[mythtv-users] Distributed transcoding?

[Shawn Willden]

Is it possible to do set MythDVD up to do distributed transcoding, a la 
dvdrip?

If not, I suppose I can just use dvdrip and then throw the AVIs in the 
mythtv directory, but it would be nice if I could rip and transcode from 
the myth interface and also get the benefit of a couple of additional 
PCs' horsepower.  Then I could actually tell my older kids that when 
they want to watch a DVD that's not in the on-line library, they should 
rip and transcode it first.

On a related note, has anyone thought about how hard it would be to make 
a ripped but not-yet-transcoded VOB available for playing from the Media 
Library?  I have verified that my machine can play the movie from the 
VOB while still transcoding (or even while still ripping!).  Since my 
video card has hardware MPEG2 and my audio gets routed out to my digital 
receiver, the CPU load required to play a DVD is very low.  It would be 
ideal if the kids could put a DVD in to "play" (because it's not in the 
library yet) and have myth ask them if it should be saved, and if so, 
start the rip/transcode process, wait a minute or so and then start 
playing the partially-ripped VOB (yes, I know that won't always work, 
depending on where the titles are in the stream, but it usually does, 
and modern DVD-ROM drives rip at much higher data rates than are needed 
to play).  Then, when transcoding was complete, myth could delete the 
VOB and then put produced AVI in its place in the media library.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

    Shawn.