I am looking rip my small collection (less than 40 DVDs) to a mass storage device to play on my HT. Basically I would like to use something like a DVD changer, but be able to access the DVDs by cover art on a main menu AND have access to the full DVD menu once the DVD is selected and starts to play.

If there is a DVD changer that could handle the cover art and main menu that might be the direction, but I'd like to rip them if possible and use a hard drive.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks, Mike

I am looking rip my small collection (less than 40 DVDs) to a mass storage device to play on my HT. Basically I would like to use something like a DVD changer, but be able to access the DVDs by cover art on a main menu AND have access to the full DVD menu once the DVD is selected and starts to play.

If there is a DVD changer that could handle the cover art and main menu that might be the direction, but I'd like to rip them if possible and use a hard drive.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks, Mike

Mike, let's start by keeping things simple...and then we can fill in the blanks later. IMO, you have 4 things to consider before you start streaming: how will you rip files, how will you stream them, how will you store them, and how will you play them?

Obviously there are lots of variations, and to a certain extent one answer effects the others. But, without exploring ALL the possibilities right here, right now...I would suggest this: if you've got 40 DVDs, and plan for things to stay fairly small...you could keep everything local...that is the storage device is by the playing device...and go the WDTV route. If you reasearch it a bit, you'll see it's box to play files, from an attached USB harddrive. It's inexpensive and perhaps a good way to get started.

OTOH, if you plan to expand the number of movies you want to store and stream, significantly...or if you want to stream over a network...that is the storage and player are in different rooms...then you might want to consider a device like the Popcorn Hour A-110.

Start there, and like I said, we can fill in some blanks later.

CD

So I've researched the WD TV and this really could be a contender for what I am trying to accomplish. I also have a couple WD external drives that would work beautifully with this.

Remaining question is: I've only redently (today) been able to rip a DVD to my computer to an .ISO using AnyDVD. A review on www.techreport.com says that the WD TV comes with ArcSoft Media Converter. How are people ripping their DVDs to get full menus and potentially cover art on the WD TV?

FYI - to answer some other questions. I don't plan to stream. I would rip the movies to an external HD and plug that into the WD TV. I rip my DVDs to ISO using AnyDVD. I also have DVDShrink, but don't use it. I hope this answers your questions so you can help.

Thanks so much for any information and guidance you can give me.

So I've researched the WD TV and this really could be a contender for what I am trying to accomplish. I also have a couple WD external drives that would work beautifully with this.

Remaining question is: I've only redently (today) been able to rip a DVD to my computer to an .ISO using AnyDVD. A review on www.techreport.com says that the WD TV comes with ArcSoft Media Converter. How are people ripping their DVDs to get full menus and potentially cover art on the WD TV?

FYI - to answer some other questions. I don't plan to stream. I would rip the movies to an external HD and plug that into the WD TV. I rip my DVDs to ISO using AnyDVD. I also have DVDShrink, but don't use it. I hope this answers your questions so you can help.

Thanks so much for any information and guidance you can give me.

Sounds like you're set then; WDTV it is. I'd start asking some specific questions in that thread, for answers from those that actually use it. I'm almost positive it supports .ISO, and I believe you can set-up Cover Art browsing, although I think I remember reading it might be a little tricky.

CD

If you use the WDTV your not going to get cover art and all that. At least not with the factory firmware.

My buddy did what your doing but he used a home theatre pc. He wold rent dvd's and rip them with dvd decrypter. He would them view them with Windows media center.

And WMC has an add on I think called "my movies" that shows the covers or art of all the movies in your collection, with plot summaries and all that it was really cool looking.

I myself though just went the WDTV wrought. I download a lot of bluray rips and it is perfect.