PS3 Help. What format to store DVD's on PS3 Hard Drive?

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Jaxson

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#35282 8-Jun-2009 09:39

Hi there,

I'm moving all my CD's and DVD's onto my PS3 hard drive. I find the PS3 plays most of the music files I have, but I can't get it to play any of the DVD files I create.

I use anydvd and clonedvd to create iso files or what it calls dvd files, which is the audio ts and video ts folders/files but I can't work out how to get the PS3 to store and play these.

Has anyone else tried to migrate their CD/DVD collections to the PS3 and how have you achieved this?

Cheers.

bazzer

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#222615 8-Jun-2009 10:58

I don't think there's any way to store full DVD archives on the PS3. I think you'll have to transcode the movies to another format (H.264 w/5.1 AC-3 maybe?). Either that or stream them from a server.

It's an interesting problem though, I look forward to seeing if anyone else has better ideas.

P.S. I assume you've dropped a large HDD in there? What did you go with?

Jaxson

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#222630 8-Jun-2009 11:46

Thanks for the reply Bazzer.

Yeah I'm ok to transcode I guess. Just keen to hear what format actually works and what software people are using to do this. I'd like to keep the same quality. Initially this is mainly for the kids dvds so they're available quickly and easily for the wife. If I can get it work ok then I'll go through with the HDD upgrade. (Was holding off HDD upgrade till PlayTV arrived)

The PS3 is set up to rip/copy your music files easily but there's no similar function for DVDs. The PS3 does play some video file content, so I guess the issue is finding a system that takes a DVD to another file that I can copy across and play easily.

Cheers.

bazzer

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#222671 8-Jun-2009 13:42

PS3 plays VOB I think, so you could try ripping to a single VOB (max 4GB I guess?). Haven't tried it. Otherwise maybe use Handbrake or something. Not sure if you can get 5.1 sound, I've read places that say it won't play 5.1 from files on the HDD. But I've played a few files (mostly .TS HD rips) and they seem to output 5.1, so you might have to do a bit of trial and error.

JMatt94

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#222714 8-Jun-2009 15:30

I heard a program called "handbrake" can convert your DVD's straight to a playable file on your PS3.

marmel

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#222774 8-Jun-2009 17:59

I stored a lot of DVD's on my PS3 when I had it. You need to rip the DVD into vob format and then use a vob merger program to create one file. As has been pointed out above the file has to be 4gb or smaller due to the fat32 restrictions.

bazzer

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#223003 9-Jun-2009 10:01

I'm pretty sure you can actually rip it into a single VOB straight using DVD Decrypter (check the IFO mode setings).

Jaxson

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#223523 10-Jun-2009 10:57

I got that handbrake software but needed to upgrade my systems .net framework. Have that now so will try tonight. Looks like handbrake has a setting specifically for PS3 so will report back when I've tried that. Cheers all.

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bazzer

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#223538 10-Jun-2009 11:33

Do a bit of research regarding 5.1 settings though. From what I've read, the only way to get 5.1 is with AAC. Most likely your amp won't decode that over optical, so you'll need the PS3 to decode that itself (i.e. to PCM) which won't "fit" through optical so needs to go via HDMI. I think you have your PS3 hooked up to your amp with HDMI though, right? If not, you're out of luck as far as I've read. Maybe things have changed...

Jaxson

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#224260 12-Jun-2009 09:37

Right upgrading to .net framework 2 worked and allowed me to install handbrake. I have an older machine at home that just keeps going.

Pretty easy really, insert a non copy protected dvd and then select the ps3 profile and it defaulted to some settings presumably ok with the PS3. (I didn't check too much as was in a hurry, think it was mpg4 and aac audio).

Checked the audio setting and under downmix selected dolby digital. There was another option for 6 channel discrete so that will be my next experiment if the the output file doesn't do surround sound Bazzer. Yes I have my PS3 set up to do audio out over hdmi so I could access the hd bluray audio tracks so I should be ok for surround sound hopefully via this method.

Generated a 2.4Gb file which I'm yet to try in the PS3 but will tonight. It's slow as h3ll to create the file though, but it's a leave on over night type of thing and it's all done in the morning. Sucks that it has to re encode as it's about 20 mins normally for me to rip a DVD to it's base files, but as I said the PS3 then wouldn't read those so hence this endevour.

Jaxson

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#224262 12-Jun-2009 09:43

Crap, should have read this first:

http://trac.handbrake.fr/wiki/SurroundSoundGuide

Basically I should pick AC3 passthrough. The 6 channel discrete only works over analogue outs by the look of it, all very limited. AC3 passthrough seems to preserve the surround sound. What I chose will be a basic stereo surround sound.

Also some more info here, I'll test all this and report back.
5.1 and good video are important for me as I simply want to play the proper quality DVD without going and getting the DVD each time. I'm not after a smaller size version with 2 channel sound etc

http://forum.handbrake.fr/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=5113

bazzer

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#224358 12-Jun-2009 14:11

I don't think that's right. From what I've read the PS3 will not output 5.1 AC3 from MP4 files. If you read the link you added, you'll see that guy is not using HDMI. As I mentioned above, it's unlikely the receiver will decode AAC over optical (so he hears nothing) but it can be decoded by the PS3 and output as PCM over HDMI (what you are going to do). It says it right there in the 2nd post "You have to use AAC 5.1 and connect your PS3 to your receiver using HDMI." It's a shame it has to transcode (maybe there's a solution with MPEG2?) but at least the files are smaller?

You should still get surround from what you did, but it will be DPL II (or did you choose Dolby Surround?) not discrete.

Jaxson

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#224406 12-Jun-2009 16:06

bazzer: It's a shame it has to transcode (maybe there's a solution with MPEG2?) but at least the files are smaller?

Man i really should have spotted that, yeah I'll look into finding an MPEG2 output format that still plays in the PS3. I don't need it to be MPEG4 necessarily.

Jaxson

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#225150 15-Jun-2009 09:26

Just to come back on this. Handbrake only outputs to MP4 or equivalent output file, so you can't use this to output a Mpg2 file from DVD, so you do have to do some processing which does take a while.

Surround sound, yes this can work though for me there are some provisos. You have to select the PS3 profile and then under audio select the 6 channel discrete option under AAC. Bump the rate value right up for good quality sound. This only seemed to work for me though for dolby source soundtracks, DTS just didn't play at all.

This is for a PS3 connected to a receiver via hdmi. Selecting linear pcm or bitstream didn't seem to have an impact for me. I left it on linear PCM in the end.

You can also slide the quality up to 100% if you'd want to create a pretty good quality copy of the dvd, this is on the front page of the ps3 setting. Changing the aspect ratio or the output size meant it wasn't recognised by the ps3 so you have to leave that on strict.

The output file when played as normal on the ps3 is actually not the full screen. It centered and takes up about 2/3's of the screen. When set to full screen it zooms in and still looks very good though. I wonder if this is because the file is 720x576 size vs my display resolution of 1080x720 or 1920x1080 etc. Not sure, but it looks very good on full screen either way.

No chapters though in the MP4 file format.