Playing Ripped DVDs on a Mac

[DR]

I run a media Server in my house, so instead of having to put a DVD in my system they are all on my NAS box already. Saves the risk fo a) damaging them and b) losing them. (I lost a heap of DVDs a while back! )

Anyway - on windows I can simply use PowerDVD and open the folder (VOB 'n' all) and it will just play.

However, on my mini mac I can't do this - well, to be fair, I don't know if I am supposed to be able to do this or if it is a glitch in what I am trying to do.

I have tried Apple 'Tiger's' DVD Player and it is glitchy....

Is there a different application I can use? I have the share in place for the LAN so I can access the Media Archive. I have tried to open them but nothing... as yet.

Any help would r0x0r.

Thanks.

[DR]

I have just used the File, Open Media and selected the folder - how stupid am I?

Anyway - it says Media Format not supported.

Is this the case? i can't have a single Media Server to use on Mac and on my Windows PC?

The Media Archive is currently running on my Windows NAS box - but will move to the Sysnology NAS box which HEXUS reviewed.

[DR]

More Update on this

I have just made a Video_TS folder and moved the files to it - and it appears to open up the beginning but it doesn't go past the first screen :|

I thought Macs were supposed to be a simple

[menthel]

Have you tried to use VLC to play them? It seems more robust at doing 'funny' things than the dvd player does. Give it a try.

[DR]

VLC - just googled for it - will install now

Also - I have got it working via the Apple DVD Player now, but its pants - it chuggs, surely a 54MBps WiFi Lan is more than enough bandwidth to stream a DVD

[DavidM]

VLC is pretty flexible... I'll be surprised if it cant handle it.

[DR]

Just downloading now, ready to try it out.

Question is - is the network bandwidth enough? or should I mess around with a 100mbit connection and move all my boxes around again

[DR]

I think I might try a different way of ripping them to see if that makes things better.

I was using DVD Decryptor - I might try DVD Shrink

[DR]

I am starting to think the LAN is not up to it

I am just copying one across it on to the local machine to see if that improves anything - if not then I will put it on the same 100mbit connection.

[Stoo]

It probably is your wi-fi, I have a hard time streaming divx or RM files over the wireless here, but over 100mbit ethernet it's fine..

[DR]

Damnit - I don't want to re-wire my house.

Still if thats what I have to do then thats what I got to do

[Ferral]

Why not try ripping the movie from the movie disk using DVDshrink and then convert the IFO and VOB files into a smaller avi file using either Xvid or Divx codec (Just download and install the relevant codecs on the Mac) then put the smaller converted avi file onto a rewritable or standard CD and play the movie direct from the disk on the Mac, then once you have watched it just erase the disk for the next one you want to watch (provided you used an RW ! )

I would say use a program called DVDpean for converting the files as it has a wizard that lets you specify what you want from the re encoding (encoded size, audio quality, picture size in pixels etc)

Definately use DVD Shrink for the ripping part, it allows you to re author the disk and just pull the movie off it without all the additional subs and languages.

[loafer]

I use xivd over a solid wireless pretty well until someone stands in the study doorway
I gotta shift my AP under the floorboards when I get a free hour or two.

[Spud1]

VLC for playing it defo, but your wlan will be limiting your playback speeds i think.

i hate wifi personally, its unreliable, slow and a pain to troubleshoot when things go wrong (and they often do). Much prefer wired networks - though i know its a huge pain to have to start laying cat5e all the way through the house, especially trying to find right angles everywhere to lay it against heh.

If you don't want to do that though, have you looked into those plug socket converters? May be an expensive route but i hear they work quite well. If you don't know what I am on about they are adapters that let you use your power wires as network cabling - would save laying loads of cables

[ikonia]

David, your lan is probably fine, even on wireless.

I've streamed DVD over 11mb wireless without issue, and over a 10meg wired connection.

what I would look at perhaps is what your server machine is doing at the same time (I was reading your other post on your bridging problem) its possible that your machines other "general" network chatter to other hosts, is breaking up the wireless DVD packets causing the stutter ?

As long as your signal stregnth is good your speed shouldn't matter (as I said I've done it over 11mb quite easy)

[directhex]

David, your lan is probably fine, even on wireless.

I've streamed DVD over 11mb wireless without issue, and over a 10meg wired connection.

what I would look at perhaps is what your server machine is doing at the same time (I was reading your other post on your bridging problem) its possible that your machines other "general" network chatter to other hosts, is breaking up the wireless DVD packets causing the stutter ?

As long as your signal stregnth is good your speed shouldn't matter (as I said I've done it over 11mb quite easy)

Consider that a DVD has a bitrate of up to 10MBit (unlikely unless working with Superbit, but still). That's easily gonna saturate 11MBit wireless, once the TCP headers are taken into account.

On the realistic assumption that David's house has relatively thick walls, it's quite possible that there simply isn't enough reliable bandwidth on wireles to tream muchos bandwidth about - especially if other transfers are going on elsewhere at the same time