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bemt17

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 15, 2009
39
0
What would be the best format to convert my DVDS to using handbrake to play on my ATV via my 1TB external HDD I have connected to it?
 
I would just try the AppleTV setting and see what you think. They are the developers defaults so I feel that they get me really close so that I dont have to sit around and think about what that extra percentage on the slider is going to get me.


Try one with the preset and go from there.
 
The settings I use:

MOVIES
Set preset to apple TV.
Go into 'picture settings'
For movies recorded in anamorphic widescreen choose 'Loose'
For movies that aren't, use 'keep aspect ratio' and max out width

TV SERIES
Set preset to apple TV.
Set 'target size' to 350mb for 30-40min or 500mb for 1hr.
Go into 'picture settings'
Use 'keep aspect ratio' and max out width.
Select 'detelecine', set 'Decomb' to default.
If horizontal lines are present on the pictures set 'Deinterlace' to slower.

These settings turn out brilliant results. I use Plex to organise all my videos.
 
Hey thanks for the help what I did that I seem to like is I converted to AVI with constant at 70% but had average bit checked and set at 3000 and the episodes of house come out great and fill my 40" HDTV sony perfect. But I think I'll try some of these other ways out see if I like any better.
 
With films with grain, upping the level to 62% results in a massive file size as Handbrake attempts to retain all the grain - I use 59% unless it's a film I particularly like or has a reference DVD picture.
 
If I use the AppleTV Preset the file extension is m4v

Will I be able to import this type of file into iTunes?

I thought the file extension needed to be mp4?
 
If I use the AppleTV Preset the file extension is m4v

Will I be able to import this type of file into iTunes?

I thought the file extension needed to be mp4?

M4V is just a type of MP4. They will import into iTunes pefectly.
 
This is a bit off-topic, but I was originally intending to go this route and changed my mind due to visual quality. There are 2 problems implicit in this (which may or may not be things you care about) ...

1) Even with Quality set to 70%, there are image quality issues compared to direct disc playback. Given this is on a fairly good 1080P TV, but there are color and compression artifacts even with large quality settings.

2) The Apple TV does a less impressive job upscaling the 480 DVD video to 720P and the TV further upscaling to 1808P, than my Pioneer 51FD Blu-ray player does upscaling the 480 DVD to 1080P. And I have a TV with above average upscaling.

I decided to continue to play the physical media in the Pioneer. After spending all of this money on HD, I have a hard time going backwards on picture quality. The convenience of the ATV approach is undeniable, though.

YMMV, etc. If you have a good upscaling DVD or Blu-ray player, try this first before transcoding everything to MPEG4.
 
I'm not too worried about file size since I have a 1TB that holds all my movies and is connected to the apple tv via USB. so far so good though most of them play the way they would as if I put the disc in. And I am using HB to rip and convert them to AVI which my ATV plays right off the TB drive. To be more specific I gave up on streaming/syncing to the ATV with my wireless connection and used ATV Flash to enable USB use. So instead of a hour for a 45 minute TV show to sync its 10 minutes to rip/convert to avi trans to my TB and play all in a total of approx 10-15 minutes.
 
I'm not too worried about file size since I have a 1TB that holds all my movies and is connected to the apple tv via USB. so far so good though most of them play the way they would as if I put the disc in. And I am using HB to rip and convert them to AVI which my ATV plays right off the TB drive. To be more specific I gave up on streaming/syncing to the ATV with my wireless connection and used ATV Flash to enable USB use. So instead of a hour for a 45 minute TV show to sync its 10 minutes to rip/convert to avi trans to my TB and play all in a total of approx 10-15 minutes.

I wasn't worried about file size either... until I noticed yesterday that I'm down to ~250GB left in my 1.5TB NAS array. :(
 
so far I've only done about 35 movies and roughly 70 TV shows and it totals approx 72GB so I am estimating till I have my entire DVD/TV Show collection finished its going to only be in the neighborhood of 300-400 GB
 
With the settings I use which are 3000 bitrate and that box is checked along with 70% constant and converting to AVI most of my movies come out under 1GB and at most my TV shows are coming out at no higher then 626MB
 
With the settings I use which are 3000 bitrate and that box is checked along with 70% constant and converting to AVI most of my movies come out under 1GB and at most my TV shows are coming out at no higher then 626MB

Have you hacked your ATV? Because if not, you are not going to be able to play AVIs on it. Also, it's either constant bit rate or constant quality. So you can't set it for 3000 kbps and 70% (both of which are too high, IMO).

EDIT: Sorry, just read one of your above posts and see that you indeed hacked your ATV.
 
well I use the 3000 bitrate and for a two hour movie its 2.5GB and for a hour and half movie anywhere from 700MB to 1.2GB. Personally I think the AVI format looks better when played on my 40" Sony HDTV then the H264 but thats just my opinion.
 
Ok I've decided to give the apple tv preset on Handbrake a try but it selects the large file size. Should let the selected or uncheck it?
 
well I would like to keep the file size down a little I prefer not to exceed 3GB a movie if possible
 
well I would like to keep the file size down a little I prefer not to exceed 3GB a movie if possible

The checkbox has no impact on the bitrate of the file, it simply allows for 64-bit sizes (> 4GB). If you uncheck it, you will get an error if Handbrake has to write a file larger than 4GB. TBH, you'll be hard pressed to come close to 3GB with most DVD sources out there and the .9.3 AppleTV preset.
 
Ok thanks I wasnt sure cause it said how it might write a file larger then 4GB i was thinking it would make a file that size I didnt know it meant if it has to it will.
 
This might be a little off topic but with handbrake I cannot rip/convert rush hour 3 but with wondershare dvd ripper I can what are your thoughts on that program.
 
This might be a little off topic but with handbrake I cannot rip/convert rush hour 3 but with wondershare dvd ripper I can what are your thoughts on that program.

HandBrake's main duty is as a transcoder, not a ripper. It only rips by relying on VLC. As you get more into it, you'll find that might need a toolbox of several applications to do everything you need to - one or more rippers, maybe DVD2OneX, HandBrake, taggers, MPEG Streamclip, QT Pro, etc.
 
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