• Most new users don't bother reading our rules. Here's the one that is ignored almost immediately upon signup: DO NOT ASK FOR FANEDIT LINKS PUBLICLY. First, read the FAQ. Seriously. What you want is there. You can also send a message to the editor. If that doesn't work THEN post in the Trade & Request forum. Anywhere else and it will be deleted and an infraction will be issued.
  • If this is your first time here please read our FAQ and Rules pages. They have some useful information that will get us all off on the right foot, especially our Own the Source rule. If you do not understand any of these rules send a private message to one of our staff for further details.
  • Please read our Rules & Guidelines

DVD Fab questions...

bionicbob

Well-known member
Donor
Faneditor
Messages
8,265
Reaction score
2,390
Trophy Points
168
In case you were not aware, DVD FAB is currently having a sale until Aug 5...

So with me considering getting back into the editing game (thanks @"addiesin"   :D ),  I am trying to figure out what I need and don't need, and was confused a bit why DVD Fab bundles certain things together and not others...

So as far as I can tell, I think all I need at this point would be...
1.  DVD COPY
2.  BLU RAY COPY 
3.  VIDEO CONVERTER

One does not need RIPPER, as COPY will do the same thing right?  And then just use CONVERTER to make them into MP4s or whatever edit format you want to work in?  Makes me wonder why COPY is always bundled with RIPPER and not CONVERTER?

Unless I am mistaken and need all three????
 

macmilln

Well-known member
Messages
576
Reaction score
60
Trophy Points
53
In my experience, DVDFab has kinda turned into bloatware, at least in how it looks/feels. I bought it a few months ago 'cause I thought I needed it for ripping UHD discs - I was later informed by Reave that MakeMKV can accomplish this, hence the guide I made - and then immediately regretted my purchase. Customer "service" was also pretty terrible, when trying to get a refund.

MakeMKV is really lightweight, and way less cluttered - thus easier to use - than DVDFab. And I don't think it's really missing any features despite how "bare-bones" it is in terms of UI. And, of course, it's free.

I could very well be mistaken (like if DVDFab is necessary or just greatly streamlines your use case), but just from my limited experience... I wouldn't recommend DVDFab to anyone, and would praise MakeMKV on every chance I got (and here we are ;)).
 

bionicbob

Well-known member
Donor
Faneditor
Messages
8,265
Reaction score
2,390
Trophy Points
168
Interesting.

Yes, I think I am looking for the most streamlined, least amount of steps possible in ripping and converting files :p LOL.

My past experience with various Freeware has been mixed... it gets the job done (eventually) but often requires additional freeware to finish the process or is not quite powerful enough or is of mixed quality.

So I am willing to shell out a few bucks for a reliable, powerful...and simple... ripping/converting tool.  
I have no plans on working with UHD.... standard DVD and Blu Ray only.
And I have read many positive reviews for DVD Fab and know respected editors that use it.

But I am absolutely open to alternate choices. :)
 

macmilln

Well-known member
Messages
576
Reaction score
60
Trophy Points
53
In my experience (including, but not limited to UHD), MakeMKV is more streamlined and straightforward than DVDFab. Loads instantly, and is literally one click to directly copy, or two clicks to, as the name would suggest, make an MKV. DVDFab's UI was far too cluttered and 'cheap'-feeling to me (especially given the price - but I'd still prefer MakeMKV even if both were free!).
 

Malthus

Well-known member
Donor
Faneditor
Messages
1,599
Reaction score
1,632
Trophy Points
148
I can only second @"macmilln" in praising MakeMKV. Free, simple to use and quick. I used it in conjunction with tsMuxeR and Handbrake. All are free and get the job done, no complaints.
 

bionicbob

Well-known member
Donor
Faneditor
Messages
8,265
Reaction score
2,390
Trophy Points
168
So looking at MakeMKV... it says only free in Beta version and expires at the end of this August?

So this is BOTH a ripper and converter to MKV?   And then if you want to edit in MP4, you have to use another program or MakeMKV will do that too?

Sorry if my questions sound stupid.... I have been out of the game for a loooong time, and before that I was a MAC user and it was so simple.... Mac the Ripper and MPEG Streamclip.... and off to editing I would go lol
 

The Scribbling Man

Tenant of the Tower of Flints
Staff member
Donor
Faneditor
Messages
4,644
Reaction score
2,416
Trophy Points
148
If I was to buy anything it would be AnyDVD, which kicks DVDFab's ass in terms of simplicity, interface and consistency in delivering. I had a free trial a while back and took the opportunity to rip a whole bunch of discs I knew I would want to edit at some point in the future. Outside of that, I have often been fine using the free version of DVDFab. 

