what software for downsizing bluray mkv's? (pc/mac)

Take a look at Ripbot264, here is the wiki I put together:

http://www.mediasmartserver.net/wiki....php/RipBot264

Handbrake is my tool of choice. The current release version does have a bug that can crash it when converting MKVs, but the current development build fixes it and seems stable to me.

+1 for RipBot264.

Works like a charm.

RipBot264 also do mp4 and avchd beside mkv.

can ripbot read wtv to convert?

no to wtv or drvms. You would probably have to convert the wtv to dvrms to then mpeg and then use Ripbot264

Thanks. And that's why I just buy more HDs for my Norco 4220 instead. Too much work converting I've tried MCEBuddy 2.0, which supposedly can convert WTV to 264, but I get mencoder errors and can't get it to work.

Really, I am using MCEBuddy 1.1 which does wtv to 264 without a problem for me. I am just waiting for the mkv profile to be added.

I'll have to check out 1.1, then.

So far it has worked fine. I am thinking about getting Show Analyzer to use in place of comskip, but have been using it to convert my sons recorded wtv shows, and much faster t hen my older method which was:

- Right click on wtv, convert to dvr-mr
- Using dvrmstoolbox cut out commercial, convert to MPEG
- Using handbake convert MPEG to mkv

So right now you just leave it in mp4 with MCEBuddy? Doesn't seem like an issue over MKV. Since you're using this, have you found a program that will automatically change the name of the file to a friendly metadata version from the WTV naming structure? Such as 24.S08.E04?

Yeah, I just keep as mp4 for now. Really no reason not to keep as is, I have just gotten so used the using mkv. I never thought of that, but I haven't seen a program that would rename the wtv to a more metadata friendly format, may have to do a little research as that would be a big plus. I use metabrowser or tvrename to automatically rename my shows, don't think they can do it off the wtv generated name but will dig around.

I will add my name to the Ripbot list. I haven't been doing this long at all. In fact, I implore you all to go to this thread and give me some feedback.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...1#post18035371

I use MAKEMVK to rip the movie only. If it is a title that we will not be watching much, I will use ripbot to reduce the filesize. Since I have the original disks, I can always pop the disc in if I am unhappy. I have not found a way to use Ripbot with MKVs and I may be overlooking something. What I do now, once I have an MKV, is convert it to a ts file in tsMuxerGUI. Then I use Ripbot264 to reduce the filesize. I just do CQ, 18 and it seems that that cuts the size in half. I honestly don't see a difference and I only do this with films that won't get a ton of repeated viewing or films that are fun for movie nights, but aren't works of art, pre se - ie Transformers 2. I cut it in half and it is fine. Movies like Gone with the Wind, Wizard of Oz, the Disney and Pixar stuff, I just leave alone. With hard drives so cheap now, it is kind of a moot point anyway. My 2 cents.

dbone,

Thanks for the tip that MCEBuddy 1.1 works. I tried it and had no issues with WTV conversion. I found the time it takes to convert (with an e6600), the complexity of having to deal with renaming the files for metadata and (unless I'm doing something wrong) the drop from AC3 to 2.1 audio not worth the trouble.

But in my search while dealing with this I came across DVRMSToolbox again and found out that with the newest version of ShowAnalyzer that it now supports WTV and I was able to setup the automatic skipping of commericals in 7MC, which was the ultimate goal I was seeking with MCEBuddy (since I have plenty of hard drive space ). So thanks for the help!

Any interest in adding compression as an option to AnotherEac3to GUI?

Mike

Great to hear, I am going to get Show Analyzer as well. The only issue I have with DVRMSToolbox is that the mkv conversion profile appears to only work with SageTV recordings and not W7MC recordings (after I record I like to have my shows encoded down to mkv with the commercials stripped out). DVRMSToolbox does have a lot of other great features though, so I would like to get it to work for me.

Do you mean similar to what a program like RipBot and handbrake does?

yep...Looking at some of those it looks like they just run x264.exe...I haven't found real clear documentation on x264.exe, still looking.

Mike

I think there would be a lot of interest. I guess the thing you would have to think of is that if you go down that route you need to provide different options or at least create profiles to choose from (similar to handbrake). I like the idea of having just one program that does it all, whereas right now I use Another eac3to GUI if I don't want to encode, but then use handbrake of ripbot if I do want to encode. Curious to hear what others think.

The main reason I prefer just the auto skip instead of cutting the commercials out is so when an analysis screws up and thinks part of the show is commercials, I can turn off the auto skip with the press of a remote button and go back. I haven't used it long enough to know if this is really a problem or not (happened once out of about 10 so far), but I like knowing that the video is still there if I need it.

Yes Mike, please add compression to your already great AnotherEac3to GUI tool. I'd like to use a single tool for BD to MKV instead of Clown_BD, MakeMKV, RipBot & BD-Rebuilder.