[aclug-L] Re: DVD Ripping

[ironrose <ironrose@xxxxxxx>]

I have been working with the DVD ripping and conversion of VHS movies to 
DVD.  The results have sometimes been a disaster.  The audio keeps 
lagging behind and it loses sync with the video.  The programs seem to 
compress the video better than  the audio.  The DVD shrink program works 
great on Windows.

I have also been playing with the TV tuner with linux to record movies, 
but the material isn't quite DVD quality, but it makes decent VHS or 
SVCD quality recordings, much better than windows.  I have read the 
reviews of the TV tuner windows software and almost all the consumers 
are saying that the windows software really stinks, but some have also 
said that the linux programs work great.  Memory and resource management 
is much better on linux and that is the key factor, better programming 
is the other key factor.  I have had simular results with their windows 
software that is very finicky and sometimes the captured programs look 
great and sometimes the recordings are like duplicates of 8mm films, not 
very consistant results.  I haven't tried burning DVD's on linux yet.  I 
can only afford one DVD burner at this time and it is on the Win2k 
computer :-( and I plan to make that pc dual boot or get another DVD 
burner to put on one of the linux machines, the prices are coming down.

Any ideas as to when the PVR group is going to meet again?  I have been 
trying to use the Knopp-Myth CD, but it keeps dying during the format of 
the hard drive.  Ithought I had a hardware problem, but I tried Suse 
linux and it sets up the TV tuner card and has some programs to watch 
and capture video.  I want to play with it some more and then install 
MythTV on that pc.  I also want to setup a Cox digital box on that 
computer to see if I can record programs in a true digital format on linux.

Has anyone heard if or when ATI is going to have linux drivers for their 
AIW card?  Has anyone tried using dual TV tuners in a system?  Tivo 
talks about having 2 tuners in their newer systems.  It allows you to 
record a program and watch another program at the same time.  I have one 
TV tuner per machine, but I haven't had the money to buy another TV 
tuner yet.  Since the windows version of the software is so bad, then I 
hope that the prices will come down.  If you have one tuner, then you 
can record a program and watch another program that is already recorded. 
  If you store the recorded programs archived on a server, then you can 
use another workstation to watch a movie while the PVR is recording.

Cox has the DVR boxes available to customers so that they can record 
programs, but just the beta tester employees have a DVR.  The boxes are 
made by Motorola and are running a Tivo-like linux os, but I don't know 
if the file system storing the files is mfs or ext3.  One of the 
trainers wants to back up some of his recorded programs onto another 
hard drive or SVCD.  I'm setting up one of my linux boxes ready so that 
we can try to backup his files.  The problem is that all of the 
consumers are having is that they keep running out of hard drive space 
and then it overwrites the older recorded programs.  There isn't a 
method or program in place to archive their data and then there are 
copywrite issues......  None of the companies want the hassles of 
creating methods to backup the customer's recorded programs.  I'm sure 
that backing up data will have to be done discretly by private 
individuals and not a company.  ~Anne

Link for Cox's digital box:
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS2573029642.html

OpenTV: http://www.linuxdevices.com/articles/AT8534510660.html

TV's with embedded linux: http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS3611087503.html
http://www.linuxdevices.com/articles/AT8534510660.html


Jonathan Hall wrote:
> I've just begun experimenting with the process using the dvdrip program (a
> collection of perl scripts with a GUI front end).  I've ripped a sample
> portion of a DVD, and encoded it a couple times, both times with divx5, but
> at different video bit rates.  In both cases, when I play the clip, I get
> some distortion when the image moves.  Almost a bit of an after image, most
> noticable in areas of high contrast.  The distortion takes the form of
> horizontal lines.
> 
> I was wondering if anyone might have a clue as to what is causing this.  Is
> it a defect/drawback of my video playback software, the encoding method, or
> the codec?  Or something else entirely?
> 
> Also, somewhat related, but more generally... if anyone has experience
> ripping DVDs, what encoding software can you recommend?  And do you
> recommend any specific audio or video codecs?  What other things should I
> consider when ripping DVDs?
> 
> And lastly... is anyone qualified and interested in giving a presentation on
> this topic? :)  (If not, perhaps I will be in a month or two)
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> -- Jonathan
> 
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