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[Osho]

Hi,

Is it possible to play DVDs extracted as .iso files in MC? I can use Daemon Tools or Alcohol 52% and then play the virtual drive just fine. But, it would be really cool if I could import these .iso files in MC and MC can be configured to do virtual drive mounting using the external program.

thanks a lot!
Osho

[Qythyx]

Seconded!! This would be great. Ideally MC could just read from the ISO directly and not require some other software for mounting.

[richard.e.morton]

yes please,

and the ability to add custom file extensions for playback and import (i.e. .ts which is just an mpg stream recorded by a PVR)... oops I've already asked about this one.

Thanks

Richard

[gappie]

it is not so dificult to use mc to play iso files using a virtual drive.

import the iso file into mc and make sure that the Media Type is 'data'.
set options>cd>dvdaction:play
click on the file inside mc12, and the dvd starts to play in mc12.

edit: dont know if it makes a difference, but i use virtual clone drive.

[Osho]

it is not so dificult to use mc to play iso files using a virtual drive.

import the iso file into mc and make sure that the Media Type is 'data'.

How do I import the iso file into MC? I tried that but .iso isn't in the list of suffix that MC looks for. I must be missing something.

thanks,
Osho

[gappie]

you could just drag and drop the iso files into mc12.

or, what i like a lot, go to options>general>shelloptions: enable shell integration. this gives you a mc menu underneath the rightmouse button. right click on the files or folder you want to import (or play).

you will find the iso files then under documents in the mc tree.

gab

[Jaguu]

As far as playback of DVD movies is concerned, a more elegant way is to extract the vob files from the DVD to disk with a tool such as DVD Decrypter and convert the movie to divx or other formats. The advantage is that you get only one file that can easily be imported and save as a side effect about 2/3 of disk space.

[hit_ny]

Exactly, i don't understand why using iso files is preferable ?

Oh its bit perfect and all, but the storage (not to mention backup) costs mount significantly.

[gappie]

i can only speak for myself. but i found the quality using the iso files better, it was easier to keep undertitles and the right sound streams. and i only use it for dvd's that have problems playing from the dvd it self.

[Osho]

Also, .iso files have couple of more advantages:

• you can mount them as virtual drive and can use any DVD player software you like. Not all DVD players support playing DVD from a directory. But all software can play a virtual drive (created by either Daemon tools or Alcohol 52%). And, I like to keep my options open for future DVD players.
• Making back-ups (burning a physical DVD disc) of the DVD in case of DVD loss is easier (at least in my experience).

Osho

[scottlindner]

Has this been resolved?  I have been trying to figure out how to do exactly this.  If MC12 current supports the catalog and playback of DVDs as ISO files it is not apparent how to use this capability.  Please advise.

Cheers,
Scott

[avpman]

Has this been resolved?  I have been trying to figure out how to do exactly this.  If MC12 current supports the catalog and playback of DVDs as ISO files it is not apparent how to use this capability.  Please advise.

Cheers,
Scott

I'd also like to know. I'm getting ready to take the DVD jump and would like to do it the best and easiest way possible.
Thanks to everyone for their help on this and eveyrhing else you contribute.

[rebecca1]

I think I originally posted in the wrong thread lol!

but...

Isn't there a guide somewhere on the wiki?

I'm an mc noob, but all my dvds are on nas in iso format, works really well. This uses slysofts image mounting software in conjuction to shell integration as gappie describes.

 

[scottlindner]

Can you describe how you do this with MC12, or point us to the wiki you're referring to?

You're doing exactly what I'm doing, except i haven't made the transition from my old clunky configuration to 100% MC12.

Cheers,
Scott

[JimH]

... all my dvds are on nas in iso format, works really well ...

Maybe the confusion is ISO and IFO (/VOB).

[scottlindner]

Who do you think is confused and which direction do you think they are confused about?  I have ripped and maintain all of our DVDs as ISOs.  I currently use Daemon Tools to mount the ISO to a virtual drive so DVD software can play it back.  That is an ISO, not an IFO, but to the playing software it's a real DVD inserted into a real DVD ROM drive.

I don't believe MC needs to know how to "play" an ISO.  But it would make a whole lot of sense for it to recognize ISOs as a valid media type, and allow for the proper mounting and playback of whatever type of media it is.  The only ones that make sense to me would be DVD-Video, CD-Audio, DVD-Audio, and whatever you call Video Discs.  Then treat the ISO as such for all of the other metadata and cover art goodness MC already does very well.

It seems like some people have done this already using scripts with MC11 and MC12, but when someone asks for information on how they do it most people do not respond with the instructions, or they reference "wiki" without saying which one.  Maybe the answer is already there, but it is not apparent.

Scott

[Alex B]

I can imagine that the following would be needed.

1. an option to handle ISO as a video format instead of document.

2. an option to mount an ISO file with an external drive emulator when playback is started. This may already be possible if the .iso file type is associated with a drive emulator (on the OS level).

3. a mechanism to automatically change the "focus" to the newly mounted disc. I.e. an ISO file in the library would show up as DVD video in Playing Now when playback is started.

4. a mechanism to gather some usual media info on first playback attempt and possiblity to add cover art or create a thumbnail from the video content.

[scottlindner]

I'm not sure 2 is a possibility or necessary?  Does MC require the OS to tell it what to do for other file types such as MP3s?

There are Daemon Tools scripting tools but I haven't played around with them yet.

Scott

[Alex B]

I would have tried the number two, but I don't have a suitable ISO file available just now.

Normally MC launches the default program for "playing" document files (e.g. web browser, notepad, pdf reader etc).

Have you tried what happens if you have a "DVD" ISO in Playing Now and you try to play it? (Assuming you have configured ISO to be automatically mounted when it is opened in Windows Explorer.)

[scottlindner]

Forgive my ignorance but how does Explorer "open" an ISO as a trigger for anything take an automatic action such as automounting?

Did you want me to produce a short and small sample DVD-Video ISO to use for testing?  I did it once a while ago from a video I shot with a digital P&S camera as a little test just to see how to do it.  I'm sure I can figure it out again.

Scott

[scottlindner]

I tried DaemonScript with DaemonTools.  Using DaemonScript I could create a script file that when I double click will mount the correct ISO image to the virtual drive letter.  So I can create one daemon script file for each ISO that I have and it will mount that ISO image as a DVD ready for playback to a fixed drive letter.

So it seems by using DaemonTools and DaemonScript you can do all of the hard work.  So if there's a way to treat *.daemonscript files as DVD movies within MC12, I *think* we'd be all good.

Scott

[rebecca1]

Sorry scott I've been out, I'm looking for the pages that have guided me over the last week but I can't find them at the moment.

I've used daemon tools for this type of thing before, but not this time. Use slysoft clonedrive, it will setup an association with iso filetype, which will automount when you click on explorer.

You will need to enable shell integration in the options to allow you to import isos and folders containing isos into MC. 

Media type for iso must be 'data' rather than video, this is a bit of a pain because to assign cover art they need to be assigned to 'video'. So import change media type to video, then assign cover art then set back to video.

 

[scottlindner]

I'm still failing to understand what "click on explorer" means.  Can you elaborate a bit more clearly?

I will check out the tool you use.  Do you feel it's required to use SlySoft or would this also work with DaemonTools?

[rebecca1]

The extension is associated with explorers shell so when you double click on an iso, clonedrive automounts the iso.

Yes its free, don't be tied to daemon tools for this.

[rebecca1]

see my post here for the wiki bit http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=38581.msg303224#msg303224