This must have been asked before but I've tried searching, honest!
After ripping all my CDs and having MC16 serve them via PlugPlayer to a WD TV Live through DLNA, I'm now starting to play with DVDs, but coming unstuck. I've been able to rip a DVD in 3 different ways:
1. To .mkv files for each title on the DVD
2. To AUDIO_TS & VIDEO_TS folders
3. To a single ISO file
The MKV files will play via DLNA no problem, except that the DVD exists as individual titles and you lose the menus.
The VIDEO_TS VOB files will also play via DLNA but again there are no menus and it's a bit unfriendly to have to select the filenames (I don't know if you rename the files whether it will "break" the structure??).
The ISO files will only play via creating a network share and using the WD TV Live as a client rather than a renderer, thereby bypassing the DLNA control point, but you do get the full menus as though it was a real DVD. Indeed, accessing the VIDEO_TS folders via a network share and selecting the correct file will do the same thing. Obviously though, it's pointless to have a full DVD menu system via DLNA as the control point doesn't have cursor keys and selection buttons to operate the interface! But at least if it could be served via DLNA and used the media player as a client then you could indeed use its own remote control, however the ISO won't play via DLNA.
But it all just seems a bit unsatisfactory somehow. I guess if using a control point then the MKV files are the best that can be achieved. But if I decide I want the menus then I would be happy to bypass the control point and use the player as a client but would prefer to keep it all in DLNA and manage everything in MC (including assigning cover art and user-friendly views and categories) rather than creating a network share and having to browse through the filesystem.
What do people generally do? What's the accepted way of serving DVDs to a client from MC as opposed to playing them in MC itself? Or is it accepted that it's actually not very practical and you have to live with these limitations?