"backup" vs "save selected titles"

[hamoo]

why does this choice seem so arbitrary and random
except for one fact
that the "backup" button is greyed out
why can i save selected titles, but not use backup
it doesn't make any sense at all. why isn't there just one way to backup my dvd. why isn't "save selected titles" a backup option
what is the difference between the two exactly

i found this, but it wasn't very helpful, as in it didn't explain the options well, or why or when the options would not be available:
"On Bluray only, you have the option of saving a disk as a copy of the original BD structure, optionally unencrypted, for software that can play such files. That's "Backup". Using the "open" feature (available for BD and DVD), you can select individual titles on the disk to be saved as MKV files"

[Woodstock]

It isn't arbitrary or random.

"Backup" is "make a copy of the disk structure, with all files", while "Open the disk and Save selected titles" involves reading the disk structure, and ONLY collecting the parts necessary to create MKV files for selected titles.

If you have a BD, the backup option is only available until you click on the big disk, which tells MakeMKV that you want to select specific titles, not "everything".

Once you open the disk, you've already said you're not backing everything up. Close the disk (in the File menu) if you change your mind and want to do a backup.

[Arndrell]

I am very curious as to most people's "work flow" when ripping their collections..

Currently I will "open" the disc and select the appropriate file, checking both on here and with Google as to the most common segment map, rip to the laptops hard drive and then push to my NAS once completed - Rinse and repeat..

So far for the over 500 disc's (BD and UHD) this seems to served me well, with only a few instances of getting the incorrect section maps (French opening credit on The Last Jedi was funny). Once or twice I have done a "Backup" Like with Avatar Collectors Edition, where there is an issue with the number of chapters and issues associated with the disc in general, but otherwise this workflow seems to have proven successful.

So the question, why would you add an additional step of backing up over and above, to then convert from that?

On a side note, this has become quit an obsession, tweaking Posters, back grounds and collecting missing titles for my collection.. Although the Mrs likes the ease of access to the movie collection she thinks I'm nuts!

[Billycar11]

I am very curious as to most people's "work flow" when ripping their collections..

Currently I will "open" the disc and select the appropriate file, checking both on here and with Google as to the most common segment map, rip to the laptops hard drive and then push to my NAS once completed - Rinse and repeat..

So far for the over 500 disc's (BD and UHD) this seems to served me well, with only a few instances of getting the incorrect section maps (French opening credit on The Last Jedi was funny). Once or twice I have done a "Backup" Like with Avatar Collectors Edition, where there is an issue with the number of chapters and issues associated with the disc in general, but otherwise this workflow seems to have proven successful.

So the question, why would you add an additional step of backing up over and above, to then convert from that?

On a side note, this has become quit an obsession, tweaking Posters, back grounds and collecting missing titles for my collection.. Although the Mrs likes the ease of access to the movie collection she thinks I'm nuts!

i do back just so i never have to worry about putting extra wear on my drives and discs.
overall its a time saver if you choose the wrong playlist it takes 5 mins to remake it on fast ssds compared to 1-1h 30m for UHD discs to copy the whole disc again.

[Radiocomms237]

There are many arguments for doing a full backup...

If your optical drive is one that likes to nod-off while you're doing your setup (as in, the dreaded "sleep bug") then backing up the disc negates that. Once the disc is backed-up you can take as long as you like to setup everything.

Also, optical media doesn't last forever (although some discs are better than others), so creating & saving a "backup copy" is kinda self-explanatory.

And then there's read speed... Getting the data off the disc is, for the most part, the slowest bit of the whole process. If there's even a chance that files may need to be ripped more than once (sometimes I need to pre-rip a file just to see what tracks it contains), then working from the PC's HDD pays-off in terms of time spent staring at the progress bar.

And similarly, if you're working from a decrypted backup and need to identify a particular file, you can simply play the transport stream directly with your media player.

You can also mux files (both playlists and transport streams) directly from the backup folder with MKVToolNix. This is absolutely essential if you want to save Picture-In-Picture tracks, which MakeMKV refuses to even acknowledge the existence of!

And then there's playback of the 'virtual' disc as a whole. With VLC MP (and most likely other players that I don't use), you can open the decrypted backup folder and play the disc as if it were in the drive, menus and all. This is useful if the title had interactive features which don't translate well to the .mkv format.

I could go on but I'm sick of typing...

The big downside is, of course, the storage space required to save backup copies. You're looking at approximately double the storage you'd need for the files alone, and obviously storage ain't cheap when you're buying 16TB HDDs two or three at a time!

[Arndrell]

Thanks for the response Billycar11,

Interesting about wear and tear element, copying everting off the disc Vs. just the needed items would most likely use's more "life" don't you think..
Yes I agree, if you have to run another copy due to selecting the wrong elements that argument falls down, but touch would I have only had to re-run a rip once or twice in around 500 discs copied so far!

[Billycar11]

Thanks for the response Billycar11,

Interesting about wear and tear element, copying everting off the disc Vs. just the needed items would most likely use's more "life" don't you think..
Yes I agree, if you have to run another copy due to selecting the wrong elements that argument falls down, but touch would I have only had to re-run a rip once or twice in around 500 discs copied so far!

usually the menus and stuff only add another 10mins or so to the rip
im mostly thinking about the people who just select everything in the open disc section so imagine some one ripping 499 fake playlists with the movie out of order with only 1 good one or some people live encode off a disc with other software keeping it spinning for a really long time on a slow pc they kill drives in days

[Arndrell]

Again, Thank you for your reply Radiocomms237
Appreciate you typing such a detail response

All valid points and I suppose I have been lucky "so to speak" with my journey so far - having so few rip issues..
I have thought about going back, once I complete the main video files and doing all of the Special Feature disc's and "Extra Discs" but my concentration has always been the main feature film and then directors cuts etc.. to this point.. I don't compress of mess with the output files either, although the amount of space these use is still freighting and I can see future space upgrades being needed.

Thanks again!

[Arndrell]

usually the menus and stuff only add another 10mins or so to the rip
im mostly thinking about the people who just select everything in the open disc section so imagine some one ripping 499 fake playlists with the movie out of order with only 1 good one or some people live encode off a disc with other software keeping it spinning for a really long time on a slow pc they kill drives in days

Gods no..
I am talking about opening the disk, selecting only the best sound track and correct segment map and then only pulling this down "only"
The above is backing the disc up without backing the disc up