OK, I tried posting for some advice and feedback over in the PS forum, but I think those guys are too busy arguing about Little Big Planet to help with my noobie issue :D

I know there are only like a million threads on the subject...but that's part of the problem: there are like a million threads on the subject!!! So maybe one of my Digital Media brethren will take pity on me and I can get a quick answer.

Just got a BD drive for Xmas and I'm trying to rip and stream content to my PS3. This is my first attempt, so I haven't played around much, but I used AnyDVD HD to just do a straight rip of the .m2ts files. I see these are supposed to be native to PS3, so I figured, for this BD anyway, I was good to go.

I ripped everything over to my HP MSS; I stream from it to the PS3 using the PVConnect Media Server. First run, PS3 is able to play the biggest of the .m2ts files, which is obviously the movie file and I'm pretty happy with the process. I've done the very small sample of 2 movies so far.

Then I ran into an unexpected snag: my 3rd sample just happen to be a Pushing Daisies disc (for the wife). When I browsed the disc, I saw the same .m2ts file structure (which I wasn't sure about...are all BDs .m2ts or does different encoding mean different file type? like, mpeg-2 and mpeg-4 are .m2ts, but VC-1 is something else?), and ripped it the same way as the 2 movie BDs. However, the 3 big files...5G a piece, which obviously represent the episodes on that disc...won't stream to PS3 the way the 2 previous movies did.

Now I should mention that the 2 movies I own, and the PD disc is a rental...shhhh; is that a big, naive duh on my part? Is their like super-duper protection on rental BDs that AnyDVD HD won't break...or maybe the movies, are older (which they are), and PD is a pretty new release, and AnyDVD HD just isn't 100% on encryption yet? Or is it a case where the TV series disc maybe needs another file, rather than playing the straight .m2ts like a movie would?

Thanks,
CD

Welcome to hell.

I've been going through the same thing. Some discs are pretty easy to get working, others seem to resist no matter what you do. Probably the best forum of this stuff if you care to wade through all the technical discussions is forum.doom9.org

Bottom line is ripping and streaming high def is still kind of tricky. It usually requires some kind of file manipulation, conversion, whatever.

If you really want to pull your hair out try ripping HD-DVD to a format that can be streamed to the PS3. I did it with Transformers, and that's the only one I've gotten to work so far.

As for the files, m2ts is Sony's high def format. Obviously you'll see a lot of that on Blu-ray discs. VC-1 is essentially mpeg4, it's a Microsoft format. They're more or less equivalent. Both have been used on Blu-ray.

Can't help with the PS3, but all BD's are m2ts. It's just a container. It could contain avc, vc-1, etc.

Can't help with the PS3, but all BD's are m2ts. It's just a container. It could contain avc, vc-1, etc.

OK, thanks.

CD

Welcome to hell.

I've been going through the same thing. Some discs are pretty easy to get working, others seem to resist no matter what you do. Probably the best forum of this stuff if you care to wade through all the technical discussions is forum.doom9.org

Bottom line is ripping and streaming high def is still kind of tricky. It usually requires some kind of file manipulation, conversion, whatever.

If you really want to pull your hair out try ripping HD-DVD to a format that can be streamed to the PS3. I did it with Transformers, and that's the only one I've gotten to work so far.

As for the files, m2ts is Sony's high def format. Obviously you'll see a lot of that on Blu-ray discs. VC-1 is essentially mpeg4, it's a Microsoft format. They're more or less equivalent. Both have been used on Blu-ray.

Yeah, I've read plenty (remember, a million threads...lol) on the trouble with streaming BD. After getting a system in place to rip and stream literally thousands of CDs, and hundreds of DVDs, I finally decided to plunge into BDs...and I guess I'd hoped my early success was due to the fact that I wasn't trying to remux, or re-encode, or compress these files; I figure HDD is cheap (hopefully I'm on my way to 20T...and then maybe 20T worth of backup behind that), time spent ripping isn't. But I guess even just pulling .m2ts files right off the disc and streaming those isn't going to be as easy as my first couple of passes might have lead me to believe.

Guess like all those discs before them, I will just have to keep playing with BDs and see if I can hone my process. But that doesn't mean the invitation to take pity and share any precious info you may have gleaned is rescinded :D

CD

Let me give you a summary which type of file can be streamed to ps3

- .m2ts rip from Bly ray have to be encoded in mpeg2 or h.264
- Have to be in ac3 or PCM

Ps3 can play the following as the original bluray disk but can't be stream from PC.

- VC1 - (must be reencode to mpeg2 or h.264 to stream, and this require a powerful PC, it will take a good amount of time ex. A 3.6 overclock quad core take about 5 hours for 2 hours movie, one pass)

- dts, dtshd, truehd can't be stream, have to convert to AC3 or PCM.

To solve all these issue get a NMT type streamer like popcorn hour family

Let me give you a summary which type of file can be streamed to ps3

- .m2ts rip from Bly ray have to be encoded in mpeg2 or h.264
- Have to be in ac3 or PCM

Ps3 can play the following as the original bluray disk but can't be stream from PC.

- VC1 - (must be reencode to mpeg2 or h.264 to stream, and this require a powerful PC, it will take a good amount of time ex. A 3.6 overclock quad core take about 5 hours for 2 hours movie, one pass)

- dts, dtshd, truehd can't be stream, have to convert to AC3 or PCM.

