Blu-Ray to Apple TV

[jaw04005]

In my experience with down-converted TrueHD->AC3 titles (all using TSmuxer).. Handbrake does recognize and encode them.. but it takes it a very long time to scan the files, somewhere around 30-45 minutes. Just start Handbrake and go do something else, and you will see it will eventually accept the title. I am using released 0.93 version.

I tried that last night, and woke up this morning to see that in finally finished scanning the file.

Unfortunately, it was encoding at 2 FPS on my 2.0Ghz Core 2 Duo MacBook. I finally stopped it after two hours. It just wasn't worth it when Visual Hub could do the entire file in 4 hours. However, Handbrake's encoding quality is so much better.

I'll wait for the next snapshot before trying again.

 

[bucksaddle]

In my experience with down-converted TrueHD->AC3 titles (all using TSmuxer).. Handbrake does recognize and encode them.. but it takes it a very long time to scan the files, somewhere around 30-45 minutes. Just start Handbrake and go do something else, and you will see it will eventually accept the title. I am using released 0.93 version.

Hmmm.. I do exactly the same thing with my TrueHD soundtracks (downconvert to AC3 in TSMuxer) and the scan in HandBrake takes as long as it does with a standard DVD - i.e. about 2 - 3 seconds. I'm not using 0.93 though, but a SVN build somewhere between 0.92 & 0.93 - not sure that this would be the issue though.
When you are creating your "new" m2ts file from TSMuxer are you removing all the other streams from the original file (e.g. PGS streams, additional language streams) so you are just left with the Video stream and the TrueHD stream that will be down converted? I'm just wondering if HandBrake is stalling at some of the additional tracks.

 

[mmccaskill]

However, Handbrake's encoding quality is so much better.

You're telling me! For example, Superbad ripped to 720p via TV looks miles better than the 1080p Blu-ray via PS3.

 

[hitekalex]

When you are creating your "new" m2ts file from TSMuxer are you removing all the other streams from the original file (e.g. PGS streams, additional language streams) so you are just left with the Video stream and the TrueHD stream that will be down converted? I'm just wondering if HandBrake is stalling at some of the additional tracks.

Yes, the only two streams I leave in TSMuxer-created m2ts are H.264 video and downconverted TrueHD. I have seen Handbrake "stall" on 3 titles created this way.. but it works fine when there is an "native" AC3 in the title.

I haven't tried it with any pre-0.93 versions, perhaps something peculiar to this release. Next time I encode TrueHD title and see this issue - I will capture Handbrake debug and post on HB forums.

 

[hitekalex]

Unfortunately, it was encoding at 2 FPS on my 2.0Ghz Core 2 Duo MacBook. I finally stopped it after two hours.

Yikes.. I get around 10 fps on my 2.4Ghz iMac, typical encode is under 3 hours. I just hope I get around "slow scan" issue some day, it's really annoying.

 

[omni]

Be gentle - going to try my first blu ray to appletv conversion and just wondering out of my library, is there an 'easy' one to start with or something i should avoid:

wall-e
casino royale
first 2 potc movies
layer cake
5th element
house of flying daggers

Thanks!

 

[Cave Man]

The Fifth Element was the first one I did.

 

[FireArse]

Blu-Ray rip using PS3

I have a PS3 so if I can image a Blu-Ray and then transfer it to a PC (virtualized of course) with AnyDVD HD, I'm golden.

Do we know for sure if this worked? I have a PS3 running the latest firmware and don't want to shell out on another Blu-Ray drive if I don't have to.

I've been wanting to buy AnyDVDHD for a while, and with the current deal extended to this Sunday, I may well take the plunge if the above works 100%.

F

 

[NightStorm]

In my testing, I've found that tsmuxer is not always necessary. I've successfully taken the .m2ts file from the Bluray rip (via AnyDVD HD) directly into Handbrake without any problems. I should note this is using development code of Handbrake.

So, my current workflow is: AnyDVD HD (via VMWare) -> Handbrake (Mac) -> mp4tags (hdvd and cnid atoms to combine SD/HD encode) -> MetaX (remaining tags) -> iTunes

Encoding both the SD and HD versions take FOREVER (especially when you have an iMac that is flaking out on you and randomly freezes a couple times a day)... but it's worth it. Would really like a quad-core Mac Mini to encode on...

 

[mmccaskill]

In my testing, I've found that tsmuxer is not always necessary. I've successfully taken the .m2ts file from the Bluray rip (via AnyDVD HD) directly into Handbrake without any problems. I should note this is using development code of Handbrake.

So, my current workflow is: AnyDVD HD (via VMWare) -> Handbrake (Mac) -> mp4tags (hdvd and cnid atoms to combine SD/HD encode) -> MetaX (remaining tags) -> iTunes

Encoding both the SD and HD versions take FOREVER (especially when you have an iMac that is flaking out on you and randomly freezes a couple times a day)... but it's worth it. Would really like a quad-core Mac Mini to encode on...

In your testing, are you able to preserve the chapters from the original .m2ts?

 

[NightStorm]

In your testing, are you able to preserve the chapters from the original .m2ts?

No, Handbrake cannot parse this information (same for HD-DVD files)... I believe there has been some work on Bluray, but nothing close to workable. I do not know of any program that can currently do this.

 

[northy124]

casino royale

Casino Royale all the way

Do we know for sure if this worked? I have a PS3 running the latest firmware and don't want to shell out on another Blu-Ray drive if I don't have to.

