One of the great features of Windows 7 is its improved codec support and this means you can easily play ripped DVD on Media Center Extenders (so far I have only tested the Xbox 360). With Vista it was a big fiddly creating symbolic link files and Play List but with Windows 7 is very easy.
I am not sure this worked in earlier builds of Windows 7 but it works fine in build 7100, here is how I do it (it also works directly in Media Center)
Create a folder for storing your ripped DVDs
Add the ripped DVD folder to Media Center:
Go to the Extender and enter the videos section
Press the more info button (The X key on the 360 controller)
Select Manage Library
Select Add Folders to the library
Locate the DVD rip folder
Select Next and finish off the wizard
Rip the DVD to a sub-folder of the main ripped DVD folder with your favourite ripping tool (I use DVD Decrypter and DVD Shrink to get rid of the bits I don’t want)
Go to the folder where the videos files are stored and get rid of any .IFO, and .BUP files
I find it best to tidy up the folder and only keep the main feature VOB files, so you can get rid of the menu video loop and extras by deleting the extra vob files
Go to the Extender and enter the Videos section
You should see your ripped DVD folder and inside that folder you will see your newly ripped DVD
Go in to the folder and select Play All
The movie will play in Media Center
I did find a slight pause as it loaded the next VOB file, you could get round this by merging the files in to one large VOB file ( I use a command line option like “Copy /b VTS_01_1.VOB + VTS_01_2.Vob VTS_01_3.Vob MainMovie.Vob”)
There may a better way but this is nice and quick and doesn’t take much effort to get it working on the 360
9 thoughts on “Playing Ripped DVDs on Media Center Extenders without conversion or playlists”
You don’t need to use DVD Decrypter and DVD Shrink, just use DVD Shrink as it’s quite capable of ripping the discs as well and means you only rip the bits you need such as the main movie, you then won’t have to worry about cleaning up as you did in step 5.
DVD Shrink also has an option in the output settings called ‘split vobs at 1gig boundaries’ or something like that which is on by default, turning this off will give you one big vob file.
It works well and it is better than using transcode 360. I just used DVD Shrink and the suggestion from “bagal” above. Also, it works with both of my Linksys DMA 2200’s and Xbox 360.
The run time is simular between the xbox 360 and the dma 2200. I thought the xbox 360 would have been a lot faster but this is not the case.
Have you ever tried my product – http://hi-techhabitats.com/transcoder21.aspx? It let’s you stream anything in your Dvd Library to your extenders – ripped discs, discs in dvd changers, even a disc in the dvd drive on the media center pc, with no loss of quality in sound or video. And it does all of this using the same Dvd Library interface that’s on the PC.
Useful info …
You guys may like to check out some DVD RIpper software below:
Handbrake(free)
Daniusoft DVD RIpper(shareware) http://daniusoft.com/dvd-ripper.html#135
P.s. This Daniusoft DVD Ripper ever helped my succeed in ripping tons of movie DVDs to media center losslessly .
Not like some ordinary DVD rippers, it will not break the video into pieces, it will join all DVD titles and chapters and make them as one standalone video file, thus you can play it on your media center or USB drive.
{"id":null,"mode":"button","open_style":"in_place","currency_code":"GBP","currency_symbol":"\u00a3","currency_type":"decimal","blank_flag_url":"https:\/\/thedigitallifestyle.com\/w\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/blank.gif","flag_sprite_url":"https:\/\/thedigitallifestyle.com\/w\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/flags.png","default_amount":500,"top_media_type":"none","featured_image_url":false,"featured_embed":"","header_media":null,"file_download_attachment_data":null,"recurring_options_enabled":true,"recurring_options":{"never":{"selected":true,"after_output":"One time only"},"weekly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every week"},"monthly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every month"},"yearly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every year"}},"strings":{"current_user_email":"","current_user_name":"","link_text":"Leave a tip","complete_payment_button_error_text":"Check info and try again","payment_verb":"Pay","payment_request_label":"TheDigitalLifestyle.com","form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","general_server_error":"Something isn't working right at the moment. Please try again.","form_title":"TheDigitalLifestyle.com","form_subtitle":null,"currency_search_text":"Country or Currency here","other_payment_option":"Other payment option","manage_payments_button_text":"Manage your payments","thank_you_message":"Thank you for being a supporter!","payment_confirmation_title":"TheDigitalLifestyle.com","receipt_title":"Your Receipt","print_receipt":"Print Receipt","email_receipt":"Email Receipt","email_receipt_sending":"Sending receipt...","email_receipt_success":"Email receipt successfully sent","email_receipt_failed":"Email receipt failed to send. Please try again.","receipt_payee":"Paid to","receipt_statement_descriptor":"This will show up on your statement as","receipt_date":"Date","receipt_transaction_id":"Transaction ID","receipt_transaction_amount":"Amount","refund_payer":"Refund from","login":"Log in to manage your payments","manage_payments":"Manage Payments","transactions_title":"Your Transactions","transaction_title":"Transaction Receipt","transaction_period":"Plan Period","arrangements_title":"Your Plans","arrangement_title":"Manage Plan","arrangement_details":"Plan Details","arrangement_id_title":"Plan ID","arrangement_payment_method_title":"Payment Method","arrangement_amount_title":"Plan Amount","arrangement_renewal_title":"Next renewal date","arrangement_action_cancel":"Cancel Plan","arrangement_action_cant_cancel":"Cancelling is currently not available.","arrangement_action_cancel_double":"Are you sure you'd like to cancel?","arrangement_cancelling":"Cancelling Plan...","arrangement_cancelled":"Plan Cancelled","arrangement_failed_to_cancel":"Failed to cancel plan","back_to_plans":"\u2190 Back to Plans","update_payment_method_verb":"Update","sca_auth_description":"Your have a pending renewal payment which requires authorization.","sca_auth_verb":"Authorize renewal payment","sca_authing_verb":"Authorizing payment","sca_authed_verb":"Payment successfully authorized!","sca_auth_failed":"Unable to authorize! Please try again.","login_button_text":"Log in","login_form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","uppercase_search":"Search","lowercase_search":"search","uppercase_page":"Page","lowercase_page":"page","uppercase_items":"Items","lowercase_items":"items","uppercase_per":"Per","lowercase_per":"per","uppercase_of":"Of","lowercase_of":"of","back":"Back to plans","zip_code_placeholder":"Zip\/Postal Code","download_file_button_text":"Download File","input_field_instructions":{"tip_amount":{"placeholder_text":"How much would you like to tip?","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"invalid_curency":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please choose a valid currency."