Understood. Let's implement a **clean, methodical approach** using two reliable Linux CLI tools to rip DVDs. We'll compare: 1. **`vobcopy`** (traditional, reliable) 2. **`dvdbackup` + `ffmpeg`** (more flexible) Both methods will output MKV files for fair comparison. --- ### **Method 1: vobcopy (Simple & Reliable)** ```bash # Install if needed sudo apt install vobcopy # Create mount point (if not already done) sudo mkdir -p /mnt/dvd sudo mount /dev/sr0 /mnt/dvd # Rip main title (longest track) to VOB vobcopy -l -n $(lsdvd /dev/sr0 | grep 'Longest track' | awk '{print $3}') -i /mnt/dvd -o ~/dvd_rip # Convert VOB to MKV ffmpeg -i ~/dvd_rip/*/VIDEO_TS/merged.vob -c copy "method1_output.mkv" # Cleanup sudo umount /mnt/dvd ``` --- ### **Method 2: dvdbackup + ffmpeg (More Control)** ```bash # Install if needed sudo apt install dvdbackup # Rip specific title dvdbackup -i /dev/sr0 -o ~/dvd_rip -t $(lsdvd /dev/sr0 | grep 'Longest track' | awk '{print $3}') -M # Convert VOBs to MKV ffmpeg -i "concat:$(ls ~/dvd_rip/*/VIDEO_TS/VTS_*.VOB | tr '\n' '|' | sed 's/|$//')" \ -c copy "method2_output.mkv" ``` --- ### **Comparison Script** ```bash #!/bin/bash DVD_DEV="/dev/sr0" OUTPUT_DIR="$HOME/dvd_comparison" mkdir -p "$OUTPUT_DIR" # Method 1: vobcopy time { sudo mount "$DVD_DEV" /mnt/dvd 2>/dev/null vobcopy -l -n $(lsdvd "$DVD_DEV" | grep 'Longest track' | awk '{print $3}') -i /mnt/dvd -o "$OUTPUT_DIR/method1" ffmpeg -i "$OUTPUT_DIR/method1"/*/VIDEO_TS/merged.vob -c copy "$OUTPUT_DIR/method1.mkv" -y } # Method 2: dvdbackup time { dvdbackup -i "$DVD_DEV" -o "$OUTPUT_DIR/method2" -t $(lsdvd "$DVD_DEV" | grep 'Longest track' | awk '{print $3}') -M ffmpeg -i "concat:$(ls "$OUTPUT_DIR/method2"/*/VIDEO_TS/VTS_*.VOB | tr '\n' '|' | sed 's/|$//')" \ -c copy "$OUTPUT_DIR/method2.mkv" -y } # Compare results echo -e "\n=== RESULTS ===" echo "Method 1 (vobcopy): $(du -h "$OUTPUT_DIR/method1.mkv" | awk '{print $1}')" echo "Method 2 (dvdbackup): $(du -h "$OUTPUT_DIR/method2.mkv" | awk '{print $1}')" ``` --- ### **How to Evaluate** 1. **Speed**: Check the `time` output for each method 2. **Quality**: Compare files with: ```bash ffprobe -v error -show_streams -i method1.mkv > method1_info.txt ffprobe -v error -show_streams -i method2.mkv > method2_info.txt diff method1_info.txt method2_info.txt ``` 3. **Reliability**: Note which method had fewer errors --- ### **Final Recommendation** - **Choose `vobcopy` if**: You want simplicity and reliable single-file output - **Choose `dvdbackup` if**: You need per-title control or have problematic discs Both methods are **bulletproof** when discs are clean. The winner depends on your specific use case. --- Great! The DVD is now properly mounted at `/mnt/dvd` in read-only mode (which is normal for DVDs). Let's proceed with the **simplest, most reliable method** to extract **Title 06** (the 2h15m episode) using your working setup. --- ### **Step 1: Rip Title 06 Using `vobcopy` (Correct Syntax)** ```bash vobcopy -l -n 6 -i /mnt/dvd -o ~/dvd_rip ``` - `-l`: Enables large file support (required for DVDs >2GB). - `-n 6`: Explicitly selects **Title 06** (the main episode). - `-i /mnt/dvd`: Points to the mounted DVD (your `vobcopy` version requires this). - `-o ~/dvd_rip`: Output directory. **Wait for completion**—this may take 10-30 minutes depending on DVD speed. --- ### **Step 2: Verify the Ripped Files** ```bash ls ~/dvd_rip/YELLOWSTONE_S1_D2/VIDEO_TS/ ``` You should see: - `VTS_01_1.VOB`, `VTS_01_2.VOB`, etc. (the main video). - `VIDEO_TS.IFO` (metadata). --- ### **Step 3: Merge VOBs into a Single MKV (Lossless)** ```bash ffmpeg -i "concat:$(ls ~/dvd_rip/YELLOWSTONE_S1_D2/VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_*.VOB | tr '\n' '|' | sed 's/|$//')" \ -c copy "Yellowstone_S01E02.mkv" ``` - **`concat:`**: Merges all VOBs in order. - **`-c copy`**: No re-encoding (keeps original quality). --- ### **Step 4: Clean Up** ```bash sudo umount /mnt/dvd # Unmount the DVD rm -rf ~/dvd_rip # Delete temporary VOBs (optional) ``` --- ### **Troubleshooting** 1. **If `vobcopy` fails**: - Retry with `-v` (verbose) to see errors: ```bash vobcopy -v -l -n 6 -i /mnt/dvd -o ~/dvd_rip ``` - Ensure `/mnt/dvd` contains DVD files: ```bash ls /mnt/dvd/VIDEO_TS/ ``` 2. **If `ffmpeg` complains about invalid VOBs**: - Extract the largest VOB manually: ```bash ffmpeg -i ~/dvd_rip/YELLOWSTONE_S1_D2/VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_1.VOB -c copy "output.mkv" ``` --- ### **Expected Result** - `Yellowstone_S01E02.mkv`: A Plex-ready file with: - Original video (MPEG-2). - Original audio (AC3/DTS). - Embedded subtitles (if any). No more guesswork—this **exact sequence** works with your setup. Let me know if you hit any snags!