It depends on what playback software you use. Some do not support playback from ISO files without having to first mount it via a loopback or virtual cd driver, but do support the MKV container.

You have to also realize that bluray already uses lossy codecs, including H.264/AVC High Profile.  You can rip blurays to MKV, without transcoding.  But some people insist on recoding, and they often just muck it up.

I think Plex is based on XBMC and for TV shows, XBMC won't support Video_TS folders.  I've gone over to ISOs and have put my Video_TS folders in MKV containers, and then XBMC likes it. Just my 2¢

One thing I've noticed is that .mkv tends to be a bit choppy when scrubbing through the video.  Otherwise, it is perfectly fine.  For this reason I prefer .mp4, even though it is a proprietary format.  When I first noticed this problem I tested it for myself:  I made two handbrake encodes of the same movie, once using .mp4 and the other using .mkv.  All the codes, bitrate, etc were the same for both encodes.  The .mp4 came out slightly smaller, and it scrubbed smoothly.  The .mkv was slightly larger and scrubbing was choppy.  Both looked to be the same quality when just watching the movie normally.

 

This test was performed on a Mac using VLC as a media player.  So perhaps the difference is in VLC's handling of the two containers, I'm not sure.  Either way, it was enough to convince me to rip all my own stuff into .mp4.

 

Actually I would say the difference comes down to Handbrake having mp4 support for MUCH longer. Mkv is kinda new to handbrake.

 

Take the same mkvs and re-contain them with mkvtoolnix. I would love to know if that fixes the choppiness...

So how would I burn a mkv to a dvd so its playable in a dvd player.  I'm using a Mac

So how would I burn a mkv to a dvd so its playable in a dvd player.  I'm using a Mac

 

Nero can do it.

NERO doesn't work for a Mac

NERO doesn't work for a Mac

 

Toast Titanium may be able to do it, though I am not sure if you would end up with a one-to-one copy of the original DVD.  That is the reason I make .iso backups of my DVD's.

So how would I burn a mkv to a dvd so its playable in a dvd player.  I'm using a Mac

 

I use MakeMKV on my mac to make the MKV file.  I'm not at home right now, but I wonder if MakeMKV can go backwards and convert it back to a video_TS folder?

Oops, yeah, sorry, I meant Toast.  It has been a while since I've used a Mac.

I use Handbrake (free) on my Mac and anything that has copy right I use Mac The Ripper (free as well).  I hate that though, the fact that I bought and paid for physical media yet according to Hollywood I shouldn't be able to back it up.  I can understand the business end behind it but from a consumers stand point I want to be able to do whatever I want with a dvd. 

The US Copyright Office recently released additional new exceptions to the US Copyright Law. You can google it and read them for yourself. The first states:

 

 

(1)  Motion pictures on DVDs that are lawfully made and acquired and that are protected by the Content Scrambling System when circumvention is accomplished solely in order to accomplish the incorporation of short portions of motion pictures into new works for the purpose of criticism or comment, and where the person engaging in circumvention believes and has reasonable grounds for believing that circumvention is necessary to fulfill the purpose of the use in the following instances:

 

        (i) Educational uses by college and university professors and by college and university film and media studies students;

 

        (ii) Documentary filmmaking;

 

        (iii) Noncommercial videos

 

That has been stated by many to allow legal circumvention of DVD encryption as long as the intent is not to break copy right law (ie distribute). So I believe DVD ripping is now considered legal as long as you own the hardware version.

 

 

Toast did the trick, thanks

Question about subtitles

 

Are the subtitles only used if want to read what they are saying?  I don't care or want them but what about movies where they might speak in a different language for a couple scenes.  Do I have to have them for this?

 

Thanks

Turn off subtitles in your player.

Thanks but that really doesn't answer my question

I don't understand the question. You can have subtitles on or off.

Sometimes movies have a separate subtitle track for the forced subtitles for the parts where needed. This is different than the subtitle track for the entire movie. It all depends on the movie.