Superbasic: How do I watch my ripped DVDs on Apple TV

[priitv8]

Would doing the first option mean I have subtitles showing through out the film, or just the forced subtitles?

That's a good question. I have seen rips where the forced subs are in separate track and the subs only contain the forced passages.
For apple M4V you can only set the "forced" flag on a full subtitle track, not it's time segments.
Because I always use full subtitles, I have never paid attention if or how can one extract only the forced part.
Bottom line - if they are a separate subtitle track on DVD, then it is very easy, if they are embedded into the stream of all subtitles, then I have no plan on how to extract just the forced ones.

 

[HDFan]

I would like to maximize the video quality

For maximum quality you don't want to do any codec conversions, such as to mp4 or H265, as any conversion can compromise quality. You want to play the original content directly. Many ways to do that, but MakeMkv is probably the program most often recommended. But first make sure you have a video player that will play .mt2s or .mkv files.

 

[Jethro!]

There are these amazing devices that allow you to turn on and off subtitles whenever you want. They're called DVD players. Check them out!

Wow, so funny!

Wow, so functional!

 

[RecentlyConverted]

Wow, so functional!

You really are an arse. I have one of the best DVD players ever made - Tag McLaren, but it’s a bugger to get it on that little tray on the plane with a 50 inch OLED TV!

 

[Jethro!]

You really are an arse. I have one of the best DVD players ever made - Tag McLaren, but it’s a bugger to get it on that little tray on the plane with a 50 inch OLED TV!

You really are a fanboi.

Option 1) Get a laptop with a DVD player. Oh wait, Apple says you don't need that anymore, so fuhgeddaboudit! (Never mind other companies that make them).

Option 2) https://www.amazon.com/DBPOWER-Portable-Player-Rechargeable-Battery/dp/B01MCY97YV

Technology these days -- it's amazing!

 

[Boyd01]

I ripped all my DVDs because I always hated the experience of using a DVD player. Find the disc on the shelf, open the box, wait seemingly forever for it to spin up and load the moronic animated menu, wait again while it loads the movie. Then repeat the whole process if you decide to switch to another movie.

I put up with it for many years but I have no intention of going back. Aside from that, my older DVD’s were starting to have problems and I wanted everything on a hard drive where it could be backed up. If you are still happy with DVD’s, that’s great - enjoy them. I’m sure we could also make a case for using a manual typewriter, a drafting machine and the US Mail instead of a computer. But I’m not interested in returning to any of those myself.

 

[Jethro!]

I know! Finding a DVD from the shelf and putting in the player -- that's sooo hard! Glad those days are behind us!

To the original poster's question -- how do you watch DVD's with subtitles... the simplest solution is often the simplest solution.

 

[RecentlyConverted]

I know! Finding a DVD from the shelf and putting in the player -- that's sooo hard! Glad those days are behind us!

To the original poster's question -- how do you watch DVD's with subtitles... the simplest solution is often the simplest solution.

Yes, but you don’t know anyone’s situation or wishes.

Some of the reasons to rip DVDs

- Play on multiple devices in different environments and locations
- protect disks from damage by partners or kids
- save space - those of us with massive libraries may not want a DVD collection to dominate the lounge or home cinema area
- Convenience - as Boyd01 stated

I can’t be an Apple fanboy or I would just rebuy on iTunes. I may be a technology fanboy, but if I wasn’t I wouldn’t be on this site.

Why don’t you go to a post about Word or Pages and tell the posters to get a typewriter!

 

[Jethro!]

Yes, but you don’t know anyone’s situation or wishes.

Neither do you. Sometimes the best solutions are the simplest.

Why don’t you go to a post about Word or Pages and tell the posters to get a typewriter!

Guess what? There are still occasions to use an actual typewriter. If someone asked about one of those occasions, I'd recommend a typewriter.

 

[bbednarz]

You really are a fanboi.

Option 1) Get a laptop with a DVD player. Oh wait, Apple says you don't need that anymore, so fuhgeddaboudit! (Never mind other companies that make them).

