[startingline13]

How to create a media server using PS3 (The EASY and FAST way!)



Well after scouraging the internets for days searching for a simple and QUICK way to create a media server using the PS3 I have finally figured it out myself. The reason for this is because I am currently creating a media server consisting of 500 DVD's for a client and was trying to figure out the most efficient way of doing so. After Tversity failed to work after the newest firmware was released I decided to back up all of the discs onto an external HDD which could be connected directly to the PS3 and read straight from there. There is no converting of files just ripping straight from the disc. One easy step!


Programs Required:


DVD Shrink

SwissKnife V3


Materials Required:


Playstation 3

External HDD



1) I took a 1TB External HDD and formatted it to FAT32 using the computer. It MUST be in FAT32 and not NTFS. Here is a quick link which I used to help me format the HDD.


I used Wiki-How and searched for how to create an external hdd for ps3 and found a great guide for it.


You will now need to create a VIDEO folder in your hard drive in order for your PS3 to recognize it and be able to view the video VOB files you will place in there.






2) Download DVD Shink




3) configure DVD Shrink as follows so that you will have only 1 VOB file for the PS3 to read:


Scroll over to EDIT then PREFERENCES

Under the PREFERENCES tab click on the dvd button and change it to CUSTOM. After that Make the number to the right anything below 4000 mb as that is the largest file which a FAT32 drive can read. I put 3700 mb just to be safe.


Now move to the OUTPUT FILES tab and make sure Split VOB files into 1gb chunks is UNCHECKED.


Exit the preferences and click OPEN DISC on the top left.


After the disc is quickly analyzed select the various folders on the left hand side and remove the material which you don't want. If you find that it is still too much information for one disc then select Custom Ratio below compression settings and scroll to the left until it is a size you desire.


Next up select BACKUP! Icon up top. Specify region as 1 USA, Canada


UNCHECK the Create VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS subfolders


Finally under Select target folder for DVD output files browse over to your external hard drive and under the VIDEO folder you created there create a new folder named after the disc you are trying to rip.


Select OK and let it rip. Usually takes about 15-20 min for each disc.






4) Now you will have a number of files under your new created VIDEO folder. Your goal here is to seek out the largest VOB file. Delete all other files in this folder as they will be of no use to you. You now have that single VOB file which contains the audio/video content of the disc.



5) Plug the external HDD back into the PS3 and under the VIDEO icon there will be your external HDD. Scroll over to it and you will find the folders for every file you placed on there. Each folder will contain the VOB file for your movies. Wahlah! Enjoy.

 

[Laserfan]



Quote:
Originally Posted by startingline13 /forum/post/14155869


How to create a media server using PS3...I decided to back up all of the discs onto an external HDD...I took a 1TB External HDD and formatted it to FAT32 using the computer. It MUST be in FAT32 and not NTFS....Delete all other files in this folder as they will be of no use to you. You now have that single VOB file which contains the audio/video content of the disc.

Couple of things:


1. You have not created a "media server"--this is an external hdd with files on it and not a "media server" and you're doing your client(s) a disservice to call it that


2. What about movies that exceed 4Gb in size? You've said this works, but if you've used DVD Shrink to rip all the disks as single VOB files then surely there must be a good number that exceed 4Gb? There is a 4Gb limit for filesize with FAT32

EDIT: Oops I guess I got bored and didn't read the post very carefully--you've taken the 4Gb limit into account after all. Still, Shrinking movies to 3700Mb is really going to uglify a lot of them!

 

[Elephanthead]

Yes, I have an external swissknifed hard drive and the size limitation is a problem for me, How much did you bill this guy for ripping 500 movies?

 

[CDLehner]

Yeah, there's nothing really newsworthy here; I think most people know about this option. It just has a ton of limitations.


CD

 

[startingline13]

Using DVD Shrink you set to create files under 4 gigs in size.


Now when you open up DVD shrink you remove the items you don't want/need (subtitles, 2.0 sound in various languages) which greatly decreases the size of the file.


Also under compression settings on the right hand side it will be "automatic" by default, change it to "custom" and adjust the slider to your liking. I've done this for well over 300 dvd's at this point and only ran into two which were larger than 4gb.


You now have a vob file that the system is capable of reading. I should have clarified it though that you can also stream it around a home using Tversity, instead of simply plugging it into the playstation console as I have demonstrated.

 

[Henway]

So it won't work to stream on Ethernet from another computer for this?

You have to use an external HDD?

 

[startingline13]

You could stream it from the PC if you would like. Rather than plug the HDD into the PS3 simply plug it into the PC and use Tversity to stream it to any pS3 around the house.


Just be sure not to download the latest ps3 update as for some reason still unknown it does not allow Tversity to work.

 

[Henway]

Thanks for the TVersity info, but too late

The update requests from Sony are pretty in-my-face.

 

[DexS]

This method has no capability of dts playback, chapter skip and retaining dvd menus....wonder how you gonna bill your client if he discovered that?

 

[Grifter02]

Not to mention no subtitles. I hope he doesn't watch foreign movies or movies with sequences where characters are speaking foreign languages.

 

[startingline13]

You can have subtitles, works fine.


You can also hear DTS tracks, works fine as well. I watched Batman Returns the other night in DTS.


The client loved the system. Didn't mind not having chapters at all, and greatly enjoyed the fact that they could simply select the movie and bam, it starts right there, no sorting through menus or previews.