To solve all these issue get a NMT type streamer like popcorn hour family

Thanks Chan; that answers some questions. So let me review: all BDs have a .m2ts file structure, but within that container I know BDs can have 1 of 3 types of encoding...mpeg-2, mpeg-4/h.264, and vc-1. So you're saying, doing what I'm doing now, which is just a simple, straight rip of the .m2ts using AnyDVD HD, PS3 will stream 2 of the 3...mpeg-2 and mpeg-4/h.264, just not vc-1? Hmm, if that's the case, I'm tempted to say I can live with those odds. OTOH, I imagine all the newer stuff is going to be vc-1?

So, to stream vc-1 encoded files, you need to convert them to mpeg-4/h.264? If...if I decided I wanted to go through all that, what's the process: rip the vc-1 encoded .m2ts using AnyDVD HD, then convert it with something? What's a good program for that? Does it effect PQ (maybe only if you also compress as you convert, which I guess is an option)?

I wasn't really looking to go the NMT, like PCH, route at this time. I have XBMC, which I love, for SD at a bedroom location...and a standalone player in the dedicated HT, which I wouldn't give up (for critical movie-watching, in the HT, I wouldn't want to sacrifice lossless audio, or what I assume is superior encoding with vc-1). This BD streaming was just for more casual movie-watching on the Family Room Plasma, using the existing PS3.

I'm a huge fan of the PS3 as an all-in-one, even though it still has a little way to go. I think it would be short-sighted to go the NMT route, rather than try and bend and hope for further capabilities from the PS3. Will the PS3 stream vc-1 encoded .m2ts files with a transcoder, like TVersity or TWonky? Only way I might be tempted by the PCH is if it played BD .iso; I'm a big fan of .iso, and it's how I handle all my SD. Will PCH stream BD .iso?

Thanks,
CD

Thanks Chan; that answers some questions. So let me review: all BDs have a .m2ts file structure, but within that container I know BDs can have 1 of 3 types of encoding...mpeg-2, mpeg-4/h.264, and vc-1. So you're saying, doing what I'm doing now, which is just a simple, straight rip of the .m2ts using AnyDVD HD, PS3 will stream 2 of the 3...mpeg-2 and mpeg-4/h.264, just not vc-1? Hmm, if that's the case, I'm tempted to say I can live with those odds. OTOH, I imagine all the newer stuff is going to be vc-1?

So, to stream vc-1 encoded files, you need to convert them to mpeg-4/h.264? If...if I decided I wanted to go through all that, what's the process: rip the vc-1 encoded .m2ts using AnyDVD HD, then convert it with something? What's a good program for that? Does it effect PQ (maybe only if you also compress as you convert, which I guess is an option)?

I wasn't really looking to go the NMT, like PCH, route at this time. I have XBMC, which I love, for SD at a bedroom location...and a standalone player in the dedicated HT, which I wouldn't give up (for critical movie-watching, in the HT, I wouldn't want to sacrifice lossless audio, or what I assume is superior encoding with vc-1). This BD streaming was just for more casual movie-watching on the Family Room Plasma, using the existing PS3.

I'm a huge fan of the PS3 as an all-in-one, even though it still has a little way to go. I think it would be short-sighted to go the NMT route, rather than try and bend and hope for further capabilities from the PS3. Will the PS3 stream vc-1 encoded .m2ts files with a transcoder, like TVersity or TWonky? Only way I might be tempted by the PCH is if it played BD .iso; I'm a big fan of .iso, and it's how I handle all my SD. Will PCH stream BD .iso?

Thanks,
CD

Man...doing some research on my own, for converting vc-1 encoded files to mpeg-4/h.264 and there is some real conflicting information out there. Lots of other people are posing the same question I am...how do you get vc-1 encoded files to stream to PS3...and some are claiming "PS3 has been able to stream vc-1 for months"...and these responses are from like July of 08. Yet there are still plenty of posts after that date with people continuing to have issues. Then I read that maybe it'll stream vc-1, but not if it's encoded with multi-channel audio; huh? Aren't all BDs multi-channel audio?

I guess this really isn't ready for prime time yet? :confused:

CD

Another issue you will come to for straight bluray rip is that if the audio is in DTS, DTSHD and TrueHD, you will not have sound and most bluray contain these sound format.

PS3 can only stream mpeg2 and h.264 encode with AC3 or PCM, that's it. You have to convert those lossless and dts to PCM or AC3.

I never have any success to stream VC1 to PS3 with anything, I had to re-encode to H.264 using ripbot264 and It take a long time. And quality is good to excellent depend on the bitrate. It is much better than DVD, I can say it is 95 to 99% of the original quality, but you have to deal with the sound format also. :(

PCH won't stream bluray .iso, only straight bluray rip .m2ts, it stream almost everything else. The time it save to not to deal with encoding, converting, remuxing, etc... is worth it to get the PCH, it also bitstream lossless like DTSMA and TrueHD.

Another issue you will come to for straight bluray rip is that if the audio is in DTS, DTSHD and TrueHD, you will not have sound and most bluray contain these sound format.

PS3 can only stream mpeg2 and h.264 encode with AC3 or PCM, that's it. You have to convert those lossless and dts to PCM or AC3.

I never have any success to stream VC1 to PS3 with anything, I had to re-encode to H.264 using ripbot264 and It take a long time. And quality is good to excellent depend on the bitrate. It is much better than DVD, I can say it is 95 to 99% of the original quality, but you have to deal with the sound format also. :(

PCH won't stream bluray .iso, only straight bluray rip .m2ts, it stream almost everything else. The time it save to not to deal with encoding, converting, remuxing, etc... is worth it to get the PCH, it also bitstream lossless like DTSMA and TrueHD.

