OK, I felt ashamed that I always answer this question with "I use TVersity. Works great but I forget how to set it up." So last night, I blew TVersity away off my PC along with all the codec packs and vowed to rebuild it and record the steps. I figure I owe many of you at least that much for all your help in the past.
I'll post the short version here but if you really are interested, I'll post a link to a word doc where I go into a lot more detail for someone starting off relatively fresh. I started writing it for a total newb to codecs audience but had to give up on that because even in it's scaled back version, it's a nine page document without even adding some much needed screenshots. I guess I could improve it if there is a lot of interest but it won't be for everybody. Sometimes it is easier to just get up off the couch and put a DVD in an old fashioned player.
Short Version:
1. Install TVersity from
www.tversity.com Relatively simple. Take note of the Folders that you set up to share your movies and other media.
2. Find and install a codec pack that seems to work with your ripped DVD files. To get my configuration of Windows Media Player 11 running in Windows XP, service pack 3, I had to use the "K-Lite Codec Pack 4.4.5 (standard edition)". It can be downloaded
From Here. 3. Rip your DVDs using your favorite DVD ripping software. I use either "DVD Shrink" and sometimes "DVD Decrypter". Both are free and Google will easily find you a copy. The biggest trick here is to make sure your ripper creates only a single .VOB file. Most will break it into chunks of several .vob files by default. Also, no need to waste space on menus, extras or other soundtracks. You can't access them easily anyways when you stream a movie to the PS3 as the menus will not be available. Use the saved space to not have to do any video compression.
4. Although not a rule, you may have to rename the .VOB file to .MPG. This is sometimes more 'pleasing' to the PS3. You should also change the beginning to reflect the real name of the movie instead of something like "VTS_01_1.VOB"
5. Copy the files to the folder you set up TVersity to share. Refresh the TVersity Library and it should now appear on your PS3 when you connect to TVersity. (additional instructions can be found in the .doc file linked below.)
6. Sometimes it still just won't work (no audio) or you already have your movies encoded on your hard drive but already did it with multiple .VOB files and you don't want to drag all your DVDs out again (assuming they are not back at the rental shop because that would be illegal
). In the second scenario, it's EXTREMELY annoying to have to figure out which VOB file is which and you will have a long list of identically named files.
In either case, it's better to use this more complicated but foolproof method of rebuilding your files. There may be a simpler program but this method always works for me and you get one single, properly named file with 5.1 sound built into it for sure.
2.1 Use a program called PgcDemux,
Found Here , to ‘demux’ these files into their separate audio and movie components. (see the downloadable Word Document for full instructions.)
2.2 Then ‘ReMux’ them into one big MPEG file using ImagoMPEG
Found Here. 2.3 This should produce one single file with a .MPG extension. Rename the file to reflect the name of the movie (retain the .mpg) and copy it to your TVersity shared folder for videos. Refresh the TVersity library and it's ready to play.
NOTE: Don't be concerned if you try to test this file using Windows Media Player and the Dialog is missing. This file has a true AC3 Dolby Digital soundtrack embedded in it and that's it, so sometimes WMP has trouble with it. However, it will decode fine when sent it to your PS3.
If you are actually still interested, you can read more detailed instructions [url=http://www.mediafire.com/file/0ylmam4z5md/5 1 movies streamed to PS3.doc]In this link to an MS Word Doc. [/url]
However, it's unedited, unspellchecked and I finished it at 1:00am last night so it may make no sense at all. If there is interest, I'll take the time to clean it up.
