DTS rip from DVD

[Eric Seaberg]

I have a lot of DVD-A discs that also have a DTS stream available to play on non DVD-A players. Since the format of the disc is the same as a standard DVD, i.e. Video and Audio TS folders, it's not as easy to rip as a DTS-CD is, which looks just like an audio CD but the files are encoded.

Anyway, I got an idea to try playing the stream into one of our ProTools systems. It all recorded GREAT via SPDIF out of the DVD player... nothing was changed in the process EXCEPT the incoming file was at 48KHz, standard for Videoland. I cleaned up the top and tail of the file to match what I remembered hearing on a DTS-CD and saved the file.

I then opened BarbaBatch, which is a file format conversion program to SRC from 48K to 44.1. The resultant file was then converted using FLAC (like I had done with my DTS-CDs) and put onto my SlimServer Music drive.

The server played the file, but it didn't decode. I didn't have a lot of time to play with it, so I may take some time between now and New Years to try it again. I may even try playing the final AIFF file before conversion to FLAC.

Theoretically it SHOULD WORK, as long as the digital stream remains UNCHANGED. Dolby Digital works this way in the video world... I do it on a regular basis sending Dolby mixes back to DigiBETA video as a digital stream. At least I thought DTS worked the same... maybe not!

[adhawkins]

Hi,

In article <Eric.Seaberg.2iktwz1165715101 (AT) no-mx (DOT) forums.slimdevices.com>,
Eric Seaberg<Eric.Seaberg.2iktwz1165715101 (AT) no-mx (DOT) forums.slimdevices.com> wrote:
> Theoretically it SHOULD WORK, as long as the digital stream remains
> UNCHANGED. Dolby Digital works this way in the video world... I do it
> on a regular basis sending Dolby mixes back to DigiBETA video as a
> digital stream. At least I thought DTS worked the same... maybe not!

There's a thread on this, including a utility which does some modification
of the ripped data so that it is playable via a Squeezebox. A search should
find it.

I've done it with great success, it definitely does work.

Andy

[Eric Seaberg]

I'll search for the thread... which I thought I already did, but didn't see it. I'll try again!

[adhawkins]

Hi,

In article <Eric.Seaberg.2ilyw01165768202 (AT) no-mx (DOT) forums.slimdevices.com>,
Eric Seaberg<Eric.Seaberg.2ilyw01165768202 (AT) no-mx (DOT) forums.slimdevices.com> wrote:
> I'll search for the thread... which I thought I already did, but didn't
> see it. I'll try again!

It's here:

http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=19260

Andy

[smst]

I have a lot of DVD-A discs that also have a DTS stream available to play on non DVD-A players. Since the format of the disc is the same as a standard DVD, i.e. Video and Audio TS folders, it's not as easy to rip as a DTS-CD is, which looks just like an audio CD but the files are encoded.

As Andy says, your best bet is to rip the DTS stream directly from the DVD-Video layer and convert it.

I then opened BarbaBatch, which is a file format conversion program to SRC from 48K to 44.1. The resultant file was then converted using FLAC (like I had done with my DTS-CDs) and put onto my SlimServer Music drive.

It's not necessary to force a 44.1kHz sample rate -- the SB2/3 will be happy with the 48kHz DTS stream from the DVD-Video. DTS-CDs are 44.1kHz but the DTS data is a different format; even if BarbaBatch knows there are two different formats, I don't think it's easy to transform them (I tried it once but the resultant streams were never useful). But since you don't need to sample-rate convert anyway, it doesn't matter. :-)

[Eric Seaberg]

I spent the time yesterday reading smst's LONG thread on doing this. I'm thinkin' I'll pull out the ol' Dell Laptop to use for this as it seems SO MUCH EASIER than trying to re-compile for the Mac.

I'll re-read the post with that in mind. Thanks for the replies, guys!!

[smst]

I spent the time yesterday reading smst's LONG thread on doing this. I'm thinkin' I'll pull out the ol' Dell Laptop to use for this as it seems SO MUCH EASIER than trying to re-compile for the Mac.

I don't think it'll be very hard to use a Mac for this, but as I've never used one I don't know for sure! Python is available for the Mac, and spdifconvert.py shouldn't rely on anything Windows-specific (and if it does, I can change it). Current Mac OSs allow the opening of a terminal, I think. There must exist DVD ripping tools and a FLAC encoder.

Which is just to say: if getting that Dell out is more than a few hours' work in itself, you might want to try the Mac anyway. Depends how deeply you've hidden it. :-) (Don't forget you'll need to transfer your new FLACs from the Dell to the box running SlimServer, so the Dell will need a network card or a CD/DVD writer...)

Good luck with it. If you have any problems, please post back to the AC3/DTS thread (where problems are collected).

[Eric Seaberg]

Bad choice of words... it's not an OLD DELL. It does have built-in Centrino and, I think, is a 1.8G processor... don't know the type, though.

I did DL Python for OSX and got spdifconvert to open and even read the help file. I have a DVD ripper that does rip the DTS files individually so now it's just a matter of figuring out the syntax your script wants.

I've got too much on my plate right now to think about it. Don't want my head to explode before Christmas.

BTW, smst, have you seen the DVD of Porcupine Tree at Rockpalast? It's pretty incredible, if you can find it. I think it was shot for German television and is tough to find in the States.

[smst]

I did DL Python for OSX and got spdifconvert to open and even read the help file. I have a DVD ripper that does rip the DTS files individually so now it's just a matter of figuring out the syntax your script wants.

I've got too much on my plate right now to think about it. Don't want my head to explode before Christmas.

Nobody wants an exploding head; I'd agree with that. The syntax isn't tough: in your terminal, change to the directory containing the DTS files (likely with the 'cd' command; OSX has a linux-like shell, right?), copy spdifconvert.py into that directory (using the Mac's GUI for file browsing if that's easier) and run spdifconvert.py with no arguments to check it's available. Then just run it several times, each time with a DTS file as argument (ie you type 'spdifconvert.py', or whatever works for you, then a space, then the name of a DTS file).

If you decide to take a look at it, do ask for any help you need in the other thread.

BTW, smst, have you seen the DVD of Porcupine Tree at Rockpalast? It's pretty incredible, if you can find it. I think it was shot for German television and is tough to find in the States.

I haven't; sounds good. Burning Shed seem to have it for download but I don't see a CD there... I'm in the UK so hopefully it'll be a touch easier to find.

[Eric Seaberg]

Thanks for the reply. Maybe I'll try it with Toy Matinee over the weekend.


The Porcupine Tree DVD is VIDEO, not audio. I think the copy I saw was converted from PAL to NTSC, which didn't really look too bad.