Well...if I decided I wanting to stream to the dedicated HT, keeping vc-1 encoding and the lossless audio, I would consider the PCH. Do you know about how AppleTV handles BD files? It's another device that I find interesting. Just out of curiousity, does anything stream BD .iso natively?

So I guess the 2 movie files I ripped to start with must have had lossy audio? But you're saying PS3 won't stream regular DTS either...not just the lossless codecs? Hmm, I could have sworn one of the 2 movies I got to stream had DTS...at least as an option. How does that work...I mean most BDs have several audio streams to choose from. They can't be built into the main .m2ts file, can they? Otherwise, how would you be able to select between different formats? Or is it that the main .m2ts movie file has a default format, and the others are available to select...but if the main file's default is dts, or a lossless codec, it's built-in and then that main file won't stream to PS3?

OK, so to recap: vc-1 encoded won't stream to PS3 at all...you get that "corrupted data" or "unsupported file type" error? But if the main .m2ts file is mpeg-2 or mpeg-4/h.264, but has dts or lossless audio, video will stream but no sound??

Man, I held off trying to rip and stream BD for a while, because I knew in the "early days" it was really like trying to hammer a star-shaped peg into a square hole. I asked the wife for a BD drive this Xmas because I thought it must have come some way since then, but it doesn't appear to be all that much better. :( Hope that gift doesn't come to collect dust.

CD

Yes you can select different audio if It contain multiple track, if the file have dts or lossless (except PCM) you will have no audio.

I find many movie has dts or loss less for Multichannel, and 2 channel AC3, we don't want 2 channel right :).

Video will stream as long as in H.264 or Mpeg2, you will have audio if it is AC3 or PCM. DTS or Lossless will have no sound.

I don't know anything can stream bluray.iso, except using HTPC. PCH can stream almost everything including DVD.iso but not bluray .iso.

I want to clarify, if file has multiple track you will have audio, but selecting dts or lossless will not have sound.

Man, I held off trying to rip and stream BD for a while, because I knew in the "early days" it was really like trying to hammer a star-shaped peg into a square hole. I asked the wife for a BD drive this Xmas because I thought it must have come some way since then, but it doesn't appear to be all that much better. :( Hope that gift doesn't come to collect dust.

Same here.

The biggest issue is the audio thing. Video works fine but with most movies you have to demux, convert the audio to AC3, and then remux. And then it *might* work.

I'm probably going to get a nice HTPC case for my computer and use it as my source component for HD-DVD and Blu-ray. That's pretty straight forward.

I want to clarify, if file has multiple track you will have audio, but selecting dts or lossless will not have sound.

See, this is where you lose me a bit Chan; I'm not sure what you mean by selecting the dts or lossless audio? When I rip straight from AnyDVD HD, there is no way to pick and choose files, say like DVD Shrink (which I use for all my SD .ISOs).

Let me give you an example: one of my test rips was the 15th Anniversary edition of Reservoir Dogs. AnyDVD HD decrypts the discs and then I select 'Rip Video DVD to Harddisk'; you pick a directory and it pulls EVERYTHING.

Now, in the case of the RD BD, I get the BDMV and Certificate directories (we'll ignore the Certificate), and within BDMV the .m2ts files are in the Stream folder. There are 17 .m2ts files, with of course the biggest one being the movie; I lose everything else and that file streams to PS3 just fine.

And, FWIW, I checked the disc tonight; it has DTS HD, as well as DD available for audio. Now, as we've discussed, I would say this is kind of typical of BDs...to have both lossy and lossless (the newer releases these days) audio tracks available. I guess one of them has to be "built-in" to the .m2ts main movie file, but I would think this would almost always be the "lesser" audio track, the lossy one...one the PS3 could stream...and the "upgraded" audio track, like Dolby HD or DTS HD, would be "selectable"...contained in one of those .m2ts files I'm losing?

I'm not trying to come across as an authority; obviously I don't know squat. I'm just trying to offer up some observations and maybe clarify what is a very confusing process.

CD

Try this media server. It works very well with little to NO configuration. Only transcodes what PS3 can't play. It has streamed my m2ts files ripped using anydvd without stutter at high bit rates.

http://code.google.com/p/ps3mediaserver/

The author is doing a great job of updating, fixing bugs and is open to suggestions. I can't emphasize enough what a great piece of software this is. I was totally frustrated with Tversity, Twonky etc etc. This server even plays back my vista media center hdtv dvr-ms files perfectly with no configuration required.

Try this media server. It works very well with little to NO configuration. Only transcodes what PS3 can't play. It has streamed my m2ts files ripped using anydvd without stutter at high bit rates.

http://code.google.com/p/ps3mediaserver/

The author is doing a great job of updating, fixing bugs and is open to suggestions. I can't emphasize enough what a great piece of software this is. I was totally frustrated with Tversity, Twonky etc etc. This server even plays back my vista media center hdtv dvr-ms files perfectly with no configuration required.

Well I have to tell ya...I'm part of that whole "no transcoder" movement; well, kind of. As I've mentioned, I stream from a server running WHS. WHS, by design, has a "built-in" media server...first via Windows Media Connect, which left a lot to be desired, and now PVConnect, which is TWonky-based and much better. I've mostly been against the idea of making things too complicated, or bending my system too much...I want to try and wring everything I can out of it, organically, before I just throw in my hand and start installing this codec, that plug-in, and yet another media server.

But this thing looks very promising: the description makes the install sound un-fussy, Snoots says he's having success with most of his .m2ts rips...it supports DVD .ISO (which is BIG for me)...it transcodes FLAC (even though I've settled on the outstanding Squeezebox for audio streaming, this would be a nice bonus)...and does thumbnail for video. Definitely sounds worth a try. How's the support Snoots? Is there an AVS thread yet?

