DVDFab + My Own DVDs = Couch Convenience

I don't know if it's legal or not, but if you use DVDFab with the Mobile option set to XVID video + MP3 audio (both supported by the XBOX 360 if you have the latest updates installed), you can rip the movie from your DVD (no menus, extras, etc) onto a network share (I use my Windows Home Server box), scroll through them on my XBOX 360 and play them back with a/v quality high enough that I can't tell the difference (and I don't have the quality cranked as high as it goes by any means).

Each movie takes roughly 1GB, so I can get all of my DVDs stored for the cost of two weeks' worth of lattes (although I'm really just using the spare space on my 1.4TB of WHS storage). Plus, since I'm still in the 30-day trial period of DVDFab, if I hurry, I could rip them all for free (although for the $40, DVDFab Gold is definitely worth the price). It generally takes about 45 minutes per movie, so I'll be flipping a lot of DVDs during the next 30 days and I haven't bothered to figure out how to get DVD metadata, e.g. cover art, etc, but other than that, the experience is a wonderful one. In fact, since I hate going through all the previews and menus, just picking the movie from a list and having it playing immediately is a better experience that a DVD in many ways.

The only thing that could make this better is if WHS or Windows Media Center Edition had this feature built in. I'm guessing I'm breaking some laws by doing this, but to me, it sounds like fair use. I'm backing up the DVDs that I already own to a HDD. The fact that I can watch them without getting out of my couch doesn't change the fact that the DVDs are right there on my shelf, purchased fair and square.

Oh, well, if the police want to come for me, they know where I am. : )

The problem is the brain-dead Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA), which makes it illegal merely to break the encryption on a DVD, regardless of how you use the content. I'm not sure, however, if you can be prosecuted for using decryption software, or if they would have to go after the makers of DVDFab (who are in China, I believe, and therefore outside the jurisdiction of the DMCA).

My Movies 2 (www.mymovies.dk) is my favorite DVD (or movies as files on hard disk) manager. It's free and you can just use the catalog manager to get cover art/etc or also use it as a Media Center plug-in.

Hi Chris,

What are you using to stream the media? PVConnect (as of PP1)? WMP11?

I use PVConnect and am pretty happy with it, although there are some strange bugs when updating the list of folders to share.

DVDFab should create a file namde dvdid.xml. Rename it to movie-title.dvdid.xml (where movie-title is the name of the movie) and Media Center will download the metadata for you. If you don't have the file go to dvdxml.com and get it from there.

Regards.

I just use whatever's built into the XBOX 360 -- nothing else is required.

No I meant on your WHS box. Something needs to be streaming media to your 360. Or do you copy the files manually or something?

@ Kent: WHS comes with Windows Media Connect, which can stream to extenders.

You are not indeed doing anything illegal -- since you own the DVDs you are within your fair use rights to make personal copies.

You are also NOT violating the DMCA. DMCA makes it illegal to break copy protection irrespective of whether or not it is fair use. But what DVDFab (like many other DVD s/w apps) is doing is using the loophole of copying without breaking copy protection. It is simply "playing" the DVD contents to a buffer, the contents of which is persisted to the network share. (That is why no menus/extras etc. are preserved since its not a image copy, its just 'playing', i.e. doing what every DVD player in the world does). Some software allow you to increase 'playback' speed while recording, which is what DVDFab seems to be doing since it takes you ~45 minutes. Reminds me of the "high-speed" dubbing/recording features of 1980s audio cassette recorders.

-- Revi

Ah yes, WMC - that's right. I remember trying that out when I first got my WHS box. However, it just didn't cut it (didn't stream almost all my media) so I switched to WMP11 which was far better but lacking in an integrated interface.

HP recently released PVConnect as an update to their WHS software (sorry, not part of PP1 at all). PVConnect has been the best so far, apart from a buggy interface.

I store my movies as ISO's then use Magic Disk to watch them... That way they are high quality and I don't have to burn disks (unless I want to). And actually for what you can buy a TB Drive for these days it's almost the same price as blank disks and cases, especially if you're going to use a ton of ink making covers...

Sorry revi, your analysis is wrong. DVDFab does violate DMCA. It is not simply "playing" the DVD.