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ARCHIVE-DVD-VIDEO

Shell script for creating preservation-quality archival copies of DVD-VIDEO discs on macOS. Creates ISO disk images as the core preservation object, extracts DVD titles to MKV format as native-compression title masters, and generates access MP4 files with bob deinterlacing.

Features

  • ISO Creation: Uses ddrescue with 5% safety margin for reliable disk imaging
  • MKV Extraction: Extracts all titles (greater than 5 seconds long) using MakeMKV
  • Extraction Validation: Automatic duration comparison detects incomplete MakeMKV extractions
  • Access Files: Generates MP4 files with automatic field order detection
  • Bob Deinterlacing: Uses bwdif=mode=send_field to preserve original temporal resolution
  • Error Recovery: Comprehensive error handling and logging throughout
  • Smart Naming: Automatic file renaming from MakeMKV format to PM (Preservation Master) format

Requirements

System

  • macOS 10.15 Catalina or later
  • Admin privileges (for disk imaging with ddrescue)
  • External or internal DVD drive
  • At least 10GB free disk space per DVD

Required Software

  • ffmpeg - Video transcoding
  • ffprobe - Media analysis (included with ffmpeg)
  • ddrescue - Disk imaging with error recovery
  • makemkvcon - DVD title extraction
  • diskutil - Disk management (included with macOS)

Optional Software

These tools are not required for the script to run, but enhance functionality:

  • bc - Basic calculator for extraction validation (highly recommended)
  • jq - Faster JSON parsing for field order detection
  • lsdvd - Displays info about DVD disks and disk images; use lsdvd -c path-to-.iso
  • dvdbackup - DVD backup utility which can also display info about DVDs; use dvdbackup -I -i path-to-.iso

Recommended Archival Tools

For a complete archival workflow:

  • exiftool - Extract and analyze file metadata
  • mediainfo - Display technical metadata about media files
  • Invisor - Improved MediaInfo wrapper (Mac App Store)
  • IINA - Modern video player for verification (or VLC)
  • amiaos - AMIA Open Source archival tool suite

Installation

1. Install Homebrew

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

2. Install Required Dependencies

brew install ffmpeg ddrescue makemkv bc jq

3. Install Archival Tools (Recommended)

These tools support a complete archival workflow:

# Install archival utilities
brew install exiftool mediainfo

# Install AMIA Open Source tools
brew install amiaopensource/amiaos

# Install video player
brew install iina

# Cleanup
brew cleanup
brew doctor

Invisor (media file inspector) must be installed separately from the Mac App Store.

4. Configure PATH

Add Homebrew and MakeMKV to your PATH permanently:

# For Apple Silicon Macs (M1/M2/M3):
echo 'export PATH="/opt/homebrew/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc

# For Intel Macs:
echo 'export PATH="/usr/local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc

# Add MakeMKV CLI:
echo 'export PATH="/Applications/MakeMKV.app/Contents/MacOS:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc

# Apply changes:
source ~/.zshrc

5. Download Scripts

cd ~/Documents  # or your preferred location
git clone https://github.com/tomackroyd/archive-dvd.git
cd archive-dvd
chmod +x "ARCHIVE-DVD-VIDEO.zsh"

6. Verify Installation

which ffmpeg      # Should show /opt/homebrew/bin/ffmpeg
which ddrescue    # Should show /opt/homebrew/bin/ddrescue
which makemkvcon  # Should show /Applications/MakeMKV.app/Contents/MacOS/makemkvcon

Usage

Quick Start

cd ~/Documents/archive-dvd
zsh "ARCHIVE-DVD-VIDEO.zsh"

The script presents an interactive menu with options for your workflow.

Menu Options

Option 1: Create ISO from DVD

Purpose: Create a disk image from a physical DVD.

Requirements:

  • Admin privileges (script will prompt for sudo password)
  • Physical DVD inserted in drive

Steps:

  1. Insert DVD
  2. Choose Option 1
  3. Enter device identifier (e.g., disk3)
    • Script shows available devices to help you choose
  4. Enter output filename (e.g., CA0001234567)
    • Script adds .iso extension automatically
  5. Confirm overwrite if file exists
  6. Wait for ddrescue to complete

What Happens:

  • DVD is unmounted
  • Raw disk image created with 3 retry passes (-r3)
  • 5% safety margin added to prevent data truncation
  • Progress and time remaining displayed
  • Log file created: FILENAME.iso.log

Output:

  • FILENAME.iso - Disk image file
  • FILENAME.iso.log - ddrescue log for error tracking

Option 2: Create MKV + MP4 from ISO

Purpose: Extract preservation masters (MKV) and create access files (MP4).

