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Convert DVD to PC

hifienthusiast

Vintage by heart
Over 13 years ago, I transfer videos recorded on a mini DV tape camera to a Panasonic DVD recorder DMR-EZ20 via firewire. The content of the DVD disks is like this:


VIDEO_TS.IFO

VIDEO_TS.VOB

VIDEO_TS.BUP

VTS_01_0.BUP

VTS_01_0.VOB

etc.


When I play the DVD disk using the Panasonic DVD recorder on a TV, the TV will display a few icons (with different titles assigned by myself when I transferred the files from the DV tape to DVD). Choose an icon enables me to see different chapter of the DVD.


Some of the DVD disks are degrading. Therefore I would like to use a laptop to transfer the DVD disks to PC format. I am using a freeware called Handbrake. What is the best format (MkV, MP4, etc) for the transfer? What resolution and encoder (e.g. 1080p30, H.264x264) should I use to get the best video quality?
 
Hi - I use Handbrake to rip DVDs for my Plex server, but can recommend MakeMKV, as this will rip the video files in their original state, leaving behind any headaches about the best codecs etc.
MakeMKV is still in beta, but has been so for ten years, and is a good, robust product. If you wish to rip Blu-rays at any point, you’ll need the registered version, but the key to do so is posted on the MakeMKV forum. I understand no key is needed for DVDs.

Main site:-
https://www.makemkv.com/

Beta key:-
https://forum.makemkv.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1053

Mick
 
Handbrake is a great program. Just choose one of the presets is simplest. I'd use MP4.

One tip: "If you’re ripping a DVD sold in the US, choose the 480p preset. European DVDs are usually 576p. Don’t choose larger presets like 720p or 1080p for DVDs—they won’t make your video look any better, they’ll just make the file bigger."

All MiniDV camcorders had a resolution of 720x576 (PAL) or 720x480 (NTSC). An HD MiniDV camcorder recorded in 1080i.

So probably highest quality 576 is what you'll be wanting.
 
My Sony DV camcorder was bought in UK, so it is a PAL model.

I looked at the content of the DVD disk and all the files added together is over 2GB in size. Today I ripped one disk using Handbrake but the final MkV file is only about 300MB. Will the video quality be degraded?
 
For DVDs you've made yourself (so not copy-protected) then you should be able to just drag the .VOB files from the DVD over to a hard disk, with no conversion required. You may as well take the whole DVD folder as almost all of its size is the .VOB files anyway. You can then choose to convert them to another format at your leisure, a job which will run faster if the files are being read from a hard disk (ideally not the one you are writing the converted files to) rather than a DVD.

To convert to something more readable by TVs and other equipment I find using the presets in Handbrake's General category works fine for most stuff.
 
I also copied the VOB files of a few DVD disks to the computer hard disk and I can play the VOB files using Videologic player software.

The VOB files probably are damaged because they stopped playing well before the end. There are speckles of mould on the disk surface and I tried to wipe the speckles off using alchohol.
 


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