Option 2) https://www.amazon.com/DBPOWER-Portable-Player-Rechargeable-Battery/dp/B01MCY97YV

Technology these days -- it's amazing!

Or just use your iPad that you already own instead of a piece of technology that was outdated 5 years ago...

 

[BODYBUILDERPAUL]

Yes, but you don’t know anyone’s situation or wishes.

Some of the reasons to rip DVDs

- Play on multiple devices in different environments and locations
- protect disks from damage by partners or kids
- save space - those of us with massive libraries may not want a DVD collection to dominate the lounge or home cinema area
- Convenience - as Boyd01 stated

I can’t be an Apple fanboy or I would just rebuy on iTunes. I may be a technology fanboy, but if I wasn’t I wouldn’t be on this site.

Why don’t you go to a post about Word or Pages and tell the posters to get a typewriter!

I'm the opposite, I sold my 4K UHD blurry player which was used once (I think) and i'm spending the money on replacing the 25-30 DVDs that I had with iTunes versions.
For me this works out far superior as:
1. Here in the UK & Europa, DVDs are speeded up to 4% which is insane. Have you heard music going out at 4%? It changes the song completely
2. They will be minimum in HD at least with many in 4K Dolby Vision / HDR. What a difference compared to low res DVD
3. Some will have Dolby Atmos added this fall. Quite a game changer
4. The Apple TV 4K does a great job of upscaling HD
5. I can watch them instantly from Apple's servers or download them to my MacBook and iPhone X anywhere in the world
6. Instant start on my Apple TV 4K
7. They get updated when iTunes Extras come along
8. The quality is superb
9. They often cost £4.99/£5.99
10. I can sign in to friend's Apple TVs anywhere in the world to watch a film with them - I do this every weekend when in the UK at my pal Perrie's house in Chester AND did this last week over in Cape Town, South Africa whilst staying at my athletes house. Mind you, the internet is quite slow over in Cape Town (but with all that nature, who needs TV
11. I feel that buying film from iTunes is bang up to date and has been for many years now.
12. Maybe they'll get updated to 16K in the future and 64K in 15 years time (come on, the TV manufacturers have to keep on selling don't they?)

I'm so thankful to never have to sit through copyright notices, FBI warnings and all of that insulting rubbish.
For me, discs belong in the 1980s and early 1990s. I don't miss them at all.

 

[RecentlyConverted]

I'm the opposite, I sold my 4K UHD blurry player which was used once (I think) and i'm spending the money on replacing the 25-30 DVDs that I had with iTunes versions.
For me this works out far superior as:
1. Here in the UK & Europa, DVDs are speeded up to 4% which is insane. Have you heard music going out at 4%? It changes the song completely
2. They will be minimum in HD at least with many in 4K Dolby Vision / HDR. What a difference compared to low res DVD
3. Some will have Dolby Atmos added this fall. Quite a game changer
4. The Apple TV 4K does a great job of upscaling HD
5. I can watch them instantly from Apple's servers or download them to my MacBook and iPhone X anywhere in the world
6. Instant start on my Apple TV 4K
7. They get updated when iTunes Extras come along
8. The quality is superb
9. They often cost £4.99/£5.99
10. I can sign in to friend's Apple TVs anywhere in the world to watch a film with them - I do this every weekend when in the UK at my pal Perrie's house in Chester AND did this last week over in Cape Town, South Africa whilst staying at my athletes house. Mind you, the internet is quite slow over in Cape Town (but with all that nature, who needs TV
11. I feel that buying film from iTunes is bang up to date and has been for many years now.
12. Maybe they'll get updated to 16K in the future and 64K in 15 years time (come on, the TV manufacturers have to keep on selling don't they?)

I'm so thankful to never have to sit through copyright notices, FBI warnings and all of that insulting rubbish.
For me, discs belong in the 1980s and early 1990s. I don't miss them at all.

I can see that makes sense in your case, so few DVDs.

I never had an interest in buying films on VHS, but jumped in when DVDs came out (average price £20/€25 at the beginning). So with approx 1000, that’s a large outlay. To upgrade to HD on iTunes another £5k/6k, I don’t see the value in it. Maybe for films I Love, I may get an iTunes version ( in case they continue to upgrade the resolution to higher rate systems, as and when they appear).