}},"recurring":{"placeholder_text":"Recurring","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"}},"name":{"placeholder_text":"Name on Credit Card","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please enter the name on your card."}},"privacy_policy":{"terms_title":"Terms and conditions","terms_body":null,"terms_show_text":"View Terms","terms_hide_text":"Hide Terms","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."},"unchecked":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please agree to the terms."},"checked":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."}},"email":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"not_an_email_address":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Make sure you have entered a valid email address"}},"note_with_tip":{"placeholder_text":"Your note here...","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"not_empty_initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"saving":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Saving note..."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Note successfully saved!"},"error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to save note note at this time. Please try again."}},"email_for_login_code":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."}},"login_code":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."}},"stripe_all_in_one":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"success":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"invalid_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is not a valid credit card number."},"invalid_expiry_month":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration month is invalid."},"invalid_expiry_year":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is invalid."},"invalid_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is invalid."},"incorrect_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incorrect."},"incomplete_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incomplete."},"incomplete_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incomplete."},"incomplete_expiry":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration date is incomplete."},"incomplete_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code is incomplete."},"expired_card":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card has expired."},"incorrect_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incorrect."},"incorrect_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code failed validation."},"invalid_expiry_year_past":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is in the past"},"card_declined":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card was declined."},"missing":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"There is no card on a customer that is being charged."},"processing_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"An error occurred while processing the card."},"invalid_request_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to process this payment, please try again or use alternative method."},"invalid_sofort_country":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The billing country is not accepted by SOFORT. Please try another country."}}}},"fetched_oembed_html":false}
You don’t need to use DVD Decrypter and DVD Shrink, just use DVD Shrink as it’s quite capable of ripping the discs as well and means you only rip the bits you need such as the main movie, you then won’t have to worry about cleaning up as you did in step 5.
DVD Shrink also has an option in the output settings called ‘split vobs at 1gig boundaries’ or something like that which is on by default, turning this off will give you one big vob file.
good tip Bagal, I will give this a try
Nice! However, I convert mine to one big DVR-MS for 1 reason: FF/REW support.
That’s a point kingtone, does this mean ff/rew works?
Will test in a min, I think Skip works ok
It works well and it is better than using transcode 360. I just used DVD Shrink and the suggestion from “bagal” above. Also, it works with both of my Linksys DMA 2200’s and Xbox 360.
The run time is simular between the xbox 360 and the dma 2200. I thought the xbox 360 would have been a lot faster but this is not the case.
batch file rename from VOB to Mpg
Ren *.VOB *.mpg
Batch file merge made simple
copy /b *.mpg Mainfilm.mpg
lots of ways to skin the same cat so to speak π
but thats nice to see Ian and a good post , thank you
i would be most interested in findings with HDDVD .EVO files and there playability on a xbox360
Have you ever tried my product – http://hi-techhabitats.com/transcoder21.aspx? It let’s you stream anything in your Dvd Library to your extenders – ripped discs, discs in dvd changers, even a disc in the dvd drive on the media center pc, with no loss of quality in sound or video. And it does all of this using the same Dvd Library interface that’s on the PC.
Useful info …
You guys may like to check out some DVD RIpper software below:
Handbrake(free)
Daniusoft DVD RIpper(shareware)
http://daniusoft.com/dvd-ripper.html#135
P.s. This Daniusoft DVD Ripper ever helped my succeed in ripping tons of movie DVDs to media center losslessly .
Not like some ordinary DVD rippers, it will not break the video into pieces, it will join all DVD titles and chapters and make them as one standalone video file, thus you can play it on your media center or USB drive.