CD

It is working well for me. The only issue you will have is that the ISO DVD playback does not support the full DVD menu systems. It does playback the VOBs. I actually am using an IstarHD for DVD iso's since it allows menu functions. The PS3 I use for the other media types I stream. HDTV shows, HD TIVO mpg rips etc.

It is working well for me. The only issue you will have is that the ISO DVD playback does not support the full DVD menu systems. It does playback the VOBs. I actually am using an IstarHD for DVD iso's since it allows menu functions. The PS3 I use for the other media types I stream. HDTV shows, HD TIVO mpg rips etc.

Thanks. Non-issue with the .ISO movie menus...I only ever rip the movie file anyway. And I've never had any trouble streaming .VOBs to PS3 natively.

CD

See, this is where you lose me a bit Chan; I'm not sure what you mean by selecting the dts or lossless audio? When I rip straight from AnyDVD HD, there is no way to pick and choose files, say like DVD Shrink (which I use for all my SD .ISOs).

Let me give you an example: one of my test rips was the 15th Anniversary edition of Reservoir Dogs. AnyDVD HD decrypts the discs and then I select 'Rip Video DVD to Harddisk'; you pick a directory and it pulls EVERYTHING.

Now, in the case of the RD BD, I get the BDMV and Certificate directories (we'll ignore the Certificate), and within BDMV the .m2ts files are in the Stream folder. There are 17 .m2ts files, with of course the biggest one being the movie; I lose everything else and that file streams to PS3 just fine.

And, FWIW, I checked the disc tonight; it has DTS HD, as well as DD available for audio. Now, as we've discussed, I would say this is kind of typical of BDs...to have both lossy and lossless (the newer releases these days) audio tracks available. I guess one of them has to be "built-in" to the .m2ts main movie file, but I would think this would almost always be the "lesser" audio track, the lossy one...one the PS3 could stream...and the "upgraded" audio track, like Dolby HD or DTS HD, would be "selectable"...contained in one of those .m2ts files I'm losing?

I'm not trying to come across as an authority; obviously I don't know squat. I'm just trying to offer up some observations and maybe clarify what is a very confusing process.

CD

I wasn't clear, what you say is 100% correctly, I am trying to say in those original rip .m2ts, when you selecting different audio track **on the PS3** other than AC3 or PCM will have no audio.

And there are many .m2ts only have multichannel for Lossless or DTS, and only offer AC3 for 2 channel (and we don't want 2 channel sound right?). So you will be limit to 2 channel AC3 or get no sound. If I want multichannel for these track, I am out of luck, or have to demux the lossless or DTS and convert these to AC3 or PCM.

And, FWIW, I checked the disc tonight; it has DTS HD, as well as DD available for audio. Now, as we've discussed, I would say this is kind of typical of BDs...to have both lossy and lossless (the newer releases these days) audio tracks available. I guess one of them has to be "built-in" to the .m2ts main movie file, but I would think this would almost always be the "lesser" audio track, the lossy one...one the PS3 could stream...and the "upgraded" audio track, like Dolby HD or DTS HD, would be "selectable"...contained in one of those .m2ts files I'm losing?

The .m2ts file will have multiple audio tracks which you can remove by remuxing the file.

The .m2ts file will have multiple audio tracks which you can remove by remuxing the file.

Got it...and that goes to what Chan said as well. I didn't realize that the biggest .m2ts, the movie file, already had all the audio codecs embedded. Well, that actually seems good to me; to me, it keeps the file future-proofed. Like if I just keep that .m2ts, and lose everything else, like I've been doing, then PS3 will play say the DD audio for now. But if PS3 ever gets support for streaming DTS, or the lossless audio codecs...or a media server, like this ps3 mediaserver I'm going to give a try, allows it...then my one file still has the other codecs intact.

I can't see why anyone would want to spend all that time and effort just to strip them out. Is it just to save a little bit of space? To each his own...like I said before, drive space is cheap enough.

edit - P.S. is there sort of a consensus remuxer for .m2ts? Only thing I see with any regularity is ripbot264.

CD

TSMuxer from Smart Labs should work out for you if you haven't tried it.

Got it...and that goes to what Chan said as well. I didn't realize that the biggest .m2ts, the movie file, already had all the audio codecs embedded. Well, that actually seems good to me; to me, it keeps the file future-proofed. Like if I just keep that .m2ts, and lose everything else, like I've been doing, then PS3 will play say the DD audio for now. But if PS3 ever gets support for streaming DTS, or the lossless audio codecs...or a media server, like this ps3 mediaserver I'm going to give a try, allows it...then my one file still has the other codecs intact.

I can't see why anyone would want to spend all that time and effort just to strip them out. Is it just to save a little bit of space? To each his own...like I said before, drive space is cheap enough.

edit - P.S. is there sort of a consensus remuxer for .m2ts? Only thing I see with any regularity is ripbot264.

CD

I want point out what you doing is that there are many Bluray .m2ts only offer AC3 in 2 channel, and lossless and DTS in multichannel, If you are ok for AC3 in 2 channel that's fine, otherwise you will have to go through all those muxing, remuxing, converting and encoding if VC1.

Anyway Ripbot is just a command line GUI for many tools all in one, and encode also.

If you just want to strip out the stream or want to remuxing the stream. you can use TSMUXER or TSremux.

I want point out what you doing is that there are many Bluray .m2ts only offer AC3 in 2 channel, and lossless and DTS in multichannel, If you are ok for AC3 in 2 channel that's fine, otherwise you will have to go through all those muxing, remuxing, converting and encoding if VC1.