 

[Jethro!]

Or just use your iPad that you already own instead of a piece of technology that was outdated 5 years ago...

"Outdated"... for whose purposes? Is that you or the Apple marketing dept. talking?
[doublepost=1532383114][/doublepost]

5. I can watch them instantly from Apple's servers...

If your stuff isn't on your stuff, it isn't really your stuff.

 

[BODYBUILDERPAUL]

I can see that makes sense in your case, so few DVDs.

I never had an interest in buying films on VHS, but jumped in when DVDs came out (average price £20/€25 at the beginning). So with approx 1000, that’s a large outlay. To upgrade to HD on iTunes another £5k/6k, I don’t see the value in it. Maybe for films I Love, I may get an iTunes version ( in case they continue to upgrade the resolution to higher rate systems, as and when they appear).

Absolutely a being honest, I tend to watch the same five or so films time and time again.
I just hope that if you do rip 1000 DVDs your hard drives last! These things tend to have a short life! It sounds a very very lengthy process and a lot of your precious time that you'll never get back! Remember, tomorrow is never guaranteed!
[doublepost=1532386094][/doublepost]

"Outdated"... for whose purposes? Is that you or the Apple marketing dept. talking?
[doublepost=1532383114][/doublepost]
If your stuff isn't on your stuff, it isn't really your stuff.

Well I have faith in Apple. I have tons of VHS tapes that I bought years ago as a child and guess what - nothing to play them on - so it's swings & roundabouts but hey, it's a film - its not a house that i've built being taken away or a shiny carbon fibre bicycle Being the busy guy that i am, i'd get over it
[doublepost=1532386351][/doublepost]

"Outdated"... for whose purposes? Is that you or the Apple marketing dept. talking?
[doublepost=1532383114][/doublepost]
If your stuff isn't on your stuff, it isn't really your stuff.

You really are a fanboi.

Option 1) Get a laptop with a DVD player. Oh wait, Apple says you don't need that anymore, so fuhgeddaboudit! (Never mind other companies that make them).

Option 2) https://www.amazon.com/DBPOWER-Portable-Player-Rechargeable-Battery/dp/B01MCY97YV

Technology these days -- it's amazing!

Ewwwww man, thats the most disgusting 'thing' that i've ever seen. That's something some 2002!
Seriously, you'd get an iPad for watching film and enjoy it in HD with ProMotion and Dolby Vision on the iPad Pro.
Seriously man, this is 2018. You're recommending absolute nonsense. You are being very silly.
[doublepost=1532386474][/doublepost]

Or just use your iPad that you already own instead of a piece of technology that was outdated 5 years ago...

I agree, that's what we had in 2002 before iPhones and iPads changed the digital landscape for the better. Just talk of DVDs is making me feel really ill. Such horrible things from the 20th century. May they rest in pieces!

 

[Jethro!]

Well I have faith in Apple.

You do? I don't. Not anymore. For very good reason.

I have tons of VHS tapes that I bought years ago as a child and guess what - nothing to play them on

VHS players are super cheap. Though not very thin, unfortunately. I'm sure you'd have to run it by Tim Cook first for his approval.

Ewwwww man, thats the most disgusting 'thing' that i've ever seen. That's something some 2002!

It solves the problem the original poster asked about, and if you read the reviews most people are happy with it. There are about a zillion other portable DVD players, too. If someone thinks it's "disgusting", that sounds more like Apple marketing conditioning than an independent critique.

Seriously, you'd get an iPad for watching film and enjoy it in HD with ProMotion and Dolby Vision on the iPad Pro.
Seriously man, this is 2018. You're recommending absolute nonsense. You are being very silly.

Who cares what year it is? You get the tools that do what you want. The iPad doesn't do everything well, which includes movies with subtitles, and people who don't want to be tethered to the Borg... I mean iTunes Store.

 

[RecentlyConverted]

Well I have some spare time, so I thought I would have another look at ripping. I have decided to use MakeMKV to extract the data from my discs with no compression. I will in most cases then have a subtitle track with the forced subtitles, which I can then burn into disks that require them.

