Frustrated beyond belief!

[ghostlobster]

Here's another endorsement for DVDShrink. It's simple, it's free and it just plain works. I don't rip into .iso fomat, though, I just have it create the VIDEO_TS structure and ensure that it breaks the files into 1GB chunks. Usually, I'll just rip the main movie and the english DD5.1 soundtrack.

[Skirge01]

Originally Posted by Skirge01

Very interesting! I didn't realize that was the case. Thanks for bringing that to my attention. I'll have to give it a shot this weekend. Plus, this means that when the programs get better at removing these extras, I'll already have the originals--untouched--on the hard drive and be ready to convert/re-author them.

I started ripping my Blu-rays to the WHS box and then tried to do some playback. It looks like this file structure is only support via extenders, not on full PC clients. I'm basing this on my results, as well as this quote:

2. Added support for importing BluRay BDMV folder structures. These are now recognized as a single MediaFile. They currently will appear along with DVDs so STVs won't need modifications yet to show them. The ONLY playback mechanism for these currently is the HD media extender (firmware update required). This only plays the main movie of the BluRay; it does not support any menus or other interactive features currently.

Found in the beta release thread under 6.5.11. I'd really like someone to tell me I'm missing something and this is possible. If not, then I really hope it's planned for the final release!

[HelenWeathers]

Originally Posted by Skirge01

I started ripping my Blu-rays to the WHS box and then tried to do some playback. It looks like this file structure is only support via extenders, not on full PC clients. I'm basing this on my results.....

SageClient does not support them as Blu-ray discs, but if you have HiDef codecs installed on your client pc you should be able to drill down in file browser to the streams folder and select the m2ts stream for playback.

I am patiently hoping that Client gets the Blu-ray feature as well, but for now the HD200 is way ahead.

[heffneil]

So here is an update:

I used DVDFab to rip Cars and Bambi. Bambi was one of the issue movies before. Bambi now shows its proper one hour and ten minute run time within SageTV.

The bad news is I can't get Cars to work properly. It only shows an 8 minute run time. I have re-ripped it with DVDFab and I tried DVDDecrypt (I need to test this within SageTV still). As previously suggested I ripped it to another drive and then copied it in to a top directory on my library drive and then moved it in so it was instantaneous.

One question is this: If I have a movie and doesn't look right, I delete the file and then force an update of my library and then go back and put a new file there will SageTV analyze the new file or just assume its the same old one and put the old info in? I believe it reanalyzes the file but I could be wrong...

Thanks,

Neil

[heffneil]

Cars via DVDdecrypt shows 8 minutes as well in video info.

Anyone have Cars in their library and know a secret? I am going to try it in handbrake which I know won't be an issue.

Thanks,

Neil

[bastafidli]

Try Dvdfab HD. It is free.

[heffneil]

Maybe you missed what I said but that is what I was using and it didn't work properly.

Cars works great after using Handbrake. The problem is it takes forever on my mac and my PC is where I want to do the ripping or decoding or whatever you want to call it.

Anyway I am going to try some of the other programs suggested here.

I do believe a big problem was the ripping of my DVD's and NOT SageTV yet I am still frustrated.

I haven't be able to change the language on my laptop client (guys I am technically savvy. I was CTO for a larger hosting company) and I want to know if I can disable the delete option on all clients but the one residing on my server? If so can I do this globally or do I have to modify settings within each client?

Lastly as I am begin to play with Sage I have notice I like a lot of things about the original interface and there are things I really like about MC. MC lets me "restart" a movie if I paused it by pressing stop and then selecting restart. Where is the same option in the OEM ui?

Thanks!

Neil

[heffneil]

Any thoughts on the above issues? I was able to rip a few more movies but another one just shows 52 minutes long however that is the length is shows in VLC so something is terribly awry. I am beginning to think that my DVD players are partially to blame. Handbrake will not work with one drive at all while it will work with the other. I can move a disk in to one DVD drive and it will not be read but putting it in the other drive Handbrake can see it. Weird huh?

