Request: (How to) Set up a Media Library

[Kryssan]

Alright, for a long time now it has been my desire to create a virtual library for convenience of use and so that I don't have to rely on discs. I've had several of my DVDs breaking over the years due to moving across the country or general wear/tear/aging, and some of them are getting much more difficult to replace. I would like to take the several hundred DVDs that I have and place them on my server and stream them to my computers and other devices (ie my PS3).


Originally, my intentions were to just make straight ISO rips of all my DVDs on the server, then use Daemon tools or a similar program to play them as if they were actual discs. However, this would only allow me to play them on computers, not other devices such as a PS3, and I would like to be able to do that as well. I would like to have full copies of the DVDs, ie the virtual version should be featured exactly the same as its DVD. I want it to include the menus and extras and everything else. I don't particularly care about what file format this is in; just so long as all the machines will be able to use it and that I don't suffer losses in quality or content.


So, the environment. My server is a Windows Server 2008 SP2 Standard x64 edition. The computers I own include two Vista SP2 machines (one x64 and the other x32) and a Ubuntu Linux eeePC with a specialized kernel. In addition I have a PS3 that are hooked up to other TVs in the house that I occasionally use to watch movies on. (Primary example is my living room, where both my gaming machine and PS3 are; I tend to have one of the two watching a movie and the other playing a game.)


My request then is for information. I don't really know how to go about doing this, and while there are a wealth of ideas and a cornu copiae of information a mere search engine away, I figured based on what I've seen here that someone with intelligence and experience on the matter might run across this and be able to point me in a more specific direction at least for setting this up.


In essence, I need a media server application that will work on my server machine (for example Nero MediaServer won't even install on it) so that a PS3 or other device could access the media as well as the computers (though the computers could easily be done just by sharing folders which I was already doing in the past anyway), and a ripping program that will allow me to copy over an entire DVD set (meaning the menus, extras, content, etc) in some form or fashion that all the computers and the PS3 or other such similar devices will be able to understand and utilize. I suppose if I can't have that I'll just default back to doing the ISO thing, but if there is a better way and a way that more of my equipment can take advantage of it, which I'm lead to believe there probably is based on my searching about, I would be grateful to have someone point it out to me.




Thanks in advance guys.

[Rockstaru]

PlayStation 3 DivX Playback Tested - Corrections - Gizmodo

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/ps3/plays...ork-335284.php

Divx, maybe?

[Aikar]

http://ps3mediaserver.blogspot.com/

Works for 360 too.

[fishstix]

There's no way that I know of to stream dvd menus onto a ps3. Looking around google, there's hardware that you can stream dvd ISOs to for that function, but for a ps3, IF it could work, you'd have to install software for it (using linux?) idk really

[Caiyuo]

I'd also recommend TVersity or even Orb, though I'm not sure how well the latter works for PS3. I use Tversity for my 360 and with a decent amount of tinkering every video file type I've run across including anime in .mkv container with dual audio and subs works really well. (though this had to be configured manually)

I have a similar setup for my network and while Tversity allows all devices on the network to access the media I specify, I just opted to have the same media folders shared for streaming and only using Tversity for 360 as it can be a little cumbersome when transcoding is needed.

[Aikar]

I was messing with TVersity before but PS3 Media Server is faster in terms of library updates (instant...) where as tversity can be a pain (does it even auto refresh or do you have toalways rebuild the library?)

So I can just download files and see em on the share in the PS3/360. and it even has similiar to XBMC feature of playing straight inside of .rar files.


Def gotta say PS3 MS is better than TVersity unless your accessing like the hulu and such content of TVersity.

But building an HTPC and run XBMC as the OS is always the best choice

[Lost]

I haven't tested it since I went the route of buying an HTPC but you could install yellowdog on your PS3 and then install XBMC which is far better than PS3 Media Server. PS3 Media Server is ok if all you plan on doing is watching the main movie but as you stated you wanted the extras too. When you use PS3 Media Server, it transcodes over your network and rips the DVD into different chapters, which is kinda nice BUT i've never gotten it fastforward or rewind correctly when watching a movie. If I were to do so, the movie would stop playing and the PS3 Media Server would crash.

If you do try installing yellowdog and then installing XBMC there would be a pretty long load time for you to boot your PS3, then switch to yellowdog which takes 3-5mins and then access the program.

Honestly, I would just throw a HTPC together and use XBMC. The program is great and there's tons of things you can do with it. Plus, by doing this, you can disable the explorer shell and boot directly into the program itself so you wouldn't have to deal with booting into windows and then running the program.

Now some eye candy of XBMC with Aeon Showlist skin

Spoiler: show

http://azido.de/pics/showmix/aeonshowmixviewmodes.jpg

[Lost]

I guess I should mention that XBMC is a client side program. Where as PS3 Media Server isn't. The PS3MS wouldn't be able to help you with your machines, where as the XBMC can be installed on any of them.

I would also recomend DVDfab for creating ISO's of your DVD collection. It gives you the options to rip as DVD5 ( a compressed ISO of the DVD ) or DVD9 ( uncompressed ) and also allows you to rip them as AUDIO_TS/VIDEO_TS folders.

I currently have a PS3 using PS3MS and also a HTPC that I use all the time now over the PS3.

[Silenka]

I'd also recommend TVersity or even Orb, though I'm not sure how well the latter works for PS3. I use Tversity for my 360 and with a decent amount of tinkering every video file type I've run across including anime in .mkv container with dual audio and subs works really well. (though this had to be configured manually)

I have a similar setup for my network and while Tversity allows all devices on the network to access the media I specify, I just opted to have the same media folders shared for streaming and only using Tversity for 360 as it can be a little cumbersome when transcoding is needed.

I use Tversity for PS3, I just got it recently, and I can't figure out how to play anime mkvs with dual audio and subs, is there some kind of trick to it? It seems like it would be really complicated to set up =/

[Aikar]

try PS3MS for that, and XBMC actually does have a UPNP Server to broadcast a media server just like PS3MS/TVersity does, but I never figured out how to get it working properly :/

It just 'worked' on my original xbox version.

[Suiram]

If someone wouldn't mind, I have a question about this that came up in a discussion with a not-too-tech-savvy friend who just got a PS3. Not having a PS3 personally (yet!) and being only slightly less unsavvy than he, I don't know the answer.

Let's say you have a somewhat older laptop that plays standard movies and TV shows fine, but has issues running the higher-definition files. If you set up something like this, would there be an improvement since it would be running off of the PS3? Or would the PS3 just act as some kind of basic intermediary with the file still running off the laptop (and so would be essentially the same as just hooking the computer up to the TV)?

[Lost]

It isn't ran off the PS3, it's just streamed to it. The box ( or laptop ) that the PS3MS is setup on will still be doing the work.

[Kryssan]

Hmm, I had skimmed over PS3MS previously, but hadn't tried using it yet.



However, the media server was really only half of my question. What's the best file format (and/or program to make it) to go about making copies that both a computer and a PS3 or other device can use? H.264 I know I could do with something like Handbrake, and I think I've read the PS3 can handle those, but like I said I was kinda hoping for some prior experience.



I suppose I could just go about it one format/program at a time and just see what works; that was my original intention anyway after deciding to try something other than using ISOs, but I don't really have the time to go about that currently. Got to stop delaying it though, I can't use the excuse that I don't have the space to do it anymore and its not like I've stopped buying DVDs.