htpc or server?

[ElNono]

I was tempted to get an AppleTV + hack it with Plex, but max video output being 720p is not acceptable. Especially with the WDTV doing 1080p for the same price.

[robino2001]

I bought one of the new Apple TVs last year, mainly because of the capability to push stuff from my phone to the TV, and to use my iPhone as a fully functional remote for it. I have ripped around 100 DVDs and Blu Rays in the last year.

The best way I have found to rip regular DVDs is with Handbrake - you go from a regular DVD, where the video file is anywhere from 2GB to 8GB depending on the movie. Using Handbrake, I can get that file down to under 3GB as an m4v or mp4, which the WD Live should easily play. mkvs I download I also use handbrake to convert, and it generally halves the file size, which is great for saving space (and the Apple TV upconverts to 720p which is all my tv does anyway). There are a bunch of presets and customization options available if you're not concerned with saving space though. If you are ripping a movie with sub les, make sure you add them into the file under the sub le section though. It won't do it by default.

For Blu Rays, there is a more complicated way and a simple way. They are much more protected than regular DVDs, and you would likely need AnyDVD HD just to rip the image, then demux it by running it through TS Muxer, then recombine and remux the files together with another program. It's not terribly hard, but it does involve multiple steps.

http://lifehacker.com/5559007/the-ha...ray-collection

Alternatively, you can just use Make MKV and make mkv files in a few clicks - and it's still free since it is in beta, and it works great:

http://makemkv.com/

Fantastic - thank you much. Exactly what I needed. I have handbrake but haven't played around with it much. Also have makemkv... used that for some rips (just dvd so far). Will look through the rest of what you said and might have more questions. Thanks again.

[leemajors]

I was tempted to get an AppleTV + hack it with Plex, but max video output being 720p is not acceptable. Especially with the WDTV doing 1080p for the same price.

i have a tv that does 720p max, so it works for me. otherwise i probably would have gone with the wd

[TDMVPDPOY]

wat do you guys think of ex servers as a game build? i saw a few ex lease comps on sale with dual xeons and some CAD video card....

[Heath Ledger]

I bought the Logitech rev its ok I thought it would find vids on my network but that's not the case not sure if I'm gonna keep it

[ElNono]

wat do you guys think of ex servers as a game build? i saw a few ex lease comps on sale with dual xeons and some CAD video card....

Some of them can be electricity hogs and not give you the performance a Core i5/i7 will give you.

[robino2001]

Took back the WD Live Plus today for the Live Hub. Sony HTIAB, 360 and PS3 all pick it up in a heartbeat - so no modding firmware... figure the extra $100 is worth the internal storage plus KNOWING that it works.

Also was making vid files from DVD using DVDFab and Handbrake but was making MKV's which (i knew but didn't click) won't play on Sony or MS, so am trying to remake the files to MP4's to see if it'll work on everything. If it does, then I'm set and have figured out my stuff. Thanks again for all of the help and comments through this thread - sorry to the OP for semi-hijacking it.

[robino2001]

I semi-lied... one more question. So I'm making the M4V's using handbrake but for some reason, my Sony HTIAB won't recognize those either - even though the PS3 does and it's almost the exact same interface. It won't recognize avi's either, I assume divx might be the way to go even though the specs say it recognizes M4V's... any suggestions on what software to use to make divx from DVD rips? Any thoughts on the file issue in general?

[MannyIsGod]

All I know is that extensions aside my ps3 has trouble with certain versions of each. It will play certain files of a certain type without a hitch and not others of the same type.

[leemajors]

did you try flipping the drop down menu to mp4?

[robino2001]

did you try flipping the drop down menu to mp4?

The container, yes, but I didn't notice the drop down menu in the video tab until this morning - so we'll see if that does anything. I'm trying that now, but handbrake keeps stoping at 100.00% completion and just sits there - won't close out the file. Trying to figure that part out now.

[MannyIsGod]

Man - this thing was a PITA to setup. After I got it going and downloaded the newer FW it read my wireless network without a problem, though. Netflix runs great so far but I haven't had a chance to test it stream from my laptop.

It looks as though PSMS does read it though.

[robino2001]

I didn't have any set up issues with my Live Plus when I tried it outside of needing to download new FW 3 times... once that finished, it worked like a champ right away (outside of doing what I wanted it to do without hacking it). The Live Hub had a few quirky things to get it working fully right (needing to unplug the power cord after set up to get files to show properly - apparently a bug) but now that it's up and running, it works fantastically as well. Does exactly what I want it to do.

I think I'm caving and buying the revue for the living room though to access the live hub. Can't get the HTIAB to read my files from the Live Hub so I'll go Revue for the google tv add-on assuming it plays nice with the Live Hub (seems like it should). If that sets up well, then I'm done tinkering with the system and will continue pushing digitizing all of our dvds - then will be off to decide what to do with the discs we won't want anymore.

[Heath Ledger]

I would hold off on that revuew purchase Robino. Mine started endlessly rebooting (known issue after searching forums) and Amazon video on demand would not work, yo uwould click to play a movie or watch a trailer and nothing would happen.

[Heath Ledger]

Also the revue did not find any of my video files located on other pcs on the network.

[robino2001]

Saw your messages too late... picked it up yesterday (can always take it back though... I buy little toys all the time from best buy and take them back). Hooked it up, haven't found anything special with google tv yet but it detected all of my stuff on my network/live hub instantly. I'm sure the wife will enjoy the easy email/internet access and haven't a reliable internet connection for pandora/netflix as opposed to our flaky HTIAB in this room is worth it assuming I don't get rebooting issues like you had Heath. Only semi "cool" thing I've seen so far is being able to turn on Pandora and have it on in the background while I pull the TV screen back up... I'm sure it'll be cool to have for our fantasy football draft tomorrow as well.

I'm planning on looking into/learning more about apps for google tv/the revue... I have no clue if you can download/add your own or is it simply "it is what it is"?

***Edit - nevermind - answered my own questions regarding GTV apps

[Heath Ledger]

You will see a lot more apps once they update gtv to honeycomb. I will revisit it when that happens but the reboot issue was the last straw for me i found online other people having the same issues.