[mythtv-users] Newbie questions: a digital DVD library

[Nick F]

On Thu, Feb 12, 2009 at 1:13 PM, gonzalo diethelm <gdiethelm at dcv.cl> wrote:

> My plan is to rip the DVDs on a Windows machine using DVDfab HD
> Decrypter (version 5.2.3.2), since I believe this is the easiest way to
> ensure that I end up with non-protected DVD files that include exactly
> the sound tracks and subtitle tracks I want, with defaults defined
> according to my needs. Then I will import these movies into MythTV,
> probably doing some tests as to whether I will transcode them or not (I
> probably will due to space reasons).
>
> I think I have gotten the hang of how things work, but I have some
> things I have not been able to make work, and some additional questions.
>
> 1. How do I import a DVD movie that is stored on a directory in my file
> system, with the typical VIDEO_TS (and empty AUDIO_TS) subdirectories,
> into MythTV? I tried going to the Archive Files (whatever the option is
> called), which allows me to navigate the file system, but when I
> navigate to my ripped DVD directory it doesn't show any files at all and
> I can take no meaningful action to start the import... Is it possible to
> import DVD movies that have been pre-ripped to the file system?
>
I just suck in the DVD structure - and Mythvideo automatically recognises
that (if it has the VIDEO_TS, etc) that it's a DVD and plays appropriatly.
I also rip the movies on a Windows box (actually a Windows VM on a Linux
machine) - and use either DVDfab, or anydvd.  So - you can certainly import
pre-ripped movies.  If I really like the movie - I leave it uncompressed.
If I've watched it, and want to save some space I compress it with HandBrake
under Linux - usually into a h.264 file while preserving the AC3
soundtrack.  The new versions of HandBrake will compress BLU-RAY rips as
well.


>
> 2. What is the structure used in the file system to store imported
> movies in MythTV? Could I devise my own directory tree to group my
> movies according to my whims? Could I also add tags to the movies, so
> that when I wish to play them, I can search for them independently of
> the directory trees I have defined?
>
I've divided my filestructure so in my mythmovies directory I have a
subdirectory for ACTION, COMEDY, TV SHOWS, FOREIGN, DRAMA, DOCUMENTARY,
CHILDREN, MUSICALS, JAMES BOND, SCI-FI, HORROR - and then drop in either the
DVD FOLDER into that subdirectory, or the compressed movie file.  This way I
can navigate more easily.


>
> 3. In order to at least check whether my front-end was working, I
> changed the command to watch videos (which was set as "Internal") to a
> hard-coded invocation of mplayer pointing to a ripped movie, and yes,
> that did open the movie, so things do work, but it leaves much to be
> desired...
>
I've been pretty happy using Internal to play my DVDs

>
> 4. The other thing I have been unable to do is to watch video streamed
> from the Internet. I tried watching several different channels (BBC and
> NASA) and I could hear the sound off my speakers, but the small box
> where it would show the movie was just a blue rectangle. What gives?
>
> 5. Eventually, when I set up my definite machine, I will use Ubuntu
> Server for the setup. How hard is it to install and configure MythTV on
> Ubuntu, WITHOUT using MythBuntu?
>
I use Fedora for my backend and a self-compiled fixes branch.  On my
Frontend I use regular Ubuntu with a self-compiled fixes.  It's very easy to
install on Ubuntu without MythBuntu - but MythBuntu is a great way to get
started.
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