Help - Think this might be a question for Ethel or anyone!!

[stompe]

Please can you tell me the best way to store my whole DVD collection (currently 280 DVDs) on a hard drive to play back through my flat screen TV. The films are all legal copies - will that preclude me from putting them on a hard drive unit and would someone like to recommend a unit?

Thanks

[Ethel]

I know nothing of copying commercial dvds that have copyright protection, sorry.

[kaw69]

That`s the whole point of copyright protection is that the buyer has it on a media e.g. vhs, dvd etc so that if you put it on a h/d you would be free to sell the vhs`s or dvd`s.
Whereas if you could not copy it over and sold them on ebay for example you would transfer ownership over to the new buyer but you would not have the benefit of watching them as well.

[LeMarchand]

Whilst there are ways to do what you want not only is it currently illegal in this country but, unless you have a ridiculously large hard disc (or 2 or 3) you would lose quality and/or you would need to rip just the film - not the special features etc.

A legal solution would be a DVD jukebox, but they aren't cheap. An example (never used one, so not a recommendation or necessarily the best price/buy) is: http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/dvd-player/sony-dvp-cx -850/355792/

[romko]

you'd have to rip them to your hard drive by using dvd decrypter or dvd shrink, then use software to play them. probably not worth the hsssle, and the disk size required is immense as lemarchand says. you could get around ti slightly by ripping at a lower rate, but quality would suffer

[ACtheTROLL]

if you figure out the ripping bit.
(I've got to say - it's agin' the law - but if it's only a backup for personal use) - I don't see a problem

two enclosures worth looking at - (you need to add your own HDD)
are
sumvision titan - max 500Gb
replays avi video, mp3 audio, and photos to either a TV or VHS screen (no PC Required)
http://www.google.co.uk/products?sourceid=navc lient&hl=en-GB&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GPTB_en-GBGB295 GB295&q=sumvision%20titan&um=1&sa=N&tab=wf

or
the zengo - max 1Tb
plays all the above formats but also will record video and play to a TV
http://www.google.co.uk/products?sourceid=navc lient&hl=en-GB&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GPTB_en-GBGB295 GB295&q=sumvision%20zengo&um=1&sa=N&tab=wf

I have a zengo - a chum uses the other - both are extremely good for the money - and act as USB HDDs as well
(I'm watching a prog on it now)

[ACtheTROLL]

a DVD is still watchable at about 700Mb (VCD)
my mum generally puts 8 hours of video on DVD with her sony DVD/HDD recorder

[stompe]

Thanks alot guys. You have given me plenty of food for thought - like the jukebox idea.

[fo3nix]

I'd give a strong consideration to using AppleTV or similar device, and going that way.

Essentially, get a large hard drive. Use Handbrake or similar to rip the films to hard drive (about 1GB per film, and assuming you don't care about menus and other special features much; keeping full quality DVD is still impractical with this many DVDs), then get a small computer to play them.

XBox Media Center is apparently very good for this, and there are other free software versions too, similar in function.

You can install XBMC on an XBox, or a computer -- Asus EEE Box are nice small ones, that it should run on. Connect your hard drive to this, and it'll work.

AppleTV does much the same thing, but has a better interface, good remote control, and will grab films from computers round your house too. But costs more.