What software would I need to show my DVDs and Blu Rays?

[Pulse]

I want to rip all my DVDs, Blu Rays and possibly CDs and photos somewhere. What's the best solution for doing this? I know that's a broad question, but this is very new to me. I want something where I can flick through the DVDs etc, have information on them, album art, etc. I'm fed up having a cupboard full of DVDs and Blu Rays basically!

I'm using a MacBook Air, so that wouldn't have enough space on it, but could use some sort of networked solution? Or I could have a PC or similar set up which is connected to the TV? Or something else... I need help!

[TEKNOPUG]

Pulse said:

I want to rip all my DVDs, Blu Rays and possibly CDs and photos somewhere. What's the best solution for doing this? I know that's a broad question, but this is very new to me. I want something where I can flick through the DVDs etc, have information on them, album art, etc. I'm fed up having a cupboard full of DVDs and Blu Rays basically!

I'm using a MacBook Air, so that wouldn't have enough space on it, but could use some sort of networked solution? Or I could have a PC or similar set up which is connected to the TV? Or something else... I need help!

How many CD's, DVD's, Blu-Rays are we talking about? An uncompressed Blu-Ray film will require anywhere between 8&12GB of space.

[Pulse]

Oh, not many, but I would like to expand it.

About 100 or so DVDs, 20 Blu Rays, 300 CDs, 3GB worth of photos. At present. I'd want lots of future proofing though, so perhaps 1tb?

[Pulse]

I was just thinking, perhaps the cheapest option would be an external hard drive connected to my MBA? Can get a 1tb portable drive for £80 now. Would Front Row do the job or do I need something more comprehensive?

[RobDickinson]

Pretty sure macs dont do bluray at all so you'll need another machine or windows and a bluray drive.

Honestly its probably better to download rips of the movies you own already and dump them onto a large USB harddrive.

[Pulse]

Actually, I just thought... How would I even rip the blu rays? What an idiot... I could rip the DVDs though no problem, and wait until I can get hold of an external Blu Ray drive.

The way I see it, I have the following options:

Go all out and buy a dedicated PC to play my files through, but this is pretty pointless and I have no space for it.

Put a 1tb drive in my PS3 and put all of the files on there. This way it is always connected to the TV, just turn it on and go. Positives being an easy option, and it's always on. Negatives being restricted to my PS3 only for playing files, and it's not very good looking either.

Buy an external hard drive and connect it to my Mac when I want to play a file. Positives being I can use front row which looks nicer than playing through the PS3, and I can take it with me when I go somewhere. Negatives being I have to connect the drive each time I want to use it and also connect the Mac to the TV.

Buy a NAS so I can connect either the PC or the Mac to it. Positives being it's wire-free and very nice to use. Negative being I can't take the hard drive with me when I go away, and it's a more expensive solution.


I literally have no idea! Any got any ideas? In a way I like the NAS idea as I also want to use Time Machine, and I could then have hassle-free backups every day, which I really need to be doing. Will files play OK over wireless?

[RobDickinson]

You have a wireless router? A lof of them can run a USB HDD as a NAS for you and then you can take it on the road with the macbook.

You can rip bluray but its not easy or quick, and you will need a bluray drive (which your mac wont have) and bluray ripping software (which I assume macs dont have).

Apple/Steve jobs hate bluray for soem reason (read ITMS movie sales).

[Pulse]

I have a wireless router, yeah... Not sure it has that functionality though. Could be worth upgrading I guess. I'm really not clued up on this sort of stuff.

Just had a play with Front Row and it would definitely be up to the task.