HD-DVD does not support FLAC conversion

[PatHawks]

When ripping an HD-DVD, Dolby TrueHD tracks are copied as-is instead of being converted to FLAC.

If I open the resulting MKV file with MakeMKV, I can then convert the TrueHD track to FLAC and save the file again.

[paulster]

I've already raised this with Mike and sent him some test files so he can fix it.

Meantime, if you look in the MakeMKV directory and find the profile files, you can create a custom one as a workaround which forces everything to FLAC and select that particular profile for HD-DVDs, then it'll work. Currently it's failing to recognise the track as TrueHD, so isn't applying the FLAC conversion, but if you put a catch-all rule in then it'll work fine.

[PatHawks]

Could you send me an example?

I wouldn't mind finding a workaround that leaves DDplus untouched.

[paulster]

In the MakeMKV program folder create a new file named something like hddvdflac.mmcp.xml, containing the following:

Code: Select all

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<profile>
    <!-- profile name - Default -->
    <name lang="eng">HDDVD->FLAC</name>

    <!-- Common MKV flags -->
    <mkvSettings 
        ignoreForcedSubtitlesFlag="true"
        useISO639Type2T="false"
    />

    <!-- Settings overridable in preferences -->
    <profileSettings
        app_DefaultSelectionString="-sel:all,+sel:(favlang|nolang),+sel:lossless,-sel:(havemulti|havelossless),-sel:mvcvideo,=100:all,-10:favlang"
    />

    <!-- Output formats currently supported by MakeMKV -->
    <outputSettings name="copy" outputFormat="directCopy">
        <description lang="eng">Copy track as is</description>
        <description lang="ger">Track 1:1 kopieren</description>
    </outputSettings>

    <outputSettings name="lpcm" outputFormat="LPCM-raw">
        <description lang="eng">Save as raw LPCM</description>
        <description lang="ger">Als RAW LPCM speichern</description>
    </outputSettings>

    <outputSettings name="wavex" outputFormat="LPCM-wavex">
        <description lang="eng">Save as LPCM in WAV container</description>
        <description lang="ger">Als LPCM im WAV-Container speichern</description>
    </outputSettings>

    <outputSettings name="flac-best" outputFormat="FLAC">
        <description lang="eng">Save as FLAC (best compression)</description>
        <description lang="ger">Als FLAC speichern (h?¶chste Komprimierungsstufe)</description>
        <extraArgs>-compression_level 12</extraArgs>
    </outputSettings>

    <outputSettings name="flac-fast" outputFormat="FLAC">
        <description lang="eng">Save as FLAC (fast compression)</description>
        <extraArgs>-compression_level 5</extraArgs>
    </outputSettings>

    <!-- Default rule - convert to FLAC -->
    <trackSettings input="default">
        <output outputSettingsName="flac-fast" 
                defaultSelection="$app_DefaultSelectionString">
        </output>
    </trackSettings>

    <!-- Keep DD+ as is -->
    <trackSettings input="DDPLUS-stereo">
        <output outputSettingsName="copy"
                defaultSelection="$app_DefaultSelectionString">
        </output>
    </trackSettings>

    <!-- Save multi-channel LPCM as FLAC -->
    <trackSettings input="DDPLUS-multi">
        <output outputSettingsName="copy"
                defaultSelection="$app_DefaultSelectionString,+sel:true">
        </output>
    </trackSettings>

</profile>

What this does is set the default rule to convert to FLAC, whereas the default rule is usually to leave the track as is. Then it adds two rules to catch DD+ tracks and leave them alone instead.

I've never built a rule to catch DD+ before so I've had to assume that the tracks will be identified as DDPLUS-stereo or DDPLUS-multi, so you'll have to just try it and see whether it says it's going to convert it or leave it alone.

[PatHawks]

In order for this to work, we must also tell MakeMKV to let video and subtitle tracks passthrough.

I'm in the process of getting a working profile, I'll post soon.

[PatHawks]

Code: Select all

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<profile>
    <!-- profile name - Default -->
    <name lang="eng">HD-DVD FLAC</name>

    <!-- Common MKV flags -->
    <mkvSettings 
        ignoreForcedSubtitlesFlag="true"
        useISO639Type2T="false"
    />

    <!-- Settings overridable in preferences -->
    <profileSettings
        app_DefaultSelectionString="-sel:all,+sel:(favlang|nolang),+sel:lossless,-sel:(havemulti|havelossless),-sel:mvcvideo,=100:all,-10:favlang"
    />

    <!-- Output formats currently supported by MakeMKV -->
    <outputSettings name="copy" outputFormat="directCopy">
        <description lang="eng">Copy track as is</description>
        <description lang="ger">Track 1:1 kopieren</description>
    </outputSettings>

    <outputSettings name="lpcm" outputFormat="LPCM-raw">
        <description lang="eng">Save as raw LPCM</description>
        <description lang="ger">Als RAW LPCM speichern</description>
    </outputSettings>

