Thoughts of Homes Theater Systems and the future

[tjrose91]

Optical media is mostly obsolete in most PC builds but every SFF one i make i always ensure i have a 5.25 Blu-ray or DVD drive when i copy a movie for digital purposes or go to redbox i find it easier to use VLC and have the program read the ripped dvd file folder as a whole and the program treats it like a DVD since i have an older program like DVD fab 8 can rip the DVD directly to desktop, i need to ensure its never connected to the internet wanna make a dedicated ripping machine incase they force an update patch as you get the full program for 30days without an email

 

tangent aside, what are everyone's thoughts on future of home theater PC's in regards to optical media, is there going to be a move to read only USB drives that has a chip like app that destroys the content if the case is opened or will walmart stop selling DVD's and Blu-ray, i am looking at this case for my next build and the pic below is my current build 

 

and do i need an optical drive for my main home theater setup but I'm gonna have one always its nice to have a cup holder lol born in 91 here 

 

PS normally my system is in a media case and this is where my sons pc goes. 

 

System Specs

Asrock B550 MB

Ryzen 3600

GTX 1650  LP GDDR6

256gb NVME (boot0

10tb HDD 

Blu-Ray Drive

5Ghz wifi

[suedseefrucht]

1 hour ago, tjrose91 said:

GTX 1650  LP GDDR6

That's rather a 1080p gaming PC than a HTPC
If you put your movies on a HDD or SSD, you dont need an optical drive anymore.
If you dont want to game on your HTPC, I would sell it and get a much cheaper option.

You could sell your current HTPC for like 400 or maybe even 500 $ with the current graphics card prices.
A NVIDIA Shield TV can stream 4K, play movies from external USB devices and it only costs 176 $.

 

+ It's much smaller.

[tjrose91]

I do game on this its my back up gaming system, most of the time i play AOE 2 DE and the system i know can handle 4k 60fps might upgrade the case when i move to a new house, but wondering more less the future of optical media and will we still be able to retain the ability to own the movies ourselves physically granted we cant share it like limewirelol

[circeseye]

i have an extenal bluray. ive touched it once in the last 3 years. and that was to look at xray/mri discs.
i ripped all my movies i"had" on disc years ago and havent bought any since. you can buy them all digital now

[King_PIN]

You couldn't pry my 2 lg internal BR drives and my Asus external BR drive away from me. Especially my LG's cause I can rip 4k with them.  

I use all 3 of them at once but I'm probably the minority who buys movies like crazy.  

The 3 drives come in handy especially for ripping tv show dvd's.  

I use each one for a season and rip simultaneously to my Desktop hd.  

I then copy them all to my NAS and then to my external backup drives and copy them there also.  

 

I don't think you have to worry about physical media leaving for a long time.  

 

[tjrose91]

On 9/30/2021 at 8:14 AM, King_PIN said:

You couldn't pry my 2 lg internal BR drives and my Asus external BR drive away from me. Especially my LG's cause I can rip 4k with them.  

I use all 3 of them at once but I'm probably the minority who buys movies like crazy.  

The 3 drives come in handy especially for ripping tv show dvd's.  

I use each one for a season and rip simultaneously to my Desktop hd.  

I then copy them all to my NAS and then to my external backup drives and copy them there also.  

 

I don't think you have to worry about physical media leaving for a long time.  

 

Right i use a program called DVD fab version 8 as i allow a 30 full function and need to create a dedicated pc had an old server pc case that could hold 6 5.5 bays and it was a beast,  now its down to four drives on a different case, but almost prefer DVDs for most movies as i haven't figured out the Blu-ray side of things and the massive date storage needed to hold blu ray files even if you just copy the main movie

[tjrose91]

On 9/30/2021 at 8:14 AM, King_PIN said:

You couldn't pry my 2 lg internal BR drives and my Asus external BR drive away from me. Especially my LG's cause I can rip 4k with them.  

I use all 3 of them at once but I'm probably the minority who buys movies like crazy.  

The 3 drives come in handy especially for ripping tv show dvd's.  

I use each one for a season and rip simultaneously to my Desktop hd.  

I then copy them all to my NAS and then to my external backup drives and copy them there also.  

 

I don't think you have to worry about physical media leaving for a long time.  

