Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with dvd

How to fix the LOUD and the quiet on my TV?

zardoz — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:58:17 -0800

When I watch a movie on my TV, the audio is very LOUD and the dialogue is often quiet. I have to turn up the volume--way up--to hear dialogue and then BAM! An action scene with lots of explosions and heavy music forces me to turn it way down. The constant switching drives me nuts! I have a Toshiba Regza HDTV with (I am assuming) the built-in, basic stereo speakers. My player is an LG Blu Ray player. I don't think either are necessarily the culprit as I have friends with different TVs and players who have the same problem.

I don't have any speaker setup or audio equipment. Just the player and the TV.

This is really apparent when watching movies, whether they be Blu Rays, DVDs, or backed up movies on my computer's hard drive (that my player can handle as a media player as well). This soft/loud problem happens with all of them. Regular TV shows, oddly, don't really have a big issue with this--those volume levels are pretty even (not including commercials, but that's a whole other issue).

What advice have you, masters of AV products? I imagine it's the settings on both the TV and the player...what should I be doing?

I want The Wonder Years on DVD

crossoverman — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 15:49:29 -0800

I know the TV series The Wonder Years will never be released on DVD due to the substantial music rights issues. Even the versions available for streaming on Amazon and Netflix are altered, ie. Joe Cocker's theme song, his cover of A Little Help from My Friends is replaced by something else. Is the original version of the show available in a decent format somewhere? I know there are some websites (I think based on Asia) that produce full box sets of shows that are yet to be released on DVD, but I'm wondering if people have recommendations - given it's difficult to know how reliable these sites are in terms of shipping and the quality of the product.

There doesn't seem to be a good torrent either, although if someone knows of one, that would work. Someone uploaded some decent TV rips to an LJ comm a couple of years ago, but I only grabbed the first season and a half.

Home Media Nightmare?

drjimmy11 — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 14:29:32 -0800

I'd like to play blu-ray discs and stream Netflix. It shouldn't be this hard. Here are some devices I've gone through:

1) Cheap blu-ray player. Stopped playing discs after a few months.
2) Roku HD. Worst product I have ever owned. Worked partially at best; stopped working completely in less than a year. (This was a few years ago and I hear they may have gotten better, but man what a piece of shit! I had to unplug and reset it any time it went idle for 15 minutes and that was when it "worked.")
3) LG Blu Ray player with network connection. Netflix worked fine, refused to play any blue-ray disc within a year, including those just out of box.
4) Sony Blu Ray player with network connection. Netflix impossible to set up. UI is literally the worst I have ever seen- no error messaging of any kind, just screen refresh. Currently packaging up to return.

So: Is there a device that does these seemingly simple things? I'd rather have one device, but if there is nothing that reliably does both I will buy two. I would consider Apple TV, though I have no interest in any Apple/iTunes-centric features. I am very tech literate, but not really interested in haxx0r set-ups or Raspberry pis right now- just want devices that work out of the box and keep working reliably.

Thanks.

I can SEE that this is a burned disk.

gauche — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 08:05:35 -0800

DVD-R data archives from an old computer are showing up as blank disks on all the new computers I've tried them with. What can I do to get my data? A long time ago, I burned a bunch of documents and other data to three DVD-R discs and put them in a jewel case for safekeeping. I burned them using the SuperDrive from a 2003 15" Apple TiBook. I now have a 2010 Aluminum MacBook Pro, as well as access to a HP laptop and a Lenovo desktop.

The DVD drives on all of these computers indicate that these disks are blank. A quick google searching of this problem suggests multiple solutions including, on the Windows side, deleting and reinstalling DVD player drivers, and lens cleaner / compressed air / purchase of an external drive on the Mac side.

I guess my question is, before I futz with the drivers on my work computer, or buy an external drive for my Mac, does anybody have any ideas what's going on or how to troubleshoot this? Many, many thanks in advance.

Need advice on archiving my CD/DVD collection.

Mantix — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 09:34:22 -0800

Here's what I want to do. 1. put cd/dvd in drive of computer 2. rip it 3. software places files in folder structure I define 4. spits out cd/dvd and does it all over again. Ultimately what I'd like to do is create a digital library of all my music and movies in one central place so my smart tv/computers/tablets/phones have access to the media whenever and wherever. Please flood me with suggestions. I'm a noob at this.

Best DVD commentaries?

litnerd — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 05:01:46 -0800

I'm thinking of doing a free trial of Netflix's DVD program. I love listening to commentary tracks. What are some of your favorite commentaries on film/tv show dvds (specific seasons, please!)? There are a couple questions on this already, but none I could find since 2008, so I think this warrants a re-ask.

