripping functions, and regularly updated to handle new protection schemes.
[url]http://www.dvdfab.com[/url]

Other options are AnyDVD (not free, but it handles Blu-ray and HD-DVD).
[url]http://www.slysoft.com/en/[/url]
And MakeMKV which claims to rip DVD and Blu-ray into mkv without re-encoding.
[url]http://www.makemkv.com[/url]

I'd avoid codec packs... I installed one once and getting rid of the unnecessary stuff it installed was a lot of work. If you need to play something alien, try VLC... it plays just about everything with no external codecs to worry about.
[url]http://www.videolan.org[/url]
Media Player Classic is another:
[url]http://mpc-hc.sourceforge.net/[/url]

I was going to suggest Snapstream Beyond TV, since I was really impressed by its PVR capability and appliance-like ease of use when I tried it a few years ago. And I could've sworn it could play media other than recorded TV, but that seems to have been removed from the current product.

However, I found a link from their forum to Mediaportal, which appears to be the ultimate PVR/HTPC software, and it's free. There's even a plug-in to rip CDs and DVDs.
- MEDIAPORTAL (Open in New Window)
RE: HTPC Software - Gmood1 20:21:57 06/22/09 (3)
For ripping you have quite a few out there to choose from. Some are free like DVDshrink. DVDmagic ripper is another one, not sure if it is free though. You can actually convert DVDs to several different formats with this one.
You have Cyberlink PowerDVD and Arcsoft for playback software. I use Cyberlink myself to playback blu rays on the HTPC.
- DVDshrink (Open in New Window)
Edits: 06/22/09
- RE: HTPC Software - homebrewsupply 20:47:42 06/22/09 (2)
  Thanks for getting back to me. Will the playback software you mention read from hard drive, or only from the original disk? I tried a version of Power DVD, but it would only play back individual files from the hard drive, and when I built a playlist to watch an entire movie there were unpleasant flashes when the player switched from one file to the next.
  
  Thanks again!
  - RE: HTPC Software - Gmood1 21:55:55 06/22/09 (1)
    Download the K-lite codec pack from file hippo. This will give you the classic windows media player,that will allow you to play files of different formats. You can convert the DVD file over to AVI. It takes up less space and will make it easier for you to store and retrieve the files. In fact instead of ripping the entire DVD just convert it to AVI. This way you can play the files from any where it doesn't matter!
    
    This should make it much easier for you than trying to use a DVD player software like Cyberlink. Classic WMP will play DVD files as well.
    I have over 200 movies stored this way now in libraries on external HDs that I share across the network with all three of my PCs at home. One of which is connected to my main TV in the great room.
    Once you get a handle on this, you'll find the need for a DVD player unnecessary. I don't own any free standing DVD players anymore. My PCs do all the work with the click of the mouse. Hell I even have a couple of Blu rays on HD compressed for viewing. lol
    http://www.magicdvdripper.com/
    - File hippo (Open in New Window)
    Edits: 06/22/09 06/22/09 06/22/09 06/22/09 06/22/09 06/22/09
    - RE: HTPC Software - homebrewsupply@comcast.net 06:53:03 06/24/09 (0)
      Bingo! Thanks very much for the terrific advice. Have an image problem to sort out, but the functionality is exactly what I was looking for. If you're ever in the area (northern Baltimore County), be in touch and stop by to see what you've helped create!
      
      Thanks again
      Thomas O Hiltabidle, Jr.

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