Anyway Ripbot is just a command line GUI for many tools all in one, and encode also.

If you just want to strip out the stream or want to remuxing the stream. you can use TSMUXER or TSremux.

Yeah, I can see how that would be an issue for most; it's not for me. As I mentioned back in my OP, I'm in a unique situation where for right now, I'm just looking to stream .m2ts to the Family Room plasma (and that system isn't multi-channel anyway). The only multi-channel room in the house is the dedicated HT, and I'm not streaming there yet (still don't feel the technology is where I want it to be for lossless 7.1 and 100"+, so I use a standalone player).

If I decide I want to stream there, that's when I think biting the bullet for a PCH might make sense, or maybe this ps3 mediastreamer will make another ps3 an option.

Thanks for the feedback; I've learned a couple of good tips here.

CD

I can't see why anyone would want to spend all that time and effort just to strip them out. Is it just to save a little bit of space? To each his own...like I said before, drive space is cheap enough.

edit - P.S. is there sort of a consensus remuxer for .m2ts? Only thing I see with any regularity is ripbot264.

CD

Ripbot264 isn't a remuxer. It's a trans/re-encoder.

TSMuxer and TSRemux are the remuxing tools that everybody uses.

The appeal of remuxing isn't really oriented towards saving drive space. I really don't care if my blu-ray is 20 gigs vs 24 gigs. The appeal of remuxing is reducing the overall bitrate of the file and consequently making it easier to stream over your home network. I remux directly from the disc. It doesn't take any longer than just copying the m2ts file from the disc to my server, so it's really a no-brainer.

I have had great success with streaming BD files to ps3, including VC-1, by re-encoding to x264. I use TSmuxer to demux, then process the video with megui. Separately, I use eac3to to process the audio. As mentioned above, you can decode the lossless formats to pcm with this method, or extract the ac3 file. Both can be done with eac3to.

Finally, remux again with TSmuxer to .m2ts, and you have a file that plays great.

Regarding disk space, I was able to compress a BD from ~24 gb to 6 gb with this method, and the quality was indistinguishable to me, and I am pretty anal about that. If you didnt want to deal with re-encoding you could just demux-process audio-remux. However, this may be too high a bitrate for network streaming, especially with pcm audio, but I dont know that for sure.

Hope that helps. Learn how to use megui, thats the key. The re-encoding takes forever, but it works well. Google megui wiki and youll get some nice info about it.

Awwww! So much time to remux/re-encode/stream. I used to spend so much time trying to get this to work right. (Video content stored on my hard drive and then accesseble on demand when I turn on my PS3). This dream was NEVER fulfilled! I used to spend way more time monkey around with remuxing and re-endoing than I did actually enjoying the video content. From the sound of my fellow form participates I wasn't alone, either!

Though you lose out on the streaming capability, there is nothing easier (and less time consuming) than just burning a disc, (DVD or blu-ray) data file, sticking it into the PS3 and enjoying your video content.

Well, the journey definitely continues to be a challenge. Like most of you, I'm finding some BDs work easily (it turns out my first rips were mpeg-2, so obviously I got the easiest of the bunch to start with), and others not at all (can't get vc-1 to stream, even with PS3 mediaserver). I was actually delighted to see that a movie like Ratatouille was mpeg-4; up until that point it seemed like the equation was old movie equals mpeg-2, new movie equals vc-1. I was excited to see a new-ish title in the supposedly native mpeg-4 codec. So I ripped...and ripped...and ripped (this was my first 50GB attempt, so the rip time was obviously a surprise) and then went to do what I always do: find the biggest file, which is obviously the movie, and lose the rest.

Well, if you've already ripped Ratatouille, you probably know where this one is going; I grab the 7GB file, even though I see another that's nearly the same size at 6 and change, and go to play it. It's the middle of the film somewhere! So I go sons of bee's, they must have split this film into 2 files. So I grab the 6GB file...it's also only part of the film!

The good news is it plays beautifully...a really noticeable difference over the first 2, mpeg-2 rips. The bad news is, it looks like all that remux/demux nonsense I was trying to avoid...at least for the purpose of saving space, or audio, etc...will be unavoidable. I mean, I guess I have to find all these movie files and combine them into 1, right? And my guess is Ratatouille certainly isn't the only movie I'm going to encounter that's going to be like this. In fact, since this was my first mpeg-4, I'm wondering if I should expect them all to be like this? Multiple files that need to be spliced together into one?

So, TSMuxer and MeGUI are the way to go with this kind of stuff?

CD

I have had great success with streaming BD files to ps3, including VC-1, by re-encoding to x264. I use TSmuxer to demux, then process the video with megui. Separately, I use eac3to to process the audio. As mentioned above, you can decode the lossless formats to pcm with this method, or extract the ac3 file. Both can be done with eac3to.

Finally, remux again with TSmuxer to .m2ts, and you have a file that plays great.

Regarding disk space, I was able to compress a BD from ~24 gb to 6 gb with this method, and the quality was indistinguishable to me, and I am pretty anal about that. If you didnt want to deal with re-encoding you could just demux-process audio-remux. However, this may be too high a bitrate for network streaming, especially with pcm audio, but I dont know that for sure.

Hope that helps. Learn how to use megui, thats the key. The re-encoding takes forever, but it works well. Google megui wiki and youll get some nice info about it.

