Hard drive that you can load all of your DVDs onto and play straight through your TV??
Nearest thing iv found is Apple TV, does anybody know of anything similar?
Nearest thing iv found is Apple TV, does anybody know of anything similar?
Is there such a thing as a...
If you google for Icy box,which is one of the best known & pretty well tested external hard drive enclosures for media storage/playback,and fairly cheap these days too,you should find a few useful links to other options on related sites.
Plenty of Media Players available, from £50 upwards. Depends on what playback quality you want. Some can do Hi-Def video and CD-quality music. The one that I bought (Pixel Magic) sounds better than a CD player for the same price.
If you want the maximum flexibilty, and your TV has a VGA (PC) input, a laptop, mini-PC or Mac Mini is worth considering.
If you want the maximum flexibilty, and your TV has a VGA (PC) input, a laptop, mini-PC or Mac Mini is worth considering.
It needs to be compatable with my macbook, i want to be able to load my DVDs onto it and plug it straight into my TV
Maplin sell a hard drive caddy with AV outs for £30. You have to buy a HD to go in it (assuming you haven't got a shelf full of old HDs and scavenged pc parts like me) but they are dirt cheap these days.
It'll play all the main video, sound and picture files and has a little remote control too. Plus it's USB 2 so it's quick to transfer files.
EDIT
I've just checked the website and they haven't got the one I bought on there. I saw it in one of their stores a few weeks back. But they have got this one for £40.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?...97124&doy=29m8
It'll play all the main video, sound and picture files and has a little remote control too. Plus it's USB 2 so it's quick to transfer files.
EDIT
I've just checked the website and they haven't got the one I bought on there. I saw it in one of their stores a few weeks back. But they have got this one for £40.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?...97124&doy=29m8
Thanks a lot Stu. I actually do have random computer parts scattered throughout my home but sadly I am wanting a massive HD (500gb ish)
Popped into my local maplin today and they have a media centre with 500gb hard drive for £129.99 reduced from £169.99 (I think) in their sale and its mac compatable so I may buy that.
ATM Im toying with the fact of do I need it or not. Would be nice not to need my DVDs anymore (as I do have a lot and they take up a fair amount of space) but it will take AGESSSSS!!!! to transfer all of my video files onto the HD.
I did pop into another local electrical store yesterday and they had a similar set up with a built in DVD but the person in the know about it wasnt around so I need to pop back. I guess it wont be as cheap as the maplin version and its a lot bigger but would be a quicker process.
I wish I wasnt so indecisive and tight with my cash because after also visiting the apple store in Birmingham today Im fancying Apple TV as I can control that with my Ipod Touch.
Choices, Choice, Choice.....
Popped into my local maplin today and they have a media centre with 500gb hard drive for £129.99 reduced from £169.99 (I think) in their sale and its mac compatable so I may buy that.
ATM Im toying with the fact of do I need it or not. Would be nice not to need my DVDs anymore (as I do have a lot and they take up a fair amount of space) but it will take AGESSSSS!!!! to transfer all of my video files onto the HD.
I did pop into another local electrical store yesterday and they had a similar set up with a built in DVD but the person in the know about it wasnt around so I need to pop back. I guess it wont be as cheap as the maplin version and its a lot bigger but would be a quicker process.
I wish I wasnt so indecisive and tight with my cash because after also visiting the apple store in Birmingham today Im fancying Apple TV as I can control that with my Ipod Touch.
Choices, Choice, Choice.....
Not sure you can get a device that will rip DVDs. You need dodgy software for a PC to do that.
You can rip on PC or download off net, but there is no hardware only DVD ripper TTBOMK. Also, downloading off net might cause legal issues.
You can rip on PC or download off net, but there is no hardware only DVD ripper TTBOMK. Also, downloading off net might cause legal issues.
Na, nothing illegal. It just rips the DVD content to the hard drive creating a back up, its not reproducing, just backing up.
Originally Posted by cussywoo:
“Na, nothing illegal. It just rips the DVD content to the hard drive creating a back up, its not reproducing, just backing up.”
“Na, nothing illegal. It just rips the DVD content to the hard drive creating a back up, its not reproducing, just backing up.”
Pardon??
What is backing up if it isn't reproducing?