I've been wanting to buy AnyDVDHD for a while, and with the current deal extended to this Sunday, I may well take the plunge if the above works 100%.

F

Yh it works, I ripped Lissi und der Wilde Kaiser but due to VC1 I cannot convert

 

[FireArse]

Yeah

due to VC1 I cannot convert

One can't convert from VC-1 encoded Blu-Rays? Bummer.

Still, thanks to that detailed list of encoded movies, I can keep clear of those ones. Now to install Ubuntu on the PS3...

 

[northy124]

Well I think it is the VC1 as I down muxed the audio so I don't think it is that

 

[Cave Man]

One can't convert from VC-1 encoded Blu-Rays? Bummer.

It can on some VC-1 videos, including The Bucket List, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Speed Racer and The Dark Knight. There are some kinks to work out in HB, but I'm sure it'll come along.

 

[neiltc13]

Why don't you all just buy a PS3 - you get a Blu Ray + DVD player in that, but also you get what is pretty much the best home theatre centrepiece of all - you can put any 2.5" SATA hard drive in it and copy files right over.

Medialink from Nullriver lets you copy files over the air, even from iTunes, and there is a dedicated movie and TV show store in the USA, with a European version coming later this year.

You can get a USB dual TV tuner for it called PlayTV and record digital TV directly to the hard drive, rewind live TV etc.

Not only that, but you get to play a big library of great video games too.

I don't see how AppleTV can even be considered when you compare it to this.

 

[mpshay]

In my experience with down-converted TrueHD->AC3 titles (all using TSmuxer).. Handbrake does recognize and encode them.. but it takes it a very long time to scan the files, somewhere around 30-45 minutes. Just start Handbrake and go do something else, and you will see it will eventually accept the title. I am using released 0.93 version.

Same thing just happened to me. The first couple times I canceled it, but then I cam across your post and decided to give a lot more time. After about 40 minutes it finally worked. Not sure, maybe I will try one of unreleased builds???

 

[dynaflash]

Why don't you all just buy a PS3 - you get a Blu Ray + DVD player in that, but also you get what is pretty much the best home theatre centrepiece of all - you can put any 2.5" SATA hard drive in it and copy files right over.

Medialink from Nullriver lets you copy files over the air, even from iTunes, and there is a dedicated movie and TV show store in the USA, with a European version coming later this year.

You can get a USB dual TV tuner for it called PlayTV and record digital TV directly to the hard drive, rewind live TV etc.

Not only that, but you get to play a big library of great video games too.

I don't see how AppleTV can even be considered when you compare it to this.

um, afaik there are about a dozen different threads regarding the merits of the two devices. I *believe* this one is about Blu Ray to AppleTV, though maybe I am wrong.

 

[mac.jedi]

@CaveMan - Thanks for posting this thread!

It worked right out of the gate! I'm using a OWC/LG 6x BD-Read/SuperDrive with VMware/XP Pro on an 8-core Mac Pro.

My first few encodes were perfect, but I'm having a small issue with Transformers and Master and Commander. The aspect ratio is coming in as 1280 x 720, which is taller than it should be. It should be more like 1280 x 534. My final encodes are coming out larger than they should be (9.9GB) with the letterbox bars embedded in the final output. I have Anamorphic set to none, and auto-crop on.

Has anyone come across this? I'm going to try to custom crop, but I thought there might be a reason for why the aspect ratio is coming in as 16 x 9. It's only been with these two disks so far.

Thanks Again!

 

[Cave Man]

I didn't have that problem with Transformers - it worked just fine. Not sure what might be causing your problem. Mine is also 6.59 gb at 720p. Strange how yours isn't working well.

 

[Cave Man]

In my experience with down-converted TrueHD->AC3 titles (all using TSmuxer).. Handbrake does recognize and encode them.. but it takes it a very long time to scan the files, somewhere around 30-45 minutes. Just start Handbrake and go do something else, and you will see it will eventually accept the title. I am using released 0.93 version.

I just tried this with one of my problematic BR rips (Narnia) and it took about 6 hours for HB to scan the file. Once I set everything for the output, it scanned it again for about 4 hours, but now it is transcoding (albeit, it'll take 6 hours to finish). Fingers are crossed...

 

[mac.jedi]

I didn't have that problem with Transformers - it worked just fine. Not sure what might be causing your problem. Mine is also 6.59 gb at 720p. Strange how yours isn't working well.

I think my settings might have changed in AnyDVD HD or tsMuxeR. It's done the same thing my last two BD rips.

I reset AnyDVD to default. In tsMuxeR, do you have "Change fps" or "Change level" checked for the video track? Mine are unchecked. "Add picture timing info" and "Continually insert SPS/PPS" are checked. Are these video settings correct?

Thanks again!

 

[Cave Man]

I don't change anything in AnyDVD HD or tsmuxer (other than extraction of AC3 or DTS cores from HD audio).

 

[mac.jedi]

I think it has to do with txMuxeR. When I scan the un-muxed stream from the AnyDVD rip with HandBrake the auto-crop works fine. Unfortunately, I can't tell which audio stream to use as there are two which both say something like "unknown AC-3."

I'll figure it out eventually, but any help would be appreciated.

 

[Cave Man]

For that I found the best thing to do is to transcode as an MP4 but don't use the H.264 option as it takes a lot longer. Keep video at 1080p and in the Audio tab select all audio tracks for AAC transcode. It's the fastest way of getting the file in a quicktime format so that you can use Quicktime to identify the proper track.