After playing around a bit, I'm starting to lean toward this solution. I haven't gotten PS3 mediaserver to successfully transcode my vc-1 files, and the one mpeg-4 file that I've worked with looks GREAT when streamed. I'm confident I just need to fiddle with ps3ms to get it to transcode vc-1, but even if I get it dialed-in, I'm not sure my pc is powerful enough to pull it off and the last thing I want to have to do is buy a new box just so I can transcode; I'd rather bend the file.

So Cap, I've been playing around with TSMuser a bit, and I think I've figured out how to demux files out of the .m2ts container...and I think when it comes time to remux, that doesn't look to be too big an issue. But how do you re-encode vc-1 to mpeg-4...is that where MEGui comes in? And is that what takes your files size down so much? I mean, even the couple of mpeg-2 files that I've ripped so far, are 15, 18GB...how are you getting mpeg-4 files that are 6GB?

CD

Let me give you a summary which type of file can be streamed to ps3

- .m2ts rip from Bly ray have to be encoded in mpeg2 or h.264
- Have to be in ac3 or PCM

Ps3 can play the following as the original bluray disk but can't be stream from PC.

- VC1 - (must be reencode to mpeg2 or h.264 to stream, and this require a powerful PC, it will take a good amount of time ex. A 3.6 overclock quad core take about 5 hours for 2 hours movie, one pass)

- dts, dtshd, truehd can't be stream, have to convert to AC3 or PCM.

To solve all these issue get a NMT type streamer like popcorn hour family

I tell you, when I started this journey...just 2 short weeks ago...I was really opposed to the idea of just throwing hardware at an issue. I've said before, either here or elsewhere, that I backed the PS3 as my all-in-one, and I'd rather bend files and wait for the PS3 to catch up than throw another box, like the PCH, at the problem. Well, they say hindsight is 20/20...

Streaming BD ain't music or SD! I mean 1-file MPEG-2 is easy enough, as I suppose 1-file MPEG-4 would be, but I'm finding those may be few and far between. VC-1 seems to be pretty much a dead end, MPEG-4 multi-file movies need to be remuxed...and we haven't even talked about audio!

All of a sudden, $215 for a PCH...that supposedly plays EVERYTHING...doesn't seem so bad after all. I mean, money was never the issue before; it's the principle, and the fact that I just don't want to end up with too many boxes that overlap function. Well, you know what they say about a man and his principles (I'm not sure either, but in this case it's probably something like I hope you can watch those principles, because you sure won't be watching much streaming BD).

On top of all that, my many existing .ISO, transcoded through PS3MS, look like crap...which may be a result of my underpowered PC's transcoding, but I'm hoping PCH might do a better job with them as well, .ISO being native to PCH and all. I don't know if there is a question here so much as venting. I guess if this was a poll, it might be a) Don't give up...you're just starting, but with a little more work you really can bend BD into PS3 or b) It'll be the best $215 you ever spent...get a PCH (is there still a wait?), stop all that transcoding/remuxing nonsense and never look back?

CD

CDLehner for what it's worth you and I are in the same spot.

I have a TiVo that is chock full of HD content, along with my BD player and other nice things. They are safely tucked away far from my kids.

The kids are getting old enough to appreciate DVDs and some of the BDs I have, so I thought I'd rip the BDs and re-encode them to DVD so they could enjoy. That's proven to be very difficult, so I am now considering the media server approach.

Anyways I've run into many of the same issues as you.

All of a sudden, $215 for a PCH...that supposedly plays EVERYTHING...doesn't seem so bad after all. I mean, money was never the issue before; it's the principle, and the fact that I just don't want to end up with too many boxes that overlap function. Well, you know what they say about a man and his principles (I'm not sure either, but in this case it's probably something like I hope you can watch those principles, because you sure won't be watching much streaming BD).

On top of all that, my many existing .ISO, transcoded through PS3MS, look like crap...which may be a result of my underpowered PC's transcoding, but I'm hoping PCH might do a better job with them as well, .ISO being native to PCH and all. I don't know if there is a question here so much as venting. I guess if this was a poll, it might be a) Don't give up...you're just starting, but with a little more work you really can bend BD into PS3 or b) It'll be the best $215 you ever spent...get a PCH (is there still a wait?), stop all that transcoding/remuxing nonsense and never look back?


Yes, there is a wait: The PCH cannot play BD-iso, it cannot even play BD file structure, so if you want the "real thing" (i.e. BD menu, extras etc.) you have to go for something else. Actually there is only the HDI Prime/Center which can play BD-iso, and the TViX 6500a with the beta-firmware having something called BD-lite capabilities, it plays most of the BDs from the file structure and is announced to play iso as well.

Yes, there is a wait: The PCH cannot play BD-iso, it cannot even play BD file structure, so if you want the "real thing" (i.e. BD menu, extras etc.) you have to go for something else. Actually there is only the HDI Prime/Center which can play BD-iso, and the TViX 6500a with the beta-firmware having something called BD-lite capabilities, it plays most of the BDs from the file structure and is announced to play iso as well.

TG, when I talked about .ISO playback I was referring to SD .ISOs that I have (which also won't stream to PS3 without transcoding); I don't need BD .ISO. What I am curious about is will PCH play multi-file BD, by just pointing at the 'Stream' directory, or a Playlist file (.mpls)...or would there still be the need to mux together multi-file movies?

CD

After playing around a bit, I'm starting to lean toward this solution. I haven't gotten PS3 mediaserver to successfully transcode my vc-1 files, and the one mpeg-4 file that I've worked with looks GREAT when streamed. I'm confident I just need to fiddle with ps3ms to get it to transcode vc-1, but even if I get it dialed-in, I'm not sure my pc is powerful enough to pull it off and the last thing I want to have to do is buy a new box just so I can transcode; I'd rather bend the file.

