the_information_nexus/tech_docs/dvd_rip.md

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.

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Method 1: vobcopy (Simple & Reliable)

# 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

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Method 2: dvdbackup + ffmpeg (More Control)

# 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"

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Comparison Script

#!/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}')"

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How to Evaluate

1. Speed: Check the time output for each method
2. Quality: Compare files with:

   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

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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.

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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.

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Step 1: Rip Title 06 Using vobcopy (Correct Syntax)

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.

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Step 2: Verify the Ripped Files

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).

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Step 3: Merge VOBs into a Single MKV (Lossless)

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).

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Step 4: Clean Up

sudo umount /mnt/dvd   # Unmount the DVD
rm -rf ~/dvd_rip       # Delete temporary VOBs (optional)

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Troubleshooting

1. If vobcopy fails:

   • Retry with -v (verbose) to see errors:

     vobcopy -v -l -n 6 -i /mnt/dvd -o ~/dvd_rip
     

   • Ensure /mnt/dvd contains DVD files:

     ls /mnt/dvd/VIDEO_TS/
     

2. If ffmpeg complains about invalid VOBs:

   • Extract the largest VOB manually:

     ffmpeg -i ~/dvd_rip/YELLOWSTONE_S1_D2/VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_1.VOB -c copy "output.mkv"
     

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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!