www.makemkv.com

I have been using an external Blu-ray drive to rip DVDs and Blu-rays with an older laptop using a USB 2.0 input.

I was spending quite a bit of time ripping a boxed set I have of DVDs. Each "season" of DVDs has five DVDs that are dual-layer 7 GB discs. And each "season" of DVDs has one DVD that is a single-layer 3.8 GB disc.

The dual-layer 7 GB discs each take about 16 minutes to to rip using a USB 2.0 input. The single-layer 3.8 GB discs each take about 10 minutes to rip using a USB 2.0 input.

I recently purchased a 54mm USB 3.0 Express Card for the laptop. Blu-ray rips saw a significant improvement in the speed of transfer rates. Transfer rates from USB 3.0 to HDD increased from about 26MB/s to 85MB/s when compared to USB 2.0. So, I know the USB 3.0 Express Card is successfully working.

The transfer rates for a single-layer 3.8 GB DVDs improved from about 10 minutes to about 6 minutes in order to rip the DVD using this USB 3.0 input rather than the USB 2.0 input.

However, the transfer rates for the dual-layer 7 GB DVDs saw no improvement at all when comparing the transfer rate of the USB 3.0 input to the USB 2.0 input. The speed is virtually identical how the USB 3.0 input takes about 16 minutes to rip the DVD compared to the way it also takes about 16 minutes to rip the DVD with the USB 2.0 input.

My question is, "Why is there no improvement between a USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 input when using a dual-layer DVD"? Is it supposed to be that way for some reason? Or is this just a form of "bug" or "glitch" with the current MakeMKV Beta for March?

because the limiting factor is not the connection type its the slow discs

There are a lot of factors that go into how fast an optical drive can read data from a disc. Modern versions of MakeMKV use built in 'speed control' to actively slow down reading in various situations in order to increase the odds of a successful rip. That same speed control also lets MakeMKV read as fast as a drive will go when conditions allow.

If you're trying to plow your way through stacks of discs because you have a large collection or you're ingesting a long running TV show, the best way to improve your speed is to get an additional drive. MakeMKV will work with multiple drives and allow you to rip more than one disc at a time (enable 'ask for single drive mode' in preferences). One user on this forum recently posted that the limit on simultaneous drives is apparently 16. They wanted the developer to raise the limit.

Billycar11 wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 06, 2023 1:43 am

because the limiting factor is not the connection type its the slow discs

I realize DVD discs are "slower" than Blu-ray discs in terms of the transfer rate of data. I'm just a bit confused why the 3.8GB discs (presumably single-layer discs) saw an increase in speed when using USB 3.0, while the 7GB discs (obviously dual-layer discs) did not see such an increase in speed when switching from USB 2.0 to USB 3.0.

mike_mgoblue wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 06, 2023 9:25 am

Billycar11 wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 06, 2023 1:43 am

because the limiting factor is not the connection type its the slow discs

I realize DVD discs are "slower" than Blu-ray discs in terms of the transfer rate of data. I'm just a bit confused why the 3.8GB discs (presumably single-layer discs) saw an increase in speed when using USB 3.0, while the 7GB discs (obviously dual-layer discs) did not see such an increase in speed when switching from USB 2.0 to USB 3.0.

usb 2 or 3 had no effect on your rip speed it was the drive or the disc acting different

dcoke22 wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 06, 2023 5:37 am

There are a lot of factors that go into how fast an optical drive can read data from a disc. Modern versions of MakeMKV use built in 'speed control' to actively slow down reading in various situations in order to increase the odds of a successful rip. That same speed control also lets MakeMKV read as fast as a drive will go when conditions allow.

If you're trying to plow your way through stacks of discs because you have a large collection or you're ingesting a long running TV show, the best way to improve your speed is to get an additional drive. MakeMKV will work with multiple drives and allow you to rip more than one disc at a time (enable 'ask for single drive mode' in preferences). One user on this forum recently posted that the limit on simultaneous drives is apparently 16. They wanted the developer to raise the limit.

I have been using multiple drives, mostly internal units that are cabled in through a USB 3 ports. I have had mostly no issues, but I was unaware of the that option till now, about the ticking that box under I/O in prefereces, "Ask for single drive mode". What does this actually offer if I tick the box? Currently it is not ticked and I have used as many as 5 Drives, 2 SATA internal, and the others 3 through USB 3 interface's.

TIA

coldfire05 wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 23, 2023 11:19 pm

dcoke22 wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 06, 2023 5:37 am

There are a lot of factors that go into how fast an optical drive can read data from a disc. Modern versions of MakeMKV use built in 'speed control' to actively slow down reading in various situations in order to increase the odds of a successful rip. That same speed control also lets MakeMKV read as fast as a drive will go when conditions allow.

If you're trying to plow your way through stacks of discs because you have a large collection or you're ingesting a long running TV show, the best way to improve your speed is to get an additional drive. MakeMKV will work with multiple drives and allow you to rip more than one disc at a time (enable 'ask for single drive mode' in preferences). One user on this forum recently posted that the limit on simultaneous drives is apparently 16. They wanted the developer to raise the limit.

I have been using multiple drives, mostly internal units that are cabled in through a USB 3 ports. I have had mostly no issues, but I was unaware of the that option till now, about the ticking that box under I/O in prefereces, "Ask for single drive mode". What does this actually offer if I tick the box? Currently it is not ticked and I have used as many as 5 Drives, 2 SATA internal, and the others 3 through USB 3 interface's.

TIA

it lest makemkv only see 1 drive at a time so it does not interfere with other drives already ripping