Neil

[heffneil]

Another movie ripped with DVDFab on my PC shows as 2 seconds long in VLC. I have to extract it with handbrake on my mac. I can't seem to get handbrake to work on the PC at all.

I have another SageTV issue (even though I still have pending questions above) but on my mac client it keeps finding drives and hocking me to add them as sources. Is there a way to disable this forever?

Thanks!

Neil

[MitchSchaft]

Yeah, there's an option in one of the setup menus to turn that off.

[bastafidli]

Dvdfab hd in combination with Nero Recode is the most user friendly and reliable way I have so far used.

[tahoetim]

I love dvdfab. I rip from my laptop wirelessly directly to the share folder on my server. I pop in the disk, change the title to my liking, and hit burn. It runs at 2.5 gb speed and takes 45 minutes to do a movie but when it finishes, it's DONE. You can play the movie immediately.

I carry my laptop around the house to keep feeding it a movie every hour. You would be surprised how many you can rip in one evening.

I can't imagine running Sage without a server and a wireless laptop. I'm spoiled but hiking up and down the stairs gets real old. I went through that getting the netflix plugin working. I had to do a few steps at the server.

[heffneil]

I tried to rip some DVD's that just weren't right the first go around. They still show no time on SageTV. Meet the Fockers plays fine in VLC but 0 seconds long in SageTV. Negotiator was 45 minutes long in VLC AND SageTV so I can't blame SageTV for that one but it just doesn't seem right.

Used DVD Fab and VOBMerge 2.5. Gosh another waste of time...

Neil

[heffneil]

If you made it this far through all my posts you probably just think I am a whiney bastard and I probably wouldn't argue.

I moved on from the Video problem and am trying to get a lot of tuners to work. Of course none are successful. All I really need are the major 4 channels to work right now and I might be a pig in poop. I can tune most of those channels ok with my HD HomeRun but there seems to be an issue with the lineup on Sage. Can anyone explain how SageTV gets the lineup and then how it matches the HD HomeRun's channels with Sage? I have what should be channel 7 on channel 2. Very odd and it is repeated on channel 7 in the guide but now that doesn't work. Also I was hoping these should be mapped to their digital cable channels which is really in the 200's but those channels don't even show in the setup source screen.

Back to the drawing board!

Neil

[PeteCress]

Originally Posted by heffneil

Can anyone explain how SageTV gets the lineup and then how it matches the HD HomeRun's channels with Sage? I have what should be channel 7 on channel 2. Very odd and it is repeated on channel 7 in the guide but now that doesn't work. Also I was hoping these should be mapped to their digital cable channels which is really in the 200's but those channels don't even show in the setup source screen.

I think I've been there.

One possible cause is the way you set up the HD HomeRun.

When setting up, SageTV must be specified as the application that plays TV. Dunno the exact verbage, but the default is Silicion Dust's "Total TV" or something like that.

Going with said default somehow results in SageTV not getting the final word on which channels are which.

I re-setup HomeRun with "SageTV" as "application" and my problems went away.

Probably not the only possibility - but also probably worth a try.

[heffneil]

Well not to beat a dead horse anymore but it is almost the Belmont Stakes time!:

I got a lot of movies working. I am using DVD Fab to rip the DVD and then I am using a newly found program called: VOB2MPG (found at: www.svcd2dvd.com) I did buy the full blown version for a whopping $20 a little less after the conversion. It is working very well. It actually fixes the time problems as it makes the mpg. I rename the mpg to vob when its done so I can test in VLC. Anyway it seems to be working pretty well. So far out of about 12 movies I have found two that for one reason or another it will not convert. I am sure there is something I am missing. I have had the program for about 2 hours but this plan seems to be working really really well.

Does anyone have an idiots guide to getting genres set for all these movies now?

Thanks,

Neil