2 Ripping/Compressing Questions

[MowingDevil]

Like alot of us, I'm digitizing my DVD collection and have come across 2 problems hopefully someone here can solve.

Programs I'm using = RipIT, Mac the Ripper & Handbrake


Issue #1) Apocalypse Now (Redux Dossier Ed) has both the original & redux versions spread out over 2 DVDS. The 1st disc has act 1 and the 2nd disc has act 2 for both versions. Any idea how to combine both acts into one single MP4 file w/o going to iMovie or Final Cut Pro type programs?

Issue #2) It seems every single music doc I have in 4:3 aspect ratio (or formatted for TV) puts out a HUMUNGOUS file. Almost all widescreen movies seem to be coming out between 1 & 2 GB in size yet these live music concerts or music docs are coming out between 4 & 6+ GB in size. WTF is w/ that?!? Is there something embedded like multiple audio tracks that could be causing these huge files?!? Even though I have the space its bugging me that these rather low res looking movies are hogging up so much capacity.

 

[The Mad Kiwi]

Issue #2) Even though I have the space its bugging me that these rather low res looking movies are hogging up so much capacity.

Stuff that's grainy can end up making huge files as handbrake tries to keep the grain.

Try turning on the noise reduction to high in the filters and set a bitrate (1800 should do it) rather than using the quality setting.

 

[daze]

Stuff that's grainy can end up making huge files as handbrake tries to keep the grain.

Try turning on the noise reduction to high in the filters and set a bitrate (1800 should do it) rather than using the quality setting.

Learn something new everyday! Thanks for the tip!

 

[dynaflash]

Stuff that's grainy can end up making huge files as handbrake tries to keep the grain.

Try turning on the noise reduction to high in the filters and set a bitrate (1800 should do it) rather than using the quality setting.

Or alternatively leave everything else the same and just pick Denoise -> Weak. This typically reduces file size substantially using Constant Quality. However make sure to check the resulting file for a bit of a "Plastic" look to it as Denoise can be heavy handed from time to time. Not a fan of abr personally.

 

[aarond12]

As far as Issue #1, with a little work you can append one file to another just using QuickTime 7 Player. The resulting file is a MOV unless you export it (which takes forever).

The application VisualHub (now discontinued) would allow you to take two movies and append them to each other; same with FFMPEGX (also discontinued). If anyone knows other applications that will do this, go ahead and chime in.

If you're brave, you can try this, which requires FFMPEG installed on your computer (command line only!):

http://www.ffmpeg.org/faq.html#SEC29

-Aaron-

 

[MowingDevil]

Thanks for all the tips guys!

Guess I'm going to have to live w/ a 7.9 GB file that Rit-IT produces because everytime I do a rip/compress w/ HandBrake I get a message "Invalid - this is not a file format that QuickTime understands" ...or something to that effect. Any ideas what thats about? I came up w/ both my Pearl Jam concert DVD and a doc on Wilco. Both are music based films in 4:3 format. Bizarre, never seen that message from Handbrake before.