So Cap, I've been playing around with TSMuser a bit, and I think I've figured out how to demux files out of the .m2ts container...and I think when it comes time to remux, that doesn't look to be too big an issue. But how do you re-encode vc-1 to mpeg-4...is that where MEGui comes in? And is that what takes your files size down so much? I mean, even the couple of mpeg-2 files that I've ripped so far, are 15, 18GB...how are you getting mpeg-4 files that are 6GB?

CD

I have made more progress with blu-ray rips, and have it down to 3 easy steps.

Using eac3to (see the wiki:http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Eac3to/How_to_Use#Using_complete_disc_structure_as_input ), I rip the video and convert the audio straight off the disc on one go. eac3to can understand blu-ray playlists, so the issue you mentioned with ratatouille is not a problem.

just use eac3to exactly like that link.

Then you get the video in an .mkv file and the audio in whatever format you want (i usually use pcm). You have to use a program called pcm2tsmu to change some header data in the pcm file so tsmuxer can understand it.

That goes like this (command line): pcm2tsmu audio.pcm

If your video is in x264 (most movies in my experience) you can use tsmuxer to mux your .mkv and .pcm audio together, and you have a full quality video w/ lossless sound.

If the video is VC-1 I use megui to convert that file (.mkv from before) to x264, using the "blu-ray" preset, bitrate 10mbps. This compresses it alot, but no quality loss (though I dont care about that, the only reason to do this is so the ps3 can stream it). After thats done (my system athlon x2, takes ~20 hours) just mux that video with your processed audio.

This is not as hard as it sounds, just try it out and youll be surprised.

I have made more progress with blu-ray rips, and have it down to 3 easy steps.

Using eac3to (see the wiki:http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Eac3to/How_to_Use#Using_complete_disc_structure_as_input ), I rip the video and convert the audio straight off the disc on one go. eac3to can understand blu-ray playlists, so the issue you mentioned with ratatouille is not a problem.

just use eac3to exactly like that link.

Then you get the video in an .mkv file and the audio in whatever format you want (i usually use pcm). You have to use a program called pcm2tsmu to change some header data in the pcm file so tsmuxer can understand it.

That goes like this (command line): pcm2tsmu audio.pcm

If your video is in x264 (most movies in my experience) you can use tsmuxer to mux your .mkv and .pcm audio together, and you have a full quality video w/ lossless sound.

If the video is VC-1 I use megui to convert that file (.mkv from before) to x264, using the "blu-ray" preset, bitrate 10mbps. This compresses it alot, but no quality loss (though I dont care about that, the only reason to do this is so the ps3 can stream it). After thats done (my system athlon x2, takes ~20 hours) just mux that video with your processed audio.

This is not as hard as it sounds, just try it out and youll be surprised.

Thanks for the feedback Cap, but you may have seen in a subsequent post, that my frustration for bending BD streaming into PS3 has lead to my interest in going ahead and trying a PCH A-110. However, I will keep your tools, especially the eac3to and megui, and technique in mind, because I'm sure there is a certain amount of file-manipulation the PCH may need (like Ratatouille's...and others...multi-files) as well; just, hopefully, not quite so much.

CD

Yea, I was going to do the PCH after this hassle, but this method has been so good, especially with lossless audio, that I decided the $250 would be better spent on more storage space.

It just comes down to how much you want to mess with your computer. I am cheap/poor so for me its not worth it, but the PCH does make alot of sense.

Yea, I was going to do the PCH after this hassle, but this method has been so good, especially with lossless audio, that I decided the $250 would be better spent on more storage space.

It just comes down to how much you want to mess with your computer. I am cheap/poor so for me its not worth it, but the PCH does make alot of sense.

For me, money was not the issue (I guess I'm lucky enough where a couple hundred here or there doesn't matter so much)...I just didn't want a box for this, and a box for that. I already had the PS3; I bought it when it was the best BD player to be had, but I also knew it had potential to grow into a streamer.

At $400 you get a BD player, upscaling DVD player, CD/SACD (my model) player...media streamer...and oh yeah, it plays games. It's a great deal. Well, I'm all but discless at this point, so I don't put DVDs/CDs/SACDs in it anymore...and if I give up on it for streaming, and the PCH handles all my needs (all my SD .ISOs and easier streaming of BDs), then I'm essentially left with a gaming system (which, don't get me wrong...while gaming was last on my list of priorities, I don't know that I'd want to give up the few titles I've enjoyed playing). So I guess I've been trying to flog this horse and make her run, but I really didn't want to have to get into all this demux, re-encode, remux process for BD...and PS3 never did play my SD .ISOs natively (which I chose to rip for an XBMC I have in a bedroom system)...or my FLACs (which I ripped for several Squeezeboxes I use for audio streaming) for that matter.

I don't know. The thing about these machines is there is no way to know for sure what you're going to get until you plunge-in, get one, and start playing. I think I'll take a chance on the PCH. If it replaces 90% of what the PS3 was doing, it's not like I can't find a soft place for the Playstation to land.

CD

So I bought an Sony HDR-CX520V camcorder and saved the m2ts files on my pretty powerful desktop. I also bought a PS3 today and installed PS3 Media Server on my desktop. I am having all kinds of good results except the m2ts files, there is always a stutter no matter I do. Has anyone experienced this?

So I bought an Sony HDR-CX520V camcorder and saved the m2ts files on my pretty powerful desktop. I also bought a PS3 today and installed PS3 Media Server on my desktop. I am having all kinds of good results except the m2ts files, there is always a stutter no matter I do. Has anyone experienced this?