 

I believe i have over 3-4tb of Movies and Shows I have to check stored on my HDD's and VLC to play them like a regular DVD

[King_PIN]

15 hours ago, tjrose91 said:

Right i use a program called DVD fab version 8 as i allow a 30 full function and need to create a dedicated pc had an old server pc case that could hold 6 5.5 bays and it was a beast,  now its down to four drives on a different case, but almost prefer DVDs for most movies as i haven't figured out the Blu-ray side of things and the massive date storage needed to hold blu ray files even if you just copy the main movie

I use MakeMKV and rip all my Bluray's 1:1 to my NAS.  100tb's it's about half full.  2000 movies and 80 tv shows.  I like buying and ripping the discs I find it relaxing.  LOL 

[tjrose91]

On 10/2/2021 at 3:16 AM, King_PIN said:

I use MakeMKV and rip all my Bluray's 1:1 to my NAS.  100tb's it's about half full.  2000 movies and 80 tv shows.  I like buying and ripping the discs I find it relaxing.  LOL 

i don't have a software or figured out how to have VLC properly do Blu-ray playback yet normally i play the whole folder on VLC and it treats it like a DVD

[JZStudios]

On 9/26/2021 at 9:39 PM, tjrose91 said:

Optical media is mostly obsolete in most PC builds but every SFF one i make i always ensure i have a 5.25 Blu-ray or DVD drive when i copy a movie for digital purposes or go to redbox i find it easier to use VLC and have the program read the ripped dvd file folder as a whole and the program treats it like a DVD since i have an older program like DVD fab 8 can rip the DVD directly to desktop, i need to ensure its never connected to the internet wanna make a dedicated ripping machine incase they force an update patch as you get the full program for 30days without an email

tangent aside, what are everyone's thoughts on future of home theater PC's in regards to optical media, is there going to be a move to read only USB drives that has a chip like app that destroys the content if the case is opened or will walmart stop selling DVD's and Blu-ray, i am looking at this case for my next build and the pic below is my current build 

and do i need an optical drive for my main home theater setup but I'm gonna have one always its nice to have a cup holder lol born in 91 here 

PS normally my system is in a media case and this is where my sons pc goes. 

Even one singular period would make this infinitely more legible.

 

On 9/30/2021 at 6:14 AM, King_PIN said:

The 3 drives come in handy especially for ripping tv show dvd's.

I tried to do this, but when each dvd only has 4 episodes out of 16 on the season and I had to manually name them all I realized it was significantly easier, faster, and used less space to just download them. Movies? Sure, that's just one file and I can also do the subtitles, 5.1, commentary, etc. But TV shows are just a pain.

[Commodus]

It's all going streaming and downloads, and that's a good thing. It's 2021... discs hurt the planet, they wear down and break, they limit the size and quality of media, and they make it harder to play videos where and when you want.

 

Discs may not disappear for a while, but their end is thankfully inevitable. It's just a question of whether you drag your heels or adapt with the times.

[tjrose91]

On 10/5/2021 at 8:13 AM, Commodus said:

It's all going streaming and downloads, and that's a good thing. It's 2021... discs hurt the planet, they wear down and break, they limit the size and quality of media, and they make it harder to play videos where and when you want.

 

Discs may not disappear for a while, but their end is thankfully inevitable. It's just a question of whether you drag your heels or adapt with the times.

Mostly want i want is a physical copy of the movie anything digital with have DCMA crap and you may have to constantly buy the movie because its hard to copy the movie it feels like

[Commodus]

7 hours ago, tjrose91 said:

Mostly want i want is a physical copy of the movie anything digital with have DCMA crap and you may have to constantly buy the movie because its hard to copy the movie it feels like

A Blu-ray movie will have copy protection, though — you're not really getting much in the way of freedom. People worry that a studio or store could take away a movie in your digital catalog, but you're also in a tricky ethical spot if you want a digital copy of that Blu-Ray movie anywhere else... you either get a DRM-based digital copy or go through the hassles of ripping it and distributing it across your devices.

 

It's also true that many people will buy a movie, but watch it as often as they would a rental— it's more about the emotional reassurances of seeing the physical copy than any practical value. And if you watch it often... well, there's a good chance you can buy or stream it through a service that isn't about to disappear any time soon, like Apple or Netflix.

[tjrose91]

On 10/24/2021 at 8:29 AM, Commodus said:

A Blu-ray movie will have copy protection, though — you're not really getting much in the way of freedom. People worry that a studio or store could take away a movie in your digital catalog, but you're also in a tricky ethical spot if you want a digital copy of that Blu-Ray movie anywhere else... you either get a DRM-based digital copy or go through the hassles of ripping it and distributing it across your devices.

 

It's also true that many people will buy a movie, but watch it as often as they would a rental— it's more about the emotional reassurances of seeing the physical copy than any practical value. And if you watch it often... well, there's a good chance you can buy or stream it through a service that isn't about to disappear any time soon, like Apple or Netflix.

 To me its not much of a Hassel to rip the movie once and have stored for later contestant usage more scratches

[Home Theater Dummy]

IMO there is something to be said for the processing that is done within a GOOD 4kUHD player.  As it can often take into account the limitations of your display and alter the tone mapping (with HDR10 content) so that brights aren't completely blown out. 

