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Just got myself an Android tablet and wondering if and how I can transfer my DVD collection to run on it so when I'm away at hotels I can watch films I've already got.
Anyone got any recommendations? How easy is it?
Very.
Download Handbrake.
Use it.
Copy your films onto your tablet.
(Takes a bit of patience, or a beefy computer though...)
I use DVDfab to rip the DVD to my computer (so I don't need to mess around with DVDs at home)
I then use handbrake to convert it to mkv or mp4 file, suitably sized for my tablet/phone.
Very easy. Some DVDs will have protection though which prevents the first step (or possibly the second if you do it directly). I have AnyDVD which strips that protection off but it isn't free.
Handbrake should do it all in one without the need to rip first. It should both rip and transcode simultaneously. Or at least it does on my Mac.
EDIT: But, not sure how PCs handle the copy protection bit. I do recall having to faff about with a config file and something to do with VLC player when I first did this.
How big is a typical DVD once converted? Not sure whether to get a 32 or 64gb SD card
How big is a typical DVD once converted? Not sure whether to get a 32 or 64gb SD card
Totally depends on how much you compress it. As I only use them on my Mac, I opted to keep the quality high and to preserve the full definition sound track(s). I think most of them work out at just over 1 gig. They can be crunched much smaller for portable devices though. Anything less than 600 MB and I doubt it would be watchable through a telly though.
Blu-Rays are a bit of a beast though. Some of them are over 12 GB transcoded whilst retaining the HD resolution and soundtrack 😯
Once it's compressed to video, around 700mb but that's very dependent on what size you rip it to - I don't find much point in having HD if the screen isn't HD.
I use makeMKV to rip nice quality files that i then store on my dlna drive to watch on big telly, then use handbrake to compress them a bit to use on the tablet, works great..quite quick too...
bit torrent and some google foo....
it's a shame it's quicker to download the DVD you own than to rip it generally.
DNLA drive - which one are you using and does it just sit under a desk running without needing a PC on?
I've got a DNLA TV, AMP, Phone and tablet - could be how I enter the 21st century!
oh crumbs, just a usb drive plugged into my o2 wireless router, everything can see it and no PCs on...
Slightly out of depth here, by the way, i may have used wrong terminology but by a process of experimentation i have something that works....sort of!
I use Freemake, because it supports a variety of rip-formats and audio-encoding whilst being very easy to use at the same time.
Ripping DVDs at source quality have been coming in a little less than 2GB.
Use "MXPlayer" on the android device, to be able to watch just about any format you choose to.
Handbrake and MXPlayer here.
Blu-Rays are a bit of a beast though. Some of them are over 12 GB transcoded whilst retaining the HD resolution and soundtrack
I think the HD/DTS master audio (mono) version of the good the bad the ugly I have is something like 17GB!
bit torrent and some google foo....it's a shame it's quicker to download the DVD you own than to rip it generally.
^this^ if you are watching it on a tablet, you can pick a relatively highly compressed version (which should be quick to dl). This option will probably be quicker, unless you have a seriously beefy computer.
Handbrake on the Mac to put it into an MKV or Mp4, then MXPlayer on the tablet to play it. I've not found a better player to be honest, it is very good on both the Xoom and the cheap Allwinner A10 tablet I use when away.
All I do is put the 32Gb SD card in and enjoy filmage. Typically thats 25+ films.
I've got a DNLA TV, AMP, Phone and tablet - could be how I enter the 21st century!
Then you need a NAS ( Network Attached Storage ) - look at Synology or Qnap.
You can then rip everything to one central storage location. For streaming films to your TV/Tablet I would recommend the Android App Skifta. If you are going to travel with your tablet, then copy the films from the NAS to the tablet before you head off ( you'll be able to access your NAS from anywhere in the world, but copying a number of films might be time consuming).
bit torrent and some google foo....it's a shame it's quicker to download the DVD you own than to rip it generally.
This is what I'd do too, ripping DVDs isn't difficult but it's a lot more time consuming than a bit of searching + click.