Now that I know Plex doesn’t recognize ISO files was wondering if i should convert these to another format and/or wait until Plex does recognizes this format. If converting is my best option which program is recommended and to which new format. Thanks as always you guys with the answers rock
the neophyte
See the Media Preparation pages.
Also Converting ISO, Video_TS, and Other Disk Image Formats.
Here’s the basics to get you started, but refer to above for additional details:
Use MakeMKV to rip DVDs, Blu-rays, or their ISO images. You’ll see many files. The movie is generally the largest. There are exceptions. You can get more info in the MakeMKV FAQ/forums/etc.
The output will be file_name.mkv.
A MKV file is a container that can hold many different audio and video formats. Video on DVDs is in MPEG2 format. Video on non-4K Blu-rays is in H264/AVC/MPEG4 format (can’t speak to 4K blu-rays). On DVDs, audio will generally be in Dolby Digital format, aka AC3, typically in stereo/2.0 or surround/5.1. You may also see dts (typically 5.1) or PCM (typically 2.0). Blu-rays have more options, including dts-HD and Dolby Atmos.
You can load the associated MKV files directly into Plex. Be sure to observe correct naming convention.
Depending on the capabilities of your Plex client, you may be able to play the direct rips without transcoding.
If the movie transcodes and your Plex Server isn’t up to the task, then you need to process the files with Handbrake (or get a beefier server…).
Handbrake transcodes the video so Plex doesn’t have to. Handbrake has many, many options. Suggest you start with one of the pre-sets that matches your Plex clients (Roku, AppleTV, etc). Alternately, start with the “Fast 1080p30” preset. For maximum compatibility, choose H.264 video codec, the AAC audio codec, and output to a MP4 container (instead of MKV).
When Handbrake is finished, load the resulting mp4 file into Plex (again, observe correct naming conventions).
Try a couple of movies, experiment, and see what works best for your setup. You can then process all your media.
FYI, Handbrake can directly read most DVDs, Blu-rays, and ISO files. You don’t necessarily have to rip with MakeMKV if you know you’re going to have to use Handbrake.
FYI2, Handbrake is very CPU intensive. Depending on Handbrake settings and the capabilities of your system, converting a movie can take a long time (hours). Note that you can always just convert a chapter or two of a movie to see how things work, then convert the entire movie once you have the settings to your liking.
Other handy tools:
VLC: Video player that plays dang near everything. Helpful to make sure video files play OK before loading into Plex library.
MKVToolNix: A toolset for MKV files. You can use it to add/remove audio/video tracks from MKV files (ex: strip out a foreign language audio track you don’t need), edit chapter names, etc.
SubTitle Edit: Subtitles are a pain in the posterior. Enabling subtitles in Plex can cause transcoding in many instances. SubTitle Edit can read subtitles from DVDs (VOBSUB) & Blu-rays (PGS) and convert to formats easier handled by Plex (SRT or ASS).
tbh to convert would be faster than waiting. makemkv is fast and easy to convert iso. i did an ISO rip last week took me 10min to recode to x264
Regarding Plex supporting ISO files, don’t hold your breath:
Why are ISO, VIDEO_TS, and other Disk Image Formats Not Supported?