Requirements: ISO file (from Option 1 or existing)

Steps:

  1. Choose Option 2
  2. Select ISO file (uses just-created ISO or prompts for path)
  3. Optionally eject physical DVD
  4. Wait for processing

What Happens:

  1. MakeMKV extracts all titles ≥5 seconds to MKV
  2. Files renamed: title_t00.mkv → FILENAME-PM01.mkv
  3. Extraction validated: VOB duration compared with MKV duration
  4. Field order detected for each title
  5. Access MP4 created with appropriate deinterlacing
  6. Log file moved to output directory on exit

Validation Check: After extraction, the script automatically validates that MakeMKV extracted all content by comparing total VOB duration with total MKV duration. If validation fails (MKVs < 98% of VOB duration), you'll be prompted to investigate. See VALIDATION-TROUBLESHOOTING.md for workarounds.

Output:

  • FILENAME-PM01.mkv, FILENAME-PM02.mkv, etc. - Preservation masters
  • FILENAME-A01.mp4, FILENAME-A02.mp4, etc. - Access files
  • FILENAME-RF.log - Complete operation log

Option 3: Create MKV Only

Purpose: Extract preservation masters without creating access files.

Use Case:

  • Batch processing where you'll create access files later
  • When you only need archival MKVs
  • Saves time when processing multiple discs

Same as Option 2 but skips MP4 generation. Includes extraction validation.

Output:

  • FILENAME-PM##.mkv - Preservation master files only

Note: Validation still runs to detect incomplete extractions.

Option 4: Create Access Files Only

Purpose: Generate access MP4s from existing MKV files.

Use Case:

  • Regenerate access files with different settings
  • Create access files after using Option 3
  • Replace corrupted access files

Steps:

  1. Choose Option 4
  2. Enter path to directory containing MKV files
  3. Script processes all .mkv files found
  4. Shows success/failure count

Supported Naming:

  • FILENAME-PM##.mkv (Preservation Master)
  • FILENAME-A##.mkv (Access - will regenerate)

Output:

  • FILENAME-A##.mp4 - Access files for all MKVs

Option 5: Exit

Safely exits script and moves log file to output directory (if available).

File Naming Convention

Preservation Masters (MKV)

  • Format: IDENTIFIER-PM##.mkv
  • Example: CA0001234567-PM01.mkv
  • PM = Preservation Master
  • Numbers start at 01 (MakeMKV title 0 becomes PM01)

Access Files (MP4)

  • Format: IDENTIFIER-A##.mp4
  • Example: CA0001234567-A01.mp4
  • A = Access
  • Numbers match corresponding PM file

Log Files

  • Format: archive_dvd_video_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.log
  • Final: IDENTIFIER-RF.log (moved to output directory on exit)
  • Contains complete terminal output for audit trail

ISO Files

  • Format: IDENTIFIER.iso
  • Example: CA0001234567.iso
  • Log: IDENTIFIER.iso.log (ddrescue error log)

Technical Details

Deinterlacing Strategy

The script automatically detects field order and applies appropriate processing:

Field Order Action FFmpeg Filter
Progressive None Direct encode (no deinterlacing)
Top Field First (TFF) Bob deinterlace bwdif=mode=send_field:parity=tff:deint=all
Bottom Field First (BFF) Bob deinterlace bwdif=mode=send_field:parity=bff:deint=all
Unknown/Empty Bob deinterlace bwdif=mode=send_field:parity=tff:deint=all

Bob deinterlacing (send_field mode):

  • Preserves original temporal resolution (25fps interlaced becomes 50fps progressive)
  • Ideal for standard archival access copies that reflect source temporal resolution

Access File Encoding

MP4 files use these settings for broad compatibility:

Video:

  • Codec: H.264 (libx264)
  • Bitrate: 3 Mbps (min 3M, max 6M, buffer 6M)
  • Preset: medium
  • Profile: High, Level 3.1
  • Pixel Format: yuv420p

Audio:

  • Codec: AAC
  • Bitrate: 192 kbps
  • Channels: Stereo (2.0)

Container:

  • Format: MP4
  • Fast start enabled (web streaming)
  • Chapters preserved
  • Subtitles excluded

DDrescue Safety Margin

The script adds a 5% safety margin to the OS-reported DVD size.

Why?

