Hello to all.
After successfully using makemkv to rip a few dozen of my favorite blurays, they are now tucked out of the way in a box in the garage. Available on my media server for the family to enjoy.
Problem is a few devices like iPads. I am using Plex Media Server to transcode for the devices that don't do native playback. However the blurays are some 20-50GB in size. This strains my Plex server as well as my wifi network.
I have found a few articles that talk about converting mkv to mp4 so that more devices will play them natively. However doing this one file at a time for a few dozen movies is going to take time.
Also, I'd like to compress the files if possible, but minimize the loss in quality (for when the day finally comes than I have a 60" HDTV to enjoy HD content on).
Can anyone suggest software that will bulk convert/compress mkvs to mp4s? Am I even on the right track here?
Thanks.
Bulk compress/convert?
Re: Bulk compress/convert?
If it's the wireless and the transcoding on the fly that's the problem and not hard drive space (which it shouldn't be since hard drive space is so cheap now-a-days) then you really ought to keep several versions on hand, including the original.
Handbrake will do what you want, it has a queue, it will still take time but you won't have to intervene after each encode.
There are a plethora of re-encoding software, but most give either too many options or not enough whereas handbrake is a happy medium. Since you're just re-encoding blu ray, filters are generally unnecessary, it's DVD's that are the problem, especially if you live in PAL land and like (especially old) TV Shows.
Handbrake will do what you want, it has a queue, it will still take time but you won't have to intervene after each encode.
There are a plethora of re-encoding software, but most give either too many options or not enough whereas handbrake is a happy medium. Since you're just re-encoding blu ray, filters are generally unnecessary, it's DVD's that are the problem, especially if you live in PAL land and like (especially old) TV Shows.
Re: Bulk compress/convert?
I appreciate the reply.
The wireless is doing OK for now, two clients can stream at the same time with no issues. All other clients will be wired, so that shouldn't be a huge problem. The HTPC hardware will be capable of doing its own transcoding, so minimal CPU use will be used.
I'd love to save a little hard drive space, but as you stated, this is the lowest on the priority list.
The CPU is a G550T dual core Celeron, which seems to be fine with two users transcoding at the same time. If I do anything else, though (like if Plex is doing a metadata refresh on the library), it stutters and chokes for anyone viewing media through the Plex server, and sysload goes to 5.0-9.0.
Rather than drop a $300 i7 into the system (which is in a mITX case in my entertainment center and can't handle the extra heat), I figured I could try to convert to formats that are natively supported by all my devices, not just some of them. That way CPU use for transcoding on the Plex server will be kept to a minimum.
Keeping multiple versions isn't optimal as Plex will see and thumbnail the same mp4/mkv/avi/whatever files, leaving my users (family, not exactly computer people) confused as to why there are multiple copies of the same movie, and wondering which one to watch.
Really just looking to minimize the necessity of transcoding when viewing on tablets and other devices that lack the CPU umph for local native transcoding.
The wireless is doing OK for now, two clients can stream at the same time with no issues. All other clients will be wired, so that shouldn't be a huge problem. The HTPC hardware will be capable of doing its own transcoding, so minimal CPU use will be used.
I'd love to save a little hard drive space, but as you stated, this is the lowest on the priority list.
The CPU is a G550T dual core Celeron, which seems to be fine with two users transcoding at the same time. If I do anything else, though (like if Plex is doing a metadata refresh on the library), it stutters and chokes for anyone viewing media through the Plex server, and sysload goes to 5.0-9.0.
Rather than drop a $300 i7 into the system (which is in a mITX case in my entertainment center and can't handle the extra heat), I figured I could try to convert to formats that are natively supported by all my devices, not just some of them. That way CPU use for transcoding on the Plex server will be kept to a minimum.
Keeping multiple versions isn't optimal as Plex will see and thumbnail the same mp4/mkv/avi/whatever files, leaving my users (family, not exactly computer people) confused as to why there are multiple copies of the same movie, and wondering which one to watch.
Really just looking to minimize the necessity of transcoding when viewing on tablets and other devices that lack the CPU umph for local native transcoding.
Re: Bulk compress/convert?
Hmmm, I've never used Plex but I do have Mezzmo. Could you create individual copies for each device type, keep them in different folders, like an 'ipad' folder and a 'HTPC' folder, so family knows where to look, then tell plex to turn off transcoding? Other than that, you could use Process Lasso to make sure the transcoding processes get high or real-time priority, my CPU is constantly at 100% re-encoding my DVDs, I've set Mezzmo to Real-Time priority and I've yet to see it stutter in the slightest.
If you really want a single copy of each then you need h.264 and AAC in an MP4 container with srt subtitles ie Handbrake and SubExtractor. Handbrake can only access the Apple AAC encoder on macs so you'll be stuck with FAAC (or whatever they're using in the nightly builds) which isn't optimal, but unless you want to start fiddling with the NeroACCEnc or iTunes it's the best you'll get. Apple is killing off AC3 decoders in it's apps (and for some reason they told GG Radio they weren't allowed to play sid files
...) I could throw all sorts of ideas at you, but there's no actual correct answer to your problem so it's up to you.
If you really want a single copy of each then you need h.264 and AAC in an MP4 container with srt subtitles ie Handbrake and SubExtractor. Handbrake can only access the Apple AAC encoder on macs so you'll be stuck with FAAC (or whatever they're using in the nightly builds) which isn't optimal, but unless you want to start fiddling with the NeroACCEnc or iTunes it's the best you'll get. Apple is killing off AC3 decoders in it's apps (and for some reason they told GG Radio they weren't allowed to play sid files
...) I could throw all sorts of ideas at you, but there's no actual correct answer to your problem so it's up to you.Re: Bulk compress/convert?
The biggest hurdle I have at the moment is that your entire second paragraph was in Greek. 
Re: Bulk compress/convert?
That's why it's best to keep the original files at hand, it makes it easier to redo the job later once you realise you unwittingly screwed up on the first try.