I tried burning forced subtitles using Handbrake, but it does compress the file (5,3GB to 1.1GB). Can I use Handbrake to burn forced subtitles without any compression? Or is there any other app that will allow me to burn a selected subtitle file ripped from the DVD onto the MKV file?

Keeping the DVD in full quality rather than compressing it saves lots of time and wear and tear on my iMac. The files play very well on my ATV with Infuse Pro.

Thanks

 

[priitv8]

You can adjust the compression rate in HandBrake via Constant Quality slider.
I believe at some point it will even start to expand your files.
The smaller the CQ value, the lesser the compression.
Try using “1”

 

[RecentlyConverted]

Thanks. I tried that and the file was 3.62GB with the slider at the right, so still some compression taking place. Strange.

 

[bingeciren]

The only problem with converting DVDs to MKV format is that you lose the dvd menus and extra features such as instant language or subtitle changes and special features that can only be accessed through the dvd menus.

This is why I always rip DVDs in their original format and store them on the hard drive in “.dvdmedia” format. VLC player or Apple DVD player understand the dvdmedia format and gives me a 1:1 access to all the dvd features.

The only disadvantage of the dvdmedia format is that it can only be played back on a Mac or PC but not on an iPad.

 

[priitv8]

Thanks. I tried that and the file was 3.62GB with the slider at the right, so still some compression taking place. Strange.

With digital video, compression always takes place (in consumer space). With Handbrake, you are just always re-compressing the stream as it does not provide passthrough option for video.

The only problem with converting DVDs to MKV format is that you lose the dvd menus and extra features such as instant language or subtitle changes and special features that can only be accessed through the dvd menus.

You lose the DVD/Bluray menus, but not the instant change of languages or subtitles. MP4/QuickTime and MKV file formats support multiple audio- and subtitle tracks with instant change during playback.
Any extras you will have as separate clips (files). How to keep/group them together, depends. In iTunes, I normally just use the Sorting and Track/Disc numbering options.

 

[Gator1pk]

I have a WD external drive plugged to my Time Capsule. The WD holds my iTunes library files. I access all movies, music directly from my Apple TVs (I have 2 ATV4’s) by clicking on the Computer icon in Apple TV. The computer is my MacBook Pro 15. Works fine. I discovered that the external drive should have its own power supply. A USB drive that gets its power from the USB port in the Time Capsule have a tendency to lose connection and my MacBook can’t wake it up. Which aggravated the hell out of me.

 

[drsox]

Low cost, medium time - Rip your DVDs to ISO files and use a TvOS app such as InFuse to play them back from a hard drive (no need to import them into iTunes)

Thanks for that. I have lots of stuff in a NAS (1000 .iso's or so) and I play them as needed through obsolete Netgear NEOTV 550s to dumb TVs (one NEO per TV). I've had Apple TVs in the past but never kept them as they didn't do this. As a replacement I'll get some ATV 4's and use InFuse. I also have a Mac Mini per TV to play Netflix and Amazon TV - if the Amazon ATV app is any good I can probably get rid of those also.

 

[Andrewtst]

Sorry to said I am shock people still watching DVD? and rip it to keep it?
Unless the film you want only in DVD format then it is different story.

I don't watch DVD since appear of Blu-ray and any film below 720p is a no go for me now.

How to watch DVD in 4K TV now! even in 1080p TV also is very bad quality.

-------------------------------------------
By the way I do rip my blu-ray, I am windows user and below is my process.

1) Bypass the copyright protect using DVDFab Passkey 9.
2) RIP using VidCoder.
3) Meta data match using Plex
4) Playback at Apple TV 4K using Infuse with Plex Client

 

[Boyd01]

I ripped my collection of 1200 DVD's and watch them daily. Many are old black and white films and TV shows, they are fine at standard definition. But if you would like to send me the money to replace all 1200 with HD, I'd be happy to upgrade.

 

[Andrewtst]

I just try rip my DVD also and I am very surprise how great Infuse upscale it under Apple TV 4K.