I haven't messed with the processing that something like an Nvidia Shield does although I've heard good things... but  

Most "digital buys" of movies don't compare to native 4K of a disc. if not just for BITRATE. Even Vudu's UHD streaming plan doesn't hold up.

I haven't seen much AB testing of a UHD disc played on a good player, vs accessed via plex, Kodi or a NAS. but most home theater enthusiasts that I follow review titled based on the DISC that they receive, not from what they can access via a streaming service, or even something like Kaleidescape.
 

[tjrose91]

7 hours ago, GillyBond said:

IMO there is something to be said for the processing that is done within a GOOD 4kUHD player.  As it can often take into account the limitations of your display and alter the tone mapping (with HDR10 content) so that brights aren't completely blown out. 

I haven't messed with the processing that something like an Nvidia Shield does although I've heard good things... but  

Most "digital buys" of movies don't compare to native 4K of a disc. if not just for BITRATE. Even Vudu's UHD streaming plan doesn't hold up.

I haven't seen much AB testing of a UHD disc played on a good player, vs accessed via plex, Kodi or a NAS. but most home theater enthusiasts that I follow review titled based on the DISC that they receive, not from what they can access via a streaming service, or even something like Kaleidescape.
 

I mean if console gamers are still able to receive physical copies of the their games because it still cheap to produce and make a nice profit off of i hope this remains the same with Tv shows and movies

[Colty]

On 11/3/2021 at 2:26 PM, GillyBond said:

I haven't seen much AB testing of a UHD disc played on a good player, vs accessed via plex, Kodi or a NAS. but most home theater enthusiasts that I follow review titled based on the DISC that they receive, not from what they can access via a streaming service, or even something like Kaleidescape.

Since something like Plex/Kodi/Nas can be a true original 1:1 copy of what's on the disc, there's shouldn't be anything lost there unless you're re-transcoding it (like to play on something that doesn't support HEVC). This assumes you store a 1:1 copy, but it's an important note. 

Netflix, Vudu, Hulu, Amazon all won't stream full UHD disc bitrate (and typically don't use standard X265 HEVC) to your home, but you can configure Plex (and the others) to stream that locally. I can get full Redux (1:1 disc) copies for my local server. The quality will entirely depend on how your local server copy was made. (web rip, 1:1 disc copy, compressed disc copy, ect) 

That being said... I have a PS5 which has a UHD player, I have UHD discs. I still use Plex and my ChromeCast most of the time. It's easier and I have a 10TB HDD so having high quality rips of my media isn't a big deal.

I would be interested in seeing UHD Disc vs a "Redux" rip on the same player. I doubt there would be any noticeable difference.

I also just like Plex because of things like extra configuration, skipping advertisements, piracy warnings, ect. 

[Colty]

On 10/24/2021 at 8:29 AM, Commodus said:

A Blu-ray movie will have copy protection, though — you're not really getting much in the way of freedom. People worry that a studio or store could take away a movie in your digital catalog, but you're also in a tricky ethical spot if you want a digital copy of that Blu-Ray movie anywhere else... you either get a DRM-based digital copy or go through the hassles of ripping it and distributing it across your devices.

 

It's also true that many people will buy a movie, but watch it as often as they would a rental— it's more about the emotional reassurances of seeing the physical copy than any practical value. And if you watch it often... well, there's a good chance you can buy or stream it through a service that isn't about to disappear any time soon, like Apple or Netflix.

It's not really any "hassle" to get Plex/Kodi up and running to distribute your library. I'm also legally in the clear to make a copy, then stream that local copy to my TV, to my phone, and to my buddy's Chromecast when I head over to his house. It's just the same as if I had brought the disc over, or logged into Vudu and casted, but it's actually way less hassle.

Maybe a half hour of configuring it once and I no longer to have pop discs in every time I want to watch something. Yes, you need to rip the disc once, but no pre-roll ads, more options, ect. It's a better experience. And until discs and UHD players can offer what a FREE application offers in terms of the actual viewing experience and interface, I'll keep buying high capacity HDDs and using Plex. 

[King_PIN]

On 10/5/2021 at 7:13 AM, Commodus said:

It's all going streaming and downloads, and that's a good thing. It's 2021... discs hurt the planet, they wear down and break, they limit the size and quality of media, and they make it harder to play videos where and when you want.

 

Discs may not disappear for a while, but their end is thankfully inevitable. It's just a question of whether you drag your heels or adapt with the times.

Not really a good thing for a lot of people who don't have decent enough internet to stream or download like me living in the country.  

The other day it took me overnight to download 3Dmark.  

I have Red Dead Redemption in my library but at 128tb that's 2-3 weeks of downloading.  

 

 

[King_PIN]

5 hours ago, Colty said:

Since something like Plex/Kodi/Nas can be a true original 1:1 copy of what's on the disc, there's shouldn't be anything lost there unless you're re-transcoding it (like to play on something that doesn't support HEVC). This assumes you store a 1:1 copy, but it's an important note. 

