Ripping DVD/Blu Ray library to external HDD

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › Ripping DVD/Blu Ray library to external HDD

Lethal29

65 posts

Master Geek

#277328 8-Oct-2020 09:43

Hey all,

Wasn't sure where to put my query, but thought I'd start here. I'm wanting to clear out a bit of space, so have decided to get rid of all my old dvds and blu rays, but I actually want to keep quite a few of them. So, I want to look at ripping them all to save to my external drive (WD My Cloud currently).

Does anyone have any recommended software to do this? I don't mind paying for something decent.

Of course, I could always just download copies of them, but seeing as I already actually have them in my possession, that seems a little wasteful or my download limits.

Cheers

1 | 2

8345 posts

Uber Geek

#2581073 8-Oct-2020 09:52

I use MakeMkv - and if I need to make the blurays file size smaller I use handbrake...

Gurezaemon

~HONYAKKER!~
1355 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#2581074 8-Oct-2020 09:54

Take a look at MakeMKV. It's about as simple as it gets. There are other options available, but I've had a lot of success with this.

Get your business seen overseas - Nexus Translations

Behodar

10517 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2581083 8-Oct-2020 10:04

Another vote for MakeMKV. Another option is AnyDVD but I've gone off that after they stopped providing updates for my 'lifetime' copy...

scuwp

3888 posts

Uber Geek

#2581118 8-Oct-2020 10:46

Yes I am going to be that person - if you get rid of the originals which you 'own' then any copies you make will then be illegal copies. I may be out of date but format shifting was also only allowed for audio recordings, not video. That may have changed?

That said...another vote for MakeMKV :-)

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

Lethal29

65 posts

Master Geek

#2581121 8-Oct-2020 10:48

scuwp:

Yes I am going to be that person - if you get rid of the originals which you 'own' then any copies you make will then be illegal copies. I may be out of date but format shifting was also only allowed for audio recordings, not video. That may have changed?

That said...another vote for MakeMKV :-)

Good point.

I won't tell if you won't!

Lethal29

65 posts

Master Geek

#2581122 8-Oct-2020 10:48

Thanks everyone, looks like MakeMkv it is.

Gurezaemon

~HONYAKKER!~
1355 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#2581172 8-Oct-2020 11:08

wellygary:

I use MakeMkv - and if I need to make the blurays file size smaller I use handbrake...

A few years ago on a trip to Japan to visit the rellies, I hit up the DVD rental place down the road for entire seasons of shows not available here with Japanese subtitles for the missus. I borrowed an old laptop and had that running all day ripping these to an external drive. There was no compression, but it was a quick and easy way to get the data off the disks.
Over the next month or so, I set up some Handbrake jobs to shrink the shows to an acceptable size.

Get your business seen overseas - Nexus Translations

Sharesies

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
79316 posts

Uber Geek

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#2581173 8-Oct-2020 11:11

Lethal29:

scuwp:

Yes I am going to be that person - if you get rid of the originals which you 'own' then any copies you make will then be illegal copies. I may be out of date but format shifting was also only allowed for audio recordings, not video. That may have changed?

That said...another vote for MakeMKV :-)

Good point.

I won't tell if you won't!

Also, the copyright law in effect at this moment says it's legal to format shift CDs but not DVD/Bluray. So you'd be breaking the law anyway even if you kept the discs.

Movieman

3320 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#2581191 8-Oct-2020 11:21

MKV and Handbrake works for me too.

MAN CAVE: 2019 Panasonic GZ1000 65" OLED TV - Panasonic DP-UB 820 4K Blu-ray Player - PlayStation 5 Console - Yamaha Aventage RX-A1080 Receiver - Dolby Atmos / DTS:X 5.1.2 Surround Speaker System - Apple TV 4K 32gb (2nd Gen) - LIVING ROOM: 2021 Sony 75” X95J LCD TV - Apple TV 4K 32gb (1st Gen) TECH: iPhone 15 Plus, iPad Gen. 10

Lethal29

65 posts

Master Geek

#2581245 8-Oct-2020 11:37

freitasm:

Also, the copyright law in effect at this moment says it's legal to format shift CDs but not DVD/Bluray. So you'd be breaking the law anyway even if you kept the discs.

That's crazy! Is that international copyright law or NZ?

scuwp

3888 posts

Uber Geek

#2581252 8-Oct-2020 11:51

Lethal29:

freitasm:

Also, the copyright law in effect at this moment says it's legal to format shift CDs but not DVD/Bluray. So you'd be breaking the law anyway even if you kept the discs.

That's crazy! Is that international copyright law or NZ?

I don't know about international law but it's definitely NZ law

https://www.mbie.govt.nz/business-and-employment/business/intellectual-property/copyright/copyright-protection-in-new-zealand/

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

surfisup1000

5288 posts

Uber Geek

#2581261 8-Oct-2020 12:07

Behodar:

Another vote for MakeMKV. Another option is AnyDVD but I've gone off that after they stopped providing updates for my 'lifetime' copy...

I bought anydvd years ago -- so, they stopped updates?

Not the first time I've bought a lifetime product where they changed the definition of 'lifetime'.

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
79316 posts

Uber Geek

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#2581270 8-Oct-2020 12:15

Lethal29:

freitasm:

Also, the copyright law in effect at this moment says it's legal to format shift CDs but not DVD/Bluray. So you'd be breaking the law anyway even if you kept the discs.

That's crazy! Is that international copyright law or NZ?

andrewNZ

2487 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#2581282 8-Oct-2020 12:30

Lethal29:
-snip-
that seems a little wasteful or my download limits.

Cheers

Your what again?

In the past, downloading has been preferable to me because it was faster and easier. And there was no risk I'd accidentally include an antipiracy notice.

Lethal29

65 posts

Master Geek

#2581292 8-Oct-2020 12:51

andrewNZ:
Lethal29:
-snip-
that seems a little wasteful or my download limits.

Cheers

Your what again?

In the past, downloading has been preferable to me because it was faster and easier. And there was no risk I'd accidentally include an antipiracy notice.

My Usenet data. I buy in 2TB blocks generally, although it might just make more sense to spend $45 on 4TB (special for October) and download them all again instead of spending money on MakeMkv, if what I'm doing is bloody illegal anyway!

1 | 2