Wow, what a difference a year makes; I saw a new post to this thread and figured "let me see if I can help a noobie out here"...and it turns out this was my thread, from when I was a noobie about a year ago. :o

Nash, PS3 will play mpeg-2 and mpeg-4 encoded .m2ts just fine (I can't imagine your camcoder encodes to VC-1)...even without the ps3mediaserver. If you're getting stutter, I suspect it might be a frame-rate issue?

CD

Wow, what a difference a year makes; I saw a new post to this thread and figured "let me see if I can help a noobie out here"...and it turns out this was my thread, from when I was a noobie about a year ago. :o

Nash, PS3 will play mpeg-2 and mpeg-4 encoded .m2ts just fine (I can't imagine your camcoder encodes to VC-1)...even without the ps3mediaserver. If you're getting stutter, I suspect it might be a frame-rate issue?

CD

Thanks for the reply, yes I am a noobie... I am sorry, I should have mentioned that I am trying to stream on my wireless network. I have not tried to copy and save the files to my PS3's hard drive yet. I will also do that today to see if that helps. But my whole idea to buy a PS3 was to be able to stream m2ts files wirelessly so trying to copy those files will serve against the purpose...

Thanks for the reply, yes I am a noobie... I am sorry, I should have mentioned that I am trying to stream on my wireless network. I have not tried to copy and save the files to my PS3's hard drive yet. I will also do that today to see if that helps. But my whole idea to buy a PS3 was to be able to stream m2ts files wirelessly so trying to copy those files will serve against the purpose...

HD over wireless is tenuous at best. That could be your problem.

CD

HD over wireless is tenuous at best. That could be your problem.

CD

I think you are right. My wmv's and other SD are streaming with no issues. In fact, my father's Lumix video files (mts, which are HD) are streaming with no problems either. It is just my m2ts files. I will play around with PS3 Media Server settings to be sure but it will be a disappointment for me if it does not stream.... Maybe I will have to go wired.

Thanks for the input.

I think you are right. My wmv's and other SD are streaming with no issues. In fact, my father's Lumix video files (mts, which are HD) are streaming with no problems either. It is just my m2ts files. I will play around with PS3 Media Server settings to be sure but it will be a disappointment for me if it does not stream.... Maybe I will have to go wired.

Thanks for the input.

Here is what I did - copied a 450 MB m2ts file to my very old 1GB Sandisk Cruiser thumb drive (it is not a very fast thumb drive) and plugged it into my PS3. Worked like a charm, video started instantly (as opposed to 5-6 sec lag while streaming wirelessly) and no stutter at all.

In addition, while I am streaming m2ts files from my desktop to PS3 wirelessly, if I hit "Pause" for ten seconds and then start the video, I get no stutter at all, until the first minute of the video, then it stutters again. So if it buffers enough on the wireless, everything is ok, until I run out of bandwith again.

So I definitely know if has to do with wireless streaming. I changed my settings on PS3 Media Server to Low Quality HD (or something similar to that) but it did not help.

So now I have to figure out a way to get a CAT cable from my attic where my desktop and router is to the living room where my PS3 is. Sigh.

I'm lazy and look for the most direct approach with the fewest steps. I just use handbrake to convert everything I have to .mkv with AC3 5.1. Then ps3media server to stream it. I'm happy with the results and it saves some (a lot of) disk space if you're concerned with that. I like handbrake because I don't have to write a batch file or anything, I can queue up a bunch of files to convert and let it run overnight. I don't care about menus or any of the other junk on the disk so this approach suits me fine. I think the smaller file size of the .mkv probably helps a lot with streaming. I don't use wireless except on my EVA 9150 and with that they play just fine.

I'm lazy and look for the most direct approach with the fewest steps. I just use handbrake to convert everything I have to .mkv with AC3 5.1. Then ps3media server to stream it. I'm happy with the results and it saves some (a lot of) disk space if you're concerned with that. I like handbrake because I don't have to write a batch file or anything, I can queue up a bunch of files to convert and let it run overnight. I don't care about menus or any of the other junk on the disk so this approach suits me fine. I think the smaller file size of the .mkv probably helps a lot with streaming. I don't use wireless except on my EVA 9150 and with that they play just fine.

Uh...this OP is almost exactly a year old. I kinda figured it out ;)

CD

Hehehe I didn't even notice the dates :eek:

Uh...this OP is almost exactly a year old. I kinda figured it out ;)

CD

Ok, I guess I am kind of a noob, but I have been going great until I came across one of my blu-ray movies that had the VC-1 codec and not the h.264 codec in the .m2ts container.

I have used TSmuxer to demux the vc-1 video file. So from what I have read, I can take this demuxed VC-1 video file put it in MeGui and convert it to h.264? If this is the case can you give me some pointers or steps on the conversion process. Once I get it converted to h.264 I will mux it back with the .ac3 audio file.

Cap, looks like you have experience with this. Maybe you can help me out here.

Thanks for any help in advance!

Ok, I guess I am kind of a noob, but I have been going great until I came across one of my blu-ray movies that had the VC-1 codec and not the h.264 codec in the .m2ts container.

I have used TSmuxer to demux the vc-1 video file. So from what I have read, I can take this demuxed VC-1 video file put it in MeGui and convert it to h.264? If this is the case can you give me some pointers or steps on the conversion process. Once I get it converted to h.264 I will mux it back with the .ac3 audio file.

Cap, looks like you have experience with this. Maybe you can help me out here.

Thanks for any help in advance!
is there a TSmuxer for mac snow leopard