I don't really use MakeMKV... I seem to remember getting a headache over getting an MKV into a lossless, editable format back when I first joined the forums, and that's probably put me off. Maybe I should give it a another go sometime.
 

DigModiFicaTion

DᴉმWoqᴉԷᴉcɑꓕᴉou
Staff member
Faneditor
Messages
8,609
Reaction score
3,508
Trophy Points
168
I've used dvdfab to make compressed copies of movies for my jellyfin media server and I also have used it to create Vegas compatible 5.1 aac audio tracks. MakeMKV is my go to for creating a copy though. As others have said, it's straightforward, when compared with dvdfab, and it's free.
 

addiesin

Well-known member
Messages
5,888
Reaction score
1,502
Trophy Points
163
MakeMKV for the rip, tsMuxer to extract the streams from the mkv as MTS or M2TS for video and DTS or AC3 for audio, Audacity to convert audio to wav.

All free, all easy to use with self explanatory user interfaces. Replace Audacity with the audio editor or converter you're most comfortable with, it is the only program listed that does so much you could conceivably get lost in the options available.

Out of all the X-Men Blu-rays I've ripped, only one had problems with MakeMKV, and I was able to rip it with a DVDFab trial. MakeMKV is still my go-to.
 

DigModiFicaTion

DᴉმWoqᴉԷᴉcɑꓕᴉou
Staff member
Faneditor
Messages
8,609
Reaction score
3,508
Trophy Points
168
addiesin said:
MakeMKV for the rip, tsMuxer to extract the streams from the mkv as MTS or M2TS for video and DTS or AC3 for audio, Audacity to convert audio to wav.

tenor.gif
 

Malthus

Well-known member
Donor
Faneditor
Messages
1,599
Reaction score
1,632
Trophy Points
148
bionicbob said:
So looking at MakeMKV... it says only free in Beta version and expires at the end of this August?

The Beta has been going for years. Simply redownload the file and you're good to go for 30 more days.
 

macmilln

Well-known member
Messages
576
Reaction score
60
Trophy Points
53
I haven't had to redownload anything for the few months I've been using it. That little pop-up displays every time but nothing ever happens ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 

That One Guy

Well-known member
Donor
Faneditor
Messages
1,319
Reaction score
349
Trophy Points
103
One thing that has bugged me for ages with DVDFab is the increasing degree of obfuscation about what's free. HD Decrypter is the free component that lets you dump discs, but a while back they changed the launch screen to imply that your trial of this has expired (it never expires, you just click "try" and it lets you get on with things). Then they added a feature where, when dumping a Blu-Ray, you'd see a message in the job progress screen stating that the Bluray copy feature trial has expired - so thr job pauses for a minute or so, then gets on with things.

From memory, they also introduced changes in v11 whereby the ability to copy BluRays is limited to the trial, so I've not bothered with it. Everything I've ripped so far has been with version 9 or 10 and, UI nonsense aside, I haven't had issues. Should that change I'll most likely just switch to MakeMKV.
 

macmilln

Well-known member
Messages
576
Reaction score
60
Trophy Points
53
macmilln said:
I haven't had to redownload anything for the few months I've been using it. That little pop-up displays every time but nothing ever happens ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Okay so I updated MakeMKV last month, and then the "countdown" actually started. Today I tried ripping something and got the message that my trial was expired. Did some Googling and found this post on the MakeMKV forums:
As stated on a main page all features of MakeMKV are free while program is in beta. You may purchase the full activation key if you like the program and want to show your support, but you also may use the temporary beta key.

The current beta key is
Code:
T-vBv3hO43Xc4XQNhZZCbnodBarVeXHoa8yne@DeRCCQsm6V7twX3jDI@O8hDkqTUlQf

and is valid until end of October 2020. Please check back for updated key on this page.

So you just have to go to the menu bar and navigate to Help > Register, paste that key and restart.

tenor.gif
 

DigModiFicaTion

DᴉმWoqᴉԷᴉcɑꓕᴉou
Staff member
Faneditor
Messages
8,609
Reaction score
3,508
Trophy Points
168
Neature Walk! :) Those videos are great.
I just downloaded an updated beta version of MakeMKV and it's up and running smoothly like all the past betas with full features.
 

Gaith

Well-known member
Faneditor
Messages
5,785
Reaction score
291
Trophy Points
123
[never mind]
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom