by James Wallace Harris, 6/29/23
I recently wrote “The Emerging Mindset of Not Owning Movies” about converting my DVD/BD collection to digital files so I could stream through Plex. But I soon realized that converting hundreds of discs was too much trouble, so I gave up. I figured it would be worth the money to just subscribe to a bunch of streaming services instead.
However, in the weeks since I discovered some TV shows and movies aren’t available on streaming. The trouble is I just don’t like using disc players anymore. For example, I exercise by watching Miranda Esmonde-White’s Classical Stretch program. I have a couple seasons on DVD. When I was testing out Plex I converted them to files that I could stream through the Roku interface. It was so much nicer than loading the disc every morning.
Another reason why I gave up on Plex was I thought I needed to buy a Synology NAS and buy 2-3 very large capacity hard drives. Something that would take several hundred dollars.
Well, I had a breakthrough this week. I realized that I neither had to convert all my discs to make Plex worthwhile nor did I need a robust RAID system to store my video files. All I needed was just the files I would watch, and if I was only converting discs that aren’t on subscription streaming services then that wouldn’t be very many at all.
I bought a 512GB SSD for my Intel NUC 11. The NUC had a place for a second short SSD card. It was $59. Installing Plex again was three minutes. I put Classical Stretch, Survivors (1975 BBC show), and the last three seasons of Perry Mason on the drive. I could subscribe to Paramount Plus to watch Perry, but I didn’t want to add another subscription right now.
Plex streams videos off the SSD extremely fast. Almost, instantly. Way faster than the 8GB mechanical hard drive I was testing Plex with before. It’s extremely convenient.
When I finish Perry I’m just going to delete its files off the SSD. Not having to build a secure backed-up library makes things so much easier. Now, if I want to watch something I own on disc I’ll just rip it and put it on the SDD, and when I’m finished, I’ll delete it.
For some reason, coming up with this solution has made me very happy. I don’t need to mess with a second computer, or a NAS, or spend endless hours ripping and maintaining a library of video files. I’ve even simplified the ripping process. The proper method for ripping was to rip with Make MKV and then shrink those files with HandBrake. Then copy the files to the server and make a backup somewhere else. It was very time-consuming.
Now I just use MKV and save its .mkv files directly to the SSD. I don’t worry about shrinking the .mkv file to conserve space or backing it up. If I know I want to watch something that night that’s not on a subscription streaming service but I own the disc, I just rip it while working at my computer, and it’s ready for watching on Plex later when I want to watch TV.
I’ve very happy with this solution. I love to figure out solutions that are cheap, streamlined, minimal, and make things easier. This means I need only one computer, and I don’t need DVD players and their remotes. I recently got rid of one TV, leaving just two (one for me, one for Susan). That was satisfying too. I also put away one CD player and turntable. I only stream music now, but I left one CD player out in case I do want to play CDs. However, it’s just so much nicer not messing with those machines. I regret buying my Audiolab 6000 amplifier and CD transport. I wish I had gotten another Bluenote Powernode.
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve simplified my life by getting rid of several machines. I also gave up having a second computer, a Linux machine. I have less to worry about. I realize that I’m zeroing in on something. That I’m focusing my efforts and resources.
JWH
Auxiliary Memory 
You’re speaking my language with this: “I love to figure out solutions that are cheap, streamlined, minimal, and make things easier.”
I’m a minimalist streamer and don’t have my own dvd collection. When I really want to see something that’s unavailable in my stream, I check out a dvd from the library. I like to imagine my faithful old dvd player is happy after months of sitting idle, to feel it still has some worth. 🙂
I miss libraries and bookstores. I got to the library once a week but to its Friends of the Library bookstore. All too often they’re selling their books, CDs, and DVDs. I buy them cheap and after I’ve consumed those bargain discards donate them back.
i miss watching movies at a theatre (‘going to the show,” as we used to say in chicago); i even miss the kibitzers who can’t follow a plot (‘this is crazy!), keep track of characters (‘who’s that? is she a spy? are those his kids?) and bring their own soap opera to the theatre (“if i told you once, i’ve told you a thousand times…”} all i had to do was pay for the tickets and locate seats. now you practically need a working knowledge of quantum mechanics to get the film started. luddites unite!
We used to say, “Let’s go to the movies.” I, or with Susan, used to go once or twice a week with different friends. I haven’t been since before the plague.
You must have good ears to hear all that. But people watching and eavesdropping is a rewarding pastime.
I replied to some of the comments you left on my old posts. I don’t know if you go back to read them or not. I also sent you an email. I do like how you drop by here. It’s a blast from the past.
Oh, God, Ed, you’re right there Was a time when I would just go to the movie to see a movie? But there was the whole ambience with other warm and cozy humans….. or the stupid idiots in the audience.
When did we become crotchety old dudes intolerant of the all the dumbasses like ourselves?
good question. i reckon it was sometime in my midforties when millenials started working at jamba juice and i started hearing mary j. blige or oasis more often madonna or nirvana; i had hopes for amy winehouse taking rock into the twenty-first century, but she apparently drank herself to death. how prosaic is that anyway? mean time, in keeping with my persona of a curmudgeon at large, why hasn’t marvel studios done SERGEANT FURY and THE HOWLING COMMANDOES? i’ve got notes for an outline of a treatment, if you catch my drift. if not, let me drift further yet; anybody recollect a story by david brin titled CAPTAIN AMERICA MEETS THOR?
When it comes to watching movies in the comfort of home, watching them on Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray disc format is my preferred way.