How to Play DVD ISO's?

[BigBirdy]

I have read/seen reference to something called "Virtual Clone Drive" is needed to play DVD's ripped as ISO's. However, I run STV on a Linux box so does this make a difference? Can I not play DVD's as ISO's? Boxee running on the same server, can play them fine.

[PGPfan]

Virtual Clone Drive is software written by Slysoft, the creators of AnyDVD, etc. To the best of my knowledge, it is only a Windows program so I'm not sure about Linux. Perhaps it'd be best to post this question in the SageTV Linux OEM subforum to see if anybody there has any experience with ISO's.

-PGPfan

[Fuzzy]

I'm not sure it sage will auto mount the ISO's on linux (like it does on windows with Virtual Clone Drive), but you should be able to mount your iso's into an sage import folder and sage should recognize them as VIDEO_TS folders. I'm betting a script could be made to automatically do this with all ISO's in a given directory.

[cenwesi]

If i am not mistaken i thought the latest version of save v7 was able to play ISO directly without mounting it?

[BigBirdy]

Thanks for everyones response. If I have to individually "mount" every ISO I want to play, then SageTV is not a workable solution for me. I have many, many ISO's and there are many other solutions that can play them directly (Boxee, MythTV etc), so this really should be something that works right out of the box. Right now I cant even get them listed in the "Folder/Files" view.

[Fuzzy]

It works in windows fine with virtual clone drive installed. I honestly don't know about linux support for mounting the iso's.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by cenwesi

If i am not mistaken i thought the latest version of save v7 was able to play ISO directly without mounting it?

Extenders can, software needs VCD.

[Narflex]

The SageTV Linux software can handle ISO files by default. It doesn't need anything extra installed so long as the oeprating system has the ability to mount ISOs (which pretty much any Linux install can). Score another one for Linux over Windows.

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by Narflex

The SageTV Linux software can handle ISO files by default. It doesn't need anything extra installed so long as the oeprating system has the ability to mount ISOs (which pretty much any Linux install can). Score another one for Linux over Windows.

That was my gut thought on the matter, though BigBirdy's question made me think otherwise...

[BigBirdy]

Thanks again fellas, I think I need to check a bit more into the extensions "seen" by STV since it still does not list the iso's anywhere, even when viewing by folder/files

[cenwesi]

Originally Posted by Narflex

The SageTV Linux software can handle ISO files by default. It doesn't need anything extra installed so long as the oeprating system has the ability to mount ISOs (which pretty much any Linux install can). Score another one for Linux over Windows.

So could you explain what i need to tell sage what to do about the ISO. I have a test ISO i just created and sagetv linux can see it, but when i tried playing it is says there is no mediaplayer that can play back the selected file.

PS: i have VLC, totem, couple other players installed and they all play the file just fine.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by Narflex

The SageTV Linux software can handle ISO files by default. It doesn't need anything extra installed so long as the oeprating system has the ability to mount ISOs (which pretty much any Linux install can). Score another one for Linux over Windows.

Then how about a Linux demo so we can see how awesome it is without dropping $80 for a license <poke poke, jab jab>

[Grant.Edwards]

Originally Posted by BigBirdy

I have read/seen reference to something called "Virtual Clone Drive"
is needed to play DVD's ripped as ISO's.

Sounds like a band-aid for one of Windows' design flaws to me.

However, I run STV on a Linux box so does this make a
difference?

Yes.

Can I not play DVD's as ISO's?

You can play DVD ISO images on Linux without having to install any 3rd
party kludges. It "just works". Put the ISO images in a directory
that is being imported into media center, and then play them.

[Grant.Edwards]

Originally Posted by cenwesi

So could you explain what i need to tell sage what to do about the
ISO. I have a test ISO i just created and sagetv linux can see it, but
when i tried playing it is says there is no mediaplayer that can play
back the selected file.

PS: i have VLC, totem, couple other players installed and they all
play the file just fine.

You don't have to "tell" sage anything. You just need an unencrypted
ISO image as created by any of the DVD ripping apps. I've ripped
dozens of DVDs and Sage was able to play all of them without problem.

I usually tell my ripping program to stop at the point where it
creates the directory tree (since I have no actual use for an actual
ISO image), but the ISO images have always worked as well.

[BigBirdy]

Hmm, something's strange then. No matter where I put the ISO's, they do not show up in the list of movies, under the "Folders" group where I can see all the other mpg or mkv movies. Checked permissions, rescanned etc. But I am trying this from a Linux placeshifter, but that shouldnt make a difference.

[Fuzzy]

I don't think Placeshifter supports DVD playback... (ISO, VIDEO_TS, or otherwise)

[jpwegas]

Originally Posted by BigBirdy

Hmm, something's strange then. No matter where I put the ISO's, they do not show up in the list of movies, under the "Folders" group where I can see all the other mpg or mkv movies. Checked permissions, rescanned etc. But I am trying this from a Linux placeshifter, but that shouldnt make a difference.

You should be able to see the DVDs in Media Center -> Videos, but when you play them via Placeshifter it will report "There is no MediaPlayer that can playback the selected file".

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

I don't think Placeshifter supports DVD playback... (ISO, VIDEO_TS, or otherwise)

Fuzzy is correct. If you have your DVD ISOs (or VIDEO_TS) in one of the media import directories running Sage on your Linux server, you can:

• Watch the DVD over an HD100/200/300 extender or MVP
• Watch the DVD from a Sage Client (Windows or Mac) IF the directory containing the DVD ISOs (or VIDEO_TS) are mounted from the server to the local machine AND the path to the ISOs (or VIDEO_TS) is the same. (Generally this requires you to create some symlinks)

You cannot watch DVD ISOs (or VIDEO_TS) via Placeshifter.

--John

[medwynd]

Originally Posted by jpwegas

You cannot watch DVD ISOs (or VIDEO_TS) via Placeshifter.

--John

I think I remember this being the case as well and is what stopped me from buying placeshifter clients for when the wife is on the road.