ISO vs MKV

Everything related to MakeMKV
Post Reply
t3t4-
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Aug 29, 2018 7:27 pm

ISO vs MKV

Post by t3t4- »

I ask you which do you prefer and why:
ISO the complete disk?
MKV split into pieces and parts?

Don't hate me, but I've been using AnyDVD for 'decades', mostly because I can copy an entire disk to an ISO.

If this has already been bled to death elsewhere, just point me to where please.

Thanks in advance.
Ezatoka
Posts: 385
Joined: Fri Dec 06, 2019 6:55 pm

Re: ISO vs MKV

Post by Ezatoka »

That might depend on what one wants to achieve.

I have a NAS with like 65TB. Whenever I get a DVD or BluRay, first thing I do is create an ISO backup of the disk and put it onto the NAS.

Then I go ahead and rip the ISO to get the various MKV files and transcode them with handbrake. So in the end I have both, the original ISO (usually stripped of its copy protection) and the transcoded MKV files.

Advantage: Whenever there is a new codec (like AV1 or something newer even) or better filters for old movies, I can rip the ISO again and transcode it again, without having to touch the physical disc (which can and will deteriorate over the years)
Disadvantage: It takes up lots of space.

Keeping the whole ISO is usually for people who want to keep the menu structure. Though I am not sure if any external player like Plex or alike can just open such an ISO to do that.
Woodstock
Posts: 10118
Joined: Sun Jul 24, 2011 11:21 pm

Re: ISO vs MKV

Post by Woodstock »

If you want everything on the disk, ISO is a good way to go.

If you want the movie itself, why bother saving "everything else"?
MakeMKV Frequently Asked Questions
How to aid in finding the answer to your problem: Activating Debug Logging
flojo
Posts: 67
Joined: Thu Jun 22, 2023 4:27 am
Location: El Paso

Re: ISO vs MKV

Post by flojo »

I keep all the files from the disc but, not in a .iso.

The .iso file seems pointless to me. Even if the TOC/LBA of the UDF image is intact, it's still going to be a bootleg if you burn it out. Loosing the TOC index doesn't seem like a real loss, but if I knew how to save the TOC/LBA without saving the .iso... I would :-P. Also, as far as I know, there isn't a magic LBA that a file has to be aligned to (like PSP isos or something), so I rrrrrrrealy don't see the point of an .iso.

Questions arise though: Are the files that are decrypted the exact file before the studio/company encrypted it for the disc? Is the TOC/LBA of the udf.iso the same as the disc?

I keep the image files so I can hash them just in case someone starts a DB of the hashes (similar to CUEToolsDB or AccurateRIP). The only disadvantage is an extra ~1.2GB to ~2GB bigger than it is when re-containerizing it. You could use ffmpeg to write the bitstream(s) of a MKV to stdin and hash that way but, that would only be the "main" video and audio files (not other possible pressing/region differences in menus/warnings etc.).
Post Reply