Wanting higher resolution

[Verve]

We've just used MakeMKV to convert the recently released DVD Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, and saved it to to our computer hard drive, in order to watch it through Chromecast via Plex on our Samsung 40" Smart TV. Watching the movie on the TV, to our eye, the resolution is clearly poorer than the DVD resolution. Can we get a better resolution in the MakeMKV process, or are there other factors? Like other folk, we wish to convert our whole DVD collection and be able to watch them on the TV from the hard drive, but if the resolution is so much less, it's hardly worth it. Thanks. David

[Woodstock]

Since MakeMKV is copying the track verbatim from the source into the MKV file, the problem is in the transcoding Plex is probably doing.

Both the Samsung TV software and Chromecast can handle MKV files directly, but Plex may not know that. The test would be to put the file on a USB drive (if the file is over 4GB, make sure the drive is formatted in NTFS or exFAT), and plug it directly into the TV for playback. That should show the "native" view.

Plex is very adaptable, from what I read, so there might be changes you can make to the device profile. Chromecast is NOT required to watch from a DLNA server (which is what Plex is) on Samsung smart TVs, so you might try that as well.

[Romansh]

Chromecast is NOT required to watch from a DLNA server (which is what Plex is)

I was under the impression it's at least a semi-custom solution? Plex Media Server can serve content via DLNA, but its DLNA support can be disabled in preferences, and any native Plex clients still work…

[Woodstock]

Well, yes, disabling DLNA in Plex would change a lot of things... But it doesn't invalidate the statement that you can play MKV files on a Samsung TV from a DLNA server, and Chromecast can play them without "everything" being transcoded on the fly, as well.

[makememe]

I use plex server as well, but to xbmc, mostly. I once had the same question but the issue was not all dvds. The fix for me was deinterlace. watch the mkv on a computer with vlc and see if that helps the resolution. vlc has the option to on/off deinterlace. if it only happens on the tv, then it could be the connection to the client, i.e., wireless issues, if applicable.

I can state that plex server using mkv, default, files streamed to a ps4, pc, android, and minix x8-h is as if using the disk. I am fussy, so you can trust the problem you are having is not makemkv.

I recommend you purchase the software to support the creator, hail the creator. I have exactly what I hoped to achieve back when I tried with yellowdog linux on ps3 years ago. All my disks are now boxed, FOREVER!! Thank you to the creator. I also recommend you create backup.

good luck.

[diy_darryl]

I am having no problem streaming MKV files (created with makemkv) using Plex Server and a wired Ethernet connection to all of my devices. I am using Roku 3's on all TV's except 1 and it is a Newer model Samsung Smarthub TV. I get full HD quality pictures at the destinations. Check your ROKU and Plex Server settings perhaps?

[Ravik]

Circling back Verve's original issue...Woodstock is correct, in that the issue CAN be with the playback/transcoding. However, I've also found that certain DVDs that were overly compressed can also lend itself to looking extra-rough when being played back on a digital player...even on one as capable as VLC.

TV shows are generally among the worst culprits, since the manufacturers needed to squeeze as many shows onto as few discs as possible (to keep costs down). For example, a digital rip of the DVD version of "Friends" weighs in at nearly 800MB/show, whereas a digital rip of the Blu-ray version comes in at around 2.4GB/show. Even without the additional remastering of the Blur-ray version, it clearly handles better on digital screens, while the DVD version look grainy, pixellated, and over-saturated. Furthermore, when using software de-interlacing, it causes weird motion-blurring and other visual artifacts. Another example is "Frasier," which was one of my favorite television shows. I own the complete series on DVD, but the video quality of the digital file is so painful to look at I cannot bring myself to watch the files on Kodi or Plex. Furthermore, it can't be re-purchased on Blu-ray, since the studio has held off on releasing one. I fear that a lot of older shows are going to get left as "DVD-only" permanently...

Ironically, our Sony Blu-ray player can make just about any of these older DVD shows look good (yes, even Frasier). I've long suspected that there is some additional hardware de-interlacing (or other advanced treatment) being done by the Blu-ray player that yields a superior end-result to DVDs what we cannot simulate through Kodi or Plex at this time. I suspect that something like MadVR's Media Player Classic plugin is what will ultimately be needed to achieve a 1:1 playback experience.

-Ravik-

[Woodstock]

Actually, if you want REALLY bad, DVDs from Malaysia and China. When a DVD has 5 hours of video on it, you KNOW some video quality shortcuts were taken in the mastering.

[tommyla]

try running http://serviio.org/ (disable the transcoding option in settings) and open the serviio dlna device on the tv

i also have a samsung smart tv and serviio works really nicely!

Samsung Smart TVs seem to love mkv files

[Devore]

If you're comparing head to head, then the differences are up to the player. MakeMKV just copies the streams. During mkv playback, there might be some on-the-fly transcoding happening. DVDs, especially the older ones, were targeted at CRT displays, so they tend to be very noisy and saturated. This doesn't scale well to discrete digital displays. Also, a DVD player will apply post-processing to make the picture look better, including high quality upscaling (to resize up from DVD to 1080p resolution), which your software player might not be doing. This can have a huge impact; try playing with the post-process filter in VLC to see the difference.

