Stream DVDs to Your Xbox 360

[Damion Chaplin]

http://www.missingremote.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=198&topic=255.msg1315#new

"Like many of you, I've tried hard to find a solution for playing my DVD's on my XBOX 360 (Being used as an MCX. I've ripped them to WMV 1920 X 1080, which on a decent PC can take 30+ hours, 1280 X 720 wasn't much faster. I've played around with Transcode 360 and was never happy with the syncronization of audio and video. And on and on. I have now ripped 50 of my DVD's this way and have had 100% success with absolutly no problems. Here it is. You will need the following programs: All have free trials, so you can check this out without paying a cent. AnyDVD and CloneDVDMobile from Slysoft.com. AnyDVD to get around copy protection and CloneDVDMobile to rip the DVD into a single VOB file. (There are other programs that do the same thing, but these are what I use.)"

I'm sure this is a fine way of streaming DVDs to your 360. He's essentially ripping the .vob files to his hard drive, renaming the to a .mpg and then 'fixing' them so they'll play properly. It obviously takes a large amount of HD space. I guess I don't understand though; why would one prefer this method rather than playing the DVD with the 360 in the first place?

[Damion Chaplin]

http://www.missingremote.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=198&topic=255.msg1315#new

"Like many of you, I've tried hard to find a solution for playing my DVD's on my XBOX 360 (Being used as an MCX. I've ripped them to WMV 1920 X 1080, which on a decent PC can take 30+ hours, 1280 X 720 wasn't much faster. I've played around with Transcode 360 and was never happy with the syncronization of audio and video. And on and on. I have now ripped 50 of my DVD's this way and have had 100% success with absolutly no problems. Here it is. You will need the following programs: All have free trials, so you can check this out without paying a cent. AnyDVD and CloneDVDMobile from Slysoft.com. AnyDVD to get around copy protection and CloneDVDMobile to rip the DVD into a single VOB file. (There are other programs that do the same thing, but these are what I use.)"

I'm sure this is a fine way of streaming DVDs to your 360. He's essentially ripping the .vob files to his hard drive, renaming the to a .mpg and then 'fixing' them so they'll play properly. It obviously takes a large amount of HD space. I guess I don't understand though; why would one prefer this method rather than playing the DVD with the 360 in the first place?

[Felix Torres]

Originally Posted by Damion Chaplin

I guess I don't understand though; why would one prefer this method rather than playing the DVD with the 360 in the first place?

Three posibilities, all specialized and small niches:

1- Centralized storage with multi-point viewing; a household with many viewers that might want to watch different things (or even the same things) at many locations (living room, den, bedrooms) either at the same time or different times

2- Management of *large* DVD collections gets cumbersome and since the studios frown on (read:sue over) DVD silos that stream... <shrug>

3- Protection of originals - Kids like to watch favorite movies or TV episodes repeatedly; streamed files are easier to find and don't get damaged or get jam or peanut butter into the DVD drive like even copied DVDs do.

Like I said, all these are very small niches and even those would disappear if the studios allowed for online video subscription libraries for true on-demand. But until the studios change their business model, there is a (limited) use for this kind of approach.

That said, if *I* were doing something like this, I would go one step further and transcode the mpeg2 file to high-quality VC-1. Less drive space needed and, from my experience, the copy has a *better* video quality that the original. Counter-intuitive and all, not sure why, but the effect is real.

[David Horn]

4- Use a DVD-rental service to rip the DVD to view at your leisure at a later date. Not that I do that.

[Felix Torres]

Originally Posted by David Horn

4- Use a DVD-rental service to rip the DVD to view at your leisure at a later date. Not that I do that.

Well, if that's the objective, transcoding is probably superfluos; just ripping to the HD would suffice, no? Less effort anf you'll be deleting the files after watching the rental anyway... ;-)

[Phoenix]

Originally Posted by Felix Torres

...even those would disappear if the studios allowed for online video subscription libraries for true on-demand. But until the studios change their business model...

And this is what I'm waiting for. That will be a happy, happy day.