Best/fastest converter/transcoder, vob to mkv

[xunil76]

i did a search, but wasn't really able to find exactly what i'm looking for, so here goes.....

i am about to set up a home media server with a gigabit LAN connection so i can play all my dvd's/mp3's/media files/etc. from the server's hard drive on my HTPC or any computer in the house. however, for the DVD movies, i want to convert the (multiple) vob files to (single) mkv files for ease of manageability, as well as to merge multi-disc movies (LOTR extended cuts, for example) that cannot contain the entire length of the movie in a single title track in VOB format (as in DVD VOB format, there can only be a maximum of 9 VOB files per VTS, and anything over 9GB won't fit when each VOB is 1GB). for these multi-disc movies, i'd rather not have to stop and select a new file when it comes time to play "disc 2"....i want to combine both "discs" into a single file and enjoy seamless playback for the entire length of the movie.

however, i do not want to re-encode the movies.....i want to just keep them in their native mpeg-2 video format, with either AC3 or DTS (much preferred, when available) audio tracks. i will be working with just the movie itself, no menus, no extras, no subtitles, no alternate languages. i would also like to be able to retain chapters (or in the case of merged multi-disc movies, create new chapters....such as a new chapter every 5 - 10 minutes).

file size is not a concern, quality is paramount.

i'm already at the point where i have the VOB files for just the movie itself ready to go, i just need to know the next best step to accomplish my goals. i want something that is:

1) high-quality - i want 100% of the video/audio quality of the original VOB files, just contained in a different wrapper.

2) fast - i've experimented with converting the VOB files from mpeg-2 to h.264, and on my system, a single LOTR 2-disc movie combined into a single mkv file takes over 5 hrs to encode, and even then, the end result doesn't even look as good as the original....i was using StaxRip to convert the files. the resulting files would be fine for watching on a laptop while away from home, but on a high-def TV in the living room, they'd never hold up.....regular DVD on a high-def TV is bad enough already....no need to make it worse.

i will be using WinXP SP3 on the system used to convert the files, as well as for the systems used to play them back......so what tool(s) will be my best option to accomplish these goals?

[xunil76]

actually, i think i found something that should work.....mkvmerge.

i haven't been able to view the resulting file in person to see if it's the same quality as the original or not, because i'm working on it on my home computer while i'm at work (via VNC), but i had my brother view the mkv file, and he says it looks like it should....and doing a right-click on the file and selecting "properties", then the "media" tab, it shows it to be MPEG-2 @ 720x480 (16:9) with DTS audio @ 48k, so i'm guessing it should be ok.

the only thing i'm not sure about is whether or not the chapters are kept intact....and also, whether or not the chapter numbers reset on "disc 2" the way they do when you combine two discs onto one via 2 separate VTS files (in the DVD file structure format), or if the chapters are all sequential once the two "discs" are combined. for example, let's say disc 1 has the following files:

VTS_01_1.VOB
VTS_01_2.VOB
VTS_01_3.VOB
VTS_01_4.VOB
VTS_01_5.VOB

with chapters 1-25

and disc 2 has:

VTS_01_1.VOB
VTS_01_2.VOB
VTS_01_3.VOB
VTS_01_4.VOB

with chapters 1-20

.....when combining the two "discs" via mkvmerge, do the chapters go 1-25 + 1-20, or do they go 1-45?

if they are separate (1-25 + 1-20), how would i go about making them sequential (1-45)?

[xunil76]

well, i finally got this to work.

instead of separate VOB files of 1GB each per disc, i had to make them as one single, large VOB file first......then i ran those vob files through mkvmerge, appending the second one to the first, and i was golden.....once i figured out how to offset the audio to bring it back in synch with the video, that is..... :banana:

i haven't messed around with the chapters yet, but in the end, i have a single, large mkv file that offers seamless playback once merged, and absolutely zero loss of video/audio quality! :)

[blutach]

Thanks for letting us know.

Regards

[gonwk]

Hi xunil,

GREAT POST ... like Blu said THANKS for Sharing.

Xunil, just out of curiosity ... how big of a Storage Drive do you have!?!?

I am waiting for the prices to drop way down then I will do something like yours ... makes life a lot easier than getting up each time and thumbing thru my dvds to see which one I want to watch next.

BTW, what setup you have for your HTPC ... and what software do you use for managing your audio, video filing system!?!?

MERRY XMAS!

G!:)