[Smithcraft]

This was just recently posted to the Plex twitter stream:

https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/201767273

That might help.

SC

[justacuase18]

I know this is somewhat of an old thread, but just in case somebody else stumbles upon it looking for the same answers.
The shortest answer is Makemkv does alter the source dvd video by repackaging into a singular video file which is void of all the garbage you get from ts format on dvd's, but the one thing makemkv does not do, is alter the video quality in anyway shape or form whatsoever.

However that last statement, in order to hold true, under the most ideal conditions operates under the assumption there are no decode errors from the remuxing process.
Like for example, scratched damaged or dirty discs, or imperfections from the manufacturing process
and that is not even touching the surface of what manufactures do in forms of copy protection, duplicate titles, scrambled cells, offset cells, cells with intentional null data, purposely placed sync errors, or invalid time codes.

What does this all mean though? Assuming everything goes perfect, from a Dvd this means you get
video that is most likely interlaced, fine for older TV's but not so good for modern sets (but hey its just like the dvd, right ?, yupp), but hey in a side by side comparison from playing a dvd in a dvd player, would look better, but hey ?? why is that ?? well duhh ?? Modern dvd players use a hardware deinterlacer, but also wait for it, wait for it, they also upscale the video, what ? no way ??

but if Makemkv doesn't alter the quality, then why does it not look that great on my chrome cast or fire stick, for either of those 2 devices they are limited in processing power, or the wifi adapter limits needed bandwidth to prevent frame skipping, other reasons why your makemkv rip would not look so great, is because
one of the greatest features of using plex media server , is it has the ability to RE-Transcode video on the fly, not always the best thing in the world, may be fine for your tablet, or for your phone, lol hehe

however not the best nor ideal for a home theatre,

and yet again, none of which at all is from Makemkv, reducing quality

but then yet again, the ultimate performance you get out of your plex media server will depend on what exactly that is, a NAS box will not serve a connected household at absolute best quality, you would seriously need a killer computer (( one that almost mirrors hardware that of a professional server, multi cores, lots of ram!!! )) on a wired gigbit lan in order to serve more than 2 or 3 devices simultaneously, either SD or HD

Kodi on the other hand, why it does have a very good upscaler, the deinterlacer even on the newest version, is not that great, additionally even the famed VLC player has problems deinterlacing video, with absolute stunning clarity
By nature, any Interlaced Video at all whatsoever, will become slightly blurred when played, old CRT TV's this process was negligible, on newer TV's outright horrible

Generally speaking, there seems to be a trend among recent digital media center converts, there are those who are absolute quality aficionados who really do not care how much storage space their media will consume,
and then there are the ones who strive for the absolute best quality, but in the absolute smallest file size possible in order to conserve storage space

what I have found from my experience, Post processing Makemkv rips for use on a plex server, is pretty much pointless with an exception but to conserve storage space,
However if you are not using plex, there are other options get the best out of you makemkv rips

Handbrake is probably the most user friendly, but really is not that great in the hands of a newbie, the most common complaints are it is too slow, or the file sizes aren't small enough
In the hands of a pro however, handbrake is really only a front end GUI, for the open source tools it really uses under the hood, not to mention plugin capabilities that would even leave the biggest command line jockeys dumbfounded

I have tried lots of different things, over the years
Some tv shows like Home Improvement, the Good Wife, Power Rangers practically become unwatchable after ripping, however that is not Makemkv's fault at all.

I lost count how many times my wife has called me up at work, or had me come running into the room to have me see the horrible video, none of which in fact had not even been processed at all by Makemkv or Handbrake,
reason how that is, all the dvd's or blurays I purchase get backed up to a blank dvd or bluray, then the originals are sealed away in a vault, (closet, Lol)
The data from this temporary or so called scratch drive, is copied over to the longer term storage where all the rest of the media is kept
but is overwritten during each phase, which are processed after hours (Sleeping)
ts file to mkv (done by Makemkv)
then finally compressed by handbrake, with conservative settings that balance mostly quality over file size
settings that are crucial for impressive home theatre

My Final thoughts, Makemkv absolutely does not effect video quality
The only drawback from Makemkv ripping process, is that you don't have convenient ts files or mpls already made up to re-burn a dvd or bluray,
yes there are ways to get your Mkv's burned back to a dvd, without transcoding, but those methods aren't really user friendly and there is still at the moment a lack of software support for it with the most prominent dvd authoring programs.
Honestly it would be less of a hassle for the average Hoe to just reburn the original, than to jump through all those hoops, but hey, that assumes honest John still had that in the first place

Want to get a good laugh,
Run makemkv on a source that is saved on a ssd, with the destination to a separate ssd,
sit back and watch as it blazes at over 550 MB/s
and still says that your hard drives are slow and that you should consider upgrading

I had a really good laugh the first time

For those of you who made it this far, reading the rant of a mad man,
MAKEMKV is NOT the problem
there are numerous things that ARE contributors
like I pointed out, BUT IT IS NOT MAKEMKV