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jeeptjs · 01:34 PM

I have been converting my DVD collection into my ITUNES libRary To watch on my Apple Tv using handbrake but it has been taking 5-7hrs each on my powerbook. Are any of you using a different program that works any faster and what resolution are you putting your videos to?

Thanks,
Mike

bradbissell · Feb 21, 2007, 02:04 PM

The newest version of Handbrake is out. The developers changed the name to MediaFork. It might be faster since it no longer contains the memory leak that was in Handbrake. It also uses newer versions of the encoders FFMPEG and H.264

mitchell_pgh · Feb 21, 2007, 02:18 PM

Just to clarify... Handbrake has not changed its name to MediaFork. A developer took the Handbrake source code and added to it.

mduell · Feb 21, 2007, 08:09 PM

5-7 hours is pretty typical to reencode a 2 hour movie to H.264 on a PowerBook. Changing apps isn't going to improve that much. Upgrading to a newer machine (MacBook Pro can do it in less than 2 hours) is the only way to speed it up.

lpkmckenna · Feb 21, 2007, 08:13 PM

Handbrake is abandonware, so MediaFork might as well be a new name. The Handbrake dev has "blessed" MediaFork.

jeeptjs · Feb 22, 2007, 11:37 AM

Thanks for the insight everyone.

GORDYmac · Feb 23, 2007, 09:27 AM

Also, if you copy the DVD to the hard drive, that will speed up encoding time.

mduell · Feb 23, 2007, 05:58 PM

Originally Posted by GORDYmac

Also, if you copy the DVD to the hard drive, that will speed up encoding time.

Not by much... DVD read speeds (4-16x) are quite a bit faster than H.264 encoding (even on the Mac Pro.

bg_nyc · Feb 26, 2007, 04:44 PM

Converting DVDs to MP4 or Quicktime or any other format will severely degrade the quality of your video experience, not to mention disable things like subtitles and multi-track audio when you use itunes for playback. I have used handbrake to convert many DVDs to mp4. Looks great on an ipod, but i would NEVER want to view these vids on a tv, let alone an HDTV which will magnify any imperfection in the video.

This has been covered in a few other forums, specifically on Mac Observer. Itunes is not designed to allow the same for video as it did for mp3s, which is allow the user to burn their own media into a portable format and experience in high-quality. Hopefully v2.0 of Apple TV and itunes 10 will give us this capability, but dont hold your breath. Studios have Steve Jobs on a tight leash right now, and will only continue to play nice as they can sell their media on the itunes store, and long as there's no easy way to work with high-quality, electronically portable video.

bg_nyc · Feb 26, 2007, 04:45 PM

Converting DVDs to MP4 or Quicktime or any other format will severely degrade the quality of your video experience, not to mention disable things like subtitles and multi-track audio when you use itunes for playback. I have used handbrake to convert many DVDs to mp4. Looks great on an ipod, but i would NEVER want to view these vids on a tv, let alone an HDTV which will magnify any imperfection in the video.

This has been covered in a few other forums, specifically on Mac Observer. Itunes is not designed to allow the same for video as it did for mp3s, which is allow the user to burn their own media into a portable format and experience in high-quality. Hopefully v2.0 of Apple TV and itunes 20 will give us this capability, but dont hold your breath. Studios have Steve Jobs on a tight leash right now, and will only continue to play nice as they can sell their media on the itunes store, and long as there's no easy way to work with high-quality, electronically portable video.

mduell · Feb 26, 2007, 06:44 PM

Originally Posted by bg_nyc

Converting DVDs to MP4 or Quicktime or any other format will severely degrade the quality of your video experience, not to mention disable things like subtitles and multi-track audio when you use itunes for playback. I have used handbrake to convert many DVDs to mp4. Looks great on an ipod, but i would NEVER want to view these vids on a tv, let alone an HDTV which will magnify any imperfection in the video.

What video codec and bitrate are you using?
I'm happy with ~3Mbps H.264 for my DVD rips.

noddy2007 · 01:12 AM

emily22 · 01:13 AM

mduell · Mar 1, 2007, 01:09 AM

Very subtle spam. Well played, but you gave it away posting the same thing twice.

reader50 · Mar 1, 2007, 03:10 AM

Nice catch, mduell.

mitchell_pgh · Mar 1, 2007, 10:20 AM

Originally Posted by bg_nyc

Converting DVDs to MP4 or Quicktime or any other format will severely degrade the quality of your video experience, not to mention disable things like subtitles and multi-track audio when you use itunes for playback. I have used handbrake to convert many DVDs to mp4. Looks great on an ipod, but i would NEVER want to view these vids on a tv, let alone an HDTV which will magnify any imperfection in the video.

I don't agree. When properly encoded, it's very similar to the source file. Sure the quality isn't as good (whenever you transcode from one lossy code to another, the quality goes down), but the convenience is what most people are looking for... and if the quality is 95% there... that's fantastic.

Originally Posted by bg_nyc

This has been covered in a few other forums, specifically on Mac Observer. Itunes is not designed to allow the same for video as it did for mp3s, which is allow the user to burn their own media into a portable format and experience in high-quality. Hopefully v2.0 of Apple TV and itunes 20 will give us this capability, but dont hold your breath. Studios have Steve Jobs on a tight leash right now, and will only continue to play nice as they can sell their media on the itunes store, and long as there's no easy way to work with high-quality, electronically portable video.

For starters, the Apple TV hasn't even shipped. How do you (or Mac Observer) know what the Apple TV can and can't do. It could be easily hacked/enhanced for all we know.

Apple TV is an upgrade away from making the unit amazing. All Apple would need to do would be permit Divx, Xvid and VOB files to be played, and I would be first in line for the unit.

Until that time, I'll use a cheaper box (Elgato EyeHome). I generally copy my DVDs (using Mactheripper + Popcorn) and then rip a single VOB file from the original DVD. I then archive the original disk so it doesn't get scratched.

I've filled ~500 GB of disk space with VOB files... but I use it like a reverse queue... only keeping the better films and unwatched films.

ChrisB · Mar 4, 2007, 12:14 PM

I agree. If you five MPEG4 or H.264 a high enough bit rate, and if you are using a speedy Mac, you can achieve excellent picture quality for CRT and flat panel televisions.

That said, the Apple TV does have a maximum bit rate that it can handle, and streamed network throughput is an issue.

A multipassed 1.4Mbps file, if encoded well, looks fabulous. The key is doing it multipass, and at a variable bit rate. You need as many bits as possible for each frame of video.