  • OS may underestimate disc size on damaged discs
  • Prevents data truncation at end of disc
  • Dual-layer DVDs may report inconsistent sizes

How it works:

Detected size:     4,700,372,992 bytes
Safety margin (5%):  235,018,650 bytes
Total read:        4,935,391,642 bytes

This ensures complete capture while maintaining progress reporting.

Error Recovery

DDrescue provides:

  • 3 retry passes on read errors (-r3)
  • Continues on errors instead of aborting
  • Detailed log files showing bad sectors
  • Can resume interrupted operations

Check the .iso.log file after imaging for any read errors.

Workflow Recommendations

Single Disc Workflow

  1. Insert DVD
  2. Run script → Option 1 (create ISO)
  3. Continue → Option 2 (create MKV + MP4)
  4. Verify output files

Batch Processing Workflow

Phase 1: Imaging (requires admin privileges)

  1. Create ISOs for all discs using Option 1
  2. Name systematically: CA0001234567, CA0001234568, etc.
  3. Store ISOs in staging directory and pass to Phase 2

Phase 2: Processing (can run as standard user)

  1. Use Option 2 to process each ISO
  2. Can run on different machine
  3. Can interrupt and resume

Phase 3: Quality Control

  1. Verify MKV files play correctly
  2. Check access MP4 files for quality
  3. Verify file sizes are reasonable

Storage Guidelines

Preservation Masters (ISO and MKV):

  • Store on redundant storage (RAID, cloud backup)
  • Never delete after creating derivatives
  • Consider LTO tape for long-term archival
  • These are your master copies

Access Copies (MP4):

  • Suitable for streaming servers and general use
  • Can be regenerated from MKV if lost
  • Lower storage priority than masters
  • Delete and regenerate if quality standards change

Troubleshooting

"ERROR: Missing required dependencies"

Solution:

brew install ffmpeg ddrescue makemkv
which ffmpeg
which makemkvcon

"ERROR: Device disk3 not found"

Solution:

  1. Run diskutil list to see all devices
  2. Look for your DVD (shows disc name)
  3. Use device identifier (e.g., disk3 not /dev/disk3)

"ERROR: Failed to unmount"

Solution:

  1. Close applications accessing the DVD
  2. Try: diskutil unmountDisk /dev/disk3
  3. Eject and reinsert disc if persistent

MakeMKV "evaluation period expired"

MakeMKV is free during beta but requires periodic key updates.

Solution:

  1. Visit MakeMKV Forum
  2. Copy latest key from first post
  3. Open MakeMKV GUI → Help → Register
  4. Paste key and apply

Beta keys last 30-60 days. Bookmark the forum link.

"makemkvcon: command not found"

Solution:

echo 'export PATH="/Applications/MakeMKV.app/Contents/MacOS:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc
which makemkvcon

"makemkvcon: Sequoia Gatekeeper warning"

Solution: Troubleshoot at this page: https://forum.makemkv.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=35350

Permission denied with ddrescue

Solution:

  • Script uses sudo and will prompt for password
  • Ensure your account has admin privileges
  • Or run entire script with: sudo zsh "ARCHIVE DVD-VIDEO.zsh"

Script hangs during ISO creation

Solution:

  1. Check .iso.log file for progress
  2. Press Ctrl+C to cancel (safe - can resume)
  3. Try cleaning disc
  4. Try different DVD drive

Access files look choppy

Solution: Bob deinterlacing (doubles frame rate) is best for preserving temporal resolution. If playback looks choppy, ensure your player supports 50fps playback.

Extraction validation failed

When you see:

⚠️  VALIDATION FAILED: Extracted MKVs are significantly shorter than source VOBs!

This means MakeMKV failed to extract all DVD cells. The extracted MKVs are incomplete.

Solution: See VALIDATION-TROUBLESHOOTING.md for detailed workarounds including:

  • Direct ffmpeg extraction from VOBs (recommended)
  • HandBrake CLI as alternative
  • MakeMKV GUI troubleshooting
  • When to report bugs to MakeMKV developers

Version Information

Script: ARCHIVE-DVD-VIDEO.zsh

Deinterlacing: Bob (send_field mode, doubles frame rate)

Frame Rate: 50fps output from 25fps interlaced source

Dependencies: ffmpeg, ddrescue, makemkvcon

Platform: macOS 10.15+

License

See LICENSE file for details.

Credits

About

Shell script to preserve DVD-Video discs using ddrescue, MakeMKV and FFMPEG to clone the disc, extract titles to native MPEG-2/MKVs and create AVC mp4 access files.

Topics

zsh ffmpeg preservation makemkv ddrescue dvd-video

Resources

Readme

License

CC-BY-4.0 license
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