Backing up and Streaming DVDs

[VladTepes]

I'm hoping someone can steer me in the right direction here.

I'm wanting to back up (i.e. keep an electronic version) of DVDs I own so I can stream them to my TV.
I have an external DVD drive.

Is there a way I can accomplish this purely through the NAS computer, or is it something I'd need to do on my Windows computer and then copy across to NAS?

I'd appreciate any advice people can offer and programs I should look at etc.

Thanks

Oh and I guess plex would be the way to stream once I have the library of dvds.

 

[elvisimprsntr]

No. Google search "DVD ripper"

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

For using your Windows PC google "makemkv". There is a Linux version but you must compile that yourself via the unstructions on their forum. I don't know if it builds on FreeBSD. Or one built on Linux runs on FreeBSD.

 

[VladTepes]

Thanks.

I can rip on windows I guess and then transfer files across to the NAS.

For the streaming component - is Plex or Kodi the recommended solution?

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

I like neither of them. I just put the files in the NAS, share, and use Infuse player on my devices. Paid software and probably not everyone's cup of tea. I prefer it, because it treats embedded metadata correctly.

 

[VladTepes]

OK let me rephrase - which is better Plex vs Kodi?

 

[sretalla]

OK let me rephrase - which is better Plex vs Kodi?

As a server on TrueNAS, Plex.

As a client, Plex works "best" with Plex Server, but Kodi is a nice customizable option (as a client to Plex with the Plexbmc add-on) if you have something that can run it near your TV or PC you use to watch.

 

[danb35]

OK let me rephrase - which is better Plex vs Kodi?

They really do different things. But if you're planning on ripping the whole DVD (i.e., the VIDEO_TS directory), Plex won't play that. You'd need to rip it into a video format like .mp4, which Plex will then handle quite nicely.

 

[VladTepes]

So what does Kodi do then?

Ideally, I'd like to be able to rip it in such a way that when streamed it works as usual - with the menus etc. Not sure if that's possible though.

If not then just the feature (movie) as a streamable file would be fine.

 

[danb35]

Ideally, I'd like to be able to rip it in such a way that when streamed it works as usual - with the menus etc. Not sure if that's possible though.

It's possible to rip it that way, and there's certainly software that will play it that way (the DVD Player app on the Mac, for one). What I don't know is whether any of the major media server software will (1) play such a rip, and (2) play it in that way. Plex doesn't. I don't think Emby does. But it's been long enough since I've used Kodi (I think it was still called XBMC at the time) that I couldn't say there.

Edit: But any of them would definitely handle a video file of the main feature.

 

[kherr]

AFA ripping goes .. I spent the $$ and use dvdFab. They keep up on the latest "work arounds for protection schemes". I have a 5 BD drive rig. I can setup 5 rips and walk away ...

If you want a server/client ..... Plex is basically turnkey compared to doing it with Kodi.

With Kodi you need to insert files within Kodi file structure to get it to point to your media source.

With Plex, install the server on your NAS and the clients just need a code input (on screen) upon installation that the Plex website manages. Plus with Plex you can easily have remote access to your content.

Both can be used without internet access once Plex is setup .......

 

[VladTepes]

AFA ripping goes .. I spent the $$ and use dvdFab. They keep up on the latest "work arounds for protection schemes".

I have a 5 BD drive rig. I can setup 5 rips and walk away ...

Thanks - so what format do you rip to?

I have ONE external DVD drive ( I think its blu-ray as well but would have to check)
5 would be a luxury for time saving !!!

 

[kherr]

I use MP4 (1080) ..... therefore direct play with most .. if not all media players ( Plex on 4 nVidia Pro boxes and 2 Amazon sticks (junk)) ... thus no transcoding. Any 4K rips are only used on my 4K TV.

I'm at what 25TB (??) of movies/TV shows (HDHR)/Football/Train/ vids .......

.... and yes .... all legal. I have boxes and boxes of DVD/BD disks/sleeves .... It took me 3~4 months or more when I decided to rip everything. At that time I jerry rigged an additional 3 CD ROM drives onto my computer.

 

[VladTepes]

Thanks :)