Ripped Music DVD Gotchas

Posted by: Mr Underhill on 10 June 2012

Just finished ripping all my music DVDs, and thought I'd note a few of the techniques I have used.

I am working on Linux, but much of the software is available for Windows.


In an earlier post I wrote how I was ripping to mkv, mkv being a container that can hold an audio and a video stream:

https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...nt/15504822855003931


This generally works as advertised via MakeMkv ....but, you often end up with a large single mkv file.

This is fine in many players, such as VLC, as the chapters have been ripped as well ...but, my BlueRay players see the one file as a chapter, which is a pain.


The solution I have used is to divide the large file into smaller ones, based on the captured chapters.


Dividing Music MKV file into Smaller Track Based Files

Load and use MkvMerge.

 

1. Add the target ripped mkv file via add on the Input tab.

2. Go to the toolbar, select Chapter Editor > Load, and load the SAME file.
    This iterates through the file and captures the chapter detail, which is then displayed

    in the Chapter Editor tab.
3. Go to the toolbar, select Chapter Editor > Load, and Save As, give the file a name.
4. Open the file in a text editor. Delete everyting APART from the times, which you seperate

    with a comma.
5. Go to the Global tab.
    Click Enable Splitting and link files.

    Select '...after timecodes:' and paste the comma delimited times into the dialogue box.
6. Check the Output filename, and ensure the files will be called something you

    find acceptable.
7. Click 'Start Muxing'.

You're done.


MKV Reports No LPCM Filter When Ripping DVD With PCM Soundtrack

Every now and then MakeMkv fails to rip a PCM soundtracked DVD, reporting that it is missing a filter. I believe this MAY be due to mis-reporting of the LPCM track type.

To get round this I:

1. Use MakeMkv to JUST rip the VIDEO - de-select the PCM soundtrack;
2. Load & use DVD::Rip to rip the DVD to a series of VOB files;
3. 'cat' the tracks to create a single VOB file, e.g.
        cat dd-001.vob dd-002.vob dd-003.vob dd-004.vob > bld.vob
4. Use mplayer to extract the PCM soundtrack:
        mplayer -vc dummy -vo null -ao pcm:file=bld.wav bld.vob
5. Mux the two files together using MkvMerge -> mkv file.
        On the Input tab add both the video & wav files, click 'Start Muxing'.

 


Getting WAV file From MKV

There is music on many of my music DVDs that I would like to listen to via the NS01, and unfortunately I don't think name are going to set up the box to stream mkv files any time soon!

In Linux I:

1. Rip the mkv - as previous thread;
2. Divide the mkv into tracks - as above;
3. Go to the command line and move to the directory containing the files I want to

        extract the WAV from;

4. Use this command:
        find . -type f -exec ffmpeg -i '{}' -vn -acodec copy '{}'.wav \;


Hope this may be of assistance to you.

M
   

Posted on: 10 June 2012 by Geoff P

Thanks for the comprehensive summary of some of the 'joys' of ripping the audio from DVDs.

 

I have used 'DVD Extractor' on a 30 day free trial to rip all my music oriented DVDs using my PC. I have to say it worked flawlessly getting me a set of Chapters every time and of course supplying the chapters in WAV format which I can then play direct from my KDS/1.

 

Typically they are 48/24 files ripped from my DVD Videos but those from the DVD Audio discs I have are mostly extracted at 96/24 and a couple even let me have 192/24 but they all sound excellent including the 48/24

 

regards

Geoff

Posted on: 10 June 2012 by Mr Underhill

Hi G,

 

Just to emphasise - MakeMkv does extract the chapters, it is just that the client in the BlueRay players doesn't make use of them, hence having to get at that data and physically split the file.

 

If you are only ripping DVDs, and not BluRays, MakeMkv is free.

 

The reason I plumped for MakeMkv is that it doesn't process the stream, and potentially degrade it, just passes it through.

 

I use DVD-A Explorer for ripping DVD-A. But have also used DVDAudioExtractor.

 

I am sure there are many roads to Rome.

 

M

Posted on: 11 June 2012 by Geoff P

Hi M

 

Can I ask... do you get 96/24 and higher LPCM off your DVDs, if it is there, using MakeMkv?