Ripping Gaiam DVD for iPad - Handbrake Not Helping

Atrahasis — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 15:12:37 -0800

I am trying to rip a few of my favorite Gaiam yoga DVDs for my iPad. I used Handbrake, but the ripped file resulted in a distorted picture (though the sound was fine). I tried various Handbrake settings, but the result was the same. How can I make this work, and view my DVD on my own device (damn you, DRM!)?

Recommendations for a desktop printer that plays well with DVDs/CDs

ethel — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 17:33:06 -0800

My work has to produce sometimes one, sometimes two at most DVDs when we do a transfer of an older video recording to digital file. We're looking to purchase a desktop printer for use with DVDs, and I'm hoping the mefi community has recommendations! Right now we have a Epson RX595 and have about $400-500 in the budget to purchase a new printer. Does anyone out there have a good recommendation for a printer that works well with printable DVDs in particular? I'm not seeing a lot of reviews specific to printing on these surfaces ("printable" DVDs)

I did a little research and it looks like dye based inks are bad for printing on surfaces that aren't paper because any droplet of water will smear the ink.. Otherwise we are just looking for others who have had good experiences especially for machines that are used quite a bit! Thanks in advance!

DVD/CD Organization Help

MadMadam — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 14:18:16 -0800

I've never kept my media in anything other than their original cases, but my DVD's take up too much room and I want to put them into some sort of organizer. Any product reccomendations or advice would be appreciated! I have too many DVDs and CD's laying around. The DVD cases take up too much room for my liking so I was thinking about removing them from the cases and putting them into some sort of book or Discgear thing, such as this http://www.amazon.com/CD3-Storage-Systems-Inc-3700-02/dp/B00007DWEA/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1357769660&sr=8-4&keywords=discgear But I've never kept my media in anything other than the original cases and I don't want to throw out all the cases and regret it. Any insight into any products that you love or any drawbacks to my plan?

As far as longevity, I'd be happy if my media stayed playable for the next 10 years. This isn't heirloom stuff, just Disney movies and what not.

Dê o dom da linguagem.

mykescipark — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 22:55:04 -0800

Interesting Portuguese-language shows on DVD? My best buddy is ridiculous with picking up languages. He's learned Portuguese in a matter of weeks and has upgraded his cable/satellite package to get more Brazilian stations to continue his immersion. For his birthday I'd like to pop for a cool TV show / series / etc. on DVD that he can enjoy as part of his latest language safari. I'm thinking something fictional but compelling in a modern drama vein might be best (since comedy rarely translates well and he's not much on fluff/pop-culture type stuff). It can be from any of the Portuguese-speaking territories. (We're in the U.S., but I am familiar with the magic of MacTheRipper, so don't let the region restrictions concern you.) Your thoughts as always appreciated!

Basic DVD/Blu-ray player?

curious nu — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 10:33:52 -0800

Looking for a basic DVD + Blu-Ray player with HDMI. Doesn't need any kind of network streaming (TV and other devices handle that already). Ideally under $100. Am okay with buying used off craigslist or something if the model is known to be pretty reliable. Suggestions?

Best way to make old PlayStation 2 region free?

nickthetourist — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 11:23:10 -0800

Best option to mod an old PlayStation 2? I have an old PS2 (Region 1- North America) and some DVD movies that are Region 2. What's the best option for mod'ing the PS2 so that I can watch any Region DVDs on my Region 1 PS2?

Are there good sources in the USA for mods?

The PS2 is an old "fat" one from 2002.

*Note - I did some searched but found old info; thinking there may be better options available.

Need help easily mailing 100 DVDs overseas

arniec — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 16:25:43 -0800

I need to ship almost 100 DVDs, many going overseas. How do I do this the easiest way possible? I know I have to fill out customs forms, determine postage to each country, etc. but is there an easy way to do this online? I have all the data of the people to whom I'm mailing discs in a spreadsheet.

The discs are uniform in size and weight so I have exact information on those.

Tracking would be preferred domestically, not sure if it's available internationally.

My ideal situation would be a site where I could either (a) reformat and upload my spreadsheet or (b) copy and paste my information (even if field by field) and then have it print out postage and all necessary customs forms.

I've been poking around the USPS site but what I'm finding does one at a time and this appears like it will take hours. I'm feeling like my situation is not unique, but I just don't know where to look having not done this before.

DVD --> MP4

duvatney — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 17:25:32 -0800

How do I pull clips out of a DVD and export them as mp4s? I've been trying to do this using vlc but all of the advice I can find online is dated, and no longer applies to the newest version that I just downloaded (2.0.4). I'm using Mac OS X 10.7.4., btw.

