Newbie here...Need a little help with DVD Menu and Chapters

[flyingjoed74]

I did a search but didn't really find what I was looking for.

Could someone tell me if by selecting the largest file tree and saving only the largest chapter packet and audio in the best quality format, will that save the menu and the chapter information as well? To conserve space(and time recording...I have 500+ DVDs to archive), I am deselecting everything except those two things, movie and best audio. So far, I have saved about 30 movies that way and all they do is show like a long, unchaptered movie.

As of now, I am only reviewing them with Windows Media Player to make sure they look good before moving on to the next movie. Eventually I will watch them using Plex on a jailbroken Apple TV2. I would like to be able skip to other chapters and basically have full DVD function with none of the trailers and other junk. Just movie with menu and chapters. Or do I need that with Plex?

Also, I was saving English subtitles but they were showing on the ripped MKV and WMP couldn't turn the off. Why would that be? Does it save the movie with the subtitles embeded into the video and not on top?

Thanks for any help

Jody

[Chetwood]

Chapter yes, menus not cause they are different from those on DVDs. WMP is also the crappiest player out there, use VLC and you can turn of the subtitles (unless they are hardcoded, of course).

[Smithcraft]

Also, Plex does not support menus in the MKV container. To have menus in Plex you would have to make a disc image, which Plex does not really care for.

SC

[flyingjoed74]

Ok, so is the way I'm going about it the best way to view the MKV files on and AppleTV 2 and Plex? So can I safely assume that I really don't need all of the fluff like menus since Plex already has some nice stuff like IMDB info? Will Plex figure out what my movies are with the way I'm ripping them with MakeMKV? What if I change the default title of the movie files?(Some are abbreviated and I want them to be the actual movie titles in the folder i keep them in.)

[Smithcraft]

There are two ways to organize your movies for Plex. Either by folders(which I prefer since you can include custom art, subtitles, and fluff), or files in a folder.

So you would have either:

Code: Select all

Cool Harddrive Name
   Movies
      Popular Movie (year of release)
         Popular Movie.mkv

Or

Code: Select all

Cool Harddrive Name
   Movies
      Popular Movie (year of release).mkv

So, you will need to change the file name from title01.mkv to Popular Movie.mkv, or Popular Movie (year of release).mkv.

SC

[flyingjoed74]

SC,
To make it easier for you, I'll number the questions and you can just list your answers, if that works better for you.
1. Alright, if I do what you've said and go with the folder approach, Plex will see the movie inside the folder and access the custom art(ie.DVD Cover??) automatically?
2. And if I want subtitles, I should make a seperate MKV of the subtitles and place it in the folder as well?
3. And if I turn on the subtitles for that movie, Plex will find those automatically?

4. And as for renaming of the actual mkv file, is that the way Plex basically does a search online for the movie information?
5. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the videos on youtube show Plex pulling up the theme music for TV shows, artwork, and movie data, it seems that that's automatic. Is that correct?

Honestly, I have around 50 movies backed up to mkv files on my 6tb/4bay Probox NAS at this point and if I knew how to see them with Plex right now, that would help tremendously! I downloaded Plex Server and Plex Media Player and can't figure out what the heck I'm doing! At the moment the NAS is plugged directly to my PC(via USB) that I'm using to load all my DVD's up with.
6. How do I direct either (or better yet, which should be directed) the Server or Player(?) to the file with the movies in it to see how it see's them at this point?

I feel like I'm learning a new language right now! I really appreciate your help!

[Smithcraft]

SC,
To make it easier for you, I'll number the questions and you can just list your answers, if that works better for you.
1. Alright, if I do what you've said and go with the folder approach, Plex will see the movie inside the folder and access the custom art(ie.DVD Cover??) automatically?
2. And if I want subtitles, I should make a seperate MKV of the subtitles and place it in the folder as well?
3. And if I turn on the subtitles for that movie, Plex will find those automatically?

4. And as for renaming of the actual mkv file, is that the way Plex basically does a search online for the movie information?
5. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the videos on youtube show Plex pulling up the theme music for TV shows, artwork, and movie data, it seems that that's automatic. Is that correct?

Honestly, I have around 50 movies backed up to mkv files on my 6tb/4bay Probox NAS at this point and if I knew how to see them with Plex right now, that would help tremendously! I downloaded Plex Server and Plex Media Player and can't figure out what the heck I'm doing! At the moment the NAS is plugged directly to my PC(via USB) that I'm using to load all my DVD's up with.
6. How do I direct either (or better yet, which should be directed) the Server or Player(?) to the file with the movies in it to see how it see's them at this point?

I feel like I'm learning a new language right now! I really appreciate your help!

1 - You have to use the Plex Server(aka Media Manager) to create your library for Plex. Plex pulls all the meta data that it can from the internet. So it should get the poster, background(fanart), production information(plot info, director, actors, et cetera), and for teevee shows it will get the theme music if it's available.

But lets say that you don't like the assets that Plex finds in the Media Manager, and you like what you have better. Your folder is now gonna look something like this(I'll make "Popular Movie" a double DVD movie like Seven Samurai, or Bridge On The River Kwai):

Code: Select all

Cool Harddrive Name
   Movies
      Popular Movie (year of release)
         Popular Movie.DVD1.mkv
         Popular Movie.DVD2.mkv
         Popular Movie - Fanart.jpg
         Popular Movie - Poster.jpg
         Popular Movie.srt

Plex should scan those iTems automatically, and use them instead of assets from the internet. You may have to use the Media Manager to pick them if Plex insists on getting assets from the internet. Plex should see the movie, it always does for me. Also, when playing it will go from the first file to the second file.

2/3 - When you rip a disc with MakeMKV, you can include the original subtitles that are on the disc in the file that MakeMKV makes. I know Plex does DVD(aka VOBSUB) subtitles, but I'm not sure what the current state is for Bluray(aka PGS) subtitles. I know they display, but I'm not sure if they work right or not. You can enable them from either a keyboard or a remote. If you have no subtitles in the mkv, and you don't have a subtitle file in the folder, Plex will not find them. Or it might try and use a subtitle site to find the correct subs for what it thinks you are watching, but I don't recall.

4 - Plex uses the names of the folders and files to get the information from the internet. They need to be named correctly. However, sometimes Plex thinks it's smarter than it really is, and grabs the incorrect information. Fixing that is, hopefully, handled in the Media Manager.

5 - Yes, it's a basic function of Plex, or any XBMC based media organizer, to automatically pull the info from the internet.

6 - After Plex has created it's library, you go through too many menus (Movies -> All Movies, Recently Added, Recently Released, blah, blah, blah -> Movies sorted by your selected criteria) and there is your library. Select the movie you want, press Play on your remote and it plays.

While I'm more than happy to help you with Plex, and MakeMKV, I would recommend that you use the Plex forums for Plex questions.

SC

[firionicable]

Great post. Thanks for sharing the instruction. I am creating a tutorial for this. I just think I can finish it. Good luck to that.

[flyingjoed74]

Smithcraft, you rock my friend! I will check out the Plex forum as well. For the most part, I just wanted to see if I was ripping my DVD's correctly. I appreciate your time!

[Smithcraft]

Glad to help out flyingjoed74.

SC