 

G

Posted on: 11 June 2012 by Mr Underhill

Hi G,

 

The highest Res you can get onto a standard DVD is 9624.

 

I used to rip all my DVD-A to 9624, then burn them to DVD, so that I could play them back through a Meridian DVD player I have - and I've still got the disks.

 

I just loaded up the DVD I have of 'Bare Naked Ladies' and fired up MakeMkv ....and:

 

Sees the audio track, 2 channel LPCM, 9624.

...and ripped it.

 

So yes, it will work with DVD.

 

I then remembered that Dave Gilmour's Live at the RFH has a HiDef track. Just checked, and yes, MakeMkv captured the LPCM soundtrack as 24/48 - which is what is on the DVD.

 

If I just wanted the soundtrack off a DVD on Linux I'd probably look at using something like:

 

transcode -i /dev/dvd -x dvd -T <title#>,<track#> -a 0 -y wav -m <name>.wav

 

...or mplayer.

 

M

Posted on: 12 June 2012 by Geoff P

Hi M

 

I have quite a few DVD-A's  as well as several Concert DVD-V's. That together with up to 192/24 streaming capability has me interested in MakeMKV but it has to be via good old Windows either XP or 7.

As a novice here, what would be the sequence to extract the audio stream at the highest res available on a given disc via a Wn PC and convert it to LPCM that I can then pop on my NAS and stream to my KDS?

You talked about doing that in Linux in post 1. Is it feasible in Windows land or should I just forget it?

 

Ta 

 

G

Posted on: 12 June 2012 by Mr Underhill

Geoff,

 

MakeMkv is available for windows.

 

I use DVDAexplorer to rip DVD-As - which is a Windows piece of software.

 

DVDAexplorer

 

When you rip with it DVDAexplorer lists the various tracks, and you select what you want.

 

You end up with a series of WAV files.

 

If the disc doesn't have a stereo track you can create down-mix the 5.1 into stereo - works well.

 

 

MakeMkv

 

Just to re-iterate, and if this is teaching grandmother to suck etc ...apologies:

 

Take one of your DVD-Vs and load it into your DVD drive, and fire up MakeMkv.

Once the DVD is loaded hit the button, which reads the DVD, and determines what is on there.

 

When it is finished you can select what you want to rip: The movie (mpeg), with one or more of the soundtracks; Or, just a soundtrack.

 

If it has an LPCM soundtrack you can just select that.

 

Sometimes the disk is authored so that it has one rippable track per song (chapter). Frequently it then has an additional single track, which can rip all the chapters into one file - you can tell as it gives the sizes.

 

If the only option is one single large file then you can use Audacity to open up the file and cut it into tracks.

 

In simple mode MakeMkv will only allow you to rip at the max res, but as that is what I want I haven't looked at some of the other options.

 

 

I have also used dvdaudioextractor.exe on windows for getting soundtracks off DVD-V discs hitorically.

 

NAS

 

I store these files on a share on my NAS and stream them via my NS01; including 44.1/24; 48/24; 96/24; 192/24.

 

 

 

It really is very straight forward. If you have any issues just post back. Hope this helps.

 

M

Posted on: 12 June 2012 by Geoff P

Hi M

 

Thanks for the comprehensive guide.

I misunderstood your earlier posting by thinking that I would end up with .mkv files which would then have to be transcoded by a separate piece of software to turn them into LPCM or such.

 

The only thing I am not clear about is what MKV does in the case where the disc only offers a Dolby or DTS stereo downmix rather than LPCM. In these circumstances, with DVDAudio Extractor, I typically get an option to save at a highest resolution of 48/24.

 

regards

Geoff

Posted on: 13 June 2012 by Mr Underhill

Hi Geoff,

 

You are right, with MakeMkv you will always end up with an mkv container.

 

...and you are also right what I wrote above is fluent b********s, it will always rip the mpeg, IF there is one.

 

You then need to get the LPCM track out of the mkv container, in Linux I use ffmpeg to do this, e.g.

 

ffmpeg -i BillyJoel-TheUltimateCollection_LPCM.mkv -vn -sn -acodec copy BillyJoel-TheUltimateCollection_LPCM.wav

 

Is ffmpeg available for windows?

