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NOOB questions about Standalone Media Players

1357 Views 10 Replies 4 Participants Last post by hitechluddite, Jul 22, 2009

hitechluddite

Discussion Starter · Jul 21, 2009

Some simple questions that I hope have some simple answers.

1. If you copy a DVD in it's entirety to a folder will the player see it like a DVD with all the menus, features etc?

2. Do these things automatically play all video files in a folder or do you have to create playlists?

3. Are the Bup and IFO files or the Video_TS file necessary for the player to function?

4. If you rename the files say from VTS_01_1.VOB to Dances_With _Wolves_01_1.VOB will it screw up the playback ability or sequence?

Just trying to figure out what I'm getting into before I take the plunge....

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y2flyy

· #2 · Jul 21, 2009

Quote:
Originally Posted by hitechluddite /forum/post/16858987

Some simple questions that I hope have some simple answers.

1. If you copy a DVD in it's entirety to a folder will the player see it like a DVD with all the menus, features etc?

2. Do these things automatically play all video files in a folder or do you have to create playlists?

3. Are the Bup and IFO files or the Video_TS file necessary for the player to function?

4. If you rename the files say from VTS_01_1.VOB to Dances_With _Wolves_01_1.VOB will it screw up the playback ability or sequence?

Just trying to figure out what I'm getting into before I take the plunge....

No problem

1. Depends on the player this is a much sought out feature for users.

I use a egreat e34a player it does play dvd menus from dvd folders and isos....I also have a wdtv which does not (you have to browse to each individual vob file to play)

2. You do not have to create playlist. Nor do they just automatically play all video files. You have to browse to the file. Some players have great interface which do this some have not so great

Any player that you can install YAMJ (yet another movie jukebox) i.e popcorn hour, egreat has the best interface (shows posters of movie, details of actors and movie synopsis). I love YAMJ. Worth the price of admission imo

3. No those files are not needed. all media players have a long list of files they support. divx, avi, mkv, etc....

4. If I understand your question correctly renaming a movie does nothing to affect playback

Picking a NMT or media player is subjective it depends on what you need and also price range.

List your needs and price range, I could help you decide on which is the best player for you....

Hope I helped

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hitechluddite

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jul 21, 2009

Thanks for the reply, I'm trying to stay around $250 including the HDD.

I do not have a HD capable TV at this time and all my content is SD from digital SAT. I would like to be able to directly record to the media device but I can find none with S-Video inputs which does give a noticeably better picture than the standard RCA connections. I do have optical audio capability on my Receiver and would like to use it for 5.1 audio material so optical audio out would be nice.

I assume the jukebox S/W can be installed from a computer via a USB port but I doubt that you could have more than one installed at a time.

Quote:
2. You do not have to create playlist. Nor do they just automatically play all video files. You have to browse to the file. Some players have great interface which do this some have not so great

I have a 500GB HDD full of movies, each movie is in it's own folder with the IFO and Bup files stripped out so just the VOB files remain. If I start the first file when it is over, about halfway through the movie I will have to select the next file in the folder?

I bought a NEO 35 MP3 car jukebox back in 2000 and still use it with a 120GB HDD installed. If the same could be done with video I could die a happy man!

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y2flyy

· #4 · Jul 21, 2009

Quote:
Originally Posted by hitechluddite /forum/post/16859499

Thanks for the reply, I'm trying to stay around $250 including the HDD.

I do not have a HD capable TV at this time and all my content is SD from digital SAT. I would like to be able to directly record to the media device but I can find none with S-Video inputs which does give a noticeably better picture than the standard RCA connections. I do have optical audio capability on my Receiver and would like to use it for 5.1 audio material so optical audio out would be nice.

I assume the jukebox S/W can be installed from a computer via a USB port but I doubt that you could have more than one installed at a time.

I have a 500GB HDD full of movies, each movie is in it's own folder with the IFO and Bup files stripped out so just the VOB files remain. If I start the first file when it is over, about halfway through the movie I will have to select the next file in the folder?

I bought a NEO 35 MP3 car jukebox back in 2000 and still use it with a 120GB HDD installed. If the same could be done with video I could die a happy man!

First off not to sound like a jerk but you need to get a hd tv....you're missing out man lol

Second to your question about the 500gb full of movies....with a media player that supports dvd menus all you have to load is the IFO then the menu will show just like on a dvd player

if you have a player that doesnt support dvd menus then yes after every vob you either have to select it or the player will pause as it plays the next vob

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advid

· #5 · Jul 21, 2009

Some simple questions that I hope have some simple answers.

1. If you copy a DVD in it's entirety to a folder will the player see it like a DVD with all the menus, features etc?

2. Do these things automatically play all video files in a folder or do you have to create playlists?

3. Are the Bup and IFO files or the Video_TS file necessary for the player to function?

4. If you rename the files say from VTS_01_1.VOB to Dances_With _Wolves_01_1.VOB will it screw up the playback ability or sequence?