Need recommendation for DVD duplication

arniec — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 08:25:24 -0800

Do you have personal experience with a DVD duplication company? Need recommendations I am needing to print about 75 DVD-ROM sets. Want them shrink-wrapped, full color inserts, art on the discs. inserts, the whole 9.

I'm finding lots of places online but wonder about quality, turnaround time, etc. I was hoping for anyone with personal experience having done this if there were recommendations

I've done my Google homework but looking more for personal experiences, such as "stay away from Disc2Day.com because they were 45 days late" etc.

And I did see this previous MeFi about it http://ask.metafilter.com/65056/DVD-duplication-service-quick-and-quality-over-speed but it's 5 years old and so I'm wondering if there's more up to date information

Where to find a good online vendor for hard-to-find DVDs?

the sobsister — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 08:59:15 -0800

Any recommendations for an online vendor for out-of-print/never-released films on DVD, specifically classic musicals. I'm looking for copies of The Big Broadcast, The Big Broadcast of 1936 and The Big Broadcast of 1937. I've seen a few vendors online, but have no idea of their reliability or the quality of their product.

Did I imagine this scene from My So-Called Life?

badmoonrising — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 17:50:33 -0800

So, I absolutely loved My So-Called Life as a teenager. I recently bought the DVD and just watched the pilot episode again, but a scene I vividly remember is missing. It's about the line 'you're so beautiful, it hurts to look at you'. Angela says this to Rickie during the pilot episode while they're talking about romantic things to say before sex, and then Rayanne references it later on that episode.

The thing is, I'm absolutely positive that when I watched the series the first time round, the line was something originally said by Angela's mother, Patty, to Angela in the middle of an argument. Patty was frustrated and meant it sarcastically, but Angela mulled over it and then brought it up later as a romantic thing to say. I think maybe we don't find out the origin of the line until later, so the scene with Patty might have been a flashback?

Anyway, I just watched the pilot on DVD and Patty never said the line. In case it comes up in a later episode, I did a quick cmd+f on transcripts of all 19 episodes but the line never comes up again.

Does anyone remember this? Did I see a weird extended cut originally? (If it matters, I first watched it about ten years ago on MTV in the UK.) Or have I bought an edited DVD?

Or did I just completely hallucinate this scene? I've tried googling, but I haven't got anywhere as all the hits are about the time Angela said it.

I know this is incredibly minor, but it was one of the main things I remembered about the pilot and its absence is really puzzling me. Thanks, MeFites!

DVD region switching workaround for macbook

metaBugs — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 04:27:50 -0800

Watching European and US DVDs on a macbook pro: To avoid the region problems, can you keep your internal drive set to region 2 and use an external drive for region 1 DVDs? My SO has a macbook pro, and likes to watch films on it. She has a pile of region 2 DVDs and, when she's in the US, access to a good collection of region 1 DVDs.

The macbook was sold in Europe, and is currently set to play region 2 DVDs. As far as we can tell, she *can* change the drive's region, but only five times, and then it's locked into that last region forever.

The most obvious work around seems to be to leave the internal drive on region 2, and buy an external DVD drive, set to Region 1. Then watch European DVDs with the internal drive and US DVDs with the external. Is this possible? It feels a little too obvious.

If it is possible, what should we look for when choosing an external drive?

Is there a better solution for region switching on a macbook pro that we're overlooking?

(Yes, ripping or pirating all of her DVDs from one region then leaving the drive set to the other region is a possibility. But for reasons that are not interesting enough to get into here, we'd rather avoid doing that.)

"And right here I decided to use lens flare..."

meronym — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 15:27:28 -0800

What are your favourite DVD extras? Which DVD movie/TV shows have the best extras/bonus material? I was all set to buy The Avengers on DVD, but the extras on the UK DVD release turned out to be so unimpressive that I decided not to part with my hard-earned cash after all. It's sparked my curiosity, though: What are the best/most interesting DVD extras? Which director commentaries are genuinely interesting and/or entertaining? Are there any DVDs where the extras are truly innovative and different?

The Lord of the Rings extended edition extras are my own personal benchmark for quality bonus material. Recently I watched the 'making of' documentary on the Jaws anniversary edition DVD, which was a lot of fun. What are your recommendations?

Roku Grab Bag: Remote control volume? DVD solutions?

artlung — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 12:20:14 -0800

Roku Grab Bag: Remote control volume? DVD solutions? I recently purchased a Roku to take over video watching duties (Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, file playback through Plex Server) for my laptop.