 

Yes:

 

http://ffmpeg.zeranoe.com/builds/

 

M

Posted on: 14 June 2012 by Geoff P

Hi M

 

Thanks for the response. I think we are getting on the same wavelength now.

 

I took a look at your link and it scared me half to death. I have never been clued in to command line even back when DOS was the actual file/disk etc interface rather than being buried under windows.

 

I read a bit and I sort of get your example Linux command line is telling ffmpeg to take Billy J LPCM.mkv as produced by MakeMKV and create a copy of Billy J as LPCM.wav.

 

- Am I correct in thinking that I just need ffmpeg to do this?

- AND more importantly is your Linux command line example going to be worded and spaced exactly the same to run on a Windows PC using the 'run' command?

- Also of the multiple 'builds' listed in your web link which one would I choose? I assume a 32bit version will run on a 64bit machine?

 

Bet you wished you never posted this thread.

 

Geoff

Posted on: 18 June 2012 by Mr Underhill

G,

 

Rather than guess I'll do some tests and get back to you.

 

If it helps you get a result I'm more than happy to help!

 

M

Posted on: 19 June 2012 by Geoff P

Wow thanks. I really appreciate that.

 

If it gets complex and time consuming don't spend too much of your valuable time on it.

 

Regards

Geoff

Posted on: 20 June 2012 by Mr Underhill

Hi G,

 

A new gotcha:

 

I downloaded MakeMkv for windows and installed it. When I tried to run it up it informed me that the licence had expired, and I needed to buy it.

 

In fact the was incorrect. There is a beta licence on the MakeMkv site. I clicked to register the product and put in that temporary key, and was off and running.

 

I see there is a new version out today 1.7.5

 

I then downloaded the 32-bit stable version of ffmpeg, from the URL.

 

You can download a 64 bit version as well.

 

This download comes in a .7z file, so I downloaded 7zip and expanded the file.

 

In the bin sub-directory there are the compiled version of the files - which I copied into the System32 directory:

 

C:\Windows\System32

 

This is on the PATH, and so the programs will always be 'seen' in a command window.

 

I ripped Michael Jackson's 1 DVD, that has an LPCM 2.0 16/48 soundtrack = 5.5GB.

 

I copied this to the root of the C:\ drive.

 

I opened a command window and CD'd to C:\

 

I then carried out this command:

 

ffmpeg -i Michael_Jackson_1_S_t00.mkv -vn -acodec copy MJ.wav

 

This create a 1GB wav file.

 

Properties shows it to be:

 

Bit Rate          1536kbps

Audio Sample Size     16 bit

Channels          2

Audio Sample Rate     48KHz

Audio Format          PCM

 

M

 

Posted on: 21 June 2012 by Geoff P

M

 

Thanks very much for your excellent 'Help' advice. I will have a go though it maybe a couple ofdays before I get to it.

 

Will report back

 

Regards

G

Posted on: 25 June 2012 by Geoff P

Hi M

 

Well I picked the Eagles 'When hell freezes over' DVD-V to experiment with. I got MakeMKV working on the PC and discovered this was one of those discs where you just get 1 massive file. I extracted the single large WAV from the .MKV file using ffmpeg which came out as expected, reported as 48/16.

 

I had previously extracted this DVD Video using 'DVD Audio Extractor' which had allowed me to create a set of individual track files at 48/24. I played the single large 48/16 long enough to get a good sense of the sound then played the equivalent 48/24 tracks. It was a clear win for the 48/24 files out of DVD Audio Extractor.

 

Interestingly I also ran the .MKV -> WAV route on my MAC for which there is a piece of software called 'EasiestSoft Video Converter' which also allows you to set up a WAV extraction. This worked smoothly again giving a single large 48/16 file. Listening to this it was on a par with the PC version.

 

So for DVD it seems DVD Audio Extractor does a good job. 

 

I don't have a drive capable of reading BD disks so my interest in this ends with DVD for now. 

 

Thanks very much for the work you put in to educate me on how to do it using MakeMKV I appreciate it.

 

Regards

G

Posted on: 26 June 2012 by Mr Underhill

Hi G,

 

No probs.

 

I'll duplicate your work and see if I find a difference as well.

 

M