    <outputSettings name="wavex" outputFormat="LPCM-wavex">
        <description lang="eng">Save as LPCM in WAV container</description>
        <description lang="ger">Als LPCM im WAV-Container speichern</description>
    </outputSettings>

    <outputSettings name="flac-best" outputFormat="FLAC">
        <description lang="eng">Save as FLAC (best compression)</description>
        <description lang="ger">Als FLAC speichern (h?chste Komprimierungsstufe)</description>
        <extraArgs>-compression_level 12</extraArgs>
    </outputSettings>

    <outputSettings name="flac-fast" outputFormat="FLAC">
        <description lang="eng">Save as FLAC (fast compression)</description>
        <extraArgs>-compression_level 5</extraArgs>
    </outputSettings>

    <!-- Default rule - copy as is -->
    <trackSettings input="default">
        <output outputSettingsName="flac-best" 
                defaultSelection="$app_DefaultSelectionString">
        </output>
    </trackSettings>

    <!-- Keep DD+ as is -->
    <trackSettings input="EAC3-stereo">
        <output outputSettingsName="copy"
                defaultSelection="$app_DefaultSelectionString">
        </output>
    </trackSettings>
    <trackSettings input="EAC3-multi">
        <output outputSettingsName="copy"
                defaultSelection="$app_DefaultSelectionString,+sel:true">
        </output>
    </trackSettings>

    <!-- Keep AC3 as is -->
    <trackSettings input="AC3-stereo">
        <output outputSettingsName="copy"
                defaultSelection="$app_DefaultSelectionString">
        </output>
    </trackSettings>
    <trackSettings input="AC3-multi">
        <output outputSettingsName="copy"
                defaultSelection="$app_DefaultSelectionString,+sel:true">
        </output>
    </trackSettings>

    <!-- Keep DTS as is -->
    <trackSettings input="DTS-stereo">
        <output outputSettingsName="copy"
                defaultSelection="$app_DefaultSelectionString">
        </output>
    </trackSettings>
    <trackSettings input="DTS-multi">
        <output outputSettingsName="copy"
                defaultSelection="$app_DefaultSelectionString,+sel:true">
        </output>
    </trackSettings>

    <!-- Keep FLAC as is -->
    <trackSettings input="FLAC-stereo">
        <output outputSettingsName="copy"
                defaultSelection="$app_DefaultSelectionString">
        </output>
    </trackSettings>
    <trackSettings input="FLAC-multi">
        <output outputSettingsName="copy"
                defaultSelection="$app_DefaultSelectionString,+sel:true">
        </output>
    </trackSettings>

    <!-- Keep MP3 as is -->
    <trackSettings input="MP3">
        <output outputSettingsName="copy"
                defaultSelection="$app_DefaultSelectionString">
        </output>
    </trackSettings>

    <!-- Keep Video as is -->
    <trackSettings input="Mpeg1">
        <output outputSettingsName="copy"
                defaultSelection="$app_DefaultSelectionString">
        </output>
    </trackSettings>
    <trackSettings input="Mpeg2">
        <output outputSettingsName="copy"
                defaultSelection="$app_DefaultSelectionString">
        </output>
    </trackSettings>
    <trackSettings input="Mpeg4">
        <output outputSettingsName="copy"
                defaultSelection="$app_DefaultSelectionString">
        </output>
    </trackSettings>
    <trackSettings input="VC1">
        <output outputSettingsName="copy"
                defaultSelection="$app_DefaultSelectionString">
        </output>
    </trackSettings>

    <!-- Keep Subtitles as is -->
    <trackSettings input="VOBSUB">
        <output outputSettingsName="copy"
                defaultSelection="$app_DefaultSelectionString">
        </output>
    </trackSettings>
    <trackSettings input="VOBSUB-forced">
        <output outputSettingsName="copy"
                defaultSelection="$app_DefaultSelectionString">
        </output>
    </trackSettings>
    <trackSettings input="VOBSUBHD">
        <output outputSettingsName="copy"
                defaultSelection="$app_DefaultSelectionString">
        </output>
    </trackSettings>
    <trackSettings input="VOBSUBHD-forced">
        <output outputSettingsName="copy"
                defaultSelection="$app_DefaultSelectionString">
        </output>
    </trackSettings>
    <trackSettings input="PGS">
        <output outputSettingsName="copy"
                defaultSelection="$app_DefaultSelectionString">
        </output>
    </trackSettings>
    <trackSettings input="PGS-forced">
        <output outputSettingsName="copy"
                defaultSelection="$app_DefaultSelectionString">
        </output>
    </trackSettings>

</profile>

[bernard]

PatHawks,
I get the following error when using your profile:
Profile parsing error: brc-flac.mmcp.xml:35:53 - not well-formed (invalid token)
Profile parsing error: malformed XML

What should I do to fix this error?

I was going to try this profile to rip Criterion blu-rays while converting their LPCM audio to FLAC.

Thanks.

[PatHawks]

You shouldn't need to use this profile if you're just trying to rip a Blu-ray, the built in FLAC profile will convert LPCM to FLAC just fine.