The old setup was:

	network -> mac laptop

		-> vga cable to computer monitor (Optiquest Q20wb)

		-> 1/8" connector to computer speakers

		- remote control over audio using Rowmote App

		- bluetooth mouse to control mac

The new setup is:

	network -> roku xs 2

		-> hdmi cable to dvi-d adaprot to computer monitor (Optiquest Q20wb)

		-> 1/8" connector to computer speakers

		-> Roku remote control

		-> Roku iOS app functions as remote control

The mac had volume control using the mouse or Rowmote. The Roku appears to avoid the issue of volume altogether - so I can't mute or adjust volume, it just has dumb audio out.

I looked at some bluetooth enabled speakers, but it looks like they're more expensive than I want them to be (in the $150 range)

I looked at just getting a TV, but it seems for an LCD form factor I'm looking at $200 minimum for the (small) size I want, and I already have a screen.

I can't seem to find a simple device to put between the Roku and my speakers to control volume. Any ideas?

Any other tips for controlling Roku audio?

Also, is there a way to run DVD playback through the Roku?

I'm loving the Roku so far, so any other comments on getting the most out of the Roku are welcome. But the foremost question is really "how do I control the audio remotely."

I *could* just jump up and adjust speaker volume on the speakers, but that seems less optimal than it could be.

Thanks in advance!

Windows DVD Maker centering videos?

sandra_s — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 19:18:46 -0800

Windows DVD Maker - the files I want to burn are 16:9. The setting for DVD Aspect Ratio in WDM is 16:9. The TV it is being played on is 16:9. The resulting DVD is 16:9 but... The video on the burned DVD only takes up the center 50% of the TV screen. The 50% of the real estate of the TV screen ALL THE WAY AROUND around the video is just black.

Imagine a tic-tac-toe board made from pillarboxing and letterboxing simultaneously. The video is in the center square (rectangle).

The source files are of sufficient size that the DVD video should fill the screen.

HALP!!

:-)

I need to get all of these DVDs out of my living room

lindseyg — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 09:55:31 -0800

How do I convert my movie library to digital? I have somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 movies on DVD. It's an impressive wall of discs, but I'm tired of looking at it. How do I go about making this digital?

1. What's the best way to rip the DVDs that will preserve the quality, audio tracks, and special features?

2. Once they're ripped what's a good way of storing them? I suppose this depends on how I want to access them in the future so...

3. It is important that I can easily access the movies and watch them on my TV. Basically I want to plug something into my TV and then use it to select and watch a movie. I have a PS3 but it doesn't have much storage space. My ideal solution would not require a computer (beyond ripping the DVD, of course), but if there's something really handy with a cool interface or something I could be persuaded.

4. Once I have all these discs backed up and stored, how do I get rid of them? I re-he-HEALLY don't want to sell them unless someone would buy the whole shebang. I have everything from G-rated family films to unrated no-studio no-budget gore/horror-fests. Can I donate them to someone who needs them - maybe shelters or to the troops or something?

I am willing to invest both time and money into solving this problem. Thank you.

Looking for software for windows to tag movies and tv shows media files for itunes.

ndaguiar — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 06:48:53 -0800

I had been using a mac to keep my media files and had been using "Ripit" to rip my DVD's and "identify" to tag the resulting files and put into itunes to watch on Apple TV. Due to file space I have moved to a PC running Windows 7 to do this. And while I have found software to rip the DVD's I cannot find software to add the tags such as "synopsis", "cover art", and "episode details"? You suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Me-Fi

Search for DVD recorder with tuner

Brent Parker — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 10:22:55 -0800

I'd like to buy a brand new stand alone DVD recorder that has an over the air tuner (US) for under $200. Any recommendations? I've been searching through all the big box stores and all of the recorders that you can buy seem to come without tuners now. Hell I'd even settle for a VCR with a usuable tuner. What is going on here?

How to find a DVD drive for both my computer and TV.

bchaplin — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 04:09:13 -0800

Is there a DVD player that will work with my Mac and also connect to the HDMI port on my TV for playing movies? Bonus points if it is compact enough to carry when I travel. Love my new MacBook Air, but I don't know how to deal with no longer having an optical drive. I could get the Apple external "Superdrive" for installing from or burning to the occasional DVD or CD, but I also need to purchase a DVD player for my TV. Hopefully something that can connect directly to the HDMI port.

Is there an all-in-one, hopefully compact, device that will connect to both my computer and my TV? Surely such a thing exists and I'm just not clever enough to find it.

I'm keeping an older laptop around just for its optical drive, but this is a silly waste of money and I would like to sell it if I can solve this one problem.