Anyway - no one box DVD "BACKUP" solutions either, except for a personal computer.
But, of course, always pleased to learn something new - point me in the right direction.
Its not being reproduced for resale. If you dont have anything constructive to say dont post anything at all because sarcasm has got me no further in m search...
By the way.... Ipods give you the option to burn CDs to your Ipod, simpily this is backing your music up to a portable hard drive device...
By the way.... Ipods give you the option to burn CDs to your Ipod, simpily this is backing your music up to a portable hard drive device...
It's not sarcasm, it is fact. Yes you can copy/rip/backup (call it what you like) CDs, no problem, but there is no way to copy DVDs without a computer whether they are for sale or not.
If you can't keep a civil tongue, then I'm obviously wasting my time and will use my experience to help those that truly need and appreciate it.
The Apple TV won't allow you to copy DVD Videos either.
If you can't keep a civil tongue, then I'm obviously wasting my time and will use my experience to help those that truly need and appreciate it.
The Apple TV won't allow you to copy DVD Videos either.
Sorry, can't help with Mac stuff but it's possibly worth scouring the AVForums Mac section here. If you can't specifically find what you're looking for, maybe ask in a new thread - there are some very knowledgeable bods on there and I'm sure someone will have a Mac specific solution.
WRT ripping DVDs - I think in the USA they have a "fair usage" policy, which allows you to make backups for personal use. AFAIK, no such ruling exists in this country, so ripping isn't really legal. Can't see anyone being prosecuted, though.
As a Mac user, I still use Windows for ripping DVDs and Cds, purely because there is PC software available to do just about anything. My Mac dual-boots to XP, and my 1.5GHz Intel Mini can handle DVD rips, no problem.
The Pixel Magic HD Media box that I bought a couple of years ago is just the ticket for storing rips of DVDs, CDs, etc. I've got a 320GB drive fitted, plus another 250GB external drive. You just connect it to your computer, and it's seen as a normal USB drive. Drag and drop the files onto it, then play back on your TV.
It's basically "hard drive caddy" type device, but with software that actually works, top quality video and audio chips, HDMI, network streaming ability, USB ports for daisy-chaining, etc.
Picture quality is excellent - as good as the original DVD played on my Samsung 850.
As a Mac user, I still use Windows for ripping DVDs and Cds, purely because there is PC software available to do just about anything. My Mac dual-boots to XP, and my 1.5GHz Intel Mini can handle DVD rips, no problem.
The Pixel Magic HD Media box that I bought a couple of years ago is just the ticket for storing rips of DVDs, CDs, etc. I've got a 320GB drive fitted, plus another 250GB external drive. You just connect it to your computer, and it's seen as a normal USB drive. Drag and drop the files onto it, then play back on your TV.
It's basically "hard drive caddy" type device, but with software that actually works, top quality video and audio chips, HDMI, network streaming ability, USB ports for daisy-chaining, etc.
Picture quality is excellent - as good as the original DVD played on my Samsung 850.
There are tools for the Mac such as MacTheRipper that will copy DVD's to your hard disk.
Search Google.
Where you would go from there depends on what the playback device supports. I would assume though you would just be able to copy the extracted contents in a folder to the destination device that should simply be able to recognize the IFO and VOB files..
Search Google.
Where you would go from there depends on what the playback device supports. I would assume though you would just be able to copy the extracted contents in a folder to the destination device that should simply be able to recognize the IFO and VOB files..
Originally Posted by Willith:
“There are tools for the Mac such as MacTheRipper that will copy DVD's to your hard disk.
Search Google.
Where you would go from there depends on what the playback device supports. I would assume though you would just be able to copy the extracted contents in a folder to the destination device that should simply be able to recognize the IFO and VOB files..”
“There are tools for the Mac such as MacTheRipper that will copy DVD's to your hard disk.
Search Google.
Where you would go from there depends on what the playback device supports. I would assume though you would just be able to copy the extracted contents in a folder to the destination device that should simply be able to recognize the IFO and VOB files..”
Thanks for that, I'll give that program a try.
I currently save my DVDs as .iso folders, which just contain the ifo and vob files in a video_ts folder.
The Mac forum that I use is very wary about discussing ripping.