Netflix, Vudu, Hulu, Amazon all won't stream full UHD disc bitrate (and typically don't use standard X265 HEVC) to your home, but you can configure Plex (and the others) to stream that locally. I can get full Redux (1:1 disc) copies for my local server. The quality will entirely depend on how your local server copy was made. (web rip, 1:1 disc copy, compressed disc copy, ect) 

That being said... I have a PS5 which has a UHD player, I have UHD discs. I still use Plex and my ChromeCast most of the time. It's easier and I have a 10TB HDD so having high quality rips of my media isn't a big deal.

I would be interested in seeing UHD Disc vs a "Redux" rip on the same player. I doubt there would be any noticeable difference.

I also just like Plex because of things like extra configuration, skipping advertisements, piracy warnings, ect. 

Yup.  I use my OPPO 4k player for 4k movies and if I'm watching something I really want to see and hear to the best it can be without any chance of buffering or dropouts which can always happen with casting in my home.  

I used to use PLEX but had so many troubles with it.  No matter what I did I couldn't play a 1080p movie at a decent bitrate.  It would have to be around 2-4mbps.  

I now use Emby and have no issues playing the bluray at it's native bitrate which is up around 60mbps.  

Takes me 15 minutes to burn each bluray and then it goes on the shelf for safe keeping.  

[tikker]

10 hours ago, Colty said:

It's not really any "hassle" to get Plex/Kodi up and running to distribute your library. I'm also legally in the clear to make a copy, then stream that local copy to my TV, to my phone, and to my buddy's Chromecast when I head over to his house. It's just the same as if I had brought the disc over, or logged into Vudu and casted, but it's actually way less hassle.

What is the legality of breaking copy protection over there? That's been a continous point of gray area here. Making a copy for home use is allowed, but breaking copy protection is illegal so for copy-protected discs there is no legally sound way to make that home copy.

[Commodus]

6 hours ago, King_PIN said:

Not really a good thing for a lot of people who don't have decent enough internet to stream or download like me living in the country.  

The other day it took me overnight to download 3Dmark.  

I have Red Dead Redemption in my library but at 128tb that's 2-3 weeks of downloading.  

 

 

Sorry — I didn't mean to dismiss concerns for people who can't get (or justify) a fast internet connection. I know we need to improve the coverage of and accessibility for broadband to make streaming more practical. I just see that more as a matter of "when" than "if."

 

Out of curiosity, are you eligible for SpaceX's Starlink? Heard quite a few good things about it. Might just make high-speed internet practical in rural areas.

[King_PIN]

8 hours ago, Commodus said:

Sorry — I didn't mean to dismiss concerns for people who can't get (or justify) a fast internet connection. I know we need to improve the coverage of and accessibility for broadband to make streaming more practical. I just see that more as a matter of "when" than "if."

 

Out of curiosity, are you eligible for SpaceX's Starlink? Heard quite a few good things about it. Might just make high-speed internet practical in rural areas.

It's all good.  

High Speed Internet is still something that is lacking to a lot of people in Canada especially those in rural locations. 

I moved to SK 6 years ago and chose to live in the country for the peace and quiet and safety.  I don't even lock my doors when I go out for the day. 

But I had to take things into consideration like crappy internet.  Started at 2/.5 speeds and now recently has gone to 10/2. 

Cool thing is last year they voted on trenching Fibre here and it's almost all done so by January I will be running 2.5gb up and down. 

 

I got sick 4 years ago and became a hermit.  In one year I bought over 1500 blurays and 500 dvd's because I could barely watch youtube without constant buffering. 

 

I was on Starlink waiting list but they aren't here yet and when fibre came to fruition I cancelled it.  

[Commodus]

14 hours ago, King_PIN said:

It's all good.  

High Speed Internet is still something that is lacking to a lot of people in Canada especially those in rural locations. 

I moved to SK 6 years ago and chose to live in the country for the peace and quiet and safety.  I don't even lock my doors when I go out for the day. 

But I had to take things into consideration like crappy internet.  Started at 2/.5 speeds and now recently has gone to 10/2. 

Cool thing is last year they voted on trenching Fibre here and it's almost all done so by January I will be running 2.5gb up and down. 

 

I got sick 4 years ago and became a hermit.  In one year I bought over 1500 blurays and 500 dvd's because I could barely watch youtube without constant buffering. 

 

I was on Starlink waiting list but they aren't here yet and when fibre came to fruition I cancelled it.  

I would certainly pass on Starlink if that fibre lives up to the billing... that's better than I can even get here in Ottawa! I'll be curious to know how your viewing habits change if at all. You can stream virtually anything with 2.5Gbps.