DVDs to disk then play in media center?

ajf · 2 Feb 2008 at 17:49

Is it possible to get media Center in Vista to catalogue and play DVDs that are ripped to hard disk?
I want to copy most of the DVDs I have to disk but having tried one I cannot see if/how I can get media center to pick them up.

Thanks
Andrew

HEADRAT · 2 Feb 2008 at 18:49

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17729564&highlight=headrat+media+dvd

Butters · 2 Feb 2008 at 18:54

Just to note, Vista media centre cannot play DVDs ripped on an external drive, even if you map the dirve. It can only see DVDs ripped to the physical hard drive. As yet I am still to find a fix for this.

I use DVD Fab Plantinum. You have to pay like £20 for it but it does everything in one software bundle (ripping full disc, part disc, to avi, to mpg, to PSP, to iPOD, decryption, etc).

Then, I've used the reg hack to make Vista MC show the dvd library, although I find My Movies 2 a better application for cataloging my DVDs

superplay · 2 Feb 2008 at 19:11

I store my DVDs on a external drive using Vista Mediacentre.

Here is how.

1. Create a folder on C:\ call it DVD or somthing like.
2. Right click "computer" and select manage
3. Select disk management
4. Right click the external drive and select "Change drive letter and paths"
5. Click "Add"
6. Ensure that "Mount in the following empty NTFS folder" is selected
7. Click browse and select the folder you created in 1
8. Select OK and then close disk management
9. Now in media centres "DVD Library" right click the "Add Movies"
10. Select the folder created in step 1

Butters · 2 Feb 2008 at 19:15

Doesnt work for me and I don't know why

Also, I've found another nifty way although no shrinking is involved.

Use MagicDisk or similar to create an image file of the DVD. Then use the disk emulator to mount the image and add it as offline DVD in the My movies Catalogue.

Nice one!

ajf · 2 Feb 2008 at 19:31

Thanks all.
I will have a read through the linked thread and the other suggestions and see how I go

Andrew

ajf · 24 Mar 2008 at 23:44

Just thought I would write an update to say thanks again. Got quite a few DVDs ripped to disk now and the catalogue function works really well

Just used DVD Fab to rip the disks - seemed slightly quicker and easier than DVD Shrink.
Now stored on a 500Gb USB drive and running nicely through my LCD TV.

Andrew