Answer - question 4 :- DVD Shrink allows all VOBS to be combined into one single large(r) VOB when ripping - then rename it (MYFILMTITLE.VOB) and you've got an all in one single top quality file for replay....

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hitechluddite

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jul 21, 2009

Quote:
First off not to sound like a jerk but you need to get a hd tv....you're missing out man lol

Second to your question about the 500gb full of movies....with a media player that supports dvd menus all you have to load is the IFO then the menu will show just like on a dvd player

if you have a player that doesnt support dvd menus then yes after every vob you either have to select it or the player will pause as it plays the next vob

Thanks I will look for DVD menu support, IFO do you mean all of them or just the VIDEO_TS.IFO file?

Well back in the days before kids I had a Pioneer Elite line 53" rear projection TV until lightning got it. Now I'm stuck with a lowly 27" 4:3 flatscreen CRT. The kids will grow up someday to the point I will go bigscreen again and I will go HD at that time. In my experience one of the things big screen taught me when I got my first one in the late 80's was that screen size can allow one to overlook some quality issues in the picture. As a reformed audiophile I am training myself to enjoy my media experience, not dissect it.

I'll look up DVD shrink and give it a try but I think just adding the IFO files is preferrable to transcoding.....

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y2flyy

· #7 · Jul 21, 2009

Quote:
Originally Posted by hitechluddite /forum/post/16860740

Thanks I will look for DVD menu support, IFO do you mean all of them or just the VIDEO_TS.IFO file?

Well back in the days before kids I had a Pioneer Elite line 53" rear projection TV until lightning got it. Now I'm stuck with a lowly 27" 4:3 flatscreen CRT. The kids will grow up someday to the point I will go bigscreen again and I will go HD at that time. In my experience one of the things big screen taught me when I got my first one in the late 80's was that screen size can allow one to overlook some quality issues in the picture. As a reformed audiophile I am training myself to enjoy my media experience, not dissect it.

I'll look up DVD shrink and give it a try but I think just adding the IFO files is preferrable to transcoding.....

Actually I've found it much easier to just output the dvd to an ISO

You have to do much less browsing (for instance with dvd folder) you still have to browse to the IFO file.

But again with ISO all you have to do is click on the iso and it loads the dvd /w menus....

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hitechluddite

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jul 22, 2009

Quote:
Actually I've found it much easier to just output the dvd to an ISO You have to do much less browsing (for instance with dvd folder) you still have to browse to the IFO file.

But again with ISO all you have to do is click on the iso and it loads the dvd /w menus....

Quick too! I used NERO 7.5 on my antique PC here and created a 4.3GB ISO from a DVD folder in less than 10 minutes!

After reading lots of reviews on different devices I'm leaning toward the WD HDTV player. I'd really like to have an internal HDD, S-Video Outs and possibly recording capabilities but the WD HDTV gets good reviews, has resume function and the large customer base will most likely bring on open source custom firmware...

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y2flyy

· #9 · Jul 22, 2009

Quote:
Originally Posted by hitechluddite /forum/post/16866183

Quick too! I used NERO 7.5 on my antique PC here and created a 4.3GB ISO from a DVD folder in less than 10 minutes!

After reading lots of reviews on different devices I'm leaning toward the WD HDTV player. I'd really like to have an internal HDD, S-Video Outs and possibly recording capabilities but the WD HDTV gets good reviews, has resume function and the large customer base will most likely bring on open source custom firmware...

Problem is though WDTV doesnt play ISO files (if I remember correctly) I know for sure that it doesn't support dvd menus

WDTV is a nice little player. Picture quality is top notch. It will play about 90% of what you throw at it.

My quirks are bland&slow for thumbnail/movie poster browsing (movie posters will not work sometimes), remote response is slow (For browsing and movie playing)

Again though WDTV is a very good player

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whiteboy714

· #10 · Jul 22, 2009

Quote:
Originally Posted by y2flyy /forum/post/16868048

My quirks are bland&slow for thumbnail/movie poster browsing (movie posters will not work sometimes)

This thing definitely has its limitations. But I've never heard nor seen one of them being thumbnails not working. I dont use vob files so maybe its an issue there. I had a couple that didnt work but I just had to get the size right and they worked just fine.

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hitechluddite

Discussion Starter · #11 · Jul 22, 2009

Quote:
Actually I've found it much easier to just output the dvd to an ISO

You have to do much less browsing (for instance with dvd folder) you still have to browse to the IFO file.

But again with ISO all you have to do is click on the iso and it loads the dvd /w menus....

Quote:
Problem is though WDTV doesnt play ISO files (if I remember correctly) I know for sure that it doesn't support dvd menus

OK so now I'm really confused, do you create an ISO and keep the IFO files in the folder seperate from